Juniper Springs

Juniper Springs is a very old park and campground in the Ocala National Forest. It is one of four major springs in the forest which flow into Lake George or the St. Johns river. Many of the existing structures, including a working water wheel, were erected in the 1930's by the Civilian Conservation Corps(CCC).

The main attraction are two gorgeous fresh water springs, the main Juniper spring boil and a lesser grouping of smaller springs called Fern Hammock. Swimming is not allowed in Fern Hammock and when you see it's natural fragile beauty, you know why.

You can swim in the main spring year round and the river flowing from it makes it's way to Lake George. You can canoe or kayak a 7 mile run to Highway 19. There are also hiking trails; a portion of which is a boardwalk along the spring run. The landscape surrounding the springs and campgrounds are a lush Florida Hammock.

We stayed in the Tropic loop in site 31 in mid October. We were blessed with a early cold snap and enjoyed lots of campfires. This site was very spacious and surrounded by huge live oak trees. It was also very close to the trail leading the main spring.
All the outer sites in the Tropic loop are pull through and most are shady. Many offer good privacy.

This park has no water or electric hook up but we came prepared with lanterns and plenty of water. Generators are allowed during daylight hours. There are restrooms with hot showers and a dish washing station close by and they were clean. The parks staff was very friendly and helpful.

Mosquitoes and flies were not a problem and we did not have any animals raid our campsite the three days there. Even so we were very careful not to leave any food or garbage out because the campground is in bear country.

We were however not so careful about other biting insects. The grounds and surrounding woods must have been crawling with ticks. We all found them crawling on us and three in our party found them attached to their skin. Yuck!

Lesson learned: just because there are no mosquitoes, it's always a good idea to use a good bug repellent especially on your shoes and pants. Check your self and each other often for the nasty parasites.

Overall the Happy Camper highly recommends this campground. The forest, crystal clear flowing springs, and turquoise pools are a Florida must see.

Check out the slide show of Juniper Springs also linked to this site for more pictures of this Florida jewel.

Thanks to Kelli for sharing her wonderful pictures.

Camper Bearings

Fellow campers. You would think everyone would be aware of this but after speaking to a number of boat and camper trailer owners, there is a need to get the word out.
Apparently ALL and I mean all trailers must have their wheel bearings greased and maintained on a regular basis. My husband knew this having had boats for years but had not up until recently greased the camper bearings.
After hearing stories of wheels locking up and even breaking off during route, we decided to take it more seriously. One of our friends had a wheel come off and he watched it roll on ahead of him down the road. This happened on a narrow bridge which was very dangerous. The police instructed him to remove his vehicles to avoid a serious traffic jam. He had to drag his boat and trailer off the bridge with one wheel.
As we prepared for our next trip to Gamble Rogers, I found the camper book and the instructions on greasing the bearings and promptly asked my dear Hubby to take care of this task.
Amazingly on our return trip we saw an unfortunate soul on the side of the road with a wheel missing from the boat trailer. The trailer had made quite a mess as it skidded off the road. We were almost certain this was caused by a bearing problem.
So fellow campers, in the name of safety we urge you to follow your campers instructions and GREASE YOUR BEARINGS!

Grilled Fish in Foil

At our most recent trip to the beach we decided to have some meals with seafood. We had a shrimp boil one night. Then the next we had grilled fish in foil. We used Mahi Mahi but any firm white fish will do. We have done this with grouper, snapper and sea trout as well.
Ingredients:
any firm white fish
salt
1 lime (preferred) or lemon
1/2 med. onion
1 Anaheim pepper (Anaheims are best but any pepper can be used)
olive oil
1 tomato
Chef Paul Prudhomme's Seafood Magic

Make a foil pan large enough to cover fish. Squeeze lime over both sides of fish. Sprinkle both sides with salt and Chef Paul's Seafood magic. Cut up vegetables and in separate bowl toss with olive oil and a little white wine if you have any. At this stage I also cut up and added the left over shrimp from the night before. Pour over fish. Place foil bag (closed lightly) on grill over hot coals for approx. 20 minutes. At this point, carefully open foil and check fish. If it flakes easily and is no longer opaque inside, it is done. This entire process takes less than 40 minutes, is easy and most of all, DELICIOUS! Enjoy.
I have to give my brother Craig credit for this recipe. He fixed it for us once with some variations from this. Be creative, you can add whatever you like to this dish.
Tip: You can find Chef Paul's seasonings at most groceries or through the Amazon link on this page. I always keep the Seafood magic at home and on the camper. It makes any seafood a culinary delight.

