Florida Campgrounds, Three Highly-Rated Parks

Florida Campgrounds, Three Different Types

Florida campgrounds are incredible, especially in the spring before it gets too hot.  Our trip began with in Jacksonville at Hanna Park Campground, which is a city park.  Second was Salt Springs Recreation Area, which is a federal park and Hillsborough River State Park was last on our journey .   Campers have rated all three of these Florida campgrounds highly and we found all to be uniquely beautiful.  Each also offered very different ways for us to experience the surrounding area.

Hanna Park Campground

Hanna Park was one of the most beautiful Florida campgrounds we have visited.  For all that the park offers, its nightly fee of $30 for full hookups was a bargain!

Enormous Live Oak trees enshrouded in Spanish Moss were everywhere.  It is described on the website as a “coastal hammock” that is increasingly rare on the Atlantic coast.  I felt we were in a tropical paradise while there.

Hanna Park Coastal Hammock
Hanna Park Coastal Hammock

We camped in site # 17 and loved it.  The sites are fairly large and offer a degree of privacy.

Florida Campgrounds Hanna Park
Site # 17 Hanna Park Campground

The park is in Jacksonville, with all its attractions available to campers.  This trip originated for us because of a desire to attend a concert at the Florida Theater and Hanna Park was a perfect home base.  We were camping with friends who also attended the concert.  It was a great evening!  My only complaint is that the music was unnecessarily loud.

A Night of Queen
A Night of Queen

The campground includes a very large private beach right on the Atlantic.  It was a reasonable walk from our campsite.  We only walked on the beach, because it was too cool for us to get in the water.  It was not the least bit crowded.

Beach access at Hanna Park
Beach Access at Hanna Park

Hanna Park had amenities that we did not have an opportunity to use.  Bikes are available for rent and there are 15 miles of bicycle trails.  There is also a freshwater lake.

Since we were camping with friends, we cooked in for most meals and played games (Mexican Train, Hand and Foot, Uno).  We had a fabulous time.

The Negative

This Florida campground is amazing!  It would be perfect except for the lack of cleanliness in the bathhouse.  They were not the worst we have ever seen, but they certainly were a sharp contrast to the quality of everything else in the park.  In fact, I used the shower in our T@B 400 while at Hanna because of this.   As former T@G owners, we did not have that option nor did we have a toilet.  It would have been a bigger issue with our previous camper.

Salt Springs Recreation Area

Salt Springs is in the heart of the Ocala Forest.  The campground and facilities were immaculate and offered full hookups.  Because we have a small grey water tank, this was very nice.  With our Senior Pass, the nightly rate was only $23. 18, another bargain in Florida campgrounds.  It was easier to keep our camper floor clean at Salt Springs because the site had asphalt.  The campground also offers WiFi, though we were told it was sporadic.  We happened to be near an access point and it wasn’t bad.

Salt Springs Site 17
Salt Springs Site # 17

Our site had shade for part of the day, but when it did not, it was quite hot.  We moved our rug and chairs around a lot to avoid direct sunlight.

The Springs were the main attraction and we really enjoyed them.  We got into the water on two of our three days there.  It gets its name from the potassium, magnesium and sodium salts in the water, which is a constant 74 degrees.    The Springs provide a very clear, shallow pool that ranges from approximately 2 to 5 feet deep.

Salt Springs
Salt Springs
Salt Springs Florida Campgrounds
Chilling at the Springs

We also hiked the 1.5 mile Bear Swamp Trail, which was a treat for me because my husband’s knee replacement now allows him to be more active.  It was an easy, shaded path with beautiful vegetation.

Bear Swamp Trail

Our friends were with us at this campground too and we enjoyed cooking in and more games.    We had lunch and one breakfast at a nearby restaurant, but the meals at the campground were much better.

The Negative

If there is a negative at this campground, for me, it would be that there is nothing of interest outside the campground.  For some, this may be a big plus.  We loved the Springs and time spent with our friends, but by ourselves we would miss nearby things to do after a couple of days.

Hillsborough River State Park

The third of our Florida Campgrounds was actually a repeat.   We stayed at Hillsborough River in the fall of 2017.  This is a link to our earlier post.  Our son and his girlfriend are in Tampa, so we stay at this park when camping and visiting them.  We had Site  # 84, but it was quite sunny when we arrived, so we requested a change to 101.  The site was quite large and shady.  Sadly, no sewer though.   It was a bargain as well at a nightly rate of $29.50.

Florida Campgrounds Hillsborough River State Park
Site # 101

The park has several hiking trails.  We walked the Rapids Nature Trail, which runs alongside the river.  It was an easy, shaded walk with magnificent views of the river.   I so loved the “Prayer of the Woods” at the beginning of the trail in the photo below!

