The most expensive bushel of apples ever (Atlanta trip in one day) Oct 30-31, 2010

So Friday morning hubby called me with my wake up call and since we didn't have plans that weekend (it was supposed to be our first quiet weekend for months) we should take a little drive as we had said we wanted to let the kids see the leaves change... We seriously can't stay at the house and do nothing (ever!). We had 2 extra kids spending the night Friday night after the fall festival at Glencoe Baptist, and we had already promised the parent of one, as she had made plans, so we were still on. But they had to pick up their children at 7am Saturday morning :) They loved that one. We packed up the little car and headed North for a road trip to Atlanta in a Nissan Versa with a broken AC. How fun!!!

Since my parents were visiting my sister anyway, we would stay at the same hotel in Kennessaw to get some family time with my sister, brother in law and my precious niece. We got up there at 3pm, checked in and immediately headed to the mountains (an hour away) to go to a U-Pick apple orchard my sister had heard about. They closed at 5:30, so we had to book it! It was a blast.

They had all sorts of activities for the kids at the orchard/park. Pig racing, non electric go carts, a Hay ride, slides, tractors to climb on, lots of fun for kids that had been in a car for 9 hours that day!! We ended up with a half a bushel of apples for a discount price of $12.00 (plus gas, hotel, meals on the road $250) for a total of $262 for a 1/2 bushel of the freshest apples ever!!! After breakfast, and a quick visit with my sister, we hit the road, so we could be home by 7pm to start the week ahead of us activities..... Plus get in a little trick or treating...

Anastasia State Park, St Augustine, FL 11/5-11/7/10, site 53

Absolutely beautiful state park on the Ocean. We got here after dark, so that was challenge #1, but hubby did a great job backing into the pitch black, heavily wooded, branch lined site

 :) It was about 50 degrees outside, while I tried helping steer him in the right direction, with the flashlight on my EVO phone, but was pretty much not so helpful... 

Got up in the morning to check in, as the office was closed Friday night, and too a drive around the 120 site park. It is set up very nicely and is very quiet, wooded, and nature trail filled. We got on the bikes and ventured through one of the trails. This took us to the back entrance of the St. Augustine Amphitheatre, while the kids got a lesson on how it was designed and how no microphones were needed. They put this to the test :) As did my 5th child :)

We strolled through the farmers marked, which was at the amphitheatre.

In the afternoon, we took a drive to downtown St. Augustine, to look at the fort and walked around the shops to end up with Kilwin's icecream!!! Highlight of the day :)

Another highlight was the kids enjoying rolling down the hill :)

There was some sort of pirate event in town, as there were costumed actors coming up and down the bridge while we waited for the drawbridge.  It was movie night Saturday night as again it was downright cold for Florida. We had hot cocoa by the fire, while they watched Huck Finn, and then called a night as we had a busy day ahead. After a ride to the beach (how awesome is camping on the ocean), we strolled to collect sea shells.

The commute on the way home, was challenge number #2 as the wind was over 40 miles an hour, while hubby navigated to not go off the road with a 34 foot trailer tailing behind the Armada. Another great camping adventure :) Worth the wait of the campsite for nearly 3 months!!! I would book it again. http://www.reserveamerica.com/

Turkey Lake Park, Orlando, FL October 1-3, Site 11

Must do park for families. This is Hubby's now all time favorite park due to the amazing fishing lake and super cheap boat rentals. He had a nice Morning out on Saturday from 7-11am for a $20 boat rental charge. Mom caught up on a book my sister lent me (Steven Curtis Chapman's wife's) while the kids played all morning at the awesome playground!

 This was a must go to park if you have an adventurous bone. Great full hook up sites and a cozy little park, where the kids rode their bikes for hours!

And they have a pool, to combat the Florida heat... This park had it all. It was in the center of Orlando, but it was a little piece of solitude hiding away. Did I mention that they also had a petting zoo!

This park had it all, and will definitely be a go back to park once we finish our goal to see all the Florida state parks.

Rock Springs, Kelly Park Apopka FL 9/24-9/25/10 Site 11

Black Bear in our campsite. Really, I am not kidding.

The boys were back at the springs tubing, and Janie and I rode our bikes back to the site to get a few things, and low and behold there was a black bear that everyone was filming playing with the yard toys in our fenced in area. How cool is that! This site was amazing and we will definitely come back.

Only mention is that the water for the hookup was on the wrong side, so we woke up Saturday morning to a puddle in our room. But my awesome Mr Fixit, had it dry and working before breakfast!!!!!To find a link to the site: Kelly Park Reservations - You have to call!

