Day 46, 47 - Groveland and Clermont, FL - HH

Saturday (46) - We only went ten miles yesterday but the GPS says we are in Groveland, FL, and not Clermont. We ordered breakfast here at the HH location. I had the brisket w/eggs which came with potatoes and toast. And Bridget had the stuffed French toast.

Since we only had around 20 miles to go today, we headed out around noon. This HH location is a church parking lot south of Clermont. There weren’t many level spots in the parking lot but this one wasn’t bad. No tires off the ground or leveling blocks needed.

This morning, the SOC of our batteries was 65%. Between solar and the engine, it was 75% when we arrived at the church. I ran the generator to get them to 90% then solar took them to 100%. 

Sunday (47) - We arrived at TTO aka Thousand Trails Orlando right around noon. We are in almost the same site that we were last time so we have a pretty unobstructed SSW view. We are here for almost three weeks. Much roomier sites than Clerbrook. 

Day 43, 44, 45 - Clermont, FL - TT

Wednesday (43) - We are still at the same RV park in Clermont, FL, until Friday. We then move to a couple of Harvest Hosts before heading back to TTO for several weeks. Bridget is at her first PT appointment for her back. 

I used the Blackstone griddle for several dishes. It is definitely hotter and faster than the stove. Fried rice is fast since multiple items can be cooked at the same time and the two burners allow two different temperatures. It also did a great job of searing both a roast and salmon filets. 

Thursday (44) - The forecast is for storms in the early afternoon and later this evening. The weather service was warning severe thunderstorms with hail possible but we didn’t see or hear any hail at our location. 

Friday (45) - We traveled all of ten miles to our next stop at OrganicaWorld, a HH location and farm-to-table market. We arrived around noon and found a nice, flat spot. We picked up some delicious jams, pickles, and salsa and plan to order dinner (to go) later this afternoon. The host mentioned that he expects six RVs today. 

Someone was really annoyed when the engine was started. She does not like travel days. 

Day 40, 41, 42 - Clermont, FL - TT

Sunday (40) - We are still at the Clerbrook Golf and RV Resort. We attended the non-denominational church service here at the RV park and the speaker was pretty good. Afterward, we went to Sam’s Club with Cindy and bought more groceries than I expected. Sam’s seems to have more grocery choices than Costco. Such as the container of yellow, saffron rice. Much more convenient than the small bags sold at some grocery stores, though Bridget said it wasn’t as tasty.

Monday (41) - Another beautiful day. Not muggy or windy. I’ve been riding the bike around the park most days and this place is pretty big. Lots of RV sites in addition to park models. This place is really starting to empty out with the snowbirds heading north including a lot of Canadians. The neighbors across the street just have the park management put their trailer into storage until they return. That way it’s an easy three-day trip back to Ottawa.

The pool is still over-full, especially after the heavy rain over the weekend. But it’s still nice to float around in. Some of the people there were complaining that it needed to be vacuumed as the wind and rain resulted in some leaf debris on the bottom. 

I’ll be joining the early afternoon test session today. Demand for testing has gone up since the FCC announced a $35 charge for new licenses as of April 19th. This charge was announced quite a while ago but implementation has taken quite a while. In fact, todays candidate mentioned this as his reason for taking the test.

Now, our journey to “RVers” is complete. We now have a Blackstone griddle. Maybe it’s a stereotype but many RVers have a Jeep, e-bikes, inflatable kayaks or stand up paddle boards, and a Blackstone. Now, we fit in… Actually, I’ve been shopping for one for a while but Covid shortages made them hard to find for a while. At least the 22” model I was looking for.

Tuesday (42) - Re-arranged the basement storage so the compressor freezer is on the sliding tray. Now the lid can be opened all the way making it much easier to use.  Of course, this required moving just about everything else. But I think it’s easier to get to most things. 

Day 37, 38, 39 - Clermont, FL - TT

Thursday (37) - A windy day with gusts to 25mph followed by a lot of rain with thunder and lightning. We watched Apollo 13 with Galen and Cindy as a follow up to the KSC visit yesterday. Great movie!

Friday (38) - In the morning I went to the Florida Orange Pass service center as we still hadn’t heard about the tolls from our trip to Key Largo. The website said to allow 10 days and it’s been over three weeks. They had no record of our license plate. But she did mention that there are two independent systems. “Toll-by-Plate” and “Pay-by-Plate”. How about that for confusing. I did pick up a Uni-Pass from Amazon to make this whole toll thing less stressful. It’s on the E-Pass system and works in 19 other states on the eastern seaboard but not in the Midwest where we had run into other toll roads. 

The pool and hot tub are full to overflowing from last nights rain. That means maybe a couple of inches of rain. Water from the pool deck can’t get into the pool so it’s just from the rain. BTW, the pool and jacuzzi were relaxing though the pool was on the warm side on this 80°F day. 

Saturday (39) - Warm, muggy, and overcast. After the early morning test session, I went for a bike ride and I’m at the pool right now. It’s supposed to start raining in a couple of hours so this may be the only time today for the pool. I just float around to cool off then sit around drying off. Easier said than done with the high humidity. 

Shortly after the mid-day test session, it started to rain. The map shows that thunderstorms may be around for the rest of the day. At least there is no significant wind. I could leave the awning out which keeps things (like the e-bikes) dry.