We had two 300 mile travel days to get there:-(( Fortunately, they were uneventful and we were so happy to be away from the cold and wet weather that had moved into South Carolina.
Our first travel day, Tuesday - January 13th, ended at Walkabout RV Park in Woodbine, Georgia. This has been an overnight for us regularly on our way to Florida. However, we may be looking for another as they are having a real problem if it rains. The sites get very wet and muddy…not a good place for a heavy big rig!!!
Wednesday, January 14 Arrived at Oscar Scherer State Park
Finally… South of Tampa and some WARMER weather!!!
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Thursday, January 15 Tampa RV Supershow
Since we were only an hour away,
we decided to check out the RV Supershow in Tampa.
Sherry and David, who are camping here also, joined us.
I have NO photos of the show since I left my camera in the truck;o((
Check out Sherry’s Blog to see the fun we had!!!
Friday, January 16 Time For A Day of Rest!!
Sherry and David decided to drive back to the Supershow today. We decided we needed a day to just chill and NOT be driving. So we stayed here and did a little exploring.
Oscar Scherer is an older park in the Florida State Park System. I believe I wouldn’t bring a rig larger than Baby (35 ft) here. But if you fit and love the natural types of park, this is a wonderful place!!!
Bill and I decided we really needed to get out and walk.
Here are a few photos of our walk along South Creek
which runs through Oscar Scherer State Park.
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Bill spent the rest of the day catching up on things around the rig. Several travel days in very rainy weather did leave their mark on the new truck and Baby;o(( Rest assured that Bill took care of them!!!
I decided to get out and explore the Green Trail
which can be accessed almost from our campsite.
There are two loops to the Green Trail, but only the highlighted on is open right now.
The second loop is closed because Eagles are nesting there until May.
As I headed out the trail, I could see the nest way off in the distance.
My next nature treat was to see an American Kestrel.
Haven’t seen one of these since our time in the Everglades 2 years ago:o))
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Finally, I reach the area that is blocked off.
I stood up on the bench on the left in the photo above.
Guess what I saw coming down the trail on the other side of the orange barrier???
A Gopher Tortoise, the first I have ever seen in the wild :o)))
It got stuck at the orange barrier
which I lifted to allow it to continue down the trail to its burrow.
which I lifted to allow it to continue down the trail to its burrow.
I continued along the open loop and arrived at the Eagle nest viewing area.
This is as close as my camera could get me to the nest.
On the way back to the campsite,
I saw several more birds.
Paul Dahl... I could use some help identifying them ;o))
Paul Dahl... I could use some help identifying them ;o))
After dinner, Sherry and David came down to play Mexican Train.
I’m not sure why the three of us are all smiles???
We were soundly beat by Mr. Bill ;o(((
Saturday, January 17 Biking and Drumming!!!
We love to bike Rails To Trails.
The Legacy Trail runs right through Oscar Scherer SP:o))
If you ride south about 5 miles and cross the Circus Bridge,
you can connect with the Venetian Waterway Trail
and
can ride all the way to Caspersen Beach.
and
can ride all the way to Caspersen Beach.
We packed a lunch and headed toward the beach!!!
Leaving Oscar Scherer and heading down the beautiful rail-trail.
Along the trail are several bridges and nice pull-offs
where we enjoyed watching these Osprey!!
There are also bridges over major highways!!!
At the southern end of the Legacy Trail is the historic Train Depot.
Just past the Depot, the Venetian Waterway Trail starts.
This bike trail runs down both sides of the waterway.
To get to Caspersen Beach,
you need to cross The Circus Bridge to reach the trail on the other side of the canal.
One final small bridge at the end of the trail leads you to a beautiful park and beach.
We found a nice spot with a great view to enjoy our lunch.
Then we headed back for a round trip of exactly 20 miles !!!
After a bit of a rest,
we were off to Casey Key Beach to join Sherry and David for a unique adventure…
The Casey Key Drum Circle!!!
