Lake Panasoffkee, FL

Today, I didn’t drive anywhere. However, I was thrilled to have my Cove Cousin Ken and his girlfriend, Gerry, come visit me at my “house” in Lake Panasoffkee.

After not seeing each other for many years, this is the third time Ken and I have crossed paths or almost crossed paths in the past year. The first time this year was when I stopped in Winnipeg on the Canadian leg of my North American No Fixed Address tour and Ken and Gerry and I were joined by other cousins and my brother Rae, at The Forks in Winnipeg. Ken and Gerry and I sat at opposite ends of the table though, with some chatty people (no, not Maggie) in between so I didn’t really get a chance to catch up.

Then in September, Ken and Gerry were in Croatia in Dubrovnic independently touring at the same time as I was there on a tour with my friend Nanci. We tried to get together there, but our group unexpectedly decided to charter a boat for the day so we didn’t make it happen.

And today, Ken and Gerry came over from their winter place in Homossasa to see my “house” in Lake Panasoffkee and have a visit. It was great to catch up and for Ken and I to swap some stories of when we were kids. The cousins all spent a lot of time together when we were young, often at our home at 604 Strathcona Street in Winnipeg, and with several sisters and a brother in my Mom’s family that meant a lot of kids. Mom was the last of the Cove family to pass away when she did this past summer, so that generation are all gone. Even more reason why the rest of us have to keep the family threads stitched together.

But mostly what we talked about were our travels, where we have been, our process for planning and where to travel is still on our bucket list. That was the longest list of all! Ken and Gerry are as independent minded as I am (yes, you could describe it as stubborn as well perhaps), and like to plan and travel on their own itinerary as I do.

I didn’t tell Ken, but his resemblance to our grandmother Cove is uncanny, and it’s sure easy to see where the curly/wavy hair came from. I thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon, so much in fact that we’re going to do it all again tomorrow, only at their place in Homosassa tomorrow instead.

The Villages, FL

Sorry, had problems getting into blog site last night so this is the post from last night.

Last night, after I had posted my blog, my friend Jo-Anne (from BC) wrote me to let me know that her sister, Karen, from Ontario, who I also know (yes, of course, I know both through politics and their brother) was nearby and Jo-Anne connected Karen and I. So on short notice, but with both of us motivated to make it happen, we managed to meet up today despite tornado and thunderstorm threats.

Karen and husband Graeme live for 6 months of the year in Florida, in a community called The Villages. So we met in one of the three town centres within The Villages, called Lake Sumter Landing, for coffee, then a walking tour around the town square area, then a nice lunch at Panera and then I joined them back at their place to continue to catch up. Their home is beautiful with all sorts of shades of green and high ceilings making it feel very airy and serene. Graeme is a professional photographer and he has several of his photographs on the walls of their place. One in particular, of Wormsloe Plantation, I just loved. It was such a lovely day and so glad we could make it work.

The Villages is an interesting community just 45 minutes or so north of Orlando in the middle of the Floridian peninsula. It’s a planned (by the developer), age restricted retirement community (55+) that started as grazing land in the 1970s and in 2014 ranked as the fastest-growing US city for the second year in a row. It more than doubled in size from 2010 with a population of about 115,000 people by the end of 2014.

All phases of construction and development are tightly controlled by the developer creating a similar look and feel throughout the neighbourhoods, and infrastructure (signage, landscaping, etc). There are dozens of golf courses, including ones designed by Arnold Palmer and Nancy Lopez. Many of them are executive length or 9 holes which the owners can use free for life. It has 3 town centres that includes activities in the town square (free music every evening), shopping, restaurants, movie theatres, bowling, recreational facilities, etc.

One thing that is immediately striking is that it’s also planned around the use of golf carts. There is even a golf cart “dealership” like a car dealership that includes new golf cart sales (with a show room just like in a car dealership), service department, storage facilities, gas, accessories, etc. It’s got everything, except it’s all in miniature. There are cart ways throughout the communities, allowing the residents to head to the town centre and do much of their shopping, etc using the golf carts rather than cars. Around town you see several that have modifications that demonstrate their owner’s personalities. Nearby, on the county roads, where you need to use regular vehicles, there are also the usual big box and chain stores and restaurants.

It’s a hopping place with a real buzz in the town centre where you can see people know each other and stop to chat along the sidewalks or at the local Starbucks. (Of course, there is a Starbucks on the main drag in the centre of the action). There is lots to do, or nothing should that be your choice.

Unfortunately, I completely spaced out and didn’t take my camera and even forgot to take a picture of Karen and Graeme and I! Next time.

Lake Panasoffkee, FL

Today I continued south along Highway 98 down into the Florida peninsula, east on Highway 27 to Interstate 75 for a short bit and south to my stop for tonight at Lake Panasoffkee. It’s just a short distance north of Orlando. I’m here for a few days to enjoy this part of Florida and to visit with my cousin Ken and Gerry who winter in Homosassa, on the Gulf coast.

