Chores and Touring (Jan 30-31)

 Friday started slowly, but eventually we did get out and enjoy the sunny 74-degree high temp with a 25-mile out and back bike ride on the Teco Auburndale Trail, which runs in to the Van Fleet Trail.  The ride was all paved and very flat. The Teco trail crosses the road to Margaritaville about 1/4 mile from the camp entrance.  It was great to be back in the saddle.  I cooked breakfast and dinner outside on our old Coleman stove that I bought probably in the 90s.  Jenny was bartender. She made Bosses, which we learned about while in Massachusetts a couple weeks ago at the Bosse Enoteca restaurant.  1.5 parts repesado tequila, 1.5 parts pineapple juice, 3/4 parts Campari, 1/2 part lime juice, and a short squirt of agave juice.  You can use 1/2 part simple syrup in place of the agave.  I know, I know: we’re really roughing it down here.

Our first destination on Saturday was the propane refill station on site.  Temps are supposed to get to the 20s for the next two nights.  I’m sure we had enough propane to run the RV furnace and hot water heater, but we filled up just in case.  Tonight I’ll disconnect the water supply from the rig and bring the pressure regulator and water filter inside.

Next we went to the Citrus Festival in nearby Winter Haven. This was a small event, dominated by food trucks, craft vendors, and a few things related to citrus fruits.  We bought a bag of grapefruit.

Our last stop was at Florida Southern College.  Frank Lloyd Wright designed ten buildings and walkways there, so we did a little architecture touring.  We learned of the campus on atlasobscura.com, which lists a lot of less common things to do and see.

Hakuna Matata, Baby! (Jan 29)

Today we set out early and went to two animal kingdoms.  First we dropped Joey off at a kennel for some doggy daycare, and then we continued on to Disney’s Animal Kingdom which, had we gone straight there, is less than a hour’s drive from Camp Margaritaville.  Jenny was there years ago; I’ve never been.  

I can’t speak highly enough about how well run Animal Kingdom is. Almost nothing is left to chance.  The grounds are very clean and it is well-staffed with “cast members” that act professionally.  I was amazed by how many visitors wore Disney merchandise. We both had a great time, and I am left with great memories.

Our first “experience” was the African safari.  You approach the safari entrance by walking through an African village, which was reminiscent of my days in Africa, down to the flaking stucco and jumbled wires atop utility poles.  You then get on a vehicle and are driven on the safari to view the animals.

Next was the Lion King show, which we both loved.  Part musical, part Cirque du Soleil - the actors interacted with the audience and it was fun for all.  We also trekked through an area with Asian animals; saw a show with trained birds; saw a “Finding Nemo”-themed show and had a nice lunch at an Asian restaurant.

I’ll include only a few pictures here.  More to come in the photo album.  But because I'm a cultured and classy guy, I'll leave you with one more picture of me with yard art at the kennel.

Circle B Bar Reserve (Jan 28)

Our first day at Camp Margaritaville was good.  I cleaned and oiled the chain on the mountain bike.  Jenny and I went on a short e-bike ride to check out a nearby bike trail.  We went on an unsuccessful search for a dog ramp for Joey so he can get in the RV by himself.  But the main event was going to the Circle B Bar Reserve.  This a two square mile former ranch.  It is now a nature reserve with nice walking trails, numerous birds, and we saw alligators and an armadillo too.

Birds we saw:

Red-shouldered hawk; double-crested cormorant; anhinga; snowy egret; wood stork; osprey; black-crowned night heron; limpkin; white ibis; tricolored heron; great egret; common gallinule; American coot; blue-gray gnatcatcher; palm warbler; red-wing blackbird; swamp 

What, no Grey Goose or Wild Turkey?!

Here are a few pictures.  There’ll be more in the forthcoming photo album. 

A Change In Plans (Tuesday, January 27)

The winter storm that dumped snow and brought low temperatures to much of the country followed us south.  We never got any snow or ice, but it’s been cold and windy and we want to be outside more comfortably.  Our original plan was to spend time in Fernandina Beach, FL at Fort Clench State Park, and then a few days in Ocala National Forest, but the forecast has not been the greatest.  We canceled our stays  at those two parks, and reserved a spot at Camp Margaritaville in Auburndale, FL, about an hour east of Tampa.

It was an eight-hour drive to Margaritaville, including stops for fuel, lunch, and Buc-ee’s. We arrived safely and set up at a beautiful campsite.

Hilton Head Island, SC (Jan 23-27, 2026)

 Our Hilton Head spot was just inside the bridge over the Intercoastal Waterway.  It’s called a “RV resort” because of its upgraded amenities relative to regular parks.  We especially appreciated the trees and shrubs that blocked direct view of our neighbor.  We had a great site that backed up to a view of the harbor and lots of manicured grass with trees on one side for Joey, our Corgi.

Unfortunately, the winter storm that dumped snow and ice over much of the country followed us south, so we had a lot of windy temperatures in the 40s and 50s, with some good rain as well (no snow or ice), so we were mostly limited to indoor activities.

Notable activities included:

Touring Beaufort: The city is pronounced Byoo-fert.  This is an historic town with strip along the bay with restaurants and boutique shopping.  We toured a museum in the visitors center with exhibits about the town’s history, walked through a neighborhood with historic homes, and had a nice lunch.

Driving tour of a couple other islands: The very low country drive included Fort Frederick Hertitage Preserve, not being allowed on Fripp Island (it’s a private island), and lunch at Beedos (they feature brekkie and sandos). 

Arcade:  We played air hockey, duck pin bowling, and a couple video games.  I can see how Halo can be addicting.

The Trip Begins

 We left home Thursday morning, January 22 after a day of packing way too much stuff into the Vienna and the Equinox.  We drove the vehicles to the local grocery store parking lot and hook up theEquinox for towing.  First the two arms of the tow bar, then the safety cables, the electronics cable, and finally the thin cable that activates the car brakes if everything else fails and the vehicles separate.

We arrived at Jones River State Park in the late afternoon.  The park is in southeast North Carolina.  Problem #1 occurred when hooking up to site water.  Water coming in to the Vienna goes through a filter inside the coach.  We do what most people do: use an external filter - between the site spigot and the RV - and insert a bypass in the internal filter housing instead of a cartridge.  Somehow the bypass plug cracked since the last time we used the RV and leaked a fair amount of water.  We finally figured that out with the help of a users group on FaceBook, and made the fix the next day by removing the bypass plug and installing a spare filter cartridge.  

We left the park the next day, Friday morning, to complete the first leg of our journey: to Hilton Head Island.

A New Acquisition

In October 2025, after much shopping, Jenny and I finally took the plunge and bought a recreational vehicle.  The RV is a 2023 Renegade Vienna.  It’s a nice motor home.  It’s 25 1/2 feet long, and based on a Mercedes Sprinter van chassis.  We knew right away that we needed another vehicle to more easily explore the area we visit, so again after much research, I sold my old car and we bought a used Chevy Equinox.  The Equinox was the only vehicle we found that met the criteria of: not too old, able to be flat-towed (all four wheels on the ground), light enough to be towed by the Vienna, and able to hold our e-bikes.

In October and November we took the Vienna, sans Equinox, on a few three-day camping trips to make sure we knew how to use everything and that everything works.  And now, we’re two days in to our first extended trip avec Equinox. The itinerary includes several nights each in Hilton Head, SC and four places in Florida.  Then 2-3 nights each at three stops in Alabama before we drive back to Virginia in Three segments.