friends – Page 5 – The MoHo and Other Traveling Tales

08-08-2014 A Day to Celebrate Old Homes and Old Friends

Current Location: home in Rocky Point Oregon

Things get a bit strange for me when I am back home in the Inland Northwest. I lived there for more than 30 years. When I moved to Northern Idaho in 1972 the first time I believed it was my spirit soul home and that I would never leave. I was so incredibly happy to have found the place where I belonged. It came as a surprise to me that when the time came to leave, in 2002, I was ready to go. flowers 04

My Hauser Cottage in 2002 I hauled everyone of those rocks from the mountains

It is no longer “home”. Klamath Falls is now home and I knew it was the moment I arrived 12 years ago. No clue how that happens, but it does. Funny though, I grew up in Southern California and it never felt like home, even when I lived there. As a child I was always dreaming of moving north. As an adult I started the journey of years, ended it as far north as Prince George BC before finally coming to rest here in Oregon. North enough.

Homes revisited (8 of 21) The Hauser cottage in 2014 the gardens are gone and so are the rocks

But unlike returning to the San Gabriel Valley in SoCal, when I go back north to the Spokane/Coeur d Alene area I feel the old pull. I am brought up short over and over with memories of who I was then and who I am now. I barely recognize myself any more. There have been too many twists and turns in my life and as I said once before, the sections don’t seem to be all that connected.

08-07-2014 revisiting my old homes

The Hauser cottage in 2014 a lock box on the door but no for sale sign

Collages2 My Hauser cottage gardens in 2002

Two of my four children are in Oregon and none are back in Washington or Idaho. My lifetime soul friend, Maryruth, is in California, and I have other close and wonderful friends all over the US. Yet there is one friend who shared that life with me who still lives the life we lived back then, right there north of Coeur D Alene in Dalton Gardens.

My friend Laura in her backyard in Dalton Gardens

She even has the same donkey she had then, who is now 32 years old. Laura also has chickens, which makes me miss mine, and she has gardens that flourish the way mine used to when I had that great soil and those long days to make things grow.

I was so happy for a day to spend with Laura on her lush and luscious acre of perfect soil, water, and sunshine and a gardener’s love. Driving east from Spokane early in the morning, I took a side route through Newman Lake and Hauser Lake, just to see how things had changed, and to see my old homes.

the Hauser My Hauser Farmhouse in 1984 in the first year of gardening there

Especially endearing to see was the old farmhouse where I lived with Lance and my kids for many years. Melody spent her teenage years here, on her horse most of the time. My gardens were so magnificent that people would drive by every Sunday to see what was blooming. It was a lovely life at that time. The old weeping willow is now so big that I can no longer see the house from the road. The house itself was the second one built on Hauser Lake, in 1886. It was tiny, and had only wood heat. Lots of memories in that place.

Homes revisited (20 of 21) The old Hauser Farmhouse in 2014 Grandsons birth trees on the right and to the right of the willow

I took photos of my two grandsons’ birth trees which are planted at this old homestead, and they are both thriving.

I then drove by the tiny cottage that belonged to my grandmother, where she died, and where I ended up after becoming almost homeless after my divorce. For nearly 7 years I worked hard to make this tiny place a home, and the gardens again flourished, although in a much smaller space. The ceilings were only 6 feet 4 inches high. Easy to paint, but my son in law used to have trouble walking around inside!

Hauser Cottage in 2002 Hauser Cottage in 2014

The last time I drove by this house I was devastated. The gardens were gone, most of the huge firs were gone. The house was abandoned and in shambles. This time it was a bit different. Still no gardens, but the house was being loved and repaired. It was empty, so I walked around and looked inside the windows. There were new cupboards, new floors, everything remodeled nicely.

The old brick patio I laid was still there, and the wooden bench that Bel made, where I sat for many hours with my cat Caesar, who lived to be 16 years old, was still there. Someday someone may garden there again, and the huge 100 year old maple and horse chestnut tree still thrive.

