I had no idea this was an equestrian campground! So cool to have horses here, listening to them talk to each other! They are such beautiful animals.

The sites are extremely huge and well spaced. It was busy but everyone was very friendly. I met a group of women who had been on a trail walk for 3 days. Fun to chat with them and they gifted me with their leftover wood.

Star gazing was amazing. Quite and only one othe fire was visible. Also, no unexpected critters while I was up. But I did have an animal visit me early one morning. I know I scared it off by turning the air conditioner on. Racoon is my guess, but I didn’t see any other signs they were around. At least I know it wasn’t a Bear!

This was also on a hill… Florida isn’t all flat. Some history below on the area. I’d come back here again for sure!

I was not expecting to enjoy this place as much as I did! I’ve been to the Sebring area in the past when my mom lived close to here but we never ventured here. Wish we had.

To begin, it’s a big campground which was part of my hesitation but everything was spaced out pretty well, just not a great deal of foliage between sites. Everyone was extremely friendly. I met another Travato owner and a group of women who are part of a group called the Florida Floozies.

I did manage to take the tram ride through restricted areas to get an overview of the park and its history. After that, I was able to enjoy every trail over the course of 6 days. Let me tell you, there was a lot to see and some interesting history. Needless to say, I love the Swamp!

The people who settled here had to have been incredibly busy and determined to make a life for themselves and their families.

Something I found interesting was when the CCC were here building roads, trails and buildings they also did ‘tree surgery’ by removing dead centers from ancient Live oaks and filling them with concrete. This helped the trees to continue to stay alive and survive hurricane force winds and live to be over 900 years old. Incredible!

And after doing all this hiking, meals were very tasty!

Two more cool things here to check out.

What an amazing place to stay for a week. Plenty of trails, tram tour into the back country, nature center just to name a few things. I had to switch sites 4 times but had some beautiful spots.

I have stayed here before but it was only for a few days. Having a week to explore was great. Met some great people and enjoyed a fire a few nights. Life couldn’t be better.

There was also evidence of Hurricane Ian and damage that was left. One Florida wildlife ranger said they used airboats down the main road to get into the park to survey damage. A camp host said there were fish in the toilets when he arrived in Dec to start cleaning up the campground areas. Cabins built by the CCC are being gutted inside due to the high water levels.

What was a little disappointing was that the canopy trail was closed due to some damage. Would have been great to go up and see the views.

It was great to catch up again this year with friends from Rockford, MI. And reconnect and meet new ones while I was here. Starting out with a combined effort of BBQ ribs, grilled veggies and sweet potatoes with pecans and brown sugar. Yummy! We did need to walk it off and check out the fountains in the park and add a little color to them. Nice job Gary!

We also explored the area going to St. Petersburg pier, Dunedin and of course lounging by the pool.

This was a lucky one night stay just minutes from North Ft. Myers. Relaxing on the waterfront, chatting with neighbors and seeing some old friends for lunch. Sunsets are beautiful as well!!

I have certainly gotten lucky getting into campgrounds here in Florida this winter. Another beautiful Corp of Engineer campground. This is right on the waterway that connects Port St. Lucie on the Atlantic to Ft. Myers and the Gulf of Mexico. There are 4 locks that help to regulate the water levels. This is the 2nd one and just west of Lake Okeechobee.

Some great sunsets and abundance of birds to watch play.

It’s always fun to catch up with friends from home while on the road. Had a great time with Carol and Rob! Although Rob was the big winner at putt golf and Mexican train! I was the lucky beginner playing Farkel.

We also went to Old Town and walked the streets, explored some of the stores and came across this monster truck, which was used in a few movies.

This was another great national forest campground. Great trails, even with the best one closed, it was a nice place to spend a few days. It was also a haven for scuba divers and snorkeling. There was one group that were taking lessons. Not for me, I have no interest in diving into a cavern underwater.

I had a blast celebrating my sister-in-law’s mom’s 90th birthday. Everyone had a blast and loved seeing a lot of people who I hadn’t seen in years!

We also camped with my family from Florida. Looked like a compound with 2 tents and 2 campers!

This was one of the most beautiful campgrounds I’ve stayed at. No electricity but my solar served me just fine. It was great that once I pulled in, my campsite was off to the side so I didn’t see any other campers or the road.

The springs themselves were gorgeous. Short hike to both spring areas.

It always impresses me what the CCC men did during the 30’s.