2:30 club

Jan 25/16  Weather - high of 63, low of 50.    Quite mild today.  Cloudy so it will hold the heat in at night.   We traveled north on I75 then west on I10.   We thought about 3:30 it should be time to look for a campground, and this would be with the 1 hour time change back so it is 2:30.   We like to think we belong to the 2:30 club.  We drive 230 miles or get off the road at 2:30 pm.   Really.    We aren't in a hurry.  We have all winter to get somewhere and all spring to drive home.  One thing we noticed today was all the RV's on the road.  Wow.   We lost track of the numbers.   And it seemed they are all headed into Florida.  

the park is full, here we are right out front

We got off at Holt to pull into Eagles Landing RV Park.  Oh, Oh.  They had a "No Vacancy" sign out at the entrance.   After I popped my head out to talk to the fellow at the office he said he could put us in the overflow, no water, no sewer but we could get 50 amp and it was a nice level spot, easy in and out.   "Sure, why not we are just in transit for the night".   Come to find out it was a good sized park and filled with mostly seasonals, not many on the move like us.   We found this kind of amazing, that it was full.

In the overflow spot

Chilly Florida

Sunset the night before we pull out

Jan 18 - 25/16  Weather is Coooool and even Cold.   Frost 3 nights.  Sunny during the day - low 60's mostly - one day 70.  But as many Snowbirds say, it's Winter but still like Spring here.  Actually Billy unhooked our water hose 3 of the nights, just to be safe.   We went back to Grand Oaks RV Resort in Lady Lake to see some friends and do some errands before heading out West for the rest of the winter.  Originally we thought 2 days would do it but the week was necessary.  It took us 3 trips to the grocery store to get enough supplies to restock.   We do empty the fridge completely and most of our pantry items too.   So we say goodbye to a beautiful setting and get our wheels turning.  Kind of excited to go!!

53 foot Horse and RV trailer

I kept meaning to show you this huge RV and horse trailer.   This couple bring their car, horse, carriage, and golf cart in this unit.   They had a smaller one the very first year we came here,,,, and have upgraded to this monster!  Isn't that something.   The truck they pull it is a small Freightliner transport.

Going Home for Christmas Summary

New sign at our old home area - pretty snazzy

I find it interesting to recap after we return and file papers away for future reference.  We talk to many campers who want to go home for Christmas but other than jumping in their toad and driving back few don't think of warehousing and catching a plane.  This is our fifth trip back.  yr 1 Tallahassee, yr 2 Orlando,  yr 3 Orlando, yr 4 Sacramento, yr 5 Sanford.  Year 6???  Oh yes there is always next year......  We haven't had enough yet.
Adult Toy Storage Warehouse Outdoor $120
Trailer Warehouse Indoor $110
Taxi from Warehouse to Hotel $35
Hotel with free shuttle to airport $120
Shuttle tip $5
Airline tickets round trip from Sanford, Florida to Windsor, Ontario $380
(if we can fly to Detroit for $300 we think that is great, $150 per person round trip, so flying into Windsor saved us taking a shuttle over the border about $80)
Our son picked us up at Windsor to take us to the farm to get our car - we filled his tank, bought him dinner, and gave him a really big hug:)
Place to stay.......  Our friends in Florida had us stay in their home while they were away.  Great people.
Returning my brother dropped us at the airport for the cost of breakfast, homemade cookies and more hugs:)
Hotel with free shuttle $120
Shuttle tip $5
Taxi from Hotel to Warehouse $35
Total USF $930 (exchange at 1.43)= $1320 Canadian Funds

Advantages:  Besides the chance to see family and friends this trip back will "refresh" our personal out of country health insurance.  We need to be home for only 24 hours and it will restart for another 60 days free coverage. 

Disadvantages:  Can't think of any????

Adult Toy Storage in Altamonte Springs - Huge and Well Kept

Billy found our motorhome

2 Hours

We are feeling this...... 