Laura’s gardens

It was a nostalgic drive, and I was very happy to continue east to Laura’s to get some big loving hugs and be treated to my friend’s amazing space. Laura lived that old life with me. We canned and cooked together, trained our horses together, talked about chickens and eggs and men together. Raved about “stuff” together, even shared our journals with each other. We understood each other and still do. I am so glad that Laura finally retired from her life of nursing to be home with her gardens and her granddaughters and daughters, and that she had a whole day free to spend with me.

Laura laughs and calls herself a hoarder, and says her contractor husband is a hoarder as well.

Well, she may be right, but Laura is the best kind of hoarder you can imagine. She hoards “stuff” to make crazy art and it emerges from every nook and cranny in her gardens and her home.

Even in early August, her tomatoes were huge, her squashes ripe, beans, fruit, cucumbers, everything you could possibly imagine was huge and lush. It sure made me miss my old gardens.

As hard as I try I can’t make things grow like this in my forest home in the mountains of Oregon. Laura has flowers everywhere. She also has a ton of ribbons from the county fair for her flowers from the last few years. I think I’ll just let the photos speak for themselves.

I wanted to see another old friend as well, Sandy, but her work schedule made it harder to fit an entire day in.

Friends revisited (86 of 95) Instead, with Sandy also being a friend of Laura’s, we had a beautiful lunch of fresh picked veggies in Laura’s dining room while we reminisced about old times.

The best kind of day with people I have loved for years from my old life.

Next post: Back to the reunion for fabulous family dinners and floating the Little Spokane River

Medicine Lake Once Again and Some Sad Abby News

Current Location: Rocky Point Oregon 59F and smoky at 7AM

It has been hot here this summer, hotter than we are used to in Rocky Point at least. We don’t have air conditioning at this house, and except for a very few days in the summertime, that is just fine. The forest cools us and the open windows let in the evening breezes for good sleeping. Most of the time. The big fans spin high above us to keep the air moving. Even so, when it is in the high 90’s in Klamath Falls, in the triple digits in Grants Pass, our low 90’s out here in the woods can feel pretty darn warm.

Great time to head 100 miles south to our favorite little lake south of Lava Beds National Monument high on the Medicine Lake Highlands at 7,000 feet or so. In the last post, I put in a link to my writings from our previous camping trip here last summer. (Here is the link again: Medicine Lake 2013). With a simple 2 hour drive from home, it is a great getaway.

Many things we love about this sweet little campground, not the least of which is the absence of mosquitoes. I have no idea why that is the case, but for the entire six days we were there, I delighted in being outdoors without having to fight the little stinkers.

When I read what I wrote last year I thought there was just no way I could write about this place again. We often do the same things when we visit. The highlight is kayaking at least twice a day from our campsite, having beautiful sunset campfires, and sleeping well through the chilly dark night skies. This trip was a bit different, however. We managed to convince our neighbors, Wes and Gayle, to spend a few days with us. They have a sweet little Casita that they brought north from their Tucson home for the Rocky Point summer and it was a perfect time to show them our favorite little camping lake.

There are three campgrounds lined along the northern shore of the lake, and our favorite is the Al Hogue camp. We planned an early arrival, just before noon on a Tuesday, hoping to at least snag some kind of site with a lake view. The local tribe has a Medicine Gathering at this sacred land every year, and we arrived on the weekday after the official gathering was over. They close the third campground, Medicine Campground, for this gathering, but there is usually quite a spillover after the weekend. It is expedient to check with the Modoc National Forest for the dates of this gathering. It isn’t open to the public as a pow wow might be, and things can get quite rowdy and very busy around the lake during their celebrations.

MoHo view site 43 Imagine my delighted surprise when we pulled into the campground with our two rigs and found not only our favorite site 43 wide open, but our second favorite site 45, right next to it, open as well. Without a bit of difficulty, we unhooked our trailer and parked the MoHo in our favorite spot overlooking the lake with the short easy trail down to the beach.

