Lake Waldena Resort and Juniper Springs State Park Camping Trip Ocala, FL

9/5/15 - 9/7/15, Labor Day Weekend

We booked this trip over Labor Day weekend a few months ago. We were determined to not wait til the last minute to book a place for the long weekend.  This time of year it's great to visit and swim in the cold natural springs in Florida to cool off from the sweltering heat so we decided to visit Juniper Springs SP in Ocala.

On Saturday morning we got Airhed hooked up to hit the road and she failed our light check. The back taillights wouldn't work.  We re-plugged the towing socket in and then the right tail lights worked. After taking off the lens on the left light we could see that the bulb had blown and that water is getting into the light housing and the base holder is rusted out and touching the back plate.  We had planned to replace all the tail lights eventually so we've put in an order on vintagetrailersupply.com.  Even though it was clear the left light itself had an issue we are beginning to wonder if we also have an issue with the truck plug in connection because we always seem to have an issue with the left side on the boat and now the camper.

On our way to Ocala we saw a billboard sign for Whispering Oaks Winery so we stopped to check it out. We have been to many wineries in Washington State and Napa Valley but this was our first one in Florida.  We weren't sure what to expect.  We were pleasantly surprised that it was just like all the other wineries we've been to.  Nice spot on beautiful property, big tasting room and a cheese plate. They had a wonderful selection of blueberry wines.  There was also live music out in the back patio area.

 Whispering Oaks Winery

 

Airhed at Whispering Oaks Winery

After the winery it was about a 30 minute drive to our destination Lake Waldena Resort.  Check in was easy and we got spot# 6 on the waterfront.  I set up the decorations and Wade dealt with a broken black/greywater hose.

Lake Waldena Resort, Spot #6

Loving the new decorations!

The original black/gray water hose broke in two!

With the broken hose we were unable to reach the in ground dump out near the front of the camper, Wade set up the greywater Tote which worked out fine.  He just had to dump it after a days worth of dishes and we used the resorts shower facilities. Our blackwater went into our holding tank.

We ate a late lunch of BLT Ranch Chicken Wraps and potato salad that I had made ahead and I got the Crock Pot Taco Casserole underway for dinner.  We enjoyed a bottle of the blueberry wine we picked up at the winery earlier in the day and called it an early night so we could get to Juniper Springs in time to rent a canoe.

On Sunday after a nice breakfast of strawberry cheesecake stuffed french toast , Wade did the dishes and I grilled our pimiento sandwiches, packed our lunch and put dinner in the crock pot. After that we drove the 11 miles to Juniper Springs State Park

Best breakfast ever!  Strawberry cheesecake stuffed french toast

Juniper Springs State Park Canoe Trip

And we're off!

We got to the Canoe Rental Place inside the park just in time. If we had been five minutes later we might have missed it.  They only rent canoes up until 11:30AM because it is a one way 7 mile trip and they estimate it takes 4-5 hours.  After listening to the safety class and the strict rules of no bringing in food or beverage items in disposable containers I was so glad I didn't wrap our lunch in sandwich bags and instead had them in plastic containers. They checked our cooler at the launch area like they said they would. I also realized we didn't have enough water for a trip that long so went into the store and bought a big re-usable water container.  They had an ice/water dispenser you could fill up for free so that was great.

We launched and were in awe at the quietness and experiencing Florida in it's natural glory! After a while we got hungry and stopped for lunch tree side. The grilled cheese pimiento sandwiches and Quinoa with Lemon Basil Vinaigrette that I pre-made at home before the trip and brought with were just what we needed.  Most of the trip is in  treecanopy so the whole trail is mostly shaded thankfully!  We forgot our dry bag that we picked up at John Pennekamp State Park so we put our phones in the truck and used our water camera which doesn't take as sharp and colorful pictures ad I'd like. The whole run ended up taking us 3.5 hours going at a leisurely pace with the stop for lunch.   Included in the canoe rental is a shuttle ride back to the SP. The canoe trip was well worth the $38 dollars it cost to do. The shuttle ride back was easy, short and quick.  I was worried we wouldn't get on the first truck with all the other people pulling out at the same time but somehow we managed.  You could bring two vehicles with your own canoe/kayak and do the same run. They allow non renters to launch at the same place in the park.  