Jan 17/2016. Weather in Windsor, Ontario 19F Brrrr mild snowfall.   2 hours later in Sanford, Florida 65F sunny.   Isn't it amazing what can change in just a 2 hour flight.   We are loving this flight route by National Airlines.  Today only 64 people on the 180 seat flight.   Gosh we sure hope it fills up on the rest of the winter flights so National will continue this service.  It is so convenient for us to have family and friends drop us off.    No border crossing to Detroit makes a big difference.  When we landed in Florida we cleared US Customs easily.   Great travel day.

From take off in Windsor

Landing in Sanford

Not your average Morning Coffee Scene

Dec10/15 weather 78 sunny, nights cool 60.  Just perfect.

We have been able to sit out each day with our morning coffee here at The Grand Oaks RV Resort and Carriage Museum.   Today we had a treat.    We had 4 carriages go by, exercising their horses..... How cool is that?????    What a beautiful hobby!    

Good Eats

Billy's Cafe

Dec 1/15  Weather  nice and sunny,  78.   Went out for a few errands and could not resist stopping here.   Really how could we drive by?  With a name like that its got to be good right.    And it was.   Waffles with strawberries and a pile of whip cream.   Yum.    We think we might be Professional Eater Outers!!!

Wonderland for Seniors

Nov 23/15 Weather sunny and crisp fall temp of 68, low last night was 43.  Couple of cooler days right now then back to mid or high 70's.   Hey no complaints here, we received a picture of what our family in Ontario woke up to ....Yikes early snowfall.  Thanks El Niño.

my brother's backyard in Ontario Nov 21

We put our black leather jackets on to tour around the back roads today, it felt good with the sun.   Only 2 miles away is a community called The Villages.  We stopped in for a stroll around the Christmas tree in Town square, and coffee at Panera Bread,,, just no Tim Hortons down here. Haha.

Town Square at Spanish Springs - ready for christmas

  The themed area nearest Grand Oaks is Spanish Springs.  I think it's the the oldest section and very pretty.  The Villages is still growing, over 110,000 people.  The community has more golf carts than New York has taxis!!! Can you imagine??  Yup the carts are everywhere. 

golf carts lined up on the street outside Panera Bread

plate on the front of one of the carts - Chatham???

Found it funny to see one with a plate on it reading The Village of Chatham. Just like home?  Cool.  

Panhandle of Florida

Nov 14 - 17/15 Weather 70's plus and 60's at night and sunny.

The riding in the Panhandle is nice when you pick the shoreline highways, like hwy 30a and old hwy 98.  West takes you to Destin and Fort Walton Beach.

East takes you to Grayton Beach, Seaside/Watercolor, Alys Beach and Panama City Beach. 

Seaside - a perfect village

in the town square of Seaside they have half a dozen Airstream trailers that are eateries

entering Alys Beach - very upscale

You can eat seafood fresh from the Gulf morning, noon and night.  I haven't had meat for 5 days, shrimp, oysters, crab, fish!!! Billy is the carnivore. 

inside the Red Bar restaurant, its one of those places you can't stop your eyes from wandering the walls and ceiling

Just kept hanging to the water. The new housing is incredible.  High end rentals and private seaside homes. A lot of dollars here and some neat funky restaurants. Of course Jimmy Buffett is everywhere - we found a Margaritaville at Harbourwalk Village in Destin. 
 

Jimmy is everywhere

There are several state parks along this area for camping and beach access.  The other thing that we are always alerted to are the Military bases.

military chopper

Sitting at our campsite having coffee and "KaBoom,,,,,BaBoom"!!!!!!  Oh right,  they are practising bombing maneuvers.   While walking the beach or sitting at the water for lunch the deafening sound of a chopper or fighter jet makes you search the skies!  

