A family visit to Z’hills before heading to Northern Florida

April 1-7, 2013
Zephyrhills/ Jasper, Florida
Majestic Oaks RV Park/ Florida Gateway Resort



Before starting our trip across country, we planned to stop in Zephyrhills to spend a little time with my family there before moving on. (My mother used to live here to be near my brother, some of her grandchildren, and her sister who all still live in this area.) We have found Majestic Oaks to be one of the best parks in Z’hills and even better is the April-December Passport America rate of only $16 per day. Another reason we like to stay here is the park’s proximity to Skydive City.  At least once an hour on most days you can look up and see the colorful canopies of multiple skydivers as they descend to the club’s drop zone. 



Six days gave us just enough time to visit with everyone in a relaxed way. My primary intention during this visit was to spend time with my aunt, my mom’s only living sibling, who lost her husband only a few months ago. As soon as I got up each day, I went to her place to have morning coffee with her—something she and my mom used to enjoy doing when my mom was still alive. Twice during the week, she and I met one of my cousins for lunch which in both cases was an added bonus I wasn't expecting. My aunt also joined me for dinner one night with my niece and her mom. I also managed to have happy hour with another niece and have my brother over for dinner one night, so we accomplished a fair amount of visiting in our short time here. While I was having girl time with my aunt or nieces, Vic kept himself busy with washing the motorhome and Jeep, getting an alignment on the Jeep, and making a few trips to Home Depot for various necessities. By the end of the week, we both were ready to start our new adventure first north then west to California.



During our two+ month stay in Fort Myers, Vic enjoyed getting out his yellow legal pad which he used to plan out our route from Zephyrhills to LA.  The only given was that we would need to arrive in Yorba Linda, California by or before May 22 as we agreed to babysit our three grandsons, age 4, 6, and 9, for five days.  Last year we had intended to travel  to Southern California via Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona, but instead we made a beeline for Rapid City, South Dakota to become residents. This is the year we will travel the southern route to California.

Vic’s plan typically has us staying an average of four days in each main stop along the way. We have a few nights that will be just layovers somewhere cheap or free. (Even though we have never stayed in a Wal-Mart parking lot, this just might the trip that initiates us in this common practice.) Our typical travel days are only four or five hours of driving (200-250 miles or so), so Vic’s plan begins with looking for promising destinations of this distance. 


We have known for some time that our first stop after Z’hills would be near Jasper, Florida—a small town just south of the Georgia border as we purchased a Tampa RV show promotion of a four-night stay for $60 at the Florida Gateway RV Resort.

Even though this park seems to be in the middle of nowhere, we were enchanted with the photos of the premium sites they just completed at this park.







The premium sites normally cost $80 a night as they each come with their own jacuzzi, outdoor grill, patio set and umbrella, and built-in firepit.  They also advertise all day room service for any meal. The truth is I would probably never use this service, but I like the idea of having a few days of indulgences before our six week trek across the south.

We arrived at the park around 3 p.m. on Sunday. The first bad sign driving in was the poor quality of the relatively long road leading in to the park. It was full of pot holes and the gravel part was ungraded—an ominous beginning to what was advertised as a luxury park. Our arrival here revealed that much of the park is still a work in progress. They have about ten premium sites complete but it is clear they have plans to add more as they sell more memberships, something that they offer at various levels which includes free golf and other discounts.



We have to admit we were quite pleased with the site itself. There really is a private spa and even a carpeted patio which is quite nice, yet we can’t help but wonder if their plans were overly ambitious for an area that is little more than a big open field in the middle of nowhere.

Regardless, the price is right and we are looking forward to a quiet few days with hopes of finding some good kayaking spots in the nearby rivers.  And yes, I am looking forward to spending some time soaking in this private spa.  Gotta make the most of our Tampa RV show special. . . .