Florida Campgrounds Hillsborough River Prayer of the Woods
Prayer of the Woods
Hillsborough River

When we were at the campground before, the pool was closed.  This time, it was open and we loved it!  It was huge and a perfect temperature and not a bit crowded, though that will probably change once school is out for the summer.

Enormous Hillsborough River State Park Pool
The Negative

Hillsborough River State Park is wonderful, but we had terrible experiences with bugs.  First, it was lovebug season and they were all over our SUV.   We were told they like white vehicles and they certainly liked ours.  The only way to get the massive numbers of dead ones off our vehicle was using dryer sheets.  If you allow them to remain on your car, they are corrosive and can destroy your paint.

Secondly, I had a bad experience with chiggers.  They bit my ankles and I had major bumps and itching.  I think I also transferred some to my arms and legs for additional bites.  I had no idea chiggers could be such a big deal! Hypochondriac that I am, I imagined much more serious possibilities for my bites until my son talked me down.

Ybor City

We also visited Ybor City, a fascinating neighborhood in Tampa that was founded on the cigar industry .  On another trip, we had dinner at the wonderful Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City and wanted to eat there again.

Columbia Restaurant

I am so glad we also decided to check out the Ybor City Museum State Park.  The neighborhood has a most interesting history.  We toured the museum with Mitzi, a lovely docent from Venezuela who has lived in the U.S. for forty years.  She provided a tour of a replica of the homes during the 1800s.  She made the 1800s and early 1900s in Ybor City come alive for us.  All this for just $4 each.  I won’t spoil it for those who might want to visit, but encourage everyone to check it out.  It was great!

Ybor City docent, Mitzi, and me
Family Time

Of course, our favorite time in Tampa was visiting family.   Our son and his girlfriend prepared a delicious steak and lobster dinner for us.  The interesting thing about the lobsters is that they caught them.  They are both experienced divers and our son has just become a certified Divemaster.  We are very proud of their accomplishments.

Favorite Restaurants on Trip

Kafe Kokopelli in Dade City on the way to Tampa was awesome.  Surprisingly, their Gator Bites with horseradish sauce was great.  The best thing there, however, was the goat cheesecake with gingersnap crust.    We also liked  The Great Catch in Zephyrhills.   Columbia Restaurant’s 1905 Salad and the White Chocolate Bread Pudding  were also wonderful.

In Conclusion

This, our first camping trip of 2019, was everything we could have wanted.  We were blessed by wonderful weather and soul-soothing closeness with nature.  Our time with friends and family was priceless.   This trip was retirement at its very best.  Florida campgrounds rock!

Camping Buddies

Tampa, Stop #3 Family and Local Attractions

Our son, Shawn, and his girlfriend, Laura, were really sweet to us on a recent trip to Tampa. They offered us a lovely bedroom, cooked us wonderful breakfasts, and drove us all over to see the sights. It was also special to be able to spend Veteran’s Day with my favorite veteran!

We were in the Tampa area for four nights, two with  Shawn and Laura  and two at Hillsborough River State Park.   It was wonderful to be with them and to be in Tampa, which offers lots to see and do, plus some pretty great food.

Ford’s Garage

First of all, we went to an interesting eatery, Ford’s Garage Restaurant.   Vintage cars abound and everything automotive is the theme.  Onion rings are served on an oil funnel and tires are around the sinks in the bathroom.  Very cute decor and the food was excellent.  I had the Kobe beef on the high-octane burger with sweet potato tater tots.

High Octane Burger at Ford’s Garage
High Octane Burger

Veteran’s Day

Our next day was Veteran’s Day and we started the day with a visit to Tampa Electric’s Manatee Viewing Center.  The manatees are attracted to the warm water that is produced by the generation of electricity and at peak times, hundreds of manatees are present.  It has been active for thirty years with over 5 million visitors.  However, our visit was early in the season and we only saw a couple of manatees.   We also saw some big fish and a shark.

Shawn and Laura at the Manatee Viewing Center
Manatees under water
Shy manatee sighting

Next, we headed to Sarasota and Saint Armand’s Circle on Lido Key.  There was an Art Show that day and we saw some interesting pieces, however,  the parking was horrific.  We spent a good bit of time driving around looking for a spot to park.   Saint Armand’s has many restaurants and shops.   There is a Ringling Brother’s Museum in Sarasota, but we did not have the time to visit.   Lunch was at Cha Cha Coconuts, another fine meal.