The wheels are turning

Nov 11/2015 The forecast is staying warm and our two weeks are up in central Florida so we decided to head north.  Really????  Not all the way North, just to the Florida Panhandle, Santa Rosa Beach which is about 10 miles east of Destin.  It will be cooler there and the beaches are beautiful.  Why not, that's why we have wheels.  In our travels in the last four years;  time and again we have heard wonderful reviews about Top Sail Haill Preserve State Park & Gregory C Moore RV Resort.    It felt like we were missing something not to make a special trip to stay at this State Park.  It is a busy park so we made a reservation just to make sure after retracing backwards 370 miles we will have a site.  Not flying by the seat of our pants this time....

our site is plenty big for our trailer in front of the coach

The State purchased the RV park in 1998 and folded it into the acreage of the preserve.  The camp sites in our loop are very long, concrete, full 50 amp hookups and include television.   TV?  Yes, it was leftover from the private RV resort and we can see why, the Pines are so tall that you will not get any satellite reception...  Hey we are trying to follow the finale of The Voice!!!  ha, ha.  We tried our dish when we setup;  it just kept spinning around and around trying to find a signal.

paved pathway to the beach for bikes, walking and the tram

There are a number of nature trails, water ponds and one paved pathway to the beach.  There is even a shuttle to and from the beach.  The path winds through the protected dunes and pops you out at the water.  The white sand is virtually blinding it's so white.  And it squeaks when you walk barefoot,,,,, no kidding! 

the dunes just before you break onto the beach

The best part is that it seems to be all yours, it's not crowded at all.  In both directions you can walk for miles.  It appears that without a doubt the reviews were right, it is well worth the visit and deserved of its ranking in the top best state parks in America.

billy and rosey - found a bench to set the camera on for a timed shot

not another person in site

P.S. Don't forget the time zone change - fall back 1 hour crossing into central time from eastern time zone.

snow white sand

A matter of perspective

Nov 7/15  Hot, hot, hot.  It's still 90.  We are certainly glad we had the new A/C installed in our bedroom when we first arrived in Florida.    The Florida Grande RV park had a Welcome Party on Monday night for any newbies.  So we went to that,,, turned out we were the Guests of Honor.  Wednesday they had a Pasta night for $8 so we went to that.   Really can you make a meal for $8?  Why wouldn't we go?  Friday we joined in the Happy Hour from 4:30 to 6:30.   Very nice people here and lots of activities to participate in.

some country road

 Almost everyday we have been riding in all directions.  Dade City, Floral City, Brooksville, Center Hill,  Howie in the Hills, Leesburg, Mascotte, Groveland, Yahala, Bushnell, St. Leo/San Antonio.   Billy and I have been saying Webster is in the middle of nowhere.   But we were corrected by the owners of the park ~  "it is the center of everything".   Love the Attitude Adjustment!!!

Yahala German Bakery

Another country road

Riding when you least expect it

Oct 29/15  When we settle somewhere for a week or two that hasn't been a place to go on our biking list we use our technology to find out if there are any routes in the area.   Oddly enough in Webster, Florida there are several!!!  That is a pleasant surprise to us.  The I Tune app we use is "Best Biking Roads".   You just hit the button for "Browse Routes", "Routes Near Me"  and voila up comes a map with red lines signifying runs bikers have made.

screen shot from Best Biking Roads

Today we are heading out on the "Gobbler Run".   Hmmmm, will we see turkeys?   Well we did not see turkeys but we did see cows, a snake crossing our road and an armadillo. 

looks like a paved country lane

Rosey is not particularly fond of snakes so Billy did not stop to get a better look:(  The roads were small back roads through ranches and along some water ways giving it lots of curves.

Must have been many bikers racing through the area at one time,,,, Not anymore.

Looks like the neighbourhood and police are trying to slow the much used biker road down,,,,, lots of sharp turns and at each one there is are 3 signs registering your speed and flashing to slow down. 

All decked out

At the end of the run you pop out in Floral City where you can get yourself a fancy red airboat or a burger and beer at the local biker bar.

Shamrock Inn - Biker friendly

heading back

A "Grande" Entrance

Oct 28 - Nov 11/15  Weather is constant everyday in the extended forecast - 85 to 90, lows in the high 60's.   You can count on humidity as well.   It's Florida, basically a spit of sand surrounded by water. 

