Snook Fishing at Florida’s Franklin Locks Park…

We left the St Lucie Lock COE park and drove across the state of Florida from the Atlantic side to the Gulf of Mexico side. It was a drive of just a little over 100 miles and a quieter drive after my new tape “fix” on the bay CAC hose. We pulled into another wonderful COE park called WP Franklin North.

We pretty much hung around the park because of the beautiful campground water views on both sides of us. It was also Thanksgiving weekend and time to count our blessings as we are ever thankful we were able to retire early and hit the road at a relatively younger age than most retirees. To celebrate properly we bought a 9 lb. turkey and cooked it up in our convection oven. Of course no Thanksgiving would be complete without our traditional sides of some cornbread dressing, yams, green bean casserole, giblet gravy and cranberry sauce. Since it was only the two of us we had a feast. We spoke with our kids and grandkids which ended our Thanksgiving on a delightful note.

With all the leftovers we will be eating a lot of turkey and dressing over the next few days. Of course one of our favorite ways to use leftover turkey is to make a turkey tetrazzini. After some diced onion, garlic, red bell pepper, sliced mushrooms and seasoning along with a wine cream sauce, egg noodles and turkey, we  topped off the pasta with some shredded parmesan cheese making for a wonderful  meal not resembling turkey at all. Sharon also found a tasty apple cranberry crisp recipe which used up our leftover cranberry sauce. I loved our Thanksgiving prep and all the leftovers it yielded to our home on wheels.

The park also has a pier and the snook fishing has been really hot right now. I didn’t have the right gear to partake in the exciting fishing going on at the pier but I did watch and learn how the more seasoned anglers fish for snook. The lure that seemed to get the most action was the Bass Assassin Saltwater Sea Shad. Anglers would toss out out as far as they could in the swirling waters coming through the spillway.

Reeling slowly the snook would hit hard and begin a lengthy and furious battle.  I saw a lot of fish landed but with the limit for keeping them set at one fish per day as long as it was between 28-32 inches very few were kept. That being said, some fish approaching 4 feet in length were caught and it was amazing to see these beautiful fish. I took my light action rod and reel and tried using a weedless yellow bird spoon since I read they also hit spoons. I did hook one snook who put up quite a battle but it ended up winning as it broke off one of the barbs on the treble hook of the lure.

The only snook I got was a cold brew with the same name but it was oh, so good…

With Thanksgiving behind us it is getting close to December which will have us staying put for three months in Bonita Springs Florida. We have one more stop at a fairly new park in Fort Myers called Cypress Trail RV Resort that we are looking forward to seeing…

NOTE: We are currently at Cypress Trail RV Resort just outside of Ft. Myers.

Great Gift Ideas for your favorite RV’er!

Here are some great gadgets or gift ideas that we love or have found useful. I have listed them in order of cost so get shopping for your favorite RV’er :

Under $10

Water Bandit – This is a must have for RV’ers who like to use National Parks, State Parks and US Forest Service campgrounds. This little non-threaded blue wonder will attach to any water source!

Camco Fridge Brace - 2 pack  This nifty little item attaches to the wire shelves in the refrigerator  and keeps food from sliding around.

Quick Hose Disconnect – Make life easy with these quick connect/disconnects and make hooking up your water hoses quick and easy!

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Command Hooks – These adhesive hooks are great for hanging items in the RV as they are easy to install and come off easy without leaving a trace.

Microfiber Dish Drying Mat – Every RV kitchen needs one of these small but efficient matts for drying dishes on.

Quakehold Museum Putty – Want your pictures to stay up and not fall down? Don’t want to make holes in the walls. Here you go… museum putty works on any surface.

RV Slideout Corner Guards – Tired up hitting your head on the corner of your slide-out? Get rid of the those swimmers noodles and use these.

Vanicream Lip Protectant/Sunscreen Tube, SPF 30 – Sharon had to go through a painful process when she found out she had pre-cancerous spots on her lips. The Mayo dermatologists told us to use this lip cream for the best protection of our lips from harmful sun damaging rays.

Camco RV Gutter Spouts – If your RV doesn’t have these or the ones you have are missing you need these. They directs rainwater away from the sides of your RV thus reducing dirt and black streaks and installs in just minutes.

Under $30

Rand McNally 2017 Large Scale Road Atlas – It is always nice to have a good map to go along with your GPS. Also great for boondocking since it uses no power and it also includes information on bridge heights and highway exits. 

Selfie Stick With a Shutter Button – Everybody who takes pictures needs one of these to get a new perspective on their photos

Flexible Mini Tripod – Want to take a group shot or a time lapse photo of something and need a tripod? Here is a solution for your digital camera, smart phone or mini-cam.

