LEAVE NOTHING BUT FOOTPRINTS

We recently visited central Florida's Blue Spring State Park in Orange City, FL, the winter home to almost 500 West Indian manatees.

Talk about winter visitors trying to find a place to get warm!

Florida State Parks are proud of "America's Best State Park" Designation!

Blue Spring Gift Shop with Snorkel/Scuba Rentals 

Stay for the weekend in a full furnished cabin!

Abundance of turtles, birds, fish and wildlife 

A Florida Manatee and calf at Blue Spring

 Other animals that make Blue Spring a home is the Florida scrub jay, gopher tortoise and black bear. This area is the home of one of only two known locations for the Okeechobee gourd.

Florida Scrub Jay - Blue Spring

All types of Florida birds life thrive in this environment

Tucked within 2,643 acres are 15 natural communities, a lagoon, a north-flowing river and a first-magnitude spring that discharges over 104 million gallons of water into the St. Johns River on a daily basis.

Manatees are well protected at Blue Spring

Boardwalk through shade areas

We enjoyed the one-third mile boardwalk that follows the flowing Blue Spring run through a shady hardwood hammock.

The water is 72-degrees year round and abounds with fish, manatees and tropical birds. They are very well protected away from areas where swimmers and scuba divers converge.  There are 3 covered pavilions if you care to have a picnic or simply rest.

Many covered and uncovered picnic areas

If you bring a bicycle there is a 4 mile, one way Pine Island Hiking Trail.  Facilities include 50 campsites equipped with water, electricity, picnic tables, fire rings and 6 fully equipped cabins.  

If you desire to explore the river further, rent a canoe, kayak or take a kayak tour or experience native plants and wildlife on a 2 hour river cruise.

Leisurely kayaks enjoy the Spring

The on-site Florida pioneer Louis Thursby House is over 100 years old and offers an insight to early Florida pioneer living.   Louis Thursby purchased Blue Spring in 1856 and built a 3 story house atop a large Indian midden in 1872.  Before the railroad rolled through in the 1880s, Thursby's Blue Spring Landing was a hotbed of steamboat activity shipping tourists and goods to Jacksonville and beyond.  Mrs. Mary Thursby was Orange City's first postmistress.

Louis Thursby Home - Blue Spring

Louis Thursby House has withstood the test of time since 1872

The State of Florida purchased Blue Spring in 1972 recognizing the importance of this area being a winter refuge to the manatee.

Blue Spring is enjoyed by thousands of visitors every year.  The beauty and history of this important spring is definitely something to be protected for all to enjoy.

EVERYTHING WAS PEACHY IN PERRY!

99TH International FMCA Convention

Georgia State Fairgrounds, Perry, GA

We attended the Spring 99th International Family Motor Coach Association in Perry, Georgia. This event brought almost 2,300 motor coaches and towable recreational vehicles together for fun, fellowship and interesting RV education opportunities. 

99th International FMCA Convention - Perry, GA

99th International FMCA Convention - Perry, GA

Sometimes a few coaches may be sold by the many RV manufacturers who attend every year.  Placing all the components into place and organizing this event is mind boggling to me because we play a very small part in helping to make the convention a success.

ARTitude Adjustment (It's FUN art...not FINE art) is a painting class presented at national RV rallies, manufacturer rallies, private RV resorts (for the past 8 years) as well as at the Florida Grande Motor Coach Resort where we spend our winters.    

Registration for classes
99th International FMCA Convention - Perry, GA

During the week of the FMCA convention RV and I (and our ABA's) present 3 ARTitude Adjustment classes.  An ABA is an "able bodied assistant"...something you need when you are teaching a class, and we make sure we have lots of help to make the class go smooth.   In addition to our classes, there are other craft classes to choose from if that is what interests you.... like jewelry making, quilting, etc.

The theme for this rally was "Peachy In Perry" and we were asked to present a class using a peach design.  Besides the peach tote bag we also presented a class making alcohol ink domino pendants and a class using acrylic paint with Chalk Couture silk transfers.

Peachy In Perry class picture

"Live Life In Flip Flops"
Chalk Couture Transfer Class

Alcohol Ink Domino Pendant Class

Peaches were everywhere ... peach pies, peach cobblers, peach milk shakes, peach jam, everything peaches as well as a peach tote bag!  

Peachy In Perry Tote Bag Design

Looking around Perry there are probably just as many pecan orchards as peaches!

So after a fun week of visiting with friends, teaching enthusiastic and happy campers, we pack up everything and return to our winter base in Webster, FL.  This has been a busy season for ARTitude Adjustment and our last class of the season is today - painting beautiful Habotai 100% silk scarves! 

Did I forget to say Happy St. Patrick's Day?!  It seems like we spend just about every St. Patrick's Day in Perry, GA.

It's been an extremely busy season for us and I'm looking forward to a little slower pace.  This is the time of year many RVers develop "hitch itch" and start thinking about returning home and moving to cooler climates. 

