On the Road Again and a Cedar Key Stroll

We’ve been enjoying the slower pace – stopping for a week or more is definitely more relaxing than moving every few (or every!) day.  But the 500 miles from our beachfront location on Sugarloaf Key to our next 10-day stop at Cedar Key, means we’ll be doing some more overnighters.

Got a kick out of the concrete road dividers painted a lovely Caribbean blue. 

Our first stop was at Collier-Seminole State Park near Naples Florida.  We pulled in Wednesday, 12/7, in the afternoon.   The park had lots to offer – trails, kayaking, and historical buildings. In the 1920’s, Barron Collier bought about a million acres in southwest Florida. After agreeing to name a county after him, he set aside a large tract of land to create a park to preserve one of only three original stands of royal palms in Florida.  He also helped build the Collier county section of the Tampa-to-Miami highway and the park has one of the walking dredges used in its construction. Very cool.  With just a few hours to explore, we walked the park and nature trail – got a great view of a red shouldered hawk checking us out.

Stately Royal Palms at Collier-Seminole State Park.

Walking Dredge used in the 1920's to build the Tamiami Trail (Tampa to Miami highway).

Lovely walking trails in the park.

He took an interest in us, glad I wasn't mouse-sized.

We pulled out Thursday morning and hit the Costco in Tampa and then continued on to Hillsborough River State Park near Thonotosassa, FL. (Say that three times fast! Lol.)  This turned out to be another great state park with lovely walking trails – the suspension bridge was fun! Hillsborough also boasts the only Class 2 rapids in Florida. At any time, Class 2 isn't that wild and with the low water levels there was barely a riffle. No white water kayaking here! Lol.  

Hillsborough River lined with cypress and palms.

I expected a swinging rope bridge, but the suspension bridge was quite substantial.  It was still bouncy, though!  :)

Heron by the "rapids". 

Friday, 12/9, we made it to Cedar Key – along with the cold front. Lol. Though I guess we can’t complain, even though it was chilly and we ran the heater instead of the air conditioners, it’s a far sight from the arctic conditions much of the country is experiencing. We are staying at the aptly named, Sunset Isle RV Park, just 1 ½ miles outside of town.

Our home for the next 10 days. Yeah, I can live with that. 

Sunset from our patio.

Cedar Key has a funky, laid-back, small town vibe. No stoplights, no big box stores – but plenty of charm. The town suffered a direct hit from Hurricane Hermine in September and evidence of the damage is still visible.  While many businesses have rebuilt, others are still a work in progress and some didn’t make it. We’ve walked into town a few times and rode our bikes to the local park, where we visited the museum and saw a pair of nesting bald eagles.

Welcome to Cedar Key!

Jolly Roger flying above the old piers.

Lasting reminders of Hurricane Hermine.

Lots of fun, funky art around town.

Loved the carving on this stump.

Bald eagle on its nest.

Since the Cedar Key post office hasn’t reopened since the hurricane, we had to make the 50-mile round trip to Chiefland to mail our Christmas boxes on Monday. Manatee Springs State Park was close by, so we swung in there to check it out. Very nice park where you can swim in the beautiful springs and, if you are lucky, with a manatee! There was a mommy and baby manatee in the springs, but we hadn’t brought our swimsuits.  Ugh! We opted for the trail and found lots of adorable armadillos on our walk. So Florida has furry squirrels, scaly squirrels, and now armored squirrels. Lol.

Armadillos - Florida's armored squirrels. Lol.

Beautiful springs that pump out 150 million gallons of 72 degree water daily.

Look beneath the reflections of the cypress trees to see the mamma and baby manatee.

On Tuesday, Rog drove to Ocala for another of his “epic” mountain bike trails. He rode 46 miles (better him than me!) and had a great time. Not much elevation gain on the single track, but the local club has added tricks to keep it interesting.

Santos Mountain Bike Trail, another IMB "Epic" ride. 

Fun holiday decorations along the trail.

Rog's riding partner. :) 

You can ride on the path (left) or that teeny, tiny wooden balance beam for bikes (right).
Rog, of course, went for the boards! lol. 

There is lots to do in the Cedar Key area. As soon as the weather cooperates, we can go kayaking right from the campground. We just need to time the tides right or we’ll be stranded far out on the mud flats. Lol. Getting up close and personal with the manatees is high on my bucket list, so we we’ve booked an excursion in Crystal River to “swim with the manatees”.  So looking forward to that!