2017-29
Eufaula Alabama
Silver Springs/Ocala Florida
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| Morning Sunrise White Oak Creek Campground |
LAST REPORT OF THE SEASON
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| Selfie, me |
Campground: White Oak Creek
Campground. COE. Senior rate: $12.00. 50 amp/water. Many sites have
long driveways, all are paved. Lakeside and lake views at all sites.
They permit 28 day camping during the winter months and you can move
between a few of the COE parks in the area. Note gates are locked up
front at 10pm and not opened till 7am. If you have an emergency, one
needs to go up front and blast their horn until a camp-host comes and
opens the gate.
Campground: Silver Springs State Park.
Florida Senior discount: $12.00 50 amp electric/water. Large modern
campsites, many are pull thrus, 100 ft and longer. Always a favorite
place to stop.
This will be my last blog report for
the season as I'll be in Florida next week and heading for my Rv lots
in St Cloud Florida.
As I wind down for the season of
travels, I've once again ordered the awning from a dealer in Florida.
Hoping it arrives undamaged this time with a projected time-frame to
have it installed November 15. It will be a busy two month stay as
I've already got a few doctors appointments set up. Just general
follow-up stuff. Then I should be heading out to Arizona around the
1st of the year.
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| Shorter Mansion stunning exterior |
A drive into Eufaula brought me to the
Shorter Mansion, the only attraction in town. Fortunately it didn't
cost anything, as there is no tour of the house. The exterior is
stunning with it's 17 Corinthian columns. 6 identical columns are
inside the mansion. The interiors first floor is minimally decorated
and is used for local functions, weddings, etc. The second floor
consists of a few rooms filled with a mismatch of local historical
items, including a huge confederate flag. They tell me the house as
all the mansions along the main thoroughfare were built from cotton
farming. But truth be told, it was Eli Shorter's new wife Wileyna's
inheritance of the SSS Tonic company's fortune that built the mansion
at a cost of $100,000. In 1965, the historical society was able to
purchase the house at auction for $33,000.
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| the mansions cotton built |
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| love the simple classic lines |
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| next to church, the Vicarage? |
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| one of those odd arrangements, they don't use the front entrance, or the grand staircase to the second floor, one has to use the side entrance and an elevator, rooms not well organized |
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| a gas station on the edge of mansion row |
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| in need of some major work |
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| so much work needs to be done... |
This is the true south, where almost
every restaurant has a buffet or choice of one meat and two sides,
often coming with desert (or at optional expense) for around $9.00.
Good home cooking, I have yet to try collard greens. Though I did
have grits with one meal and they were actually pretty good.
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| Happy Birthday Alabama |
I even attended a one day “Indian
Summer” event in Eufaula. It was held right next to the Peanut
factory where shipments were coming in from the farms even as the
festival was going on. Free bags of boiled peanuts were being give
out. Red and white balloons were released into the air in
celebration of Alabama's birthday, kids had lots of activities to
enjoy and wear them out a bit, lots of food vendors and craft
displays and artists displaying their latest water colors and
photography.
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| part of a petting zoo |
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| ideas for you craft folks |
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| a few wood workers |
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| horse rides |
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| old entrance to the peanut factory |
Distance traveled: 300 miles (5 hours
drive time)
A huge number of miles to travel. I
had planned on breaking that up into two days of 150 miles each.
However, after making a reservation at Silver Springs I discovered
I'd made it for a day earlier than anticipated. Giving me no choice
but to drive the full 300 miles in one day.
Along the route, I'm stopping in
Williston Florida for a visit with Eddy and Debby Tennant. Good
friends that I worked with at the Naval Training Systems Center. So
good to catch up on former co-workers/friends.
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| good people, my former co-workers Debbie and Eddie so glad we had time to get together along my travel route |
The Silver Springs/Ocala area is a nice
stopping off place before arriving in St Cloud for a couple of
months.
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| Silver Springs State Park, nice modern large campsites |
Before I go, let me once again thank all you, my readers for hanging out with me along the back roads and discovering a few new places along the way. Your comments along the way are always so appreciated as well as learning about what is going on in your life.
Sorry I didn't get a chance to visit
the many friends and family along the way this year.
Life is what we make of it and I'm so
fortunate to have this time in my life where I can explore it at my
own traveling pace and having you along on the journey sure adds to
my enjoyment.
Have a great fall and winter season
ahead.
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