Celebrating Life Daily: OUr 1st Full Day at Myakka State Park

Thursday, October 23, 2014

OUr 1st Full Day at Myakka State Park

Ken and I got up at 7:30 and we got ready for the day. We made breakfast and then went to Chuck and Melissa's campsite at 9 so we could eat together. After breakfast and clean-up, we started talking with the folks camping next to us in what I thought was an Airstream. It was actually a vintage 1947 Spartan. The company was owned by John Paul Getty and he marketed them as mobile homes, not RV's, for he knew people could buy them through the GI Bill. It looks like an Airstream and was built by an airline company. It was used to store hay when they bought it, so they totally rebuilt the inside, adding a bathroom. They took us inside for a tour and the amazing part is that it is only about 22 feet and they have lived in it full-time for the last 5 years. Before that they lived for 10 years on a schooner boat they had built. For those 10 years they only had an ice chest, so the small under the cabinet refrigerator is quite an upgrade for them. Different strokes for different folks!!!!! After that visit, we sat outside at Chuck and Melissa's just chatting and drinking coffee and chai! It was a nice, relaxing time!

This vintage Spartan looked brand new - so shiny!

Around 11, we got on our bikes and headed to the Visitors Center to check out their bird and animal displays and to see a video about the park. Unfortunately, the video was not working. So we talked to a ranger to get some ideas of what trails to hike and bike ride. The beginning of October they had a tremendous amount of rain at this park, and it was closed for 2 weeks. A lot of the park is still covered with standing water, so many of the trails are not passable for hiking!

We went back to our rigs to have lunch (by then it was 12:45) and then back on our bikes to check out the park. We enjoyed hiking part of the Canopy Trail that leads to a 7 story wooden tower that gives you a great view of the park. There are 2 towers connected by a swinging bridge - a tremendous building feat for the area. Then we rode to an area where the folks next to us had seen a mother gator with babies. We found the mother but just couldn't spot her babies. Then on to the concession area for an ice cream treat. We were back to our campsites by 5:00 and we started prepping for dinner. We each made our own meats and salads, but Ken grilled potatoes for all of us. We ate together outside of Waldo. More chatting and then at 7:45 we went to their Motorhome to play cards and games.