And We're Off
It doesn’t take much to get me out the door. At the first sign of hurricane potential losing its umph, I hit the road. 6am, I kiss Gerard goodbye and down the road we go. First time we’ve been separated this long. Gerard might meet me in Charleston, South Carolina in about 3 weeks time.
The only mistake we make this morning was taking Highway 27/98 around Orlando. I manage to hit every red light, but once on county roads, it is a delightful drive in to Mt. Dora, a picturesque lakeside town with adorable shops and restaurants and there happens to be a seafood festival. My big score for the day is finding Japanese glass fishing buoys. I wasn’t expecting to find those until I reached the coast. Temperatures are rapidly rising and the pavement is getting too hot for Sitka, so I can’t just wander from shop to shop, but I certainly get the flavor of the place. Nancy Scharoun… I will meet you there sometime soon! I can take Sarita on another glamping adventure.
Our campsite for the night is Salt Springs at the northern end of the Ocala National Forest. A cool dip in 72º crystal, clear water is just what the heavens order cause we are hot! Salt Springs Recreation Area is one of the recreational jewels of the Ocala National Forest. There is a natural spring rising from vertical fissures (cracks) from deep within the earth. The presence of potassium, magnesium and sodium salts give the waters in the spring a slight salinity. Hence the name Salt Springs.
A wonderful breeze kicks up and I am able to set up camp and make some risotto without even breaking a sweat. The proseco keeps me cool.
Morning arrives hot and humid just like the night. I have enough of a breeze to sleep with everything open. I break camp and need a shower before setting off. I set google maps to our next destination and what gift it gives me. Hours and hours of back roads through small tiny civil war towns and grave yards, miles of cotton fields and sometimes I am the only one on the road for an hour or more…. Sunday morning travel the best!
We arrive five and half hours later at beautiful Magnolia Springs State Park, known for its crystal clear springs flowing 7 million gallons per day. A boardwalk spans the cool water, allowing visitors to look for alligators, turtles and other wildlife near the springs. Yes, again with the alligators, so no swimming or cooling off in the cool waters. It was 98º withOUT the heat index. I needed a place where Sitka and I could get least our feet wet.
We decide to move on up the road another hour and a half to Mistletoe State Park. Campsites are right on enormous Clarks Hill Lake in eastern Georgia near Augusta. We settle into a site where we are the only ones in the loop. The evening breeze is amazing and I look forward to drifting off listening to the waves lap at the shore. By 11pm, I wake feeling like I can’t breathe. The breeze has died. I take my naked butt outside and close up the doors, bring Sitka, who was panting a mile a minute, inside and turn on the air conditioning which sounds like jet engines. Doesn’t make for good sleeping.
I had two more days of wandering planned before I am to arrive on the Blue Ridge Parkway. But I think the heat has sealed the deal… North Caroline here we come.
“Oh the places you’ll go.” – Dr. Seuss (more pics on my facebook page in an album titled with that quote)