Magic Beyond the Kingdom

It is now the year of ’22 and we continue to dance around Central Florida. Yes, the pun was intended. Central Florida is the area that’s somewhere between the Panhandle and the Keys and roughly centered around a famous mouse. Prior to arriving in Florida we had just one reservation, Peace River for 12 nights. Other than that we’ve been piecing it together as we go, which can be a challenge in the busy season. Still we have found great places to stay and are learning the nuances of trip planning.

After leaving Peace River we moved up to Lake Magic RV Resort in Clermont for three nights. It is a Thousand Trails/Encore park just south of the famed Thousand Trails Orlando RV Resort (TTO) and not very far from Disney World and the aforementioned mouse. Lake Magic is in a convenient location and yet is enough at the edge that you aren’t trapped in traffic in every direction. The sites are a bit cozy but surely not crowded. We were on an outside corner which gave us a bit more space. There’s a lot to like about Lake Magic and the pool was one thing we enjoyed.

From there we went up to Port Orchard, just south of Daytona Beach, for four nights. We stayed in Nova Family Campground with our home parked beneath a large, stately oak that stood as a Southern Belle with her tresses of Spanish Moss swaying in the breeze. The oak provided shade in the record high temperatures. It also provided a few heart stoppages as it threw acorns down upon us, often with a dramatic WHACK! Another note on Nova is that it is near Daytona Speedway. We took the opportunity to drive around the track, well, not on the track, around the facility, on the streets.

In addition to where we stay we have also had to get creative with what we do. It seems a shame to be in this area and not go to Disney World. However, it doesn’t fit with our goal of minimizing public interaction. We have been to the Disney World parks before and will again in the future. And there are so many other options in the region. Having a dog along helps. If Scout can come along it’s likely to be a relatively safe activity.

Bok Tower Gardens is not a kingdom but it certainly is a magical place. The afternoon we spent there was absolutely delightful. There is a $5 admission for dogs and there are only a couple areas where they can’t go. Wandering about the gardens we were reminded of the Hamilton Gardens that we had enjoyed in New Zealand. Adding to the wonder is that it sits atop a hill, yes, a hill in Florida, and there are nice vistas of the surrounding countryside. And the crown jewel is the Bok Tower, a carillon with 60 bells that played a half-hour concert of Christmas tunes while we were there. It was all so beautiful and we will be back next time we’re in Florida.

Another activity we enjoyed was the Showcase of Citrus where we wandered the orchards and picked a bag of oranges, lemons and other tasty vessels of sunshine. There are other things to do there, like ride the “world’s largest” monster truck, but we had a more fruitful focus.

On another particularly hot day we went to Flagler Beach which has areas that allow dogs. Scout did much better with the beach this time, even allowing the waves to gently wash around her feet. Flagler Beach is a nice area because the public has easy access to the beach and there’s convenient parking.

In addition to celebrating the holidays we also celebrated our anniversary. The day began with a drive to Blue Spring State Park. Though we didn’t see any manatees it is a beautiful place and was still an amazing visit. Because we were there early enough Scout was able to join us as we walked the boardwalk along the spring. That afternoon we enjoyed 18 holes of first class mini golf at Pirate Island over by the coast and not far from Nova Campground. I suspect that the putter I had was defective, either bent or the wrong color, judging by the final comparison of my score to Kara’s. For a special dinner we picked up some tasty vittles curbside at Coastal Grill and dined back at home.

We have a couple more weeks in Florida and then we begin our migration westward towards Quartzsite, Arizona where we will be attending the Grand Design rally at the end of February. We wish you a Happy New Year filled with Happy New Adventures!