Tuesday.
I woke up to a foggy morning which I'm sure will burn off as time goes on. I switched my EzPass for Florida's SunPass and off I went toward Clermont starting out about 10 am. Arriving around 1:00 pm I did travel along the Florida Turnpike, a toll road. Last night, imagine sleeping with no heat, no AC, just plain ol' fresh air. Bedtime temperature was 68°. What a stark contrast from the past few weeks at home. Yes, I believe we've had a very mild winter both temperature-wise and snow amounts. I'm sure there'll be disagreement but that's my experience with winter. I think I have a good attitude about weather: as long as I'm able to wake up and experience it, I'm a happy camper. Here in Clermont, FL temps will reach a high of 84° and the low will be 64°. No problem. Clermont, known as "the gem of the hills," is a small city with a population of about 35,000 and is located 22 miles west of Orlando and is surrounded by gently sloping hills in an otherwise flat state. It's home to one of the first constructed landmarks in Florida: the Citrus Tower. It was built in 1956 on one of the highest hills in the area and serves as a monument to Florida’s citrus industry. It stands 226 feet high and has a glass-enclosed observation deck at the top.
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| Photo by "Shyguy" |
The photo that is at the top of my blog page depicts my last year's stay here at Thousand Trails.
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| Site D-140, way out of the way and a well shaded site. |
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| Site D-140 |
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| Thank you, Beca |
It's an extensive layout and in the process of expanding. It's run like a time share. Membership affords you stays in any of the "zones" you've chosen for reduced rates. Check it out at: https://thousandtrails.com/ The membership per year is way more than I would save because of my limited travel time so I pay full fare which is only $65/night. My history of visiting this section of Florida is due to my friends Vicki/George, Ray/Kathy and Trish/Craig, all residents. A big thank you to them for providing me all the wonderful memories. Those memories have been captured in the blogs listed below. If you're interested, they're listed below in chronological order; just click on the red link to read all about it.
2017 Skipped a winter trip to Florida. In July, I traveled instead cross country to visit son, Chuck and family in San Jose, CA.
2019 Spoiler alert: Lots of pictures of food. (Yes, I'm aware how much you don't like looking at photos of food)
After a bit of a wait while other campers were being escorted to their site, I finally settled in at site #D-140; very shaded with a flat, sandy surface and NO INTERNET. This will be a problem. Turning on my own hotspot with the iPhone improved the situation. There's another BIG THANK YOU to Ray, Tony, Jack and George who chauffeured me back and forth from my campsite to theirs about a mile away. This included our dining trips to locations outside the campgrounds.
Wednesday Ray picked me up and we traveled the mile back to Elite Resort for the rest of the day. The Hudson Islanders gathered for a "Meet and Greet" at President Tony/Doreen's site. There is a large number of members of our RV group that live right here in Elite at Citrus Valley. Goodies contributed by the members satisfied the day's requirement for food (and drink).
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| Sharon and Bob |
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| Jack |
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| ACR |
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| Beth and Todd |
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| Kathy |
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| Chris and Mike |
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| Todd and Ray |
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| Tony |
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| Chris and Doreen |
Thursday evening's last minute trip to Corelli's in Clermont for dinner was, once again a treat having been here last year; a return treat. Tonight, just Tony, Doreen, Jack, Noreen and I. Okay, you know who you are. Close your eyes and scroll down. Here comes food.
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| Pasta a la vodka...I had mine with ziti |
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Lasagna with Ricotta Cheese, Mozzarella Cheese,
Beef, Onion, and Green Peppers |
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Fettuccine Carbonara: Bacon, Ham, Peas,
and Black Olives in a Cream Sauce |
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| Manicotti stuffed with ricotta |
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Chicken parmigiana - Breaded Chicken Cutlet
with Marinara Sauce and Mozzarella Cheese |
Needless to say, the portions were huge...very huge and will provide future meals for each of us.
Friday - Valentine's Day - Kathy, Ray and I traveled to Celebration, FL to enjoy the hospitality of old (young) friends, Craig and Trish. Sadly, with George still under the weather with the stomach bug that's been around this area, Vicki thought it best to bow out of the invitation. Spaghetti with shrimp, baked lasagna, crab cakes, salad and a terrific Cabernet topped off a delicious meal. Thank you Trish and Craig.
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| Trish |
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| Trish and Craig |
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| Kathy |
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| Ray |
Saturday Ray and I enjoyed our morning coffee at my site after which he drove me over to Elite. It was a relaxing day as I sat around the Tony/Jack's site. The weather was once again beautiful; breezy, mostly sunny and temps in low 70's. Knowing I was there for the day, I brought all I needed including my electronics, my food and my wine. Being with friends is always enjoyable and rewarding.
Sunday my Uber was George. Back at Elite I enjoyed the company of Vicki and George at their site. They're permanent residents here and travel north for family (and me..LOL). There, I did some computer work for VC and in the evening visited Jack who, along with Noreen drove me back to Thousand Trails.
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Hannah, an art student, was
proud to show off her new ink. |
Monday. Tonight's dining out took us to OakWood Smokehouse and Grill in Clermont. Hannah, our waitress, took good care of us and we enjoyed BBQ at its best according to their awards, three years, for their baby back ribs.
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| L to R: Walt, Fran, Vicki, ACR, Tony, Doreen, Kathy, Ray |
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Pulled pork w/BBQ sauce. It was everything
I anticipated...delicious. |
Tomorrow morning, I'm off to Delray Beach, FL, about 200 miles southeast. I have a full agenda of visiting and dining. Check in again next week. Till then, stay well, stay warm and stay safe. Drop a comment or two....I already know your thoughts on food; keep them to yourself.
I woke up to a foggy morning which I'm sure will burn off as time goes on. I switched my EzPass for Florida's SunPass and off I went toward Clermont starting out about 10 am. Arriving around 1:00 pm I did travel along the Florida Turnpike, a toll road. Last night, imagine sleeping with no heat, no AC, just plain ol' fresh air. Bedtime temperature was 68°. What a stark contrast from the past few weeks at home. Yes, I believe we've had a very mild winter both temperature-wise and snow amounts. I'm sure there'll be disagreement but that's my experience with winter. I think I have a good attitude about weather: as long as I'm able to wake up and experience it, I'm a happy camper. Here in Clermont, FL temps will reach a high of 84° and the low will be 64°. No problem. Clermont, known as "the gem of the hills," is a small city with a population of about 35,000 and is located 22 miles west of Orlando and is surrounded by gently sloping hills in an otherwise flat state. It's home to one of the first constructed landmarks in Florida: the Citrus Tower. It was built in 1956 on one of the highest hills in the area and serves as a monument to Florida’s citrus industry. It stands 226 feet high and has a glass-enclosed observation deck at the top. 
Saturday Ray and I enjoyed our morning coffee at my site after which he drove me over to Elite. It was a relaxing day as I sat around the Tony/Jack's site. The weather was once again beautiful; breezy, mostly sunny and temps in low 70's. Knowing I was there for the day, I brought all I needed including my electronics, my food and my wine. Being with friends is always enjoyable and rewarding.