Lake in the Forest, Oklawaha (Ocala), FL Site 39 ~ 9/03/10-9/06/10

This was our first 3 Night ~ Holiday Camping Trip. We got there Friday night after they closed at 5:30, but the owner stayed late for our arrival, around 7:30pm. Great family owned and managed campground. We settled in fairly quickly, for a really unleveled site. It was a challenge to assist with directing Neil on pulling through and backing up and so forth and so on, onto itty bitty wood planks to "level" the site. The wood pieces were a bit too thin for my liking, or for the trailer's desire as they would not stay put on these pieces, but he prevailed, as always... and did the best he could to level out the camper for the next few nights. It is always a bit tense, while the kids have got to sit tight until we get set up, but then they were off. They went out in teams to explore, but in site of parents while we I got dinner ready. After a quick dinner and setting up the chairs and mat outside, we got to relax for a bit before we started the bedtime camping routine :) But before that, we went on a family bike ride. It was tough, as Owen had on his training wheels which don't mix well with the soft sand. We brought all the bikes for the first time (carting them in the camper) and took full advantage of our new mobility. We found a few trails, especially the one that leads to the dock.

Morning started early, as the boys were anxious to get a chance on the dirt trails on their bikes. . While I was working on the inside cooking, Neil was out cooking on the outside griddle, all while helping my youngest get his training wheels off(as I was unaware). When I came out to call them all to breakfast ~ he was officially was a true bike rider (amazing quick learner, all of 20 minutes) We had been trying this for about 6 months, so this was a HUGE accomplishment. Once he learned ~ he was off all weekend, trying to jump trails with his older brothers!!

Our daughter got to head to the rec room for the first of the scheduled crafts ~ a glass picture frame ~ that she got to create and design! This campground was cool for this, as they had fun crafts lined up all weekend for the kids, which there were alot of at the campground. After she was done, we headed to the pool for a few hours of relaxation and a little sun before the sprinkles started. Saturday night, our little singer loved the fact that they had a band there and 8000 songs to choose from for Karaoke. If anyone knows her, knows she loves the spotlight. She was one of the first to sign up, and did so 6 times. She sang Miley Cyrus, Hannah, Carrie Underwood, and was disapointed that they didn't have any Zradio artists (Christian Contemporary) She did an awesome job, and loved getting to watch the videos that we got of her singing. The youngest got to go up on stage on the last song :)  

The next day, more swiming, bike riding, exploring, fishing, gator watching but most of all llama and goat walking. Yes they had a small petting zoo to feed, walk, and pet the animals :)

I told you they were kid friendly...

REVIEW: Nice family friends campground, with 40 sites and 8 or so cabins. Lake front access with canoe/kayak rentals, heated pool, full hook ups, kids activities, rec hall, and lots of room to play. The kids loved the group campfire along with karaoke and dancing Saturday night and the chance to meet lots of other kids!!! The site that we had was the only pull through that they had (or could tell) but it was very unlevel. Great and complete shade and pretty much on it's own. Some of the other sites were fairly close to one another, but all sites looked pretty nice. Will come back to same site with the leveling blocks next time!

Blue Springs State Park, Orange City FL 8/19-8/21/201

We stayed at this park on a Friday after work until Sunday morning. It was such an easy park to get to on 1/2 a tank of gas and less than an hour away. We got there before 6pm, and were set up in about 1/2 an hour. After we filled our bellies with a quick dinner brought from home, we ventured out before it became too dark to see. We went on a trail to see the springs, as this is always the highlight of our summer camping trips The problem was that we didn't make it before it became way too dark. It is a fairly good walk to the swimming area, far enough away, that the next two trips to the springs ~ we drove :) On our way back to the campsite - we got offered a ride in the back of a pick up truck by fellow campers, and jumped on the opportunity for the "How much further questions?? and "our there bears out right here" to end.  Once back, kids were showered , movie time then bedtime for the little campers. We relaxed a little outside until the bugs took over our little nook underneath the awning. 

REVIEW OF THE CAMPGROUND: This park and sites are very private. The other state parks that we have visited over the summer, typically have large fields around us, so the kids make friends quickly with their camp mates as well as have a place to burn off energy.  These sites were covered with trees on all three sides, but you could see your neighbors through the brush. This was the biggest downfall of the campground. Due to the trees, we couldn't get very good reception to the antenna. Also, this site was a bit further from the bath houses than I would have liked for the kids, but it was the last site available to book online 2 weeks prior, so we had little choice. They were clean, didn't use the showers, but they were adequate. There is no sewer hookup - but a dump station that we had to navigate back into the campground to get to before exiting.  We would come back here again, mainly due to the water activities as well as the proximity to our house. It is not my favorite location so far, but after we try the other FL State Parks next summer, we will probably visit again.

The old Mansion (kids on porch)

We spent Saturday morning at the Springs ( the extremely cold springs) swimming, reading, walking to the old mansion,fish finding, and spotting the one lone manatee. It is a beautiful spring, but there is no area to stay around the spring to read/relax etc, unless you are going to be going in. You can't set up your chairs nearby. When the littlest was tired of swimming ~ we hoofed it back up to our stuffy, which was in a grassy field until the others were through. This is quite boring for a 5 year old.  He did manage to wander over to the shower a few times to "cool off". We made it back to the camper, just before it started to rain heavily. We spent some nice time together, while the youngest napped, and all us curled up to watch a DVD and read. 