To all our RV snowbird friends on the move....... safe travels and happy trails wherever your "wheel estate" takes you across this great country of ours.

BEAUTY OUT OF ASHES

Dade Battlefield Historic State Park - Bushnell, FL

Our winter domicile is in an area of great historical significance near the 80 acre Dade Battlefield Historic Park in Bushnell, FL.  Until we stayed in this area we weren't aware of the importance of this State Park in Sumter County, Florida, discovering that this was the site of one of the most important and deadliest battles in the history of the United States.  This park preserves the Second Seminole War (the longest conflict in the first 195 years of American History) battlefield which was fought on December 28, 1835, and marks the area where tribal Seminole warriors fought soldiers under the command of Major Francis L. Dade.  Each year a reenactment of Dade's Massacre is held to retell the story.

Dade Battlefield State Park - "National Gold Medal Winter"

The activities held at the Park are always interesting and very well organized so I invited a friend to a High Tea which was held in the Lodge which holds 96 people, has a kitchen and facilities most comfortable for wedding and special events.  

High Tea - Dade Battlefield 

Since attending gourd classes, silk scarf dying classes and pine needle art classes, I had a pretty good idea we would definitely enjoy ourselves.  That was an understatement! 

Gourd Classes held at Dade Battlefield

Silk Scarf Classes - Dade Battlefield

High Tea - Dade Battlefield - 2019

High Tea - Dade Battlefield State Park - 2019

High Tea - Dade Battlefield State Park - 2019

High Tea - Dade Battlefield State Park - 2019

My Friend, Sandy Gallup - High Tea - Dade Battlefield State Park - 2019

The High Tea was hosted by the Dade Battlefield Society, an organization since 1987, which supports the preservation of the natural and cultural heritage of this area.  Through living history events, nature programs, social functions, educational and recreational activities, festivals, and the annual reenactment of Dade's Battle, the non-profit Dade Battlefield Society operates exclusively for charitable purposes.

Beautiful Dade Battlefield Historic Park - Bushnell, FL

Now when we hear of an activity or event at the Dade Battlefield Historic Park we make plans well in advance and know this will be an opportunity to enhance our own cultural awareness.

AN ALTERNATIVE TO SNOW

Motorhome View of Travel in the United States

In 11 years of full time motorhome travel we have met hundreds of helpful people and learned so much about the motorhome lifestyle.  In addition, this lifestyle has taken us to numerous places we would never have seen had we not selected this unusual yet popular way to see our beautiful country.

Manufacturer's Rally - Goshen, IN

About 8 years ago I developed an art therapy and painting class for RVer's called "ARTitude Adjustment - It's FUN art...not FINE art", specifically aimed to entertain at RV rallies, RV manufacturer's meetings, RV conventions,  and we started seeing a positive pattern.  When ladies would sign up for a class at a rally in Georgia or Florida in the winter, it was possible and probable I would see many of them again when we held classes in the north in the summer.  And then we would become friends on social media!  Once someone comes to ARTitude Adjustment we look forward to seeing them again ..... because it's 2 hours of fun as well as getting to know each other.

RiverBend Motor Coach Resort
LaBelle, FL

RiverBend Motor Coach Resort
LaBelle, FL

RiverBend Motor Coach Resort
LaBelle, FL

RiverBend Motor Coach Resort on the
Caloosahatchee River
LaBelle, FL

A couple of years ago we were invited to present ARTitude Adjustment painting classes at a beautiful Class A motorhome resort in LaBelle, FL called RiverBend Motor Coach Resort.  That year I had pneumonia and had to cancel the scheduled classes.  This year we re-scheduled the classes and we are so glad we did!  RiverBend is a beautiful resort on the Caloosahatchee River and is a tropical oasis when you visit Florida during the winter months.

Class Project Completed by 

ARTitude Adjustment Class

RiverBend Motor Coach Resort

LaBelle, FL

Class Project
ARTitude Adjustment Class
RiverBend Motor Coach Resort
LaBelle, FL

ARTitude Adjustment Class
RiverBend Motor Coach Resort
LaBelle, FL

ARTitude Adjustment Class
RiverBend Motor Coach Resort
LaBelle, FL

 RiverBend definitely has some of the warmest and friendliest people ever, but we also saw friends we had previously met at other classes in other locations.  My husband, Bob, assisted me in the presentation of all three classes.   Classes were full of enthusiastic people, not just ladies (a retired Presbyterian minister participated), with all levels of artistic experience.

RiverBend Motor Coach Resort
LaBelle, FL

RiverBend Motor Coach Resort
LaBelle, FL

Welcome to our Paradise  - Slate painted by
RiverBend Motor Coach Lot Owner

We thoroughly enjoyed the hospitality extended by RiverBend Motor Coach Resort residents and have been invited to return next season.   We like to say about ARTitude Adjustment...It's FUN art...not FINE art!