Tue, Nov 21:  Lake Pan RV Park, Lake Pan, FL, to KOA, Okeechobee, FL:  Left at 9:00 this morning, hoping to beat the rain.  Took 470 East and got on Florida’s Turnpike.  Stopped at the first service center and Mike took over driving.  Ran into rain at Orlando and it just got worse and worse.  Turned into a deluge but it cleared off once we got to Okeechobee.  Arrived here at 12:30 and were set up by 1:30.  This is a big resort, with its own 9-hole golf course.  Sat outside and read for a while and then I went for a walk to check out The Shanty, their pub.  I got a cocktail and sat on the deck for a while.  Mike showed up a little while after.  They have a little lunch café here with a pretty diverse menu.  Also checked out the laundry facility and then walked back to our site.  We are within walking distance to everything.  Nice.  Hopefully we’ll be warmer here at night and we can put the quilt away.  Upper 70s today.  Left-over goulash tonight.  HBM!

Our site.

Mon, Nov 20:  Lake Pan RV Park, Lake Pan, FL:  A nice day today.  Took a drive into the little town of Lake Panasofkee—key word, little.  Really pretty though—heavily wooded with Spanish moss covering everything.  While I was fixing dinner Mike spotted a turtle mogging down the road in here.  We went over and moved him into the grass.  Made goulash for dinner—my version of it anyway.  Played rummy for a while.  We leave for Lake Okeechobee tomorrow.  Of course it’s supposed to rain (sigh).  Mid-70s today.

Our turtle interloper.

Sun, Nov 19:  Lake Pan RV Park, Lake Pan, FL:  Started out sunny this morning, but clouded up quickly and started raining.  We met my sister, Sandy, and her husband, Dan, at the Cracker Barrel in Brooksville, FL.  We had a pretty short drive; there drive much longer.  We headed out in a downpour.  But by the time we got there it had stopped and tried to clear off.  Had a nice lunch.  They surprised us with a decorative light that Dan made out of a wine bottle filled with little white lights.  So cute!  Back to our park and by now it had cleared off and got really warm and humid.  Not for long though because it’s supposed to be really cold tonight—low 40s.  

Our lighted wine bottle from Sandy and Dan.  So cute!

Fri, Nov 17:  Lake Pan RV Park, Lake Pan, FL:  Back to The Villages this afternoon—Mike to pick up his script and me to get my hair cut.  After that we went to the Cody Road House for dinner.  You gotta hand it to the village people.  They know how to have a good time.  We drove through some of the subdivisions.  They have everything right here—cinemas, shops, and restaurants.  And we could actually smoke at the Road House.  They have a big screened-in room with live entertainment.  After a nice dinner we headed back home. 

This entrance to The Villages depicts the crackers herding cattle back in the day.

They called them "crackers" because of the noise their whips made as they cracked them over the heads of the cattle.

Thu, Nov 16:  Lake Pan RV Park, Lake Pan, Fl:  After all the ramming around we did yesterday, we decided to just kick back today.  Besides, I missed the line dancing and the knitting club which both happened last week.  We’ve both been reading the Ken Follet Century Trilogy.  I finished book 1, which Mike is reading now, and am halfway through book 2.  Three tomes which are really hard to put down.  Figured it would take all winter to read, but I’ll probably finish them before we get to the Keys.  They have all kinds of activities here—poker night, knit wits, line dancing, yahtzee, dominoes, book club, fitness walks, cooking class and on and on.  They put out a calendar every month.  They have a dinner once a month which we’re going to on Saturday.  You pay $8 and don’t have to bring a dish.  Love it!  They also put on a full breakfast every Saturday.  Good place to winter.  Mid-70s today.

Key West Harbor

Wed, Nov 15:  Lake Pan RV Park, Wildwood, FL:  Did the laundry this morning in the park’s immaculate laundry room.  Got that all folded and put away and went in search of a grocery store and a Walgreens.  Found both in The Villages.  So, Mike was able to drop off his script and we got the grocery shopping done.  All the people in The Villages use their golf carts for everything.  The grocery store parking lot was full of them.  Back to our site and put everything away and crashed.  Mid-70s here today, but breezy which makes it seem cooler.  Nights are very cool. 

Everglades National Park

Tue, Nov 14:  Tallahassee East RV Park, Monticello, FL, to Lake Panasoffkee RV Park, Wildwood, FL:  An uneventful and easy drive today.  We left at 9:30 this morning, stopped at Chiefland, FL, for lunch, and arrived here at 1:30.  We’ve never stayed at this park before and were a little leery about it.  But it’s a really nice park—very clean, organized and with really nice facilities.  After setting up we walked down to the lake.  Well, it’s a little slough off the lake, but a short boat ride to the main lake.  Stopped at the office on our way back and signed up for the Italian dinner on Saturday.  Ziti and meat balls.  They have a really nice rec center.  A lot of park models in here—older but really neat and well maintained.  We’ll be here for a week and will definitely be back.  

Sunrise on our site at Lazy Lakes last year.  Wonder what it looks like now?  We'll see in December.