Sherry and David had spent this beautiful day at the beach.
They saved us a great spot to watch the party!!
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Anyone can join in the dancing…
This Dancer had ALL the moves and patent leather sneakers :o))
The scarves were really pretty!!!
The Sunset was SPECTACULAR !!!!
Sunday & Monday, January 18 & 19 Our Last Couple Days
Sunday morning we decided to headed back to the Tampa RV show. The weather during our first visit wasn’t so nice and we didn’t get to look at too many rigs. Not that we are looking to replace Baby, but it is always fun to see what is new.
Actually, we didn’t find anything that was truly innovative. But we did find this garage-able condo for our friends Bill and Chris… just in case they want to take the grandkids with them;o))
Yep, only 900 pounds and it will fit in the garage!!!
Sharon and David, a new full-timing couple we met at the Sevierville rally,
purchased a Heartland 5th wheel at the show. So we had to check it out:o))
It’s a BEAUTY!! We love the Massage Chairs:o))
On Monday, our last day here, we decided to ride the north section of the Legacy Trail.
Just before getting on the trail, another Gopher Tortoise was there to greet us:o))
We made a left out of the park and headed north.
Along the route, there are rest stations, port-a-potties and picnic areas!!!
The trail is well marked and has very safe highway crossways:o)
It was a nice 5 mile ride to the north Trailhead where we turned around and headed back.
A SUMMER SUPPER…
baked potato, fresh corn, broccoli, tomatoes and Florida Citrus!!!
Perfect ending to a fun time at
Oscar Scherer State Park!!!
Wow what a great summary of your time at the park and terrific pictures. I need to learn how to do a one week in one post. It would make my life much easier. Your pictures are so sharp with such great color. You saw much more on the green trail in a week than we did in a month, no kestrel, no tortoise for us. You lead a charmed life! Great fun visiting the super show with you guys; not so much getting trounced at Mexican Train. See you in a few hours.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great week doing all the things that Dianne and I love --- hiking, photography, biking, time with friends, Mexican Train and eating. The drum circle on the beach looked like fun. See you at the rally.
ReplyDeleteIt was nice to meet you at the show on Thursday. We are almost finished paring down stuff and hope to be mobile by June at the latest. See you on the road!
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to help you ID those birds. The one on the left is a Black Feathered Hand Towel, on the right, a Brown Beaked Bath Towel and the one on the bottom is a Yellow Warbling Wash Cloth. You are welcome. :cD
ReplyDeletePS: How come no pictures of Bill bustin' a move at that sundown dance session??? ;c)
Sorry, but he wouldn't dance cause he didn't have any patent leather sneakers:o)))
DeleteLooks like a great place! Love the bike trail. We agree about Walkabout. Last two times we were there it was raining and it was a muddy mess and a challenge.
ReplyDeleteWhat beautiful bike rides. How lucky to be in a nesting area! You must have been thrilled to see the tortoise too :)
ReplyDeleteWelcome back to Florida. Come visit us in Homosassa, we have gopher tortoises all over the neighborhood; Casey and Honey know every single hole and we have to check them every day :-)!
ReplyDeleteGlad you made it back to Florida safe and sound! Looks like a great first week back. We also are looking for alternatives to Walkabout. I doubt they'll miss us. They have quite the permanent/seasonal residents now and very few (muddy) overnight sites.
ReplyDeleteGlad you made it back to Florida safe and sound! Looks like a great first week back. We also are looking for alternatives to Walkabout. I doubt they'll miss us. They have quite the permanent/seasonal residents now and very few (muddy) overnight sites.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you are having a great time Mom and Dad! It's hard for me to imagine being where it's warm enough for shorts!
ReplyDeleteWelcome to Florida! After 2 weeks back up north, I am SO glad to be back in the warm weather!! That bike path looks great -- I'll have to check it out sometime, and convince Tom to lug our bikes up there!
ReplyDeleteLooks like a great time at O.S!
ReplyDelete