Wes and Gayle parked their little Casita in 45, with a gorgeous view, albeit with a steeper rocky path to the lake. It couldn’t have been a more perfect introduction to Medicine Lake. On that first afternoon, it was cloudy and 15 degrees cooler than the Klamath Basin, with thunderstorms predicted and even a bit of wind and hail to greet us. Maybe that is why we managed to snag the best sites in the entire complex.

With the cool temperatures and windy conditions at the lake, it was a perfect time to show Wes and Gayle the trail from the campground to the Medicine Lake Glass Flow, just 1/4 mile north. The trail was a simple one, and there was barely a breeze once we were away from the lake.

Gayle and I had planned shared meals, with each of us being responsible for one dinner, and then a shared meal. Our first night was a delight of BBQd beef ribs that were tasty and in addition provided Abby with a nice stash of bones that lasted the entire week. Gayle and Wes also have the Happy Hour thing down pat, and Gayle arrived at our dining table before dinner with a shaker of perfectly concocted cosmopolitans and some yummy “snacks” as she calls them. We were very happy to have room at the dinette for four people since it was too chilly and windy outside to sit at the picnic table.

Of course, Jeremy is quite polite, but thinks he should be at the table as well. He doesn’t beg much, and will patiently wait for someone to decide to give him a snack as well. Gayle was very good at dispensing the tiny bites for my geriatric cat.

Jeremy also entertained us in the evenings with his daily walk down to the water to drink. Reminded me so much of a big old lion at the watering hole. He would lap and lap and watch the horizon as he did so. Jeremy loves to be in a campground where he can roam free, and he especially loves the lakes.

In the last few years, when we have camped here, we only bring the trailer with the kayaks and bikes instead of hauling the baby car. While that makes for a relaxing week, there are some local sites that are a bit too far for walking that we were able to explore this time with Wes and Gayle along to drive their car. Hoffman Lookout_032

Wes drove the ten miles round trip of dirt road to the high point at Hoffman Lookout, where Mo and I went a few years ago. The skies were incredibly clear and we could see Mt Lassen to the south and the Klamath Basin to the north. Mt Shasta was shrouded in clouds, only adding to her mystery and beauty.

This morning as I am writing, smelling the smoke from the fires south of us, I realized how lucky we were to have chosen last week for this trip instead of the current week. On July 30th, a lightning storm exploded in the Cascades west of us and east of Ashland/Medford, burning thousands of acres so far. Currently the fire is only 5 percent contained, and has grown south into California. I am sure the skies are thick with smoke over Medicine Lake this week and the views from the Hoffman Lookout would be nil.

But last week was different, and we had gorgeous blue skies during the rest of the time we spent in the Highlands. After our trip to the lookout, we relaxed at the campsite a bit before embarking on another dirt road journey to Glass Mountain. The Medicine Lake Highlands and caldera have been volcanically active in the last 1,000 years, with the obsidian of Glass Mountain formed about 950 years ago. This link from USGS has more detailed information about the Medicine Lake Volcano. In addition, if you want even more detail, here is a link to the volcanic history and types of lava that erupted during five major stages of volcanism.

We had a great time hiking around Glass Mountain. It is extremely important to have good shoes when you are here because that obsidian is sharper than any knife. I wish I could share the sound of walking on tinkly glass shards. The weather had warmed quite a bit on this afternoon and the breeze lightened up enough to be only a slight deterrent to the heat.

(Notice the difference between the first photo in this post in the afternoon and the morning stillness on the water in this photo)

The next few days we stayed closer to camp. With the winds dying down and the heat returning, we enjoyed early morning kayaks on the glassy water, and afternoon paddles across the lake in the evening winds. One morning was so chilly that we woke to ice on the kayaks, but once out on the water it was perfect. 31 degrees on Thurday morning

The most dramatic difference this year, however, was the lake level. I have never seen the lake like this, with the severe drought in California reflected in the extreme low water at Medicine Lake. Across from our camp was a sweet man with his grandsons, who said he had been coming here for 50 years and he had never seen the lake this low either.