Lunch in the canoe; Quinoa with Lemon Basil Viniagrette & Pimiento Cheese Sandwiches

Some Pics and Video of the Canoe Trip

Purple Hyacinths

 

After the canoe trip and shuttle back to the state park we thought we'd check out the swimming area and trails.  Wade had remembered that when he went almost 20 years ago that there were some springs in the ground with white sand all around them so we had to find them.  After a walk the boardwalk trail we finally found them.  They were as beautiful as he said they were.

Swimming Hole at Juniper Springs, it was crowded

Old Mill House

Boardwalk

Wade on Juniper Springs SP Trail

Juniper Springs

Fireweed on the spring bank

Beautiful wild mushrooms on the trail

Juniper Springs with Trail Bridge in the background

After the springs we headed back to the campsite.  It was a bummer that the camp store closes at 4:00PM on both Sat and Sunday as we missed out on getting wood for a campfire.  Even though it's still very hot at night I just thought it would be fun since we haven't done one  yet. After we both took nice hot showers I made mashed potatoes and steamed brocolli to go with our Crock Pot Pork Chops. I also thickened the juice into a nice thick gravy. This turned out to be a perfect dinner as we were so hungry.  The Whispering Oaks Blueberry wine we picked up the day before paired well with the dinner. 

Crock Pot Pork Chops

After dinner we went up to the recreation hall that is open 24/7 and borrowed a couple of DVD's.  We ended up watching The Bucket List with Morgan Freeman and Jack Nicholson.  Great movie!  After that we headed off to bed with sore shoulders.

On Monday we kicked around some ideas of what we wanted to do for the day.  Upon check in we asked when check out was and they said it's at 11am but if no one is coming in after you; you can stay a while longer.  After mulling about whether or not to go to Alexander Springs and back we decided to do some well needed organizing of the camper.  We had a couple of boxes of parts and odds and ends from all the projects.  We got started on that after I made the strawberry cream cheese stuffed french toast again.  

After we got the organizing done, Wade installed a new lens for our exterior light.  He also put silver tape on an exterior puncture hole and we both installed faux stainless steel film that I got from the internet to give our refrigerator a makeover. 

After working on the projects on the camper we packed up, took showers and headed home around 3.  We made it home by 7 or so.  All in all it was a very successful and enjoyable trip.  Will definitely be going back there. 

Trip Menu's

You might be wondering why I am cooking so much in the camper.  I would love to use an outdoor grill but it's too hot in this Florida heat and humidity this time of year.  So I'd rather make use of my Airstream kitchen with the a/c blasting :-)

Maderia Beach/St Petersburg KOA Camping Trip St Petersburg, FL

8/28/15 - 8/31/15.  We decided to book Airhed at a nearby campground so we could work on her in this August heat with the air conditioning. We also thought this would be a good time to introduce the cats to the camper but it didn't pan out this time.

We had discovered this local campground one day when we were biking the Pinellas Trail.  So we thought it would be a great place to bring her to get some things done and maybe if we had time we could launch the boat or canoe which also didn't pan out this time :-)









We asked if there was a good site near the water in case we decided to grab one of our boats.  I think we got the best spot in the whole place! Spot# 740.



We had a fuse blow on our last trip to John Pennekamp SP and after going to every auto parts store near our house we found that we had to special order them from the internet since they are an old style (AGS). Wade replaced all of the fuses and the power jack worked again and I was so relieved. We got her off the jack stands and pulled her over to the campground less than a mile from where she's stored.  We got her all set up and it started raining. Again; wished we had an awning but we have one on order from Marti's Awnings. We picked out custom yellow and blue Sunbrella fabrics and we should get it by end of Sept!  It's going to be a rope and pole awning.  We did't want the attached roll out kind for several reasons and decided to go with a vintage look.

