January 2024 It’s truly a joy to be traveling again with “Pard”, our Leisure Travel Vans Wonder RV. Our first stop is Santee SP in South Carolina, which we’ve visited on two prior occasions. It’s a large park with hiking and biking trails as well as water access from the two dock areas. There are two campgrounds: Cypress View, mostly open but closer to amenities, and Lakeshore, with more trees and deeper into the park. The land bridge and day use area are within walking distance from Lakeshore.
Anastasia SP, on St. Augustine beach, is definitely worth the difficulty in getting a campground reservation. It’s an easy walk from our campsite to the beautiful beach, or to the inland bay, or to the hiking trails. The park feels far-removed from the bustle of St. Augustine. Despite having reservations for five nights, we left for two nights due to high wind warnings. This park will see us again before long.
As we did last year, six of our family get together for a pontoon boat ride — this time on the St. John’s River near DeLand. During the winter, Florida’s rivers become cooler than the springs and the manatees gather near the springs. This year Blue Spring hosted a record number of manatees — over 1000.
Camping in Central Florida:
Plenty of wildlife this trip:
Wakulla Springs State Park, south of Tallahassee, doesn’t have a campground, but the pontoon boat tour is definitely worth a stop. The historic lodge is lovely.
A delightful stay at the North Florida farm of a Harvest Host:
And now we’re back in Asheville, probably throughout the Spring considering the number of projects needing our attention. A three-month Fall trip is in the works though, with the route covering the Canadian rim of Lake Ontario, the Adirondacks and Catskills of New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and as far as Acadia National Park in Maine, if we can get a reservation!