Our New Winter Home

We are back in Florida for the winter and again staying in one place for almost 5 months. One thing that we learned in our first year of full time living is to compromise. I love traveling and visiting new places continuously but Tim prefers longer stays in one place. So traveling part of the year and staying put part of the year is the best of both worlds. This year we decided to try a different place for the winter. We are in Wildwood, FL at Three Flags RV Park which is a Thousand Trails campground.

Plenty of room to park both vehicles at this site.

So far, we really like this place. It is more of a campground filled with campers of all types than where we stayed last year which was probably 80% park model homes. The park is very clean and well kept and the sites are a decent size. The manager and staff are really good about masks and social distancing so even though there are some activities, it feels safe.

We chose a site without trees so shade is limited so our new awning shade is coming in handy. It definitely helps and I think we will be adding a shade on one side where the afternoon sun comes in. There are quite a few sites under trees but we have seen way too many squirrels which we would worry about so this site is better for us. The campground is bordered on one side by a cow pasture so we feel like we are in the country even though it is on a busy state road.

We have taken a couple of drives around the area to check out the neighborhood and local scenery. The main road in front of the park takes you through Wildwood and over to The Villages. Brownwood Village and town square is just 2 miles down the road but we haven’t stopped there yet. Since we are keeping our distance it may be awhile before we do although we may do some take out from the restaurants. My cousin’s home is just a 10 minute drive away and my Aunt and Uncle are about a 25 minute drive so this is a great location for family visits. So far, we have had a couple social distancing visits with them. We are all doing our part to stay safe and healthy.

Our drives took us through pretty countryside and tree lined roads with views of lakes and marshes. I did some research and there are many nature preserves and parks in the area. So far, I checked out two and did some hiking. I have a thing about trees and really love the large oaks covered with strands of moss. It gives me such a peaceful feeling walking under those trees and hearing all of the birds chirping. Since Tim isn’t as much into hikes as I am, I am getting more comfortable hiking alone. I am finding that it relaxes me and helps me push out all the noise and distractions of our crazy world.

Flat Island Preserve: Isn't this fabulous? Like being on a deserted island.

Flat Island Preserve in Leesburg, FL was the first park I visited. This preserve protects two wooded islands surrounded by wetlands and is managed by Lake County Water Authority. This is in the next county and took 30 minutes to drive there. I had read that there was a 2.5 mile loop trail which sounded perfect for me. It actually is a bit longer as there is about a mile trail from the parking lot to the trailhead so it was closer to a 4.5 mile hike. The trail went through woods and was partly surrounded by marshes and swampy areas. You can branch off of the loop at a few points, one of which is a raised boardwalk over the swamp which ended at the river.

I am sure there is an abundance of wildlife but I only saw squirrels and some birds. I wouldn’t want to see an alligator when walking alone so happy I didn’t see one. There was branch off of the trail near the parking lot that went out into a field that was a habitat for gopher tortoises. I was hoping to see one of those but they were hiding from me. For the most part I was alone in the preserve until I was on the last part of the loop. So nice to have it to myself. I will definitely go back there for another hike. I also picked up a pamphlet that lists 7 preserves in Lake County. I hope to visit them all during our stay.

This area is supposedly home to gopher tortoises. Wish I had seen one.

Lake Okahumpka Park is a small county park here in Sumter County and is only a 10 minute drive down the road. It isn’t as scenic or as big but definitely convenient. The park seems popular with the locals for dog walking so it was more crowded. The trails are paved and not as long but I was able to get in a good walk. I took the longest loop trail that was a little over a mile long and then made a few loops around the lake to add more steps. It is also a fitness trail so I stopped to do a few exercises in addition to walking. Since it provides more nature and better views than walking at the campground, I am sure I will visit it frequently.

We spent a quiet Thanksgiving at the campground after having a short breakfast visit with my Aunt and Uncle. Lucky for me - no cooking. The campground provided a takeout turkey dinner so we ate outside at our site. Different than most years but we enjoyed it. Since we are going to be in one place for a longer time, the blog entries will be further apart. I will try to write a blog entry every 2 -3 weeks to let everyone know what we are up to.

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