Across Florida State - Rock Crusher to Blue Springs

After Rainbow Springs State Park we headed closer to the Gulf Coast. Our destination, Rock Crusher Canyon RV Park, is located just southeast of Crystal River, Florida. Rock Crusher is a private RV park with a number of amenities. They have a well-landscaped entrance and well-maintained asphalt roadways. A delightful, sparkling screened-in pool provided hours of fun for our group. We never learned what handle "Rock Crusher Canyon" was referencing, but we did enjoy the greenery and palms throughout the park.

In the photo on the right, we tried to recreate an image from a family photo when my dad was vacationing at about the same age as I am.

Ringing in the Brazilian New Year at 10PM in Florida

As this was New Year's Eve, my daughter planned some extra pizzazz for the celebration. After a great meal, we enjoyed a game of catch with the boys while Norah continued to perfect her skateboarding on the sloping asphalt drives. After a bit of campfire talk we gathered around the outside TV on the RV and watched the latest episode of Star Wars: Book of Boba Fett. (My grandfather name, "Bobbo", is no relation, but I can see a number of similarities between us.)

Our New Year's adventure was a family outing to swim with the manatees! We headed to River Ventures in Crystal River. Sue and I served as tour recorders as the rest of the family suited up for the underwater adventure. It took some time to locate the quiet creatures, but finally the moment happened and Irish Dave, our captain, maneuvered the craft within a safe distance. Ruthie bailed early, but the others were able to see and touch the gentle beasts. We can recommend the good people at River Ventures for their equipment, preparation and guiding.

Sampling seafoods at the Seafood Sellers and Cafe

After a four hour cruise and swim it was time for lunch and keeping with the surf theme we crossed the street from River Ventures and enjoyed lunch at The Seafood Seller and Cafe in Crystal River. This place, a favorite of locals, offered a wide variety of seafood with some interesting variations.

Our afternoon route took us cross-state on SR 44 to Blue Springs State Park near Orange City. We were again delighted with our campsites and the adventures we found nearby. Again, our sites were well laid out, surrounded by foliage and close to clean restrooms and laundry facilities. I had a bit of trouble leveling in the sandy soil but we solved it by switching sites whereas my son-in-law's RV with automatic levers and a longer wheelbase, was better equipped to handle the site. The Blue Springs activity area included options to kayak or pontoon to see the local wildlife. Boardwalks line lagoons where manatees are often spotted.

Blue Springs is a wonderful park and a reasonable drive from either the Atlantic Coast and Orlando.

Our campfire conversation for the evening involved two parts. First, I wanted to prepare the kids for our upcoming adventure at DisneyWorld. Traveling as a group, we needed a family cheer around which we could rally in our shared fun. It had to be a cheer only our family would recognize.

To set it up, I told them the story from my high school years when Football Coach Don Stout spoke to a whole school assembly. The bleachers were filled with students for the Pep Rally ahead of Friday's big game. Coach Stout told the crowd that he appreciated their cheers from the stands during the game, but in the press of the game and the noise of the contest on the field, we don't really hear the words you're saying; we just hear the noise. So, he recommended we learn a singular, unforgettable cheer that everyone would immediately recognize as a cheer to fight on and win the game. He invoked an ancient Indian war cry, and to our surprise, after building up the story of bygone warriors, he yelled out, "OOM-GAH-WAH!!" The crowd went wild as they repeated the cheer. For the rest of my high school days, that was the common cheer we heard from the sidelines at all the games.I taught the children the cheer and we practiced it together. Now, it belongs only to us. Anyone else hearing us would have no idea what we were yelling, but we knew it was the rallying cry of our family and that's all that mattered to our small group.

The second part of our evening campfire involved a personal reflection moment for each family camper. I collected eight small twigs and passed them out to each family member. Each person was then to stand at a proper lull in the conversation, place their twig in the fire, face the rest of the group, and then tell the group what goals they wanted to set for themselves for the coming year. It took a little explanation about resolutions and setting goals and how to speak before a group. But soon, each one rose to the moment and shared their ideas for the year ahead. It was fun to watch the kids rise to the occasion, give it some thought, and deliver their thoughts. A number of them wanted to go again—to be up in front of a crowd that was listening to their thoughts. It was a learning moment. Sure, the youngest just repeated what her older sister had just said, but the idea was well received and the evening was a success.

The following day we rose at our leisure and made our way to Fort Wilderness at DisneyWorld to begin our mousy adventure. Watch for our Wilderness report and other news as we travel Along the Pooka Trail.