TOUR AMERICA, 2020: LAKELAND, FLORIDA, THE SUNSHINE STATE

Places We Have Called Home In 2020

Home Is Where We Park It:  Colt Creek State Park Campground, Lakeland, Florida

September 58, 2020

Temperature 89 Degrees

A Wee Bit Of Rain – And More On The Way

Date for Surgery 

Around The Park

It has been a most interesting 24 hours.

Late afternoon the thunder rolled and the lightening flashed and the rain came down.

Our own private lake.

Poor Little Graybeard was sitting in its own private lake.  I didn’t think it was that deep until I went to get the car and I found the water came up and over the soles of my sneakers!  And it has started raining again.  Right now it is just a lite drizzle – – correction – it is pouring once again.  Our lake is beginning to fill up even more.  Another hour and we may just have to pack up in the midst of this storm and move.  Oh, I hope not.  Over the course of the past year this is the worse weather we have encountered to date.

Some really good news.  Ms Barbara has the tentative date now for her first surgery.  It will be November 2nd.  So now starts the rounds of doctors for clearances for everything else.  The next month is going to get real hectic.

Let me share with you a bit about our new home.

The park has a total of 5067 acres.  It sits in the Great Swamp Wilderness Area and is named after a small river that flows through the park.  The property originally belonged to the Overstreet family who once managed it as a cattle ranch. The land was purchased by the state in 2006.  Past activities on the land also included timber harvesting, citrus production, turpentining and as evidenced by. . .

rocks like this scattered throughout the campground it was at one time used for rock mining,

The first use of the area by the state was as a trailhead for various trials in the area.  Then it was all about equestrians and fishing. Many visitors brought a horse to ride the extensive network of trails and forest roads.

 

Finally in 2018 a 34 site campground was developed..  Add in a day use area, 13 miles of trails for hiking and this park has evolved into a multi-facted outdoor destination showcasing the Green Swamp.  

A touch of color.

This is the restrooms/showers/laundry.   It is spotless on the outside as well as on the inside.

That is a little bit about our neighborhood.  It is an absolutely beautiful place to call home.  My only regret is we’re not going to be able to spend at least another week or two here.  I’ll miss hiking some of the trails.  Tomorrow, we’re on the move again.  We have two places we need to take Elvira to for maintenance.  Hopefully, we’ll get a lull in the weather so we can pack up without getting soaked.

That is it for today on The Road of Retirement.  The rain has let up a bit so I’m putting on my water wings and going out to see how deep the water is around Elvira.  Our lake now stretches clear across to the next site.  Oh yea, it has grown considerably in the last hour!  Rain, rain go away and come back – on the West Coast where it is really needed.

Thanks for checking in with us today.  We always appreciate your company as well as your comments and suggestions. Keep safe, keep healthy, enjoy the days that God gives you.

These are the voyages of  Elvira and her two intrepid travelers.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have never been before.

See you on down the road!