Graduation Journey... Day June 11

With our petrol tanks full, we head south. Unlike my former self who made reservations at every stop a month in advance, on our trip from Maryland I have picked a place first thing in the morning and made a reservation. I called Neverdunn RV Park but got a Voice Mail so left a message. In the meanwhile looking at attractions on their website I noticed a Florida State Park near there so... of course, we went to O'Leno State Park on the site of the ghost town of O'leno... formerly known as "Keno" but named changed... no gambling here!!!


What a place that turned out to be and... you'll find I may remember it with my tick story for a long, long time. On the banks of the scenic Santa Fe River (river #8), a tributary of the Suwanee River(Stephen Foster Folk Center State Park),



this park features sinkholes
,









river swamps (with alligators)

,

and ticks. As the river courses through the park, it disappears underground and reemerges over three miles away in the River Rise State Preserve.





One of Florida's first state parks, O'Leno was first developed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930s.

























The suspension bridge built by the CCC still spans the river and sways not so gently as Irv and I walk across. I was sure he was making it sway like he does the Ferris Wheel at the county fair but... he wasn't!!! Note in the picture, the flood marker where the water has come over the bridge. There's also a flood marker on land by the roped off swimming area infested with the alligators.



















Our Verizon Broadband service wasn't working well (another first world crisis) so I called Tech support... very nice tech but recommended procedure didn't work. Conclusion: no bars equal no reception so... we drive down to High Springs, five miles south of the park to attempt connection.


What a great "little" town. One main street with slanted, not parallel parking. It's great going in but hairy backing out in "rush" hour traffic. Eagle eye Irv spots a High Springs version of Star Bucks. only better... The Coffee Clutch with cafe, ice cream, specialty coffee, cowboy mike, family karaoke on Friday night. See us sitting at the table right under the clock collection on the wall?

No connection but great coffee and great connecting with the Dixons (owners), transplanted New Jersey folk who retired young, sold their home for more than they paid in High Springs for the home of their dreams complete with barn and outbuildings on forty acres. The Dixons were interested in relocating in south Georgia but fell in love with High Springs, population 3600 and voted the "Friendliest Small Town" in Florida, per their Chamber of Commerce website. We got no Internet connection but made a friend connection. We're invited to come back for Karaoke but decline... it's been a long day traveling. Irv and I have been blessed to meet wonderful people who befriend us everywhere we go.

The heat and broadband prevented our touring the park on arrival yesterday so we take the opportunity in the cool of the morning to take a self-guided tour and some pictures before we head out to our next stop. We walked across the swinging (really swinging) bridge, down the trail hoping to find where the river disappears but too far so we turned back, noted the alligator warning in the swimming area and toured the CCC museum.

We roll out about 11am for our next adventure... not realizing until we reach Marathon that I was carrying a passenger on my body... a live tick!!!