Medicine Lake lower than we have ever seen it Surprisingly, when we took a morning to hike to Little Medicine Lake, we discovered that the level of the water in this small spring fed pond to be perfectly normal. Medicine Lake has no outlet and is fed by a few springs and snow melt. It is a closed system, with no outlet, however the ground is porous pumice so who knows where the water is going. I can’t imagine that evaporation can account for the visible daily drop in water levels that we saw while we were there.

That same sweet man and his boys were catching a LOT of trout, and one afternoon he came over with a bit string of fish and asked if we might like to have some. I looked a bit guilty as I said, “I don’t know how to clean them”. He laughed and said, “What if I cleaned them?”. The result was a fabulous supper of fresh caught trout on our grill, with a couple of sweet pink native brookies in the mix. Yum!

Fishing is very popular on this lake, with rules that don’t allow fast boats until after ten in the morning and before 5 in the evening so people can fish in peace. We saw only two jet skis on our last afternoon at the lake, and they weren’t out there very long. Nice. I even managed to get in for a swim when the weather warmed a bit. The lake was chilly, but not so bad that I couldn’t get my head all the way under water a couple of times.

We got our friends out on the water in the kayaks and they found it was much easier than they thought it might be. As experienced canoe paddlers, it took a bit of convincing, but once on the water they were hooked. Who knows, a couple of kayaks might be in their future.

I have no reason for adding this photo of Mo I took at Little Medicine Lake other than the fact that I just love it.

Wes and Gayle left a few days before we did, and Mo and I continued to enjoy days on the water and evenings by the fire until we left last Sunday to return home. The week ahead was supposed to be leisurely, with time to prepare for our next big trip coming up, the Oukrop Family Reunion in Spokane, Washington,with an extra trip north into British Columbia for the MoHo.

Instead we spent a few days camped at the Grants Pass Cottage, working with the plumber to rework the cottage bathroom and trying to stay cool in the MoHo with temperatures at 104 degrees each day we were there. Whew! I did manage to finish the cottage curtain tab top panels that I worked on for much longer than I had thought it might take. Sewing something with all that fabric and all those long seams takes a very long time! I can’t believe I never got a photo of the finished product, but I can do that next time we are there. I think Daughter Deb will enjoy have pretty lined curtains to keep out the heat rather than the 80’s nubby heavy drapes that were too dirty to clean and were also ugly!

Coming back home this weekend to Rocky Point was quite a shock, because the smoke from the Beaver Fire is hanging heavy and dark over much of the landscape. Highway 97 east of us has been closed due to smoke, and our neighbors had heavy ash raining down on them the day before we returned. We are safe enough here for the time being. The fire is many miles south and west of us, and the many lightning fires triggered by the storm that started nearby in the Sky Lakes Wilderness, near Crater Lake, and on Pelican Butte behind us were suppressed almost immediately by diligent fire crews. local current smoke 08-04-2014

On a final note, our lives were saddened before we left for our Medicine Lake trip with Mo’s trip to the vet with Abby.

We knew that things might not be good, and Abby was tested positive for lymphoma. We have decided to not subject our sweet 12 year old dog to chemo or radiation, which would be terrible for her, and instead she is on a special diet and prednisone.

For the time being, she seems her sweet self, and isn’t unhappy or uncomfortable. She is slowing down a bit, but aren’t we all. The vet said maybe three months, but that doesn’t seem real, and we are hoping for more. We are taking it a day at a time, and treasuring every extra day with our sweet girl.

3-02-2014 Alexander Springs with Alison

Current Location: Blue Springs State Park Overcast and 58 F High today 76F

When I managed the soil survey project in Sonora, California, I had a delightful young woman from Illinois “detail” into my project for two seasons. With an emphasis on completing millions of unmapped acres out west, my agency would send folks from other parts of the country to help out with soil survey where they were needed most. I was lucky enough to get Alison. I don’t think I have ever known a more vibrant, strong, hard-working, constantly positive, cheery person ever, and that girl could dig a pit faster than any guy on the crew! We all called her “Scoopy” for the way she handled those shovels

Soil sampling with my crew in Tuolumne County, Alison in the cowboy hat

We had great times together in the Sierra Nevada Foothills, and have remained good friends. Alison took a promotion to Florida, and I have visited her a few times since that move. Last year I came to her lovely new home just after her baby boy was born. On this trip I planned specifically to be somewhere near Eustis on a weekend so that we could get together again this year. Alison’s parents are in Eustis for the winter, so they all decided to drive out to Alexander Springs for an afternoon.