After the rain slowed down, it was dinner time, and we chose to go to CiCi's down the road, which is a special treat to our kids. After we got back, we headed to the playground area ( had to drive to this one) Didn't want to get picked up hitch hiking again in the dark. Dad got a little fishing in, while Mom watched about a dozen gators all around the opening of the Spring. Due to this fact, mom's irrational fear stopped the ability of the kids to hit the springs the next day. Instead, we went for a walk and a drive around the campground before loading up to head home. It was so close, that we were home before lunch time, and had plenty of time to wash the piled up camping laundry LOL :)
To Visit this Park: http://www.reserveamerica.com/

Salt Springs Recreation Area 7.29-8.01.10 Site 27

Ok, so this trip included 7 of us. As 6 wasn't enough, we invited a friend for our daughter, so she wouldn't be the only girl again :) So off we went, after work on Friday, on the journey off I-40 towards Ocala. After a trip to McDonalds for Happy Meals for the kids, the drive was about an hour and a half. After backing into the easy paved site, the kids explored in the big open fields all around the site. The bathroom was very convenient to this site, which is always a plus.  After spending about an hour getting set up, we heading to get cooled down at the springs. We opted to drive, as we were too tired to walk :)  The springs were freezing, ut quite refreshing in the 100 degree weather. After a while, we heard the hungry kid whine starting, so back to the site to start our hot dog meal :O)  The rain, of course, joined up on this trip as well...so a DVD was in order before bed.  The girls got to sleep on the dining room table bed, and fell asleep after DS chatting :)

In the morning, quiet time ended at 8am... we were off for an adventure hike. And boy, was this an adventure. Through the woods, and hundreds of spider webs to navigate around, we finally made it through Bear Swamp trail. (about an hour hike - but to the kids, it was all morning long, and they were parched :) So off to the springs we went to cool down before lunch. Grilled cheese and apples was the lunch menu and then stayed at the site with squirt guns, while the littlest napped and Mom and Dad got to read a book :) 

The night activity was a fashion show. This entailed the kids getting a stack of newspaper each, along with tape and scissors (which one pair between the 5 of them was NOT enough!!!) and had to design something to wear that was age/sex appropriate. Karate gear for the boys, and fashion for the ladies...

After dinner was a marshmallow roast. In the morning, we headed back to the springs for our last swim where Dad lost his diving mask... After lunch, we were packed up and heading out before the 1pm checkout (with 5 miutes to spare) We didn't get a chance to stop at the gift store, as the kids had pleaded for us too, so they were treated to a ice cream sundae from Mickey D's before taking our guest back home!!! All in all, a great campground, with awesome sites, and a great swimming area for the kids!!! This will be a regular stop for our family in the months ahead!

Hillsborough River State Park

HILLSBOROUGH RIVERS STATE PARK

Ok, so this was our first "real" camping trip, that was a greater distance than 2 miles from the house and great than 1 night :) The crew picked me up from work on Friday, so around 1:30PM and got there around 4pm to site number 41. We were expecting a pull through site, but it was not, as it was a back in (in the rain) blocking traffic, while others had to patiently wait for us to get unhooked. The stress of helping get this monster backed in takes it's toll on both parties involved :) But we made it, Neil did an awesome job navigating it in, and then about 30 minutes later, we were set up, and under the awning in the rain. Starting the weekend off with, "No shoes in the camper, step on the carpet before going in, making sure your feet are dried of, etc...." We ventured out a bit before it got dark, to a trail by the water. Not sure where it would lead us, but in a big circle. We called it a night, as it was starting to sprinkle again, and started dinner, showers, and then a movie for the kids, while mom and dad relaxed outside...
Saturday
The next morning we hit the pool, after Neil and the boys tried their hand at fishing first thing in the morning. We met them out with some coffee and honey buns, to see a baby gator hanging around. The pool opened at 9am, and were the first ones in the gate to make sure we got a lounge chair. It is a nice older pool, but very big for the kids to play in... Love trying to keep a cast out of the water and dry!

Came back for lunch and a trip to Wal Mart to get the things we "forgot" and came back to Uncle David and Grandma Cindy and David joining us for the evening and dinner. Once they came, we were on the run. Uncle David brought the kids water guns, so that entertained them for about an hour, while Grandma and Mom went for a quick hike. Came back and got the crew and went for a longer one. There are lots of great trails for hiking at this park, along with a country store that serves breakfast and lunch. After the hike, we came back and started grilling, and after dinner under the awning ~it started to storm. Neil was working on getting a fire started to roast marshmallows to us quickly getting the shoes off the ground as they were floating away in the flood :) Once in the camper, lightening was striking and thunder was loud all around us. We felt for the tent campers near by :(
The next morning the whole crew slept till almost 9am!!!! I am liking this kind of camping :)

Sunday
After a few hours at the pool, and lunch we packed up our home away from home pretty quickly and hit the road. On I-4, about 20 miles in, we had to pull over as one of the kids, our invisible one named "Nobody" must have opened the fire exit window in our bedroom, as Neil had to fix it before we could finish our journey home, while stepping in a bed of fire ants.... When we got home, we booked our next adventure - to Salt Springs for next weekend :) So look for more camping adventures!!!