Monthly Review October

 Monthly Review October

Places visited:

  • Rodman Campground
    • highlight, saw my first manatee, the Cross Florida Barge Canal was captivating
    • lowlight, no cell service
    • not much to do here, so best for just chilling out
  • Summer Crush Vineyard & Winery
    • highlight, live reggae music the band was incredibly good
    • lowlight, closely parked to 2 other RVs who both intermittently ran generators
    • overall liked it, the pavilion area was fun and my sangria with crab dip - delicious
  • Larry & Penny Thompson Park Miami, FL
    • highlight, Biscayne Bay boat cruise and the Everglades
    • lowlight, Key Largo was unimpressive
    • a park tucked into a city environment, not my cup of tea
  • Kissimmee Prairie State Park
    • highlight, vastness of prairie was impressive and lots of wildlife
    • lowlight, paths were flooded so we could not use most of the trails
    • I would recommend this park for a serene camping experience
  • O’Leno State Park
    • highlight, Sante Fe River trail where the river sinks into the ground
    • lowlight, no washer and dryer, could not do laundry
    • $18/night large site with electric and water perfect for 2 nights
  • Falling Water State Park
    • highlight, the tallest waterfall in Florida, that falls into a sink hole
    • lowlight, limited trails (only thing to do is hike to lake and falls)
    • Pleasant campground, had nice neighbors Devin & Stacey
  • White Oak Creek Campground Eufaula, AL
    • highlight, beautiful site right on the wide creek that we kayaked.
    • lowlight, driveway and pad issues made parking tedious
    • comment, more nice neighbors, not much nonwatery activity here
  • Tallulah Gorge State Park
    • highlight, excellent hiking trail to see gorge, waterfalls
    • lowlight, tight pull-thru, very shaded
    • I highly recommend this place for an overnight and hike
  • Yogi in the Smokies Cherokee, NC
    • highlight, Great Smoky Mountains, beautiful fall colors and waterfalls
    • lowlight, campsites are narrow and close to neighbors
    • Park is huge so we just concentrated on south side of the Smoky Mountains
  • Knoxville North KOA, Clinton TN
    • Highlight Zoom Baby Shower for Alura on my birthday
    • Lowlight spaces are close together watched outside tv on gravel
    • Campground is centrally located, near state park and Museum of Appalachia & Wal-Mart
  • Nolin Lake State Park
    • highlight, large site in a peaceful area with a 40-minute drive to Mammoth Cave
    • lowlight, well there was a broken spring on the trailer on the way here
    • We were fortunate that we discovered the broken spring a mile and a half from B&R Truck and Trailer repair who took care of it in no time.
  • Paris Landing State Park
    • Highlight Marina was pretty to look at
    • Lowlight only has two trails; main focus is to motorboat on Kentucky Lake
    • nearby Fort Donelson National Battlefield had a wonderful driving tour

Of all the places in October both Jim and I agree our overall favorite place was the Great Smoky Mountains.  Hikes to waterfalls, beautiful weather every day, campground was on the Raven Fork River surrounded by mountains which got more colorful every day.  The campground was nice because of its location and since it was not full while we were there, if it were full it would have been crowded.

My favorite trail was Three Waterfalls Loop in the Deep Creek area of the Great Smoky Mountains.  Three waterfalls, cascading waters, beautiful fall colors accented by a brilliant blue sky with pleasant temperatures – what could be better than that?

Jim’s favorite trail was the Tallulah Gorge trail.  A lot of elevation change (stairs) but the views were spectacular.

Our favorite day in our October travels was the boat trip on Biscayne Bay.  It was a pleasure to be out on the water for 3.5 hours especially since we could move around on the boat as the only two passengers.  The stop at Boca Chita was very pleasant with its beautiful beach.  Highly recommend a boat trip at Biscayne Bay.

My favorite picture:

This is a small water run off that we spotted on the side of the old logging road we took to the Mingo Falls trail.  It has no name, it reminds me to look around, you never know what will reveal itself.  I love the dark forest colors against the raging white waters.

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