Clerbrook Golf & RV Resort, Clermont, FL:  Another beautiful day.  We decided to check out Weeki Wachee SP.  This is an old venue, started around 60 years ago.  The big attraction for locals is the water park.  However, you swim in the spring, which is only 72 degrees.  We were here for the mermaid show which is performed in the spring and is viewed in an underwater theater.  These girls swim down there with all the fish and turtles.  And it’s only 72 degrees!  The mermaids go through pretty rigorous training and have to be able to hold their breath for 2 minutes.  They use no weights and control their ascent and descent through taking in air and expelling air.  After the first show we went on a boat ride down the Weeki Wachee river which was very pretty, the water crystal clear with a pristine white sand bottom.  We plan to go back and canoe this beautiful stream.  We saw a great blue heron in her nest, a family of eagles, and an immature great blue heron which are white.  Never knew that.  After the second mermaid show we drove back, stopping for dinner in Clermont.  93 today.

Being lowered on a boat anchor.  This spring is crystal clear, deep, and beautiful.

Look at all the turtles.

On the Weeki Wachee River.  Stream is more like it.

Cypress tree in the middle of the stream.

Great blue heron in her nest.

Family of eagles.  Middle one is the eaglet in the nest.

Peacock hanging around the grounds.

Sebastian Inlet SP to Clerbrook Golf & RV Resort, Clermont, FL:  Left this morning at around 10:00.  My turn to drive.  Headed north on A1A and then west on 192 which is a four-lane, limited-access highway.  Once we got beyond Melbourne and West Melbourne it was free sailing through a landscape reminiscent of old Florida. In Kissimmee we took the Florida turnpike all the way to Clermont.  Arrived at the park and I figured since I was driving I’d try backing into the site.  Well that was a mistake.  We use walkie-talkies and I usually give directions and Mike backs into the site.  We finally made it in.  It’s an easy site to get into, but we were just all screwed up.  Felt a lot better after a guy backing a huge motor home into the loop behind us got stuck in the sand—up to his axles.  A whole crew of maintenance guys showed up and dug a trench from the back axles out, put in boards, and finally they were able to drive the thing out. We were set up by 1:30 and then we headed to the laundry facility in the park and got the laundry out of the way.  Had dinner at Ay Jalisco.  88 today. 

A lot of sandhill cranes in the park.  They're so pretty.

Sebastian Inlet SP, 12 miles north of Vero Beach:  Cloudy and very windy this morning.  Mike was outside reading, but the sharp wind drove him back inside.  Cleared off by 11:00, but still windy and pretty choppy out in the channel.  A lot of dolphins out there.  Got caught up on some computer stuff this morning.  Mike finally put the awning up because the wind was really buffeting it around.  Just off shore are a couple of sand bars which is a great place to park your boat and hang out.  There was a guy out there wind surfing and some people out there on the sand bar with their dogs.  A nice day but really windy.  Left at 5:00 to meet Jack and Karen for dinner.  Dinner was okay, but lousy service.

Jack & Karen

Sebastian Inlet SP, 12 miles north of Vero Beach:  This morning was shrouded in a damp fog.  I thought it was raining at first--everything was so wet.  But it was just fog.  By 10:00 it had burned off.  Went over to Jack and Karen’s this afternoon and they took us out on their boat for a couple of hours.  Jack even let me drive for a while.  Their house is right on a canal so the boat is moored right in their back yard.  Saw a lot of dolphins. After our cruise, Karen made a wonderful dinner of steaks with crushed peppercorns and topped with a wonderful sauce, Caesar salad, and for dessert brownies with strawberries and whipped cream. Our soirée with Carolyn and her family last night was great fun.  Drank too much and talked too much.  Planning on meeting them again next year. 

The group

Carolyn and me

Capt. Jack up in the flying bridge

Jonathan Dickinson SP, Jupiter, FL, to Sebastian Inlet SP, 12 miles north of Vero Beach:  Left Jonathan Dickinson this morning at 11:00.  I hooked up and Mike drove, heading north on Hwy. 1.  Just north of Ft. Pierce we turned onto A1A which is a beautiful drive up these pretty barrier islands with beautiful ocean vistas.  Lots of beautiful homes, golf courses, and beaches.  Arrived at Sebastian Inlet at 1:00 and were set up by 1:30.  The loop we’re in isn’t as nice as where we’ve been before in here, but we have a nice view of the intracoastal.  Had some lunch and relaxed a little before meeting Carolyn, our Canadian friend, and her daughter, sister, and brother-in-law at Capt. Hiram’s.  We’ll be dining al fresco right on the water.  Low 80s today.

Nice view of the intracoastal

Cardinals Baseball

Jonathan Dickinson SP, Jupiter, FL:  Rained a little last night but the sky cleared by morning.  We headed over to Roger Dean Stadium for a spring training baseball game between the Cardinals and the Nationals.  A pretty little stadium and a beautiful day for a ball game.  We were going to have dinner after the game at Muggs which is across the street from the stadium, but after a hot dog, brat, peanuts, and ice cream, we were quite full.  We left at the top of the eighth with the Cardinals behind 7-2 (sigh).  Leaving tomorrow for Sebastian Inlet which is just up the coast.  Low 80s today.

Roger Dean Stadium--Jupiter, FL

Carpenter pitching

Pujols at bat--he flied out

Our pitcher hit one of their players and it brought all of them on the field ready to rumble.  What a bunch of overpaid prima donnas!  All that testosterone I guess.

Yeah, right!  Like baseballs coming at you at about 100 mph!

Jonathan Dickinson SP, Jupiter, FL:  This morning dawned bright and sunny.  Late morning we decided to go for a bike ride.  Got my biking shorts and a tube top on and were ready to get the bikes ready and this blustery, keening wind came up out of nowhere.  Windy, and now with nasty looking clouds blowing in, we decided to nix the bike ride.  Changed out of my biking clothes.  Spent the rest of the day relaxing and reading.  It did clear off, but by then we weren’t in the mood for a bike ride.  Had a light lunch and left-overs for dinner.  We were kind of disappointed in the “super moon” last night.  We should have headed to a tiki bar on the water last night.  And we couldn’t get a decent picture without a tripod.  Low 80s today.

Beach on Jupiter Island