Since it was late and due to the rain we decided to just chill, have some crockpot meatballs that I brought from home, had some cocktails and explored the campground which is awesome.  They have all sorts of RV sites on the water with little beaches to launch small watercraft. They also have a few different styles of rentable cabins as well.  They have a little dock, a small boat launch area, a pool, a hot tub, a great store with some RV supplies.  All in all a really great place. If anyone comes to visit us we could set up Airhed there for you! We live about 10 minutes away.  I snapped some pics of her at night with my camera phone.  I could do better with the Nikon and the Tripod.












On Saturday we took some measurements and made a supply list and did some errands. We got a TV for the living room and other supplies.  We were exhausted after all the running around and had crock pot french dip sandwiches for dinner. My son Michael stopped by to check out Airhed for the first time and I invited him and his girlfriend Neeka over for dinner on Sunday night.  After he left we were well on our way to having another good night until Wade went to do the dishes and had no water.  Wade investigated and decided it was too dark to investigate further. A little while after that I suggested we go sleep at the house. After all we had working plumbing there.

On Sunday morning we went back and investigated our water problem and realized the repair shop had hooked up the plumbing wrong and there was two way pressure which caused a hose to pop off.  Wade reconfigured everything which fixed it and we were back in business.  I made meatball subs for lunch and got a chicken and stuffing recipe in the crockpot for dinner.  This was by far my favorite crock pot recipe ever. It was so comforting good. It started raining so we worked on some stuff on the inside of the camper and I ran some errands to the store.  We got the roll up shade re-installed at the kitchen window and attempted to fix the bathroom mirror. The clasp that was on there was off when we got her so the mirror was swinging and causing stress on the hinge.  After some investigating we took the mirror off and might need to get a new hinge or replace it with a small mirror and curtains. We also discovered a leak under the kitchen sink.  Right now it's looking like we might have to replace the sink and connections.  We can still use them for now until we get one on order from somewhere.  We also ran out and filled up one of our propane tanks.

While Wade was outside some neighbors stopped by to chat and check out Airhed.  So far every time we take her out a couple of people usually want to talk to us about her and take a tour.  After that Michael and Neeka came over for dinner and it really started pouring raining out.  While sitting there in the living room chatting a stream of water poured through the antenna handle in the camper roof.  Then from there it started running down the tracks in the roof and we were chasing water in the camper.  I found our emergency tarp and Wade put it over the antenna mount and that stopped the leak. Wade has since removed the antenna and plans to seal the antenna mount.  The rain also knocked out our water heater pilot light and it seems we need to add a seal to the vent door to prevent water from getting in there.

Wade roughing it

After Michael and Neeka left it stopped raining so we decided to check out the new laser lights I got to shine on her at night.  I'll have to try to get better pics with my Nikon and Tripod but the effect is really cool.

Wade posing in the lights

On Monday morning we had to pull out early so I could get home and get back to work.  When we went to hook her up the power jack didn't work again and after a quick investigation and fuse replacement we got it working again.  The owners manual didn't specify which amperage to use in all the slots so we're kind of guessing what it needed when we replaced them all previously as the previous owners had the complete wrong one's in there in the first place.  We think we have them right for now.

All in all it was a great shakedown trip of the camper and it really worked out well being near home to take care of all the little stuff that needed to get done.

Here are more pics!

Some additional decorations I picked up for Airhed

John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park Camping Trip Key Largo, FL

08/21/15 - 08/23/15. We found an available weekend at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo and jumped on the reservations.

Airhed was at the repair shop in Tampa; she had lots of work done (new shocks, new water heater, fixed shower and other work). So we headed up there early Friday morning to pick her up and then headed to our destination.

The trip there was uneventful except that we didn't have any cash to pay for the tolls which were $9. Luckily I had a checkbook with us. It occurred to us to call the park to book a snorkling trip and after calling we found out that all the tours were booked on Sat so signed up for the four hour morning tour on Sunday.



After checking into the park; we drove by the marina on our way to the camping area and wished we had the boat or the canoe with us but that's okay we found out they rented motor boats and kayaks! We also really wished we had brought the bikes with us to explore the campground as it is quite large.

