South of the Border traveling - June/2010

We would like to share with you a little bit about our recent RV trip to the south of the country. On this trip, we'll share some tips that may be  helpful if you're a beginner RVer.

Our Rig and Paul at Ocala National Forest - Florida.

Every time we travel south, our first dilema is when to go through New York City. We normally go through the Tapazee Bridge instead of going through the Washington Bridge.

Tip: if you're traveling from the Northeast, go through NY between 11:00 - 1:00 pm.

We take approximate 3 days to arrive in Florida. The great thing about RVing is taking the time to savor each overnight stay and enjoy them instead of just passing  through another city.

Entrance to the springs - just a short walk from our camp site

One of the big draws for us to go to Ocala National Forest, it was to visit the springs. We stayed at the state campground which is part of the forest and where the springs are located in this little town (village really...) called Salt Springs.

If you're looking for solitude, nature and being disconnected from civilization, then this is the place for you. While at the Ocala National Forest, we didn't have computer connectivity or cell phone reception. The two nearest cities from the forest are: From the campground you can turn left head torwards Ocala which is approximate 27 miles and the other way you'll arrive Palatka which is about 24 miles down the road.

The interesting thing about this spring is that if you were in the area boating/fishing and wanted to get cooled off, you can keep your boat at a short distance and come for a swim in the springs. The water is delightful because it is cold and refreshing (believe or not...). It is Florida after all and you normally can't find cold water anywhere. Well... go to to Salt Springs to experience a magic of a place and disconnect from civilization for a  while.

Salt Springs - Ocala National Forest (Florida)


From Ocala, we headed towards the West Coast and went to Dunedin where we stayed for 3 nights.

Honeymoon Island at Dunedin - Florida

We explored Dunedin and Clearwater area. There are some many hidden gems in the Clearwater area, you just need to take the time to explore.

From Dunedin, we headed to Fort Myers Beach.

If you have never been to the West Coast of Florida, you'll be for a treat. Fort Myers is one of those beaches that you'll go back once you've visited once. As you can imagine, the gulf water is very warm and great to play. 

Red Cocnut campground - Fort Myers (Florida)

Bird (not sure which kind...) Fort Myers Beach - FL

 We stayed at a lovely KOA campground in Savannah - Georgia

 

Hilton Head - SC

Hilton Head - South Carolina


            Awesome area to just hang out and relax at Hilton Head - SC

Paul and I had a great time on our RV trip to the south. We had an opportunity to see friends in Georgia which was such a treat. One thing that we took for granted was the heat. As you may notice from previous posts, we spent the US winter in Brazil which has opposite seasons. It was an extremely hot summer in Brazil and the place where we stayed was very HOT. So this means we're experiencing two hot summers in one year.

I would like to recommend if the heat bothers you too much, not to go to the south in the summer. Instead a good time to go is around March/April and October/November. One thing that continues to amaze me is how much we learn with each travel. Traveling is such a gift that we give ourselves and if you can fit into your schedule, plan a trip. One of the nicest thing about traveling is the planning itself. If you're stopping by this blog, please drop us note. See at our next travel (Catskill - New York). Thank you and happy travels.