A family interlude in Central Florida

November 19-30, 2013
Zephyrhills, Florida
Majestic Oaks RV Resort



Goodbye to November already!  Thanksgiving is behind us and Christmas songs are going full force on the radio—a disappointment for us as we really enjoy a Tampa station called “The Dove” which normally plays mellow oldies.  It’s hard to believe this is my third year of retirement from the classroom. I still have my fair share of teacher dreams and tend to view the year in terms of Thanksgiving Break, Christmas Vacation (no—Winter Break), etc. I guess after living this way as a student or a teacher for close to 50 years, it makes sense. But, this year I feel the hold on me loosening as Sunday evenings now hold the same possibility of joy as any other day of the week.  (Teachers out there will know what I am talking about---the ungraded papers and loose lesson plans colliding with the Monday morning reality).

We accomplished pretty much everything we intended in our stay here the past ten days.  A major focus for me was to spend time with my aunt. She lost her husband one year ago and it has been a tough adjustment for her after being married for more than fifty years. Our park is only about two miles from here, so I have been able to spend time with her almost every day. I didn't think to take a photo of us together, but here is one from two years ago.



We managed to see two movies while here: Last Vegas and About Time. We didn't expect Last Vegas would be that good, but it was entertaining to us baby boomers from beginning to end. How can you go wrong with Robert De Niro, Michael Douglas, Morgan Freeman, and Kevin Cline?  It has been described as similar to the movie Hangover only for senior citizens, but we thought it was better than Hangover because it had a better developed plot and subplot which we found quite entertaining.

I took my aunt to see About Time. It was an unexpected WOW for both of us. If you liked the movie Groundhog Day, it is likely you will appreciate this one even more. Suffice it to say the film caused us to both laugh and weep, and more importantly, reflect on our own daily relationship to the passage of time. For some reason, I think those of us who are full-time RVers may relate to the theme of this movie more than others. See it and let me know!

One big highlight this past week was learning that we were in close proximity to fellow bloggers, John and Pam of Oh the Places They Go. We have been following them for almost a year now, but have been quite far apart geographically for most of that time. Aside from having the connection as full-timers and for me, the same first name, we are all retired educators. Vic and John, even more so, as they both were social studies a teachers and principals. I also need to acknowledge that they have been an inspiration to do some serious hiking out on the trails. They met us for lunch near at Kafe Kokopelli in Dade City. As so often happens with getting to know folks we only knew in the virtual world of blogging, we passed three hours quite easily with much to share about our travels and perspectives on this lifestyle. Fortunately, we will be at the same RV resort for the month of March, giving us a much better opportunity to deepen our friendship.



The day after we met Pam and John was Thanksgiving. I have two nieces who live in Zephyrhills; the youngest one typically hosts Thanksgiving and the older one hosts the Christmas gathering. This year, three other nieces were able to join us: one from Sweden, one from Miami, and one from Ocala. As the mother of two sons, my nieces are especially important to me. I was thrilled to be able to be with them on this holiday. Here are a few more shots of our Thanksgiving feast.



Five of my gorgeous nieces. They make me miss being young and . . . ?



With about twenty five or more for dinner, we had quite a festive gathering. It also happened to be my sister-in-law’s birthday so we managed to include a birthday celebration after our gynormous meal.



Of course a family gathering for us Irish folks would never be complete without a group shot—hah.



After our meal, we had a big bonfire in the backyard (one of my favorite things) and we were serenaded by my niece on guitar and one of my other niece’s boyfriends, also on guitar. My photos and short videos were too dark to share, but it was a special way to end the day.  I also enjoyed taking photos of one of the two bulldogs who graced our party.



Another highlight of the week was Vic washing the motorhome over the course of two days. He even found time to polish the rims—a job that had not been done in some time!



We are hoping the winter months are more reminiscent of our previous winters here in Florida as the weather has been either unusually warm and humid or downright chilly.  I had intended to bathe and groom the two dogs, play tennis, and lounge by the pool. With temps as low as the mid 30s the night before Thanksgiving, the pool was not a big draw this week. It was also too cold on most days to wash the dogs outside, so that will have to wait.  I am sad that we did not get out on the courts; time just slipped away. Playing tennis or pickleball is something I really want to do. 

Tomorrow we are off to Holiday Cove, a splurge to be by the beach RV resort in Cortez, where we will be for the next two months. It is only about a ninety minute drive from here—close enough to return for a few occasions in December during the holidays. I leave you with my friends, the Sandhill Cranes, who visited us daily here in Zhills.

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. . . .