July 2022
Three Flags RV Campground

Spending most summers of my youth in the Florida Panhandle and 8 Spring Breaks with my daughter in the Orlando area and South Florida, Central Florida north of the I-4 Corridor has always been pass through travel for me. I booked 4 nights at Three Flags RV Campground, a Thousand Trails property in Wildwood Fl just 3 miles west of The Villages. I've seen photos and read about Cedar Key FL for years and also wanted to explore the river and springs towns of Crystal River, Homosassa, and Dunnellon FL. With Three Flags only 3 miles from The Villages I was also able to explore this massive community I've seen in commercials for so many years. Three Flags is a perfect location to achieve all of the above. The campground is a beautiful piece of property and very well maintained. The amenities list is average but all of the essentials are here and the sites are all well groomed and level. There is no cable TV and my antenna booster loaded 21 unusable channels. Verizon 4G LTL is really fast. The campground seems to be at the outer most edge of several DMAs. I was thankful for my Jellyfin Media Server which might be better anyway. Check-In was great and I would definitely stay at Three Flags again.

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July 2022
The Villages

We've all heard the jingle for “Florida's Friendliest Home Town” with “Free Golf For Life”, and I've driven past it headed south for years, but on this trip I finally took time to explore The Villages. First, this place is Massive. It's a seemingly endless series of subdivisions surrounded by Golf Courses, Restaurants, and Mingling Places with the preferred mode of travel being a tricked-out Golf Cart. Of all the public spaces I saw, the most impressive to me is Brownwood Paddock Square with a rustic theme and filled with shops, restaurants, large outdoor live music pavilion, a movie theater that looks like a barn, and The World of Beer. Did I mention golf carts? They are everywhere. I went back on an early Sunday morning for pictures because the place is packed most other times. There were a lot of dogs throughout Brownwood Paddock Square so Barron was right at home. All jokes and hyperbole aside, The Villages is a very impressive place and I now understand what all the fuss is about.

July 2022
Cedar Key

About and hour west of Gainesville is a cluster of islands on the Gulf of Mexico known as Cedar Key. This is a laid back town which has an historic downtown area that is completely walkable. I found a free public parking space at the Lil Shark Park next to the marina and Dock Street. This park has a pavilion for entertaining, a large playground, dog waste stations, and a small beach. It's just a short walk over the marina to Dock Street with all of it's restaurants and shops. There are a number of restaurants, shops, and bed & breakfast scattered along 1st St, 2nd St, and 3rd St. Again, the entire downtown is walkable and there are golf carts everywhere. There is a Museum on 2nd St called The Cedar Key Historical Society that contains exhibits and photographs on the history of Cedar Key. Another huge draw for the island is fishing. As I drove throughout the island there were people fishing everywhere. There is also a hefty concrete fishing pier on Dock St. Sunset Isle RV Resort is less than 2 miles from Dock St. and Cedar Key RV Resort is 8 miles from Dock St on Hwy 24. If you are looking for a fun laid back Old Florida town, Cedar Key may just be the place. If you're looking for Spas and Pedicures, go to 30A.

July 2022
Homosassa, Crystal River, & Dunnellon FL

I spent a day exploring three towns in a much larger area known informally as the Florida Nature Coast. This area has a number of activities including Paddle Boarding, Fishing, Boating, Canoeing, and Snorkeling. As I made my way through Dunnellon I saw more people on Paddle Boards than any place I've even been. Dunnellon is located on the Rainbow and Withlacoochee rivers and the scenery is stunning. The downtown area is neat also. Crystal River and Homosassa are well known for the manatee tours. Homosassa Manatee Snorkeling Center offers a snorkel with manatees experience for $70 per person. Homosassa is also home to Monkey Island where a family of spider monkeys live on a small island on the Homosassa River. Crystal River is much the same with Manatee tours and Paddle Boards everywhere. I did try to go to Three Sisters Springs in Crystal River but dogs are strictly prohibited. Even the beaches at Hunter Springs Park didn't allow dogs so Barron and I struck out on activities on the Nature Coast. I did enjoy the area and will return a little better prepared next time. If you like nature, water sports, and good food, these three towns are worth your time.