John Pennekamp Marina

Our spot was okay and easy to get into. They were very close together so we chatted with our neighbors from Vero Beach while we were hooking up.  They were nice and even showed us how to start the new water heater since there were no instructions left by the repair shop.  After a little while the A/C started leaking into the camper so Wade spent an hour trying to get the camper at the right angle to make the water run off the back.  Then we decided to change the a/c temp and blew the breaker for some reason and the a/c wouldn't come back on so we re-set everything a few times and it finally came back on but that was scary because if we didn't have a/c we would have had to book a hotel as it was 95 with 100% humidity outside.

By the time all that was done we made dinner. I brought along a Blue Apron dinner that was a bit more complicated than I felt like dealing with in the small kitchen and decided our kitchen needs a makeover and that I need to make sure our future dinners are simpler. It was very yummy though.  After dinner we had some cocktails; wished we had an awning and discussed that our exterior set up was lacking and went to bed early.

Saturday we mulled over what to do all day (we clearly did not research this in advance which we should have).  The options were rent a 20' boat for a few hours at very reasonable prices and drive out to the coral reefs ourselves or rent a kayak.  After finding out all the motor boats were booked we went into town to see if we could rent some jet ski's.  After finally finding a place nearby we were quoted $90 for a half hour for one.  That was out for us so we went back to the park and rented kayaks.  The Kayak trails were neat but it was hot so we pulled up to the beach and snorkled for a while to cool off.

After Kayaking we decided to eat out for dinner even though we brought dinner :-)  We figured since we were in the keys we felt we deserved to have a sunset dinner with a water view.  After reading some reviews of local places we set out in the truck to scope the scene.  We drove by the Hilton hotel and decided that they probably had the type of food and view at their restaurant that we were looking for.  Boy we were not disappointed in our choice.  The Tree Top restaurant had great food and wine and the view was to die for.  We only wished it wasn't so hot so we could have sat on their beautiful patio but after being in the sun all day we needed some a/c so we sat inside and still had a view.  We were able to see the sunset from our table and it was just perfect.  We headed back to the camper and went to bed as we had an early morning to get ready for the snorkling trip.


Check out at the campground is at 1:00PM and the 4 hour snorkling trip we booked wouldn't get back until 1:30 so we had to pack up and make sure we moved Airhed to the parking area before out boat left at 9:00AM.  This was challenging because we had to check in at 8:00AM. After seeing the long lines and finding out that I could check us in and Wade could check in by 8:50AM he headed back to Airhed to hook her up the truck.  Well the power jack decided to stop working via battery so Wade hooked her up while she was plugged in to 30 amp.  We got her moved to the parking area and had a short wait to board the boat for the snorkling trip.  We decided we'd worry about how we were going to get her off the truck when we got home later.

The Christ of the Abyss coral reef area is only 5 miles from the park so it was a 20 min boat ride over there.  We completely felt like we were on vacation along with the other 38 passengers on the boat.  We brought along a waterproof camera/video recorder that Wade's mom gave us a few years back and that seemed to have been the best decision we made of the entire trip!  I am so glad we were able to get some pics and video of this amazing area.

After the snorkling trip we had to hit the road for the five hour trip home.  We stopped for lunch at a cafe and hit the road and pondered that maybe we had a blown fuse which is why the power jack stopped working.  While getting gas Wade checked the battery in Airhed and realized the battery cables were loose from the repair shop working on it.  That was most likely the cause of our blown fuse.  We didn't know where the fuse box was so I grabbed the manuals and poured over them on the way home and got educated of our setup.  We determined we probably needed a 40amp fuse so I called an Autozone in Naples and they said they had one. We also found that the repair shop locked the door that they re-installed for us after they made a replacement hinge and low and behold that is where the fuse box is. We realized we didn't have a door key, it was likely with another set of keys back at the house.  But we were still able to get to it from the interior closet.  That was a bear in the heat. So I went into Autozone while Wade dealt with that and found out they didn't have a small 40amp fuse. So we gave up and hit the road again and decided we would use the jack and jack stands to get her off the truck when we got her to the storage place which we did finally at 11:00PM.

It was a long day but overall a great trip!  We can't wait until some of the bugs of having a vintage camper get worked out!

Here are some more pics and video!

Wade Snorkling

Christ of the Abyss