With warm sunny skies, after some snacks and drinks and visiting, we decided a walk to the springs and a swim was in order. I wasn’t so sure I was warm enough to swim, even in the 72 degree water, but after watching that little baby laughing and playing in the gorgeous crystal clear pool I decided to join in as well.

I just wish there was some way to show in a photo what it felt like to swim out over the roiling water of the spring. The pool is very deep, more than 30 feet or so, and deeper into the depths of the cave where I couldn’t see. It is cobalt blue in the deepest part, and various shades of turquoise and pale blue along the edges where the underwater grasses don’t grow.

While Mo visited with Alison’s parents who watched the baby, Alison and I put on snorkel masks and swam across the white sands and dark green grasses to the spring. Then the breathtaking blues opened up below us. I had no idea, just looking at the spring from the shoreline that it held all this complex rocky reef of blues and crystal water. Of course, since I was swimming, I have no photos to document what for me was an incredibly magic moment.

Floating over a spring emitting 70 million gallons a day of crystalline water is a surprise. Alison and I both laughed afterward about how hard we were swimming and not getting anywhere. It was a magnificent moment, and a thrilling end to our last day at Alexander Springs. It was also great that after sharing so many good memories of working together in California, Alison and I had a chance to experience this little bit of magic.

There are 27 first magnitude fresh water springs in Florida, each of them completely unique, and I have only seen a few. There are rivers and spring runs to keep a kayaker happy for a very long time, so many that we can’t begin to see them all this time around. In spite of giving ourselves a month in Florida, we have only scratched the surface of the amazing network of Florida’s fresh water wonders. Still, many of them are either dark and spooky, or the manatee are there so there is no swimming allowed, or they are completely commercialized and artificial.

Alexander Springs was an afterthought, a piece of the travel puzzle that wasn’t planned. I am so grateful for the serendipity that brought us to this beautiful gem of the Ocala National Forest.

Up next: Blue Springs State Park, Manatees, and Magic Kayaks, and Sherry and David are our neighbors.

2-19-2014 John and Carol share J.N.Ding Darling NWR with us

Currently: Midway Campground at Big Cypress Preserve 71F at six AM and no internet

The sunrise at our KOA campground was incredible, so I was definitely frustrated that I could find no open sky to actually photograph it! Giant motorhomes were everywhere and even walking to the end of the campground yielded nothing.

I had been in contact with Carol and John, of “Our Trip Around the Sun”, since last summer when I first knew when we would be near Sanibel Island. They are NWR volunteers who suffered through a summer season at the J.N. Ding Darling NWR and as a result were considered and selected for the primo winter positions. John does heavy maintenance and Carol is responsible for several administrative duties, in addition to giving talks about the alligators and crocodile in the park.

We knew Carol’s talk was at 11AM so planned our morning route with enough time to arrive at the park an hour early so that we could see the beautiful Visitor Center before meeting Carol. Oops. We knew there would be traffic, but didn’t plan for the congestion to be as bad as it was. Even with our 8:30 AM departure, it was just a bit after 11 when we walked up to the kiosk where Carol was beginning her talk.

Still makes me smile to remember how warmly Carol greeted us, she seemed genuinely delighted to have us there. Her talk was wonderful, and I learned more about the Florida alligators and the salt water loving croc that lives at Ding Darling. Carol is deservedly proud to be working at this primo refuge and does a great job sharing her knowledge about it.

Having a park volunteer offer to do a tour is a genuine treat. Carol was laughing because she knew I wanted to see spoonbills and she was all worried that she wouldn’t manage it until she saw the spoonbills on my blog that Judy found for me. Phew…no more pressure!