Gamble Rogers State Park

We had the privilege of staying in Gamble Rogers State Park Labor Day week. This park is located in Flagler Beach on the Atlantic Ocean. We were camped at site #17 and what a view we had! All of the Gamble Rogers slide show pictures were taken from our site except one. We were delighted to see all the wild flowers covering the dunes. We could sit at our site watching the ocean and butterflies dancing around the wild flowers. Even though it was still summer, we did not need air conditioning because of a constant cool sea breeze.
We were able to take a short walk across a boardwalk right to the beach. This beach has a unique reddish tint to the sand. It was clean and not at all crowded. Many times we would walk the shore and not pass a soul. We swam, fished and took long walks along the shore. We watched the moon rise over the ocean the first night there and it was a beautiful sight to behold. We took a night time walk and could plainly make our way by the moonlight.
Many people were surf fishing and Whiting seemed to be what was running at the time. The park also has a side on the river where there is a boat ramp and fishing dock. In the river you can fish for Redfish, Whiting, Mangrove Snapper and Trout.
Most of the sites do not offer much privacy but if you, like us, enjoy watching the surf and sea, that was not a problem. Due to the sea breeze we were not bothered by any bugs, biting or otherwise. The restrooms were clean and well maintained. There is a dish washing station and per the Park staff there will soon be a washer and dryer. It is a small campground which is nestled between highway A1A and the ocean. We were concerned that the proximity to the road would be a noise problem, but it was not. The sound of the ocean waves was the dominate sound and it was wonderful. The campground was very quiet and as usual, the campers were friendly.
Anyone who loves the beach has to make this one of their camping destinations. We slept all night under the sea breeze and awoke to sound of surf and the sunrise coming in the window each morning. We hated to leave and definitely plan to return.
The Happy Camper recommends this campground. But keep an eye on the weather, especially in hurricane season. We had a storm blow up quickly and sent our awning sailing over the top of our camper. Luckily we only suffered a couple bent poles.

An Angry Mother

We love to hike when on camping trips. During one trip to Blue Spring we decided to take a trail along the river. It was spring time and everything was lush and green. We were looking forward to a nice long morning hike to work up an appetite for lunch. Only a few minutes into our hike we spotted a female wild turkey. This is not unusual. What was unusual was that she did not run. They are extremely shy and once spotted, soon vanish. This one however stayed put and we soon discovered why. There directly at the base of a tree in front of us were several of her chicks. They were so adorable. They were huddled together and peeping. We felt so fortunate to be able to witness this rare scene. I was dying to get a closer look and take some pictures but every time we got closer, mama clearly got upset. The tree they were huddled under was right on the trail and mama was about 15 feet ahead of us. We decided to just walk quietly several feet around them and resume our hike. We figured mama would just run off in the woods. Well she ran, but not in the woods. She came running, flapping and cackling at us. For a split second I froze but not my husband, he went running past me in a blur. I turned and followed with the turkey at our heels. Once out of the woods we laughed so hard and so long it hurt. It was hilarious. Two grown hikers chased out of the woods by a turkey. Lesson learned: don't mess with mama, any mama!

Pan Fried Steak with Mushrooms and Onions

Has this happened to you? You are ready to grill a juicy steak and found the campsite grill was so gross you didn't even want to put your food on it? If not, your lucky. We use tin foil with slits cut in it to cover them for burgers but we did not think that would work for steaks. So once again when camping--improvise. We never go anywhere with out our cast iron skillet (see Granny Knows Best post). We do fish in it a home so I thought, why not steaks? I marinated them for about an hour in lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and McCormick Grill Mate BBQ seasoning(which is great by the way). I don't add salt because salt can toughen meat. Add salt at the table.
We were staying in a cabin at Blue Spring so I pre-cooked the potatoes in a microwave and then wrapped in foil to put on the grill with the meat. Raw potatoes would take forever on an open grill. You could pre-cook them before your trip and re-heat on the grill, or cut them up into cubes, par boil them on a camp stove,then finish in foil and butter on the grill. They are very yummy!
After heating a little oil in the skillet we pan fried the steaks for about 10 minutes on each side with sliced onions and mushrooms. The meal was a success. It makes my mouth water just looking at the picture I added to this post.
So next time you want steaks, give it a try. This method also holds in more of the meats natural juices and the marinade.
The Happy Camper

