Comfort Inn Crystal River

... the end of a one-way highway - there is no thru-traffic, no railroads, no interstate, no big trucks – it is very quiet, peaceful and slow-paced. They pride themselves on not having ANY traffic lights (many locals commute on bikes & golf carts). The main attraction area is where the old fishery buildings have been converted to a touristy, scenic, strolling, bar-hopping and fresh seafood restaurant locale. Some tasty ...

... are found in the Florida region. They are highly renowned for their manataee rehabilitation center and habitat, which has about 10 manataee from my count. We spent most of the morning walking around the park, but I was pretty disappointed by the fact that most of the animals were hiding. The manataee feeding "show" was alright, except the lady was not my most favorite of people. I was very happy to leave and do something different ...

Today's activities were more laid back and the temperatures have risen to a reasonable level. It seems strange to not wear four layers of clothing to accommodate the weather! Don booked an appointment to install an electrical system on the coach and I spent time visiting with our neighbors from Tennessee. At one point we were horrified to hear a crunch and everyone rushed to see what had happened. One of the coaches down the way ...

We had a beautiful sunrise and frost everywhere. I wonder how the local crops have fared. We fully intended to attend the coffee and chat this morning but it was warmer to make our own. The weather has reduced our opportunities to mix and mingle but we'll have other opportunities for that. For those of you who wondered what one does at a RV Rally ...

Once more we were not out and about in time for the morning coffee and muffins - it's too cold - well below freezing! We are comfortable in our home on wheels but we are certainly glad that we have a fair sized propane supply on board. I imagine, by the time we leave we will be ready for a refuelling. Both Don and I have resorted to wearing long johns under our jeans and about four layers of jackets. We're too stubborn to dig the winter coats out of the basement and ...

Today Don zeroed in on a presentation on Understanding, Monitoring and Protecting the RV Electrical System; Cleaning Tanks, Sensors and Much More Inside and Out and Know Your Tire Pressure RV and Toad (car for the lay person). Although we have had experience with the operation and maintenance of large machinery during our days on the farm, the complexity of these 'beasts' is daunting to say the least. This is proving to be a ...

... and members of their group are volunteers for the event. We are still feeling like observers, slightly overwhelmed by the event. We attended an excellent seminar on firefighting and hands-on demonstration of how to use fire extinguishers to fight the different types of fires common to RVs presented by Mac McCoy. The presenters are very experienced and knowledgeable in their field and are known to and well respected by those attending the lectures.

... things that make the trip interesting and affordable for us to enjoy. After our morning tea in the Wal Mart Car park (we are regular at that one) we chose to take the freeway as well as the toll ways to speed up the journey, because we certainly were not viewing any beaches or water and handling traffic and stop start of traffic lights was a bit painful. So onto the free way we head and make good time, Karon directed us off for lunch at an ...

Crystal River / Homosassa Springs - Florida - USA Our primary reason for visiting this area was to see the endangered Manatees close up. These gentle aquatic mammals are related to the elephant, but look more like a big seal. They have no natural enemies apart from man. Many manatees carry deep scars from where boats have collided with them. There are only 3000 manatees left in the world now. The Manatees favourite habitat is the Crystal ...

... but this time, I was looking for something else. I was heading back to my roots as an anthropologist and to the roots of Florida's ancient past; this brought me to The Crystal River Archaeological State Park. I was feeling inspired by the story I wrote about my time with the Navajos and as the history of Native peoples has always fascinated me, I wanted to see what the Archaeological State Park had to offer. The park which is surrounded by the ...