Pretty "grande" clubhouse as you enter the park

We decided to spend a couple of weeks at a nearby motor coach resort called Florida Grande Motorcoach Resort.   Yes, that means only motor homes, usually no older than 10 to 15 years, class A only and no fifth wheels or trailers.   The 2 good things are; it will be lovely and we are first time visitors on a special package of paying for 1 week and staying an extra week for free.   This is a ownership park where you can purchase the lot and have a suite built on your lot.   The suite will typically have a bathroom, washer dryer, living area with sofa bed, small galley kitchen.  

RV concrete double lot and the suite

We often wonder "how does a motor coach resort end up out here, in the boonies?"  It is in Webster and there is not much around the town for 15 miles except for cows and a weekly huge flea market.   Not even a grocery store.   The bad thing is that motor coach resorts never let us keep our trailer on the site.  Apparently the lot owners feel it is not attractive.  Once we were in a MC resort and they let us on our site with the trailer but a couple days later (after a few owners complained) they came and moved it to the storage area. 

Bluebird Wanderlodge next to us

There is a Rally of Bluebird Wanderlodges in the resort and the coaches are a luxurious unit, built by the Bluebird Corporation which is the 4th largest bus company in North America.  Yes you see the yellow school buses everyday..... majority are Bluebirds.  The motorhome makes use of the school bus chassis and an all-steel body, which was intended for daily stop-and-go driving.  Most are pre 2009, not very many slides, 40 to 43 feet long.   They ride so smooth and look so good going down the road.

another pretty Wanderlodge across from us

another nice bus

Yearly Mtce Stop = To Do List

Oct 25 - 27/15. Weather is stuck in the 80's. 1 day of showers coming, but temp is not going to drop.

We say it's our yearly mtce stop but come to think of it we didn't come in for service last year!   

When you take your house down the road there is always something that needs attention...... Your going to tell us that you don't take your house down the road and there are always things to repair on it too, absolutely.   Alliance Coach RV service still seems to be the best shop we have found so far.  We pulled in before lunch on Sunday set up on a campsite and took the rest of the day easy since we have a 7:30 a.m. appointment Monday with our service advisor who will schedule our to-do list with the technicians.

That means for a couple of days setting the alarm clock for early mornings.  The coach has to be ready to move in the shop each day for 7ish.   A couple of years ago we had our front roof AC/heat pump replaced and it's time to have the rear one replaced.  With the heat wave in Florida we will be glad we did.   

Alliance in Wildwood, Florida has the following, so all you need to do is bring your Credit card!!!!!

Seriously it's great that you can stay in your coach, get work done every day on it and you get it back at 6 pm on your campsite.   This time we only need to stay a couple days. 

• 42 Service Bay
• 16 Outdoor Bays
• 2 x 65 ft Paint Booths
• In House Cabinet Shop
• In House Metal Fabrication Shop
• In House Upholstery Shop
• 40 Site Campground W/50 Amp, Water, Wi/Fi, & Laundry 

A Perfect Bench Day

Oct 24/15   It's a shirt sleeve day for a ride, sunny and 85.

Lake Dora - along Lakeshore drive

Bougainvillea blooming

Today we are going for a ride in Lake County Florida.  We are going to stop and have lunch in one of the prettiest towns in Florida, Mount Dora.   It is a very popular town with the tourists and locals.  

Lake County area

This area in north central Florida is aptly named as there are over a 1,000 lakes.   But we have to chuckle a bit cause the lakes are so small compared to what we are familiar with;  growing up in Great Lakes area we think on a very grand scale when we think of lakes.  When traveling around this area you have to use a GPS or know your way as many of the roads will dead end at a lake or it simply takes much longer to get from here to there because you have to drive around the lake.  We like the motorcycle riding in this area as you are almost always within view of a lake or a bit of rolling hills and citrus groves and many horse farms.

walking downtown in Mount Dora

the Perfect Bench

The towns are small in size and have lots of character.   Mount Dora is such a pretty town.  Cobblestone streets, beautiful lakefront drives, old Floridian homes, restaurants and artsy shops to interest you.   And the "Perfect Bench".  

lacey plates

Bon Bon's,,,,, lets buy the whole plate