Author: tophatpat

Sebastian Inlet SP, Florida

Today was spent beach combing and picture taking, relaxing and napping. Oh, and some after dark walking in the full moon light!

Sebastian Inlet State Park, Sebastian, Fl., 118 mile jump

Before saying our good byes, we all went to the Clermont Farmer’s Market. Arriving as they opened there was no crowd to fight. We needed to stock the fridge with veggies and fresh fish and we did. I also was smitten by a hand made Christmas outfit; I thought it would be perfect for my granddaughter, Mira. So. we got that, too. Impulse buying! There were lots of sights to see. The exotic flowers were attractive, But they don’t travel well; so, a photo will have to do.

Moving east, southeast from Gordy and Sandy’s, we made Melbourne, Fl., and headed down the sliver thin barrier island on highway A1A toward Sebastian Inlet. Two years ago, we contracted a job south of the park, but there were no sites available. So, we got a campsite in the county park just north of the state park. It was a bit soggy and after touring the state park, we decided to camp here next time. So, here we are!

 

Sunderman Residence, Clermont, Fl.

Another action packed day! I swam some laps first thing. After breakfast, we all hiked the wooded portion of the property. Then, Penny and I went for a kayak paddle. Next was the MAC Championship football game featuring the local UCF playing the Memphis Tigers. It was the highest scoring conference championship game in history and the Central Florida team won after two overtime periods!

Sunderman Residence, Clermont, Fl.

Penny and Sandy walked 5K  through the woods with the mini horse Shawnee. Then we towed the boat up to Lake Harris where we took the Mt. Dora canal to Lake Eustis. The canal was full of cypress and cedar trees, lots of spiderwebs and birds.

We lunched dockside at the Hideaway and  were entertained by a baby alligator.

After that, we dropped off the boat, changed clothes and headed to the other side of Orlando for a performance of the Nutcracker featuring two Sunderman grandchildren. It was excellent!

 

Sunderman Residence, Clermont, Fl.

The Circle B Bar Reserve was about 40 minutes south so we we headed out early and found it a bit foggy upon arrival. And, there was evidence of hurricane damage especially in some of the best viewing areas which were gated off. But, Penny and I were still impressed with the number and diversity of the wildlife.

Sunderman Residence, Clermont, Florida, 28 mile jump

We arrived at Gordy and Sandy’s in the mid afternoon and sat around the tiki bar in the screened lanai talking about events of the last year and making plans for activities in the next few days.  He and I graduated from high school 50 years ago and I was in their wedding a couple years later, so there were lots of stories to tell. We moved out of the camper into a spare bedroom which was a welcome luxury. We planned to visit a wildlife refuge tomorrow morning. Needing to arise early, we retired early.

Lake Griffin State Park, Fruitland Park, Fl

It was a memorable birthday with lots of FB greetings and calls from family and friends. We went to Mass at 11 AM to thank the Lord for all the blessings we enjoy. Then it was off to the Texas Roadhouse to watch to Gonzaga vs Texas men’s basketball game at 1PM, a game to determine third place in the PK80 tournament in Portland, Oregon. I had stayed up past 2  Saturday morning listening to the Zags vs Florida game that went into two overtime periods ending 111-105 with GU on the short end. Gators were ranked #7 in the nation, Zags were 17th: an incredible game! Today’s game also went into OT with GU winning 76-71; that was a nice present!

The food at the Roadhouse was phenomenal! Everything is prepared in house; no canned or jarred food. The Killer Ribs here are excellent appetizer, but big enough to call a meal. The meat just fell off the bone; literally, I slipped five bones out without any trouble! Penny’s Grilled Shrimp were also generous and scrumptious. There were lots of TVs around the bar, the beer was ice cold and the service was great! We will be looking for this restaurant chain in our travels; we highly recommend it!

Returning home for a 20 minute power nap we then read outside on our new lawn chairs (courtesy of the Zinks). The whole park emptied out today making it much quieter. I sautéed two fillets of Mahi fish in lemon pepper, butter, lemon zest and cilantro. Penny steamed a cornucopia of carrots, Brussels sprouts, green beans and broccoli. That paired well with a Chateau St. Michelle Pinot Grigio to make for a lovely candle light dinner. And, the moon has waxed just enough to light the roads and pathways allowing us to walk down to the lake and enjoy the solitude.

What a wonderful day!

Lake Griffin SP, Fruitland Park, Fl.

Penny and I took a 3 hour canoe ride and caught glimpses of a number of waterfowl. We also made a wrong turn down a 12′ wide canal; on the way back out we ran over the tip of the tail of an alligator! It must have been as spooked as we were because it made a quick escape! We have canoed here before and seen gators swimming about or basking in the sun, but this was a close encounter of the first order. Thank God we escaped unharmed!

 

 

Lake Griffin SP, Fruitland Park, Fl.

Right along side of our site a few of these zebra long winged butterflies were feeding on the passion vine leaves which makes them taste terrible to its predators. This particular specimen looks a little worse for the wear, but the bird that was trying to catch him must have given up. The butterflies live about six months, a relatively long life. Therefore, it also could be that it is at the end of its term.

Lake Griffin State Park, Fruitland Park, Fl., 166 mile jump

The Zinks were off to church at 7:15 AM. We got out the door about 9. It was a beautiful ride including a vast stretch through the Ocala NF on a number of two lane highways winding our way between the many lakes along the way. It was slower and less intense than the interstate and a lot more scenic. We had camped here two years ago. We came back because of the Mammoth Live Oak here and the abundance of wildlife photo ops. We plan to canoe the Dead River out to Lake Griffin; hopefully the alligator will give us a pass again this year.