Labor Day 2016 - Highland Hammocks State Park - Fruit Salad edition.

About 2 weeks ago I looked for a campsite for Sat and Sun nights as both the girls had Sat morn activities.  I was able to book one of the last three spots into Highland Hammocks State Park in Sebring, FL.  I have been several times before, however, as a tent camper on the primitive loop.


Saturady morning's sailing lessons should have been the warning, but the radar looked great when we left....

On the drive up, the rain was all close to home and the skies cleared and it was really sunny.  Took about 2:30 to run up to Sebring.  We arrived around 5 PM and headed to our campsite.   Wow, there are alot of trees on this site.  I had to ponder the situation for a minute, then I had a plan.  I showed my plan to Lucy and told her to watch the trees on the starboard side.   Considering I park the coach with about a foot on either side at home, I didn't think it would be too bad, but wasn't sure how far apart the trees were.

I got it backed in, but then the fire ring was right next to the coach, so I had to go even further back.

Now, the big tree was really close to the door, but there was enough room to open it and get in and out..

The site (#70 btw) was very shady and damp.  We got everything hooked up and the bikes off and took a ride around the campground.   We didn't get very far as while I was taking a pic of this cute little trailer the owner emerged.

We start talking and find out it's a 1969 Boler.   She said they made about 10K of them and mostly Canadian built.  She calls it the Mango due to the color and shape.  Our coach was just down the way and we pointed it out.  About then her friend arrived (they have a Coleman Pop Up) and we all chatted and then showed off our coach as they were curious.  Soon after our daughter took off with their kids and we wound up checking out their Pop Up, having some drinks and discussion.

We returned to our coach to cook Chicken Fajitas for dinner and to try out the new salt and pepper shakers that look like air hockey paddles (and came with a puck).

We ended up back over at our new friend's campsite for a fire and conversation.  I brought some logs over with me, but we never really got to them as the rain closed in on us.

The funny part was we were in a hole in the middle with lightning off in the distance for quite awhile.  I kept checking the radar and finally said that it was on us and any moment it would probably start.  Not a second later the first drop hit my leg and within 10 seconds it was pouring!  We ran to our coach with our chairs and left our daughter behind (she was inside playing Uno).  It only lasted 10 or 15 minutes and then we collected her for the night....

Day 2 was a late start with breakfast and we finally got rolling around noon...  We did a bike ride around the loop and walked on a few of the trails.

All these were on the Cypress Swamp trail that was built by the CCC in 1933!  You can see the catwalk part which is what I imagine the whole trail was in the beginning...  Pretty neat.  We could hear gators, but didn't see any.


The next trail was the Ancient Hammock (I think).  Lots of ferns and  what not.  Lucy's phone was left behind, so she asked me to take lots of fungi photos...enjoy

 Butterfly of unknown species

 I didn't even see the slug on the log when I took the photo!

 Closeup of the photo two above.  These were soft and velvety...

After the trails, we checked out the CCC Museum (sorry no pics) and then headed back to the campground.   Our daughter was entertained by playing cornhole with her new friends..

Lucy also called our coach the Pineapple in passing.  I latched on to it immediately!  We have been trying to name the coach for the past year but nothing had stuck so far.  We both liked it and our daughter said it was a cool name, so thanks to meeting Laura and her Mango, we got to name our coach.

Sunday night, we cooked dinner over the fire pit in the site pictured above and when the rain came again (harder and longer than the night before) we all sat under the screen tent trying not to get all wet.  This time the fire didn't pull through the dousing and we called it a night.

Monday, Labor day, we slept in a bit, then ate breakfast and went back to the museum to watch a video as the line to get out of the park was blocked by all the RVs waiting to dump their sewage.  I passed on that and dumped it when we got home.

On the way home we hit more rain and in the GMC the wiper motor is powered by the power steering pump (crazy right?).   Anyway about 60-70 miles from home we hit Indiantown and slowed for the 35mph zone.  I heard a new whine that didn't sound good.   I'm pretty sure the wiper use caused an issue and I'm hearing the PS pump running with no fluid in it.   About to go out and check on it now...