Heavy Duty RV Tire Gauge –We all know that checking our tire pressure on our RV is extremely important. So pick up one of these heavy duty tire gauges.

Exercise Resistance Bands – Are you into fitness and staying in  shape then these portable exercise bands are the perfect gift. If you have a small set of weights then a set of these will make your outdoor gym complete.

Digital Wireless Indoor/Outdoor Thermometer – Need to know how chilly it is outside? Then this device that displays indoor and outdoor temperatures is just what you need.

Kill-A-Watt Meter - This cool gadget will monitor the electrical load of any plugged-in device. Why do this? Well it helps when you are boondocking by knowing how much power each of your plugged-in devices consume.

RV Visited States Stickers – Mark where you have been and where you haven’t been. This is a great ice breaker at RV parks as people will simple stop and ask about some of the states you have been to.

Camping Signs – Many RV’ers like to add a little touch of home to their camp site. Check out this camping signs for one that fits your style.many under $25 but others are higher.

Under $50

Oxygenics Shower Head – Want better water pressure especially when boondocking. Then you will want to replace tour current shower head with this one.

Zero-G Freshwater Hose - While we don’t have one of these hoses yet you are looking at our next hose that we will purchase. I love the Teknor Apex’s lighter weight and that it is kink-free. This is one great  heavy-duty RV hose.

Camco Heavy Duty Leveling Blocks – These are perfect for leveling single and dual Wheels on Class A RV’s. They are also great for Class B’'’s and C’s as they work well under hydraulic jacks and tongue jacks.

Under $100

Portable RV Jump Pack: -  One thing that has saved our bacon more than once is one of these. When you have a dead battery and don’t have jumper cables this device will jump start your car or RV without anyone else's assistance. I will say just don’t buy the Whistler brand as we have been going around and around with their company to replace our unit after it quit working after only two uses.

Drone Quadcopter with Camera – I don’t own this item but love watching them and seeing the photography they take form above. A perfect entry-level drone with easy controllability and the Amazon number one best seller.

Good Sam Roadside Assistance - Now only $79.95! - Every RV’er needs a reliable 24/7 Roadside Assistance policy. This policy has unlimited towing, lockout services, fluid delivery and more at just $79.95 per year! We have had this service for the last six years and had to use it twice. Once for a roadside flat repair and once for a tow 60 miles away to a service center. We love our Good Sam’s Roadside Assistance policy so much we extended it three years on our last renewal. Use this link and get 3 extra months free!!!!

Gift Cards - Can be any denomination

Not sure what to get your favorite RV’er then one of the best stocking stuffers you could get them would be an Amazon Gift Card!  Or you could pick a site specific gift card to one of their favorite restaurants by searching this link for gift cards Who wouldn’t want a gift card in their stockings!

Gift a RV Membership

Lastly get a gift that will save your favorite RV’er a bunch of cash when they go camping. Get them a one year Membership to Passport America. For only $44.00 your favorite RV’er will save 50% off at nearly 1900 campgrounds.

We have been members for nearly seven years and we have stayed at many of these campgrounds. While they may not be all glamorous resorts many of them are among some of our favorite places to stop…. and we get them all for 50% off! What a deal!!!!

Amazon Prime Membership – Need somethng delivered fast? Then you need this. Also gives access to free streaming of thousands of books and movies as well as millions of songs and many other perks!

The Good Sam Club:  For $25 per year the Good Sam Club membership will save some money. It provides up to a 30 percent discount at Camping World, saves 10 percent at 2,100+ Good Sam parks and campgrounds across North America, saves five cents off gas and eight cents off diesel at Pilot or Flying J Travel Centers,saves 25 percent off LP gas on Tuesdays and Wednesdays at Camping World and many other perks!

Harvest Hosts: While we aren’t currently members now we always sign up when we get near areas that are rich in camping opportunities using this membership. It allows members to stay FREE overnight at vineyards, farms and other unique spots. At $44 per year it will pay for itself fast. We found it best for smaller rigs but those of us with larger rigs can stay at a lot of real neat spots as well.

Boondockers Welcome - Another group that offers up a large database of free campsites across the USA. This site however, is not for those of us with large RV’s and is better suited to smaller RV’s as many of its sites will be in someone’s driveway. Great for city camping

Xscapers or Escapees: The Xscapers is a community of working-age RVers that holds regular convergences & meetups while the Escapees tend to be non-working retirees. Not only do you get great discounts on many parks you will meet a lot of new friends through these communityies.

