We spent most of yesterday away from the campground, doing some exploring to help us plan our adventures in the next few weeks, which is about as far ahead as we usually plan, if we can get away with it.
Back in 2003, we won a week at at the Encore RV resort in Crystal River, Florida, and we have wanted to get back to that area ever since. So we drove over to check out the campground, and see what kind of deals they have for Thousand Trails members, since Encore and Thousand Trails all fall under the umbrella of Equity Lifestyle Properties. The rate wasn’t bad for a week in Florida this time of year ($99 a week before the end of the year and $139 a week after January 1st).
When we left the campground, we drove to the end of Fort Island Trail and checked out the beach and boat launch there. When we were here before, we watched dolphin swimming just offshore. We found a little patch of sand next to the fishing pier that would be a good place to launch our kayaks from.
We are not sure if we’ll go the the Encore park or not yet, but if we don’t, we’ll at least make a day trip over to paddle our kayaks at Three Sisters Spring, a crystal clear body of water that is a haven to manatees, which come there every winter. We stopped at Pete’s Pier, a short distance from the spring, and a good place to launch from. The nice young lady in the bait shop gave us lots of tips and suggestions, and we look forward to getting over there for a paddling adventure.
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If you don’t have a kayak, you can sign up with a couple of companies locally for a manatee tour, or even to swim with the manatees. One tour company had several boats docked at the marina.
We also stopped at Rock Crusher Canyon RV Resort, a few miles from Crystal River. Several of our readers have suggested we stay there, so we drove around the campground to check it out. It is a very nice place, but since their Passport America rate is only good for three days, and is not valid from December 15 to April 15, that won’t work out.
Another option we have been considering is to go down to Jolly Roger Travel Park in Grassy Key (Marathon), in the Keys.We absolutely love the Keys, and they do honor the Passport America rate for five days, even this time of year. So I’ll call them and see if they have a vacancy that will work for us. Jimmy Buffett has a song titled Christmas in the Caribbean that has always set my toes to tapping, so maybe we’ll go there instead.
Then again, maybe not. Here is a screen shot from their website, showing the local weather for the next five days. Do my eyes deceive me? 84 degrees and snow showers on Saturday? Yeah, I know it sounds impossible, but after all, Nick is in Florida. Maybe it could happen!
Thought For The Day – A woman drove me to drink, and I never even had the courtesy to thank her – W.C. Fields
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Nick Russell
World-Famous, New York Times Best Selling Author, and All-Around Nice Guy!
Hey Nick I am heading to Key West this Saturday please don’t go there until I leave on the 22nd. I am leaving snow and I need some HOT weather to get me through this winter. I also have your problem but I am hoping my luck has changed for the next two weeks. Enjoy where ever you go.
Ft. Trail Beach is where I put my husbands ashes. Thanks for the memories. Also the mosquitos will carry you away if you stay at that Encore Park. Great kayaking with the manatees is to launch your kayaks at the Seagrass Pub & Grill west of Homassasa. Have fun. Let us know if it snows. If anyone can make it do it you can. 🙂
As long time Gypsy Journal subscribers and blog followers, we are at Rock Crusher Canyon for the winter. If we would have known you were here we’d have ask you to stop by for a quick chat and lemonade or sweet tea! Take care