Places Visited:

Florida: Sebring, Highlands Hammock SP, Kissimmee, Florida.

Monday, February 17 2003

We drove 122-miles from Melbourne to Sebring. Highlands Hammock SP near Sebring
$16.31 for water & 30 amps

We have spent nearly a week on Florida's east coast in Melbourne. Our
trip today will take us inland to the ridge of land that forms the
backbone of the Florida peninsula. Leaving the coast and traveling
mostly on county and state roads we pass through "real" Florida (Not
Disney World). The pine forest of northern Florida is gone, replaced
by flat open prairies operating as cattle ranches. A large limitless
open prairie with scattered palm trees palmetto bushes and occasional
oak hammocks dominate the landscape. On occasion an orange grove
appears in the prairie. One of these groves located about 10-miles
west of Sebastian on SR-512 looked to be about 10-miles long by
2-miles wide. One sign said Fellsmere Farms or Fellsmere Grove. We
were awestruck at the size of this grove. Joyce said she thinks she
has seen orange juice bearing that brand. In addition to cattle
ranches we passed a gigantic dairy farm. Located east of Vero Beach
it appeared large enough to supply South Florida. We have seen
dairies before but this one wins the prize for largest we have seen.
Near the center of the state the land slowly gets higher until we
arrive in "Highlands" county. That is a comical name for a county in
Florida. I suppose we may be at an altitude of 200 feet in this
"highland". This is along the backbone of the peninsula.

As we arrive in Sebring our cell phone rings. Friends are calling to
set the time and location for our "lunch-date/get together". Keeping
up with each other and getting together when our paths cross is one of
the great aspects of the RV-lifestyle. E-mail and cell-phones are
super pieces of technology that keep us close to and in contact with a
wide variety of friends. Paul and Linda were the first in a list of
friends we are getting together with while in south Florida. We will
see the rest of you shortly! (If you live in Atlanta you can bet we
were talking about you). VBG

Highlands Hammock is an old State Park. The RV campground is rustic
(hard packed sand under large oak trees). The sites are spacious but
few "expensive" rigs are in the park, (the exceptions would be a 40'
Wanderlodge and a 36' Country Coach). Behind us is a couple from
Ontario in a class B with a big screen room. We see many snowbirds in
popups, tents, small travel trailers, pickup truck slide in campers
and everything in between. The common thread between them is they are
enjoying themselves while escaping the miserable winter north of us. A
truth we should glean from this is; no one needs to have an
"expensive" RV in order to have fun. If you can afford an expensive
RV that is fine but it is certainly not required. All of these
individuals, most in their 70s, are having the time of their lives,
and doing it on a song and dance (as in cheap).

Tuesday, February 18 2003
Highlands Hammock SP near Sebring $16.31 for water & 30 amps

Today we enjoyed Highlands Hammock walking miles of nature trails.
Each trail featured something different. One featured wild orange
trees. Another featured ferns, yet another a giant live oak tree over
1,000 years old and 36' in diameter. The cypress swamp trail was
mostly a wooden platform/dock built through a cypress swamp. The
state has done a good job with that trail. Without this raised
walkway through the swamp the majority of individuals would never get
to experience a true cypress swamp from the interior.

Several oaks in the park are over 1,000 years old. Think about that
for a moment. These oaks are over 1,000 years old. Don't just skim
over the fact that these trees are over 1,000 years old without
putting it in perspective. These trees were seedlings when Europe was
a feudal society. They were reaching middle age when the Spanish
conquistadors arrived in the Americas (1500s). How do they know how
old these trees are? Huge limbs have been pruned and they can count
the rings on the limb. Physically these were large live oaks but not
champion oaks. I suppose the genes were not right or possibly the
soil conditions not right to produce a champion tree. The state
champion sable palm a specimen 90' tall used to be in the park but it
was felled by high winds a few years ago.

Several varieties of bromeliads festoon trees throughout the park.
Brilliant green resurrection fern adorns the giant arms extending from
ancient live oaks. Epiphytes (a plant that derives its moisture and
nutrients from the air and rain and usually grows on another plant)
become more and more common as we travel south. Throughout the south
Spanish moss and resurrection fern (both are epiphytes) is common. In
central Florida ball moss (an epiphyte) is added to the mix. Below
Orlando broad leaf bromeliads appear. Here in Highlands Hammock
epiphytes especially the bromeliads seem to be growing from every
foothold they can acquire in a host tree.

Although it is only mid-February maple trees have already turned red
and now have pale green leaves. Red winged seeds of the maple are
everywhere. Beech and sweet gum trees have likewise thrown off the
vestiges of winter and are cloaked in pale green leaves. Warblers of
every description are scouring trees in search of bugs and larvae. It
will not be long before these winter visitors will be heading north
again.

We partook in the park sponsored tram ride through the park. As it
turned out the ranger provided very little information but did take us
on a 2-hour alligator spotting adventure. We saw many 6 to 8 foot
mother alligators each protecting a group of baby reptiles.

The CCC built much of what is in the park back in the 1930s. A museum
in the park pays tribute to the CCC and what they built. In Florida
alone the CCC constructed 2,736 bridges and 3,670 miles of road. I
shudder to think what the country would have been without the CCC. It
seems that every little town we visit has a courthouse built by the
CCC and most of them are still being used.