OVER $100

WeBoost Drive Sleek Cell Phone Booster - Now although we don’t use this device it is the most recommended for those who wants or wished they had better cell reception on the road. Better yet this booster is an affordable option that requires no permanent installation!

Portable Grill - Not every campground has access to a grill and if they do they are usually pretty nasty. If you boondock (camp for free on public lands) you really need a grill. I currently use the Coleman Road Trip Portable Grill and have so for nearly 7 years. I find it to be an excellent grill for most of our needs. The only other one I would personally recommend is the Weber Q Portable Grills. We know many RV’ers who swear by this grill as well.

Instant Pot 7 in 1 Cooker – Another device we don’t currently own but when one of our major appliances dies we will most likely be owning one of these. Everyone who has ne raves about the various ways this one pot cooker can be used. Wow  - Just Looked and this is a Cyber Monday Special.

Garmin RV 760LMT Portable GPS Navigator – The ultimate RV GPS! This baby has a large 7" high-resolution touchscreen displays It has cautions and advisories (i.e. risk of grounding, lateral wind, narrow road, sharp curve, steep hill and tree overhangs). You can even talk to it. as it has vo. ice-activated navigation. It includes specialized RV routing based on customizable restrictions such as height, weight, width and length. And it comes with free lifetime map and traffic updates

Fitbit Charge 2 Heart Rate + Fitness Wristband – Sharon loves, loves, loves her fitbit. Maximize your workouts, count your steps, track your heart rate, see phone calls, texts and calendar notifications on the OLED display, automatically track how long and how well you sleep and more… Did I mention Sharon loves her fitbit!!!

All-New Fire HD 10 Tablet with Alexa Hands-Free, 10.1" (32 or 64 GB) – We don’t own this device but it is certainly on my wish list. It has a large 10.1" 1080p Full HD display with up to a 1.8 GHZ quad-core processor and 2 GB RAM. And best of all it has up to 10 hours of battery life!!!

RV Awning Screen – We love our Awning Screen as it gives us a sense of privacy as well as much needed shade when facing west. While we may not use this all the time it is absolutely fantastic for any of our extended stays and is always the first thing out to be put up. Your price will depend on your size ordered and some are even under $100. Make sure to measure how long and how tall you want your screen to maximize your room inside it.

Soon we will be in Bonita Springs, Florida for our extended winter stay. The best thing we love about staying in a place for an extended period is that we have a mailing address. We will be buying lots of goodies we need and have them delivered to our winter home.

Stuart Florida and Seeing RV Friends…

We left the Vero Beach area and drove another short distance to the St.Lucie Locks, a Corps of Engineer Park I have always wanted to camp at. Less than 50 miles on the road and we were pulling into our campground. We had awesome views of the Locks so we new this stay would be a treat.

The next day we decided to drive our car around the area and ended up on Jenson Beach where we took in a long walk to enjoy the surf sounds and smells. We love the beach!!! Well we did until we got back to the car… As we were brushing the sand off our feet as we always do,we both noticed we had huge black spots on our feet – TAR. Yuck, we didn’t see any tar balls on the beach but they were obviously there. Oh well not everyday on the beach is a great day!

We also spent a great deal of time simply walking around our campground as we are adjacent to a county regional park as well. There was also a nice visitor’s center run by volunteers. There was not too much to offer adults but there is a great interactive display for those with kiddos. The walking trails at the adjacent Phipps Park are great and we walked everyday we were here. There are some nice boardwalks and retention ponds in the regional park which made walking the area very pleasant.

One day during our long loop walk I told Sharon I heard some Sandhill Cranes but we didn’t spot them. On our return around the loop we discovered a pair of Sandhills walking along the dirt road into the park. I assumed they would fly away as we neared them but they did not! We walked alongside them at their pace some 8-10 feet. It sure was fun walking with the cranes that day!

Another highlight of the trip was our meet up with friends and fellow bloggers Jim and Nanc whom we first met at Betty’s RV Park. We have crossed paths several times during our travels around this beautiful country of ours. This time we met up at a place called Mulligan’s. Sharon had found a great coupon deal for some free firecracker shrimp so we met at this nice waterfront bar/restaurant for happy hour and dinner. It was fantastic to see the two of them again. We hope to see them again at Betty's in the Spring.

Our last day Jim and Nanc wanted us to meet them at the Seafood Festival in Stuart but I had other plans to see if I could remedy the whistling sound we are experiencing from my ill fitted hose repair. My plan was to cut off the existing repair and just use some extra Gorilla Tape I bought at Walmart to see if it would temporarily do the trick . I guess we will find out on the next journey on our road of retirement….

NOTE: We are now in Fort Myers until the end of November.