We didn’t see spoonbills, but Carol took us around the wildlife drive, knowing the right places to stop to see the birds. Carol is a “real” birder, and when I only watched a bird for a few minutes and gave up on getting the proper pose she laughed and said, “Well, you aren’t a “real” birder yet, but you are close”. Ha!

We laughed and talked and walked and shared bird sightings until the afternoon got a bit too warm and the birds all went under cover. Carol invited us to do the same at her shady patio with drinks and snacks while we waited for John to get off work. Before long, John joined us on the patio and we all decided that a trip to the beach was in order.

There are several beaches on Sanibel and they picked the one they thought would have the best parking and the least crowding. The beach was lovely, with soft sand and gentle lapping waves, and enough space between chairs and umbrellas that we found a nice place to sit and walk and let Abby swim.

Of course, the highlight of the day was something other than the refuge OR the birds OR the beach. Insisting that only tourists tried to leave the island before dark, Carol invited us to what she called a “simple” dinner of roast pork loin, (which John cooked to perfection on the grill), roasted potatoes, and fresh salad with ice cream for dessert. With some tasty wine and delightful conversation we lingered long past dark enjoying their company and hospitality.

02-18-2014 Schizophrenic Days, Meeting Sherry and David was great, the KOA and Florida Traffic not so much.

Currently: Midway Campground at Big Cypress Preserve 71F at six AM and no internet

We have been in this magical land of Florida heaven for so long now I almost forgot why people say they never want to come to Florida. Some who have been here say they will never come back. Others who have never been here have an image of the state that fits perfectly what we experienced on Tuesday morning when we left our idyllic waterfront campsite at Fort De Soto.

When drying to a crisp in western winters, I sometimes think it might be nice to have a bit of humidity. In some ways it IS nice. My feet are not cracking, my fingernails are not shredded, and my hair is…well..can you say fluffy? Not sure that is a good thing, however, but it feels good.

What I forget about humidity, however, is the smell. Whatever smells that are assaulting your senses are multiplied. Both inside and outside the MoHo we are often overcome with funny smells. I used an entire can of rug spray cleaner to freshen up the rig (Resolve spray works great for traveling!) I also was extremely happy to get our bedding dried out. I forgot about that clammy bedding thing that happens in high humidity.

I am laughing to myself thinking of all those readers out west who think Florida travels are just insane, especially those who read my blog who are high and dry out boondocking somewhere in Arizona. Still, it is worth it, maybe a bit like traveling in a third world country. There are lots of strange smells and lots of weird traffic, but I wouldn’t miss doing it for the world.

We left Fort DeSoto around 8 on a gorgeous sunny morning. Loved crossing the Sunshine Skyway, but it is surprising how unimpressive it seems when driving. I could see most of Mullet Key below us, and could see a great kayaking spot on the eastern edge of the island that would have been perfect for bridge views. Sorry Karen, we never made it over there for sunrise or sunset photos. You have some breathtaking shots of that view that I could never duplicate. We had no clouds around to make the skies interesting.

Neither of us had slept well the previous night because we were worried about Abby. She was unable to urinate, and at more than 12 years old it could have been anything, even too much swimming in sea water, or so we thought. I found a veterinarian on the internet, hoped the reviews were good, and chose one that was south of Bradenton, just beyond the main part of the city.

It turned out to be a good choice. At first, they said they had no openings, but when I explained our situation a bit more they suggested that we get a urine sample and wait, for what could be up to three or four hours. Have you ever wondered how you get a urine sample from a female dog? Nope, me either. However, running around behind Abby with a little wheeled gizmo with a plastic tray was interesting. It worked. Abby didn’t have an infection, but she did have crystals, and possible kidney stones. With antibiotics, an anti inflammatory, and some special food, we were happy that our four hour stop was fruitful. At the moment, Abby seems fine, but will have to be checked again in a couple of weeks.

We continued south toward our surprise destination for the day. I emailed Sherry, of “In the Direction of our Dreams”, letting her know that we were going to be passing by their camp at Oscar Sherer State Park and asked if a meeting was possible. Sherry made several suggestions and with a final email we agreed to meet at the beach just a couple of miles from their campground and right off Highway 41 on our route.

