Sweeney
Administrator
We just got back from Florida. We planned a quiet week of not doing much - resting, sticking around the campsite, and just enjoying the weather into a non-stop credit card and eating festival.
We stayed at Silver Springs Springs near Ocala. The camp site was on the outside of the perimeter loop, most of those were sites are pull-through. These are very wide to accommodate the large rigs --- but there was little privacy. Look for a back in, or, a "center" pull-through --- those are better. But beggers can't be choosers.
The showers/bathrooms in Florida Parks are amazing. Heat lights in the showers, a vent fan running, keeping it dry inside, and nice tile. My beloved Indiana sites are cinder block buildings. We need to demand our parks to step up their game....just a vent fan, please, especially in the warmer/humid months.
Ocala -- not a fan of the city. There are some better parts of town, but most is pretty run down. I never felt unsafe, but places of business needed some TLC. We ate mainly at the campsite, except for breakfast and lunch on two days. "Mojo's-Food. Music. Soul." was good, but not great. We went there in 2016 and loved it. This time, shrinkflation has made the portions delicious but very small. I wouldn't go back -- 60 for lunch and getting a 1/4 lb of saucy brisket and a cuban. Sorry. Then there's Darryl's Dog On Good Diner --- yup. A genuine DIVE. But at least it was simple, honest food and a good price. 2 full breakfasts for under $25 -- no fancy. There are no place settings here, just diner seating in well usec chairs
We made it to Rainbow Springs Park. First, we saw Van of @Van_and_Terri. It was great to visit, and now we need to get them up here to Indiana
Van suggested "Swampys" a restaurant right around the corner from the springs. We liked it enough that we went back again a second time. This is a legit cajun dive that would have been at home on the bayu. Simply put, I had the best Red Beans and Rice with Sausage I've ever had. On my second trip, I discovered the first time wasn't an accident. I also tried Alligator for the first time --- wow --- I'm a convert. If you wonder, it's a lot like a meatier but reminded me a lot of calamari. Some connective tissue in the chunks, but nothing 'too tough'. We've got a place here (Zydeco's in Moorsville Indiana) which will have to be our gator provider --- its just an hour and 20 away.
Also, we went up to St Augustine --- we had our canine friend with us, severely limiting where we could go. I need to plan a little better.
The last tourist trap we visited was Deserland in Orlando. It's the toy collection of a billionaire who has figured out how to turn his toy collection into a profit center. $200,000,000 car collection. Some of the displays were impressive. Mostly, its a collection of medocre restoration of cars of all types. Some, TV Show relics or replicas --- 2 60's era batmobiles, as well as the new movies (1990's/2000's) --- no Tumbler. The Munsters, KITT (Knight Rider) and the cartoon "Speed Racer" and the "powerful Mach 5". The real problem is --- I'm 99.44% sure these were replicas. Cool to see, but art pieces not historical ones. I wish they were marked better. Was that really the 'breaking bad' astec? I don't know.
The other thing about the collection is that many of the cars were restored by hacks. They could have been purchased that way, and will soon be done right --- or, his body techs do shoddy work. For example, rather than remove the badges and then blocking and paint, they were just pained over. The badges had overspray, and the undulations in the metal/bondo were clearly visible. I've got some body experience doing the level of restoration that was on display, as well as learning Paintless Dent Repair. I see things most people would miss.
In General, traffic in Florida was insane if you are in a city you'd know the name. Ocala, Gainsville, St. Augustine, and Orlando. Orlando was Chicago traffic levels of congestion. No kidding.
I love Natural Florida -- but the shine is off the apple on tourist spots.
Just a quick trip. 8 nights and a couple thousand miles.
Oh BTW --- if you want a roadside spectacle --- find Buc-ee's. WOW! LOL!!!!! Thats all I'm going to say about that.
We stayed at Silver Springs Springs near Ocala. The camp site was on the outside of the perimeter loop, most of those were sites are pull-through. These are very wide to accommodate the large rigs --- but there was little privacy. Look for a back in, or, a "center" pull-through --- those are better. But beggers can't be choosers.
The showers/bathrooms in Florida Parks are amazing. Heat lights in the showers, a vent fan running, keeping it dry inside, and nice tile. My beloved Indiana sites are cinder block buildings. We need to demand our parks to step up their game....just a vent fan, please, especially in the warmer/humid months.
Ocala -- not a fan of the city. There are some better parts of town, but most is pretty run down. I never felt unsafe, but places of business needed some TLC. We ate mainly at the campsite, except for breakfast and lunch on two days. "Mojo's-Food. Music. Soul." was good, but not great. We went there in 2016 and loved it. This time, shrinkflation has made the portions delicious but very small. I wouldn't go back -- 60 for lunch and getting a 1/4 lb of saucy brisket and a cuban. Sorry. Then there's Darryl's Dog On Good Diner --- yup. A genuine DIVE. But at least it was simple, honest food and a good price. 2 full breakfasts for under $25 -- no fancy. There are no place settings here, just diner seating in well usec chairs
We made it to Rainbow Springs Park. First, we saw Van of @Van_and_Terri. It was great to visit, and now we need to get them up here to Indiana
Van suggested "Swampys" a restaurant right around the corner from the springs. We liked it enough that we went back again a second time. This is a legit cajun dive that would have been at home on the bayu. Simply put, I had the best Red Beans and Rice with Sausage I've ever had. On my second trip, I discovered the first time wasn't an accident. I also tried Alligator for the first time --- wow --- I'm a convert. If you wonder, it's a lot like a meatier but reminded me a lot of calamari. Some connective tissue in the chunks, but nothing 'too tough'. We've got a place here (Zydeco's in Moorsville Indiana) which will have to be our gator provider --- its just an hour and 20 away.
Also, we went up to St Augustine --- we had our canine friend with us, severely limiting where we could go. I need to plan a little better.
The last tourist trap we visited was Deserland in Orlando. It's the toy collection of a billionaire who has figured out how to turn his toy collection into a profit center. $200,000,000 car collection. Some of the displays were impressive. Mostly, its a collection of medocre restoration of cars of all types. Some, TV Show relics or replicas --- 2 60's era batmobiles, as well as the new movies (1990's/2000's) --- no Tumbler. The Munsters, KITT (Knight Rider) and the cartoon "Speed Racer" and the "powerful Mach 5". The real problem is --- I'm 99.44% sure these were replicas. Cool to see, but art pieces not historical ones. I wish they were marked better. Was that really the 'breaking bad' astec? I don't know.
The other thing about the collection is that many of the cars were restored by hacks. They could have been purchased that way, and will soon be done right --- or, his body techs do shoddy work. For example, rather than remove the badges and then blocking and paint, they were just pained over. The badges had overspray, and the undulations in the metal/bondo were clearly visible. I've got some body experience doing the level of restoration that was on display, as well as learning Paintless Dent Repair. I see things most people would miss.
In General, traffic in Florida was insane if you are in a city you'd know the name. Ocala, Gainsville, St. Augustine, and Orlando. Orlando was Chicago traffic levels of congestion. No kidding.
I love Natural Florida -- but the shine is off the apple on tourist spots.
Just a quick trip. 8 nights and a couple thousand miles.
Oh BTW --- if you want a roadside spectacle --- find Buc-ee's. WOW! LOL!!!!! Thats all I'm going to say about that.
️ in this fall - going into the 60's this week...