This country is huge and there is so much we want to see that we don’t often retrace our steps or go back to places we’ve been, but we did just that on this trip through Florida. Stephen Foster Cultural Center and State Park is one place we’ll be happy to return to again and again. There on the banks of the Ol’ Suwanee River we know we are going to love our campsite and have a whole beautiful park to enjoy. And we were there at the perfect time of year – the Festival of Lights.
Our first day of walking around the park, we saw many of the light displays just being constructed, and then on our last day all the displays were up and lit – Charlie Brown, Dr. Seuss, alligators, trains, boats, snow people and reindeer all come to life and light every night of the holiday season.
Our last night at Stephen Foster was the debut night of the Festival of Lights – a special evening planned for the local sponsors… and lucky us. The lights are not spectacular. They are simple and nice – in perfect harmony with the folklore of the area and the simple renditions of Christmas Carols and Foster songs ringing from the carillon bell tower. Just a sweet way to start our holidays.
Carillion Tower all decorated
Once again, we said a reluctant good-bye to Stephen Foster State Park – grateful for a nice five night visit with just a little rain.
Next stop – Orlando Thousand Trails RV Park. We had a whole week at this park – also a return trip for us. It is a great place to enjoy the many tortoises wandering out of their burrows, the lovely graceful egrets and cranes, the great laundry facilities and easy access to shopping.
I started my holiday biscotti baking just in time to give some away to the friends we encountered in this area of Florida. Just by coincidence, our friends Crystal and Jase from Tucson happened to be at a conference nearby, so we met them for dinner at Fresco Italiano Cucina for a great dinner and conversation. The next day we had lunch with Lynn, a volunteer friend from Kartchner Caverns. We had a long pleasant lunch at Anise in Tampa. It was too cold and windy to do much exploration of Tampa but it was wonderful to catch up with Lynn.
Tampa River Walk – it was breezy and cold!
We made a one-night stop at John Dickinson State Park, which is a really nice park we hope to visit again. We had just enough time there to make more biscotti.
Then we arrived at our next volunteer job at Oleta River State Park on Friday, December 7th. We fought our way through heavy crazy traffic in the North Miami Beach area and then pulled into the park entrance. Only a short ride into the park and we were in a quiet tropical jungle. Palm trees and thick foliage in a protected mangrove forest. Quite a difference from the towering high rises and crowded roads we had passed.
Our site at Oleta River State Park
As we waited for the Assistant Park Manager to escort us to the site we would be living in for the next three months, a beautiful huge green iguana proudly walked across the dirt road next to us. It was a special moment for us. My brother Mike, who had lived for many years in Miami, had raised his prize iguana, Spike, here. Mike and Spike have passed now but I’m sure that the iguana in the park was a greeting from Mike and Spike – “Welcome to Miami!”
One of the park’s many iguanas
It’s beautiful there! You sound like you’re having a lot of fun. We’ve had some cold weather here at Kartchner, but it’s a fun group. Take care and we’ll see you next winter.