One More Hike and a Tampa Visit…

We enjoyed our morning hikes within Little Manatee River State Park and the last one took us out to a place called Fisherman’s Point. This trail wandered alongside one of the boundary fences of the park and then looped inward toward the Little Manatee River. It included a stop at Fisherman’s Point along the river which offered a nice view of the river and the vegetation of the area. A bench was positioned perfectly to relax while enjoying the sights and sounds of the point.

We spent our last day playing a great round of Disc Golf at Limona Disc Golf Course. This was a small park with really only nine holes each having two tee boxes to make it an 18 hole course. The course was nestled in amongst large live oak trees draped in moss and had a small pond to navigate around. The tee placements were not overly challenging but nevertheless offered up a fun course to play.

After disc golf we headed into downtown Tampa hoping it would be quiet traffic wise so we could explore it a bit. We first drove through the Ybor Historic District and since we couldn’t find any parking we decided to drive over to the Tampa Riverwalk for a stroll.. Wow, what a mistake this was as traffic was like any big city during peak rush hour. Confused about the traffic in downtown on a Saturday we again searched for parking finally giving up after we finally figured out there was a hockey game in town so the masses were there to see them play.

We decided to make a beeline over to a Trader Joes to shop as we won't be seeing one for a good while on our route to Louisiana. Next we went to the Brew Bus Brewery for a bite to eat and a nice craft beer. It was an interesting place as it is partly a brewery and eatery as well as a Brew Bus touring business. We ordered a flight of four beers which were all quite good albeit each had a little bit of a sweet flavor in their finish. Particular notable was their Hazelnut Spread Imperial Porter which was very tasty. Dinner was some wings and a burger with hand cut fries which were also quite good. The food, however, wasn't quite as hot as we would have liked it.

Well after a late dinner we headed home and called it a day. Our next stop will be at Keaton Beach Florida at the Old Pavilion RV Park. We will be quite isolated there but wanted to see it as we have never visited this area in Florida before. I am sure we will find something to do for our three night stay…

NOTE: We left Little Manatee River State Park and are now north of there in Keaton Beach Florida for three nights…

Little Manatee River State Park–Hikes, Friends and a Brew…

Our last night at Imperial Bonita Estates was spent playing corn hole and capping the evening with a happy hour afterward. We have made many friends in the park over the years and it was sad saying our goodbyes while knowing it is a necessary evil in this lifestyle if we want to remain nomadic.Thank goodness for Facebook and email which ensures we will keep in touch with friends while we are away.

The next morning we packed up our remaining gear while readying our RV and CRV  to hit the road. We left about 11:00 am for the less than 130 mile drive north to Little Manatee River State Park just southeast of Tampa. We pulled in around 1:00 pm and  set up for our three night stay.

After a quick lunch we wasted no time getting acquainted with the park. There are a lot of hiking trails in this state park and we walked a few miles of them before calling it a day. The park is mostly a flatland of interspersed grasslands amidst mostly pine trees. The Little Manatee River ambles through the park however there is little access to see much of the river. It is very peaceful though after being packed in as tight as sardines in a commercial park for the winter.

I woke early the next morning as I typically do and made my coffee. I took my cup outside since the temperatures were so mild in the morning.. What a cacophony of sounds filled the dark morning skies. Chuck Will’s Widows and Barred Owls were trading stanzas while serenading me this wonderful morning. After sunrise I went back into the RV and whipped up some breakfast for my sleepy bride who sleeps later than I since she is more of a night owl.. Ironic she is the night owl and I am the early bird hoping to hear an owl…

After breakfast we ventured out for another long morning hike through the wooded trails alongside Dunn Lake in the park. After lunch we planned to hop in the car to explore some of the area around us but instead we received a surprise visit from our Illinois friends who were staying in nearby Cortez. They called saying they wanted to come by for a visit so we happily postponed our car trip. What fun it was reconnecting with them all. Mike, BJ, Steve and Diane arrived around 1:00 pm and we broke out a bottle of champagne to have a small toast to our friendships. It was really good to reminisce with them and talk about all we have each done since our last encounter. A few hours passed by and then just as suddenly as they arrived they were gone… We certainly look forward to seeing them again somewhere down the road.

To end the day I had my eye on a little dive bar I had read about not too far from the state park. We drove up the road and found the Beer Shed in Riverview, FL. It is reputed to be one of the oldest drinking establishments in the Tampa Bay area. The historic Beer Shed bar sits on the banks of the beautiful Alafia River and we found the place to be lively, inexpensive and filled with friendly locals… a true Road Treat!

Our first stay on our way out of Florida has been a huge success making us ready for our next stop in an area of Florida we have never visited before...

NOTE: We will leave Little Manatee River State Park tomorrow and move north up the coast to Keaton Beach for three nights…