More Life In Florida Lately

Time for some more bits and bobs about what we’ve been up to lately while we’ve been in Florida. The big news is that we’ve found places to camp which aren’t Walmart parking lots!

Boondocking



After trying to camp at the Babcock Webb Wildlife Management Area area during the middle of the week (which is a big no-no when it isn’t hunting season), we made it back down over a weekend. It was exactly what we were looking for. Big campsites, a nice natural setting, not many other folks around and cheap as chips ($3 per day). Of course, you have to dry camp there (no electric or water hook-ups), but that’s not a problem for us. The only downside is that you hear constant gunfire from the shooting range during the day, but a small price to pay for such a sweet spot. 

Doro Wat Deliciousness



We rarely go out to eat, but we do make an exception when it comes to Ethiopian food. Now we can add Sarasota to the list of places where we’ve enjoyed doro wat and miser wat. We’re starting to lose count of how many cities we’ve eaten Ethiopian around the world. We might be up to 14 now. That’s how serious we are about Ethiopian. If you’ve never tried Ethiopian before and you’re in the Sarasota area, check out Queen of Sheba – delicious! And I loved their palm trees with the Ethiopian colors on them. They also have a sister restaurant in Tampa. 

Canoeing



Surprisingly, Scott and I have never canoed together. Not sure why, but for some reason, it’s never happened Which is a bit surprising as we’ve been together for over 20 years. You would think a canoe would have entered the picture long before now. So, when we were at Collier-Seminole State Park, we rented a canoe ($5.30 an hour) and headed into the mangroves. So much fun! We only paddled into some trees once after we got hit by a gust of wind. Not so easy to turn a boat without a keel. No one lost an eye or got whacked in the head though. 

Alligators



You would have been so proud of me – I got super close to a bunch of alligators sunning themselves in the Everglades and I didn’t scream once. In addition to a number of big guys, we also saw some juvenile gators. They almost looked cute and harmless – almost. 

The Florida Keys



You might have read our post about how having a laid back approach to travel and central and southern Florida haven’t been really working for us. But since we like warm weather and don’t want to leave the Sunshine State quite yet, we’ve had to change our ways. Finding a State Park to stay at in the Keys was impossible, but after a few phone calls to RV parks, we managed to score a last minute cancellation for two nights at Jolly Rodger Travel Park in Marathon. And luckier still, we ended up getting a third night on the day we were due to leave. Awesome beyond belief. We had a great time in the Keys – sunsets, exploring Key West, meeting new people and hanging out on the beach. (Details on what we got up to coming up in future posts.) Now we just have one “homeless” night before we head up to Jonathan Dickson State Park outside of Stuart for a few days. Things are looking up!

That’s what’s been happening with us lately. What’s been going on where you are?

Update as of 14 February 2015

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