Couple seated at Cha Cha Coconuts
Cha Cha Coconuts

Dinner was at the award-winning Columbia Restaurant at Ybor City.  The restaurant was established in 1905 and is Florida’s oldest restaurant.  We were joined by Laura’s mother and aunt and their  significant others.  Our dinner included a Flamenco show, which was entertaining.   The best part of our dinner was the 1905 salad which has an unlikely ingredient, Worcestershire sauce.  Delicious! I would also highly recommend the mojitos and the white chocolate bread pudding as well.

Laura and Shawn
Rose and Jack
Josie and Ross

John’s Pass

Our second full day was overcast with a good bit of rain.  We had considered visiting Busch Gardens, but the weather was not great for it.  Instead, we visited John’s Pass at Redington Shores.  Consequently, we were able to avoid the rain and do some shopping.  We returned via the Sunshine Skyway, a Tampa landmark, and a very cool bridge.

Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Tampa
Sunshine Skyway Bridge

We returned to our campsite on this afternoon.  We said goodbye to Shawn and Laura and to the granddogs, Gator and Axel.  It was so great staying with them!

Gator and Axel

Tampa on Our Own

On our last full day, we visited Tampa on our own.  We went to the Tampa Museum of Art and also had a nice lunch there.  The museum featured some ancient Egyptian art and the works of Mernet Larson, an artist upon which I was unfamiliar.  Her art was interesting.

The museum is on Tampa’s Riverwalk, which we also visited.  It was a warm, sunny day and the walk was very pleasant.  We discovered that a branch of the Columbia Restaurant is also on Riverwalk.  That 1905 salad was calling us,  so we walked for about a mile with frequent stops along the way to get to it.

Riverwalk in Tampa
Laura’s office in the Pink Palace is in the background

Continue reading “Tampa, Stop #3 Family and Local Attractions”

Tampa, Stop #2 Hillsborough River State Park

Hillsborough River is a Florida State Park located about a half hour northeast of Tampa. It is a beautiful park with a “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” look with its gorgeous live oak trees and abundance of spanish moss.

Teardrop Left at Campground

We have family in Tampa and this trip was more about visiting them than camping.   So, we decided to spend a couple of nights at their home.   Therefore, we left Endeavor, our teardrop, all alone at Hillsborough River.

Link to park.

We set up our rug, awning, and chairs so it would look like we would return at any time.  Teardrops are so light, it is easy for them to be stolen and we worried a little about being gone so long.

Our time with family was great and we did a lot of cool things in Tampa.  I will cover those activities in a separate post.

On the afternoon before we left to return to the park,  I received a disturbing message via Facebook Messenger.  It went something like:  “Ma’am, this is the Ranger in Charge at Hillsborough River.  I need you to call me ASAP.”  This freaked me out!  My first though was that something had happened to our camper.

I called immediately and spoke with the ranger.  He was concerned about us and said that several people had noticed that we had not been around.  He wanted to be sure that we were okay.  I thought it as really great that he went to the trouble of tracking us down to confirm that all  was well.

Camping at Hillsborough River

We had two nights and one full day with Hillsborough River as home base.  The river and a canoe launch was just across from our site, #32.

Hillsborough River empty campsite
River is beyond the trees
 View of Hillsborough River from State Park
Hillsborough River
Cedar Landing Shelter
Cedar Landing Shelter

We sometimes camp with friends and play games at night.  The above  shelter would be nice for this as it is screened and would enable us to be protected from bugs.  Bugs were not bad at all during our time at the park, but we were not outside with lights on for a long period.

We did not use some of the nice amenities.  There is a very large pool, a cafe, and rentals for canoes and bikes.   Also, there is a playground and several hiking trails.

One thing about Florida State Parks that I really like is that they have dishwashing stations with hot water.   With our limited cooking, I loaded up our dirty dishes in a plastic bucket and carried them to the station for washing.  With no sewer available, this was a lot easier than it is in parks without this option.

Our New Accessory

We were given a large, heavy-duty cot by our son’s girlfriend and we tried it out one beautiful morning.  It was glorious laying on the very comfortable cot looking up at the gorgeous blue sky and amazing trees!  The cot actually holds both of us.

Man laying on cot in Campground
Our new equipment—thanks Laura!
Spanish moss in trees
View from the cot
Road inside Hillsborough River State Park
Path to our site

In conclusion, we had a very relaxing stay at the campground and hope to visit it again.  It is the most beautiful park I have visited in my limited camping experience.  We are big fans of Florida State Parks.  One tip, the bathhouse near site #77 is much newer and nicer than the one nearest site #32.  However, we loved our site and think it would be a good one for bigger rigs as well.

Lastly, if you would like to follow our adventures, below is a link to our main page.

Retirement and teardrop camping!

HAPPY CAMPING!

Retired couple
Hanging out on the new cot