Wednesday, February 19 2003
Highlands Hammock SP near Sebring $16.31 for water & 30 amps

We just chilled out today. We took a few leisurely walks on the
nature trails and took a spin around Sebring in the Saturn. Besides
the ubiquitous citrus trees many people have in their yards some have
mango trees with mango fruit hanging on them. Some yards have rubber
trees that make handsome shade trees.

Sebring is home to an automobile race the Sebring 12 hour race. We
drove past the race track several times but no races were going on so
it was easy to miss. One local told us it was the only thing that
happened in Sebring all year.

Thursday, February 20 2003
Beginning TREK mileage 40,517; ending TREK mileage 40,586. We drove
up US highway 27 from Sebring to Kissimmee a total of 69-miles.
Tropical Palms RV-Resort Kissimmee $33 full hookup with 30amps.

After our drive from Sebring up US-27 we arrived in Kissimmee and the
Tropical Palms RV Resort around noon. Friends, Chuck and Mary Ann
arrived an hour or so later. They have stayed in the Tropical Palms
Resort before and took us for a walk to view the 800 or so RVs in the
park and check out the pool and other facilities. It is a nice
"Resort" if you are staying in the $45 dollar sites. We are staying
in the $33 dollar sites with nothing more than a sandy site with 30
amps water and cable. The $45 dollar sites have 50 amps and cement
pads. The pool is full of pre-teens and teens with adults occupying
the lounge chairs trying their best to get a tan before returning
home. We have been running our air conditioner since noon. The air
conditioner is something that we have not used in a month or so even
here in south Florida. But today the temperature got into the 80s
early. No one was complaining. Actually sites in this "Resort" range
from miserable to nice. The miserable sites are in mud or sand,
uneven and conditions that individuals would be complaining to the
Governor about if it were in a state park. The attraction for the
park is LOCATION, LOCATION and LOCATION (a few miles from Disney
World). We are here in a "peak" period. During the summer rates are
cheaper but it is also hot as Hades!

We met our friends Chuck and Mary Ann. in Kanab, Utah in 2001 when we
were both staying in the same RV-Park. We toured Zion together the
next day. Last year we met them in Rock Crusher Canyon RV-Resort near
Homosassa Springs, Florida. This year we are meeting in Kissimmee. No
telling where we will next get together.

Chuck's brother and sister-in-law, Guy and Judy, have a motorhome and
are also in the park. All three couples got together at Chuck and
Mary Ann's place. We began discussing expensive parks that we have
stayed in. Chuck and his brother have stayed in Key West where it was
$80 per-night the most we have paid is $45 in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
Disney's Wilderness Park is $80 per-night this week and they are full.
It seems that Disney's rates go up and down depending on the season.
They say that they have stayed in Disney's Wilderness Park for $40 to
$45 per-night.

There is nothing like getting together with friends and catching up on
what has been going on in the past year.

Friday, February 21 2003
Tropical Palms RV-Resort Kissimmee $33 full hookup with 30amps.

We had a lazy day doing little more than taking a walk in the RV-Park
then roaming around the shops in Old Town. Anyone familiar with
nightlife around Disney World knows about Old Town. We thought things
were slow in Old Town of course it was between noon and 2:00. I
suppose everyone is having fun with Mickey! The pool here in Tropical
Palms was full of kids by 9:00am. Disney World did not appear to be
on their mind.

Dale and his wife Cheryl are old Navy friends of ours. Dale and I
both got married to girls we met while in the Navy stationed in
Brunswick, Georgia. We have stayed in touch all these years and stop
in to see each other whenever one of us gets close to where the other
lives. They stopped by our motorhome and took us to a great local
restaurant "The Catfish Place" located east of Kissimmee in St. Cloud.
When you are visiting in the Kissimmee, St. Cloud area you have an
unlimited choice of chain restaurants lined up and down highway 192.
The Catfish Place is solid local charm. They have been serving wild
catfish from Lake Okeechobee for over 28-years. In addition to wild
catfish they serve fried alligator and turtle. For some reason I went
conservative tonight and just ate catfish. It was good but now I wish
that I had ordered the alligator/turtle combo. When visiting in the
"Disney World" area of Kissimmee/St. Cloud and want to experience a
bit of the "original real-Florida" drive to St. Cloud and eat at the
"Catfish Place".

Saturday, February 22 2003
Tropical Palms RV-Resort Kissimmee $33 full hookup with 30amps.

This was another laid back day of walks through the RV-Park. The
weather was in the 80s and most people were enjoying the warm weather.
At 5pm we met friends Fred and Nancy at Capone's a "dinner theatre"
where we ate and enjoyed a stage show. Fred and Nancy are from
Pensacola where both worked at the Navy base. They now live in a
retirement community near the small town of Davenport just south of
Disney World.

After returning home from Capone's Joyce and I spent a few hours
enjoying amateur talent in a Karaoke place in Old Town. We really
enjoyed the good young talent. This is something we will do again
when we are around Disney.

The other day I mentioned that Old Town did not seem to have very many
people roaming the streets around noon well things change when the sun
goes down. Old Town rocks with large crowds especially on weekends
when individuals arrive from all over the country to show off their
old cars.

Mike & Joyce Hendrix