Perfect! Except when Florida traffic settles in. Shortly before we arrived at the beach location, I got a quick phone call from Sherry saying, “We are at the beach, all parking lots are full, and we can’t find a spot to park, much less a spot for the MoHo.” We agreed to meet them at the picnic ground inside the state park instead. They were amazed at the heavy traffic, the intense congestion at the beach, and said they had never seen it quite as bad on a weekday during mid day.

The minute we turned east on the State Park road, we could have been in a different world, the “real” Florida. The park was lovely, and we met at the picnic ground. It is always amazing to meet people that have been correspondence friends for a long time and to find that they are exactly as you imagined.

It was wonderful walking the nature trail and sharing stories of things we have in common. They were great trail guides, telling us all about the park and their travels, and sharing some ideas about some of our planned future travel locations where they have spent a great deal of time. If anyone knows Florida state parks well, it is Sherry. With so much time in Florida, Sherry is especially frustrated with the difficulty in getting reservations even a year in advance. She also repeatedly talked about how crowded things seem to be this year. Maybe everyone came south because of the Polar Plunge events?

A couple of hours flew by and we needed to get on down the road. Abby seemed to be feeling better already after her walk and her meds so that was a relief.

When I said that Fort DeSoto was our most expensive campground on the trip, I completely forgot about the Big Pine Island KOA. I wanted to visit Sanibel Island and even with many months in advance, I could find no reservations that were anywhere nearby that were even close to a reasonable cost. The one campground on Sanibel, Periwinkle, does not allow dogs in the campground. We found a few others on the beach near Fort Myers, but they were more than $100 per night, and all the nearby state parks were fully booked back last summer when I tried to get a reservation.

I finally booked the KOA at $52 per night for the two nights we had to be there. What isn’t shown in the fine print however, are all the Florida taxes and fees that boosted our stay to a whopping $62 per night. Just plain crazy, and another reason why traveling in Florida might not be something to do very often. Throw in all the tolls on roads and bridges, and the high cost of food and the taxes on everything, and it becomes a very expensive adventure. Sheesh!

We arrived at the KOA just before sunset, in time to get set up with our full hookups before dark. It was rather frightening, actually, to see the big rig bedroom slide just a very few feet from our back bedroom window. I sort of freaked out at first as we drove down the long rows of sardine packed rigs. It felt a bit like a refuge camp. Now THIS is what they mean when they talk about a Snowbird Park? The minute we got hooked up, we turned on the air conditioning, closed up all the windows, put up all the shades and were snug and safe in our little home.

Sleeping was interesting, though, because of course the window needed to be open and Mo was wakened at three am by sewer smells. Who knows, it wasn’t ours, but there are so many people packed into such a small space I can’t imagine how the sewage is managed. Remember what I said about the smells?

I will say that our initial reaction to the park was moderated a bit before we left. These kinds of parks do have their place. Watching CNN the morning we left, there was an interesting story by Sanjay Gupta discussing loneliness in people and how it contributes to premature death even more than obesity.

We noticed that most of the people in the park were more on the elderly side, and when the sun rose, people were out walking and talking to their neighbors and visiting everywhere. I don’t imagine that very many of them are lonely.

The park is now an Encore/1000 Trails park that has a KOA franchise. About 100 residents are full time, and a couple hundred are seasonal, staying from 2 to 6 months every year.

The park was filled with huge rigs, park models, and campers with everything in between. Many folks had gardens and lots of yard art. The laundry was large and nice and not ridiculously expensive. The cable was OK, the Verizon signal had the best reception I have had on the entire trip. The swimming pool was large and well kept, there are a couple of reflective ponds and I guess fishing is the biggest recreational activity, other than talking to your neighbor.

The park served its purpose for us and we did get to visit Sanibel.

Next: A long planned and eagerly anticipated visit with John and Carol of “Our Trip Around the Sun” at J.N. Ding Darling NWR