Today’s drive was really pleasant, starting out in forested areas and then transitioning into ranch lands, and into some serious equine territory and some serious money. All along Highway 98 and 27 were rolling hills with impressive gates leading on to ranches with white fences breaking up different pastures, and red barns dotting the landscape. There were horse trailers travelling hither and yon, hay for sale, tack shops and western wear stores. The odd golf course showed up from time to time as well.

This KOA is once again off the beaten path and away from the tourist areas, but still close enough to make it convenient. I love the southern hospitality and I thought maybe by the time I got into this part of Florida I’d have lost that, but no, it’s alive and well, and even stronger perhaps here. The folks at the KOA are lovely and couldn’t do enough to help. It’s facilities are relatively new, and despite having mostly permanent residents or at very least snow birds, everyone is really friendly.

Just after getting out of my car to see whether I was on a level patch at my site, I turned around and there was a sandbill crane standing behind me. After my peacock scare in Ventura, I wondered if it was going to be Hitchcock, The Birds, part 2. But seems that this one crane is being fed by one of my neighbours and it was alone. Phew.

After setting up I went to walk the grounds to check it out. The campground is along a tributary of Lake Kanasoffkee and includes a fishing pier and places for campers to leave their boats. This lake is apparently home to a great variety and number of fish, as well as birds, being the southern terminus of some of the migratory birds. And as I found out, it is also home to a lot of good size alligators.

As I was on the fishing pier I wondered what the loud sound coming from down river was and I soon discovered it was an airboat. Turns out there is an airboat tour company just a couple doors down from the campground. So I went to check out if they still had trips planned for the rest of the day and got on one at 3 pm.

While waiting for the appointed time, they brought out a 2 or so foot juvenile alligator which we could hold if we wanted. I bravely volunteered to go first. You can tell by my expression I was a little less than comfortable.

Then out I went, with 12 others, into the bayou and around the lake on an air boat. It was my first experience on an air boat and it was so much fun. After the safety drill, the captain took us out for a spin. We saw about a dozen alligators, (a couple of monster sized ones) many different bird species, and one turtle that the captain says is in the same place every day. I asked the obvious, was he sure it was alive, just as it popped its head out to see what the commotion was.

I loved the twists and turns and quietness of the bayou as we slowly made our way into some of the tributaries, with the cypress that are hundreds of years old, and the Spanish moss. And I loved the speed and manoeuvrability of the airboat. It was loud, but exhilarating at times. The hour flew by and it was certainly an experience I would recommend. Some of the others on the boat were up from Orlando, having grown tired of the pace of the Park experience there (Disney, Universal, Epcot), and glad to have had this different kind of park experience.

After a nap, I headed down the road to a restaurant recommended by the campground, and was glad again at being off the beaten track. This restaurant was clearly full of locals and I loved the southern hospitality and entertainment of the people-watching as I enjoyed my catfish, scallops, shrimp, hush puppies and corn fritters. Can’t you just hear my arteries clogging from there. It was fabulous. A great end to a great day.

Ocala, FL

Williston, FL

Bronson, FL

Chiefland, FL

Salem, FL

Perry, FL

Started off in a bit of a fog this morning. The air, not my head. I got on the road just after 8 which is almost a record but I awoke early and was trying to beat the rain that felt like it might start at any moment. It actually brightened up somewhat during the drive, and didn’t start raining so was pleasant enough.

I continued along the Florida Panhandle on Highway 98 all the way to my stop for the night in Perry, Florida. I travelled through some more large beach towns (Panama City Beach, Mexico Beach) and a couple of other smaller cute places on the coast, Port St Joe (this is where the first constitution of Florida was written) and Apalachicola, and Carrabelle (I missed seeing the world’s smallest police station! featured on The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson). These places had more personal summer “camps” rather than the huge condos and hotels of the other larger beach communities.

To the north of Highway 98 along much of my route was the Apalachicola National Forest and there was evidence of logging and milling in the area. And there were some ranches along the way as well So the scenery changed from beach towns to bay front towns to forests to farms. Really quite varied.

There isn’t anything of note in Perry, Florida other than it’s at a convenient spot to stop for the night and has a KOA, albeit a less than mediocre one. I didn’t even unhitch the trailer, so low was my curiosity level about this town. So, it’s a purely utilitarian stop tonight.

Did meet some nice people, Wilbur and Pam, who are staying here from 130 miles south of here and are on a bit of a business/pleasure trip. We had a very interesting discussion about the U.S. Presidential race. Very interesting time to be in the U.S. They voted for Obama last election and are supporting Trump this time. They knew that we had a Prime Minister rather than a President and that we didn’t elect him/her directly, and that our current one is young and is the son of a previous Prime Minister. More than many Americans know about Canadian politics.

It’s getting darker as I type this, which is partly clouds, but partly because I’ve moved into the eastern timezone at some point today. So back on home time. The forecast is for thunderstorms this evening and cooler temps tomorrow. Hope it doesn’t include tornado force winds again!

Saint Marks, FL