Alexander Springs - Ocala National Forest

Alexander Springs is one of our favorite places to cool off in the summer. On a 96 degree day, nothing feels better than a refreshing swim at this freshwater spring. The constant 72 degree crystal clear water is just what the doctor ordered on a hot, humid summer day. There is a sizable swimming area ranging from wading depth for kids to the deep boil. You can snorkel, free dive or scuba dive in this spring. Scuba divers must be certified and register with the Park. There is also a sandy beach area for sunbathers and for kids to play. In addition, there is a large day use picnic area with many tables, BBQ grills and several pavilions. After we bought our camper, this park was at the top of the list of campgrounds we wanted to visit.
We stayed there in March of 2009 at site 59 loop 'D'. The campground is wooded and well shaded. All of the sites are beautiful and many offer good privacy. The loop roads are paved and each site has a paved pad for camper and car parking. Do not park your camper or car off this pad as we found out the hard way. The campground hosts will ask you to move it.
This park was a challenge to us since it does not have electric or water hook ups. We managed just fine since the weather was still cool. It was even quite chilly at night. We took several gallon jugs of water and there are potable water stations with in easy access. So we just kept refilling them. We did all our cooking on the campfire or propane stove. Camping lanterns were our lights at night. It really was a lot fun, roughing it a little.
Since our visit was in the spring, we did not swim although many people swim year round. Some wore wetsuits which is what we would like to try. But there are lots of other activities to do besides swimming. There are several good hiking trails,our favorite follows the spring run through the hardwood hammock. You can also canoe the spring run and river(the park offers canoe rentals). In addition you can fish from two fishing docks along the river or from your canoe. This campground is also great for star gazing. It is far enough away from any cities so the night sky, if clear, is absolutely gorgeous.
Many campers used generators and that was a little annoying to listen too. Also, I would not recommend the south side of loop 'D' or and sites close to the road which goes to the park. Traffic noise was somewhat bothersome. When we visit again we plan to stay in loop 'B'.
The bathrooms and showers were clean. We were not troubled by animals or bugs on this trip although the Ocala National Forest is known for its large black bear population. So be sure to follow all the campground guide lines regarding food storage. We definitely want to go back to this campground. The Happy Camper recommends this campground during the fall through spring months. Check out the spring on a hot summer day as well. If you go during the summer, go early, the park fills up fast and the thunderstorms come early.

Remember to keep a green site, only wash dishes in approved areas.

Granny Knows Best

My mother in law Doris,aka Granny,knew a secret that took me years to learn: cast iron is the best type of cookware for many meals and recipes and is a must for camping. We inherited Granny's cast iron skillet. I did not really use it until my own mother got cancer and began researching some of the poisons we put in our bodies. One of the first things she discarded was her Teflon pans. It is reported (though I can't substantiate it) that these pans give off toxins when heated at high heat. I cooked everything in them and it did give me the creeps when they would get old and start to "shed" some of the coating. So I started cooking in cast iron or stainless steel only. At first the cast iron seemed cumbersome and hard to clean. It is so heavy.
I had people tell me not to wash it. That just did not seem right. So, wash them I did and stuff would stick. I would have to soak and then wash them again. I learned how to re-season them and this would make them non-stick for a while. Over time I began to appreciate them and became stronger by handling them. I bought a new Lodge brand skillet and read the instructions on how to care for it. It said "Do not wash with soap, only rinse and wipe with warm water".
Ok, ok I gave it a try and have never looked back. They are truly non-stick. I use them almost daily and of course, for camping. I could forget many things and get by with out them camping but I could never forget my cast iron skillet and Dutch oven. They are perfect for campfire cooking. You can cook anything in the Dutch oven and the skillet is great breakfast, steaks, sandwiches, the list could go on and on. And the best thing is they are tough. We throw them in the back of the truck and go. You can heat a little water in them over the fire when you are done cooking, then wipe them out and they are ready for the next meal. I have seen so many campers struggling with all sorts of pots and pans. All you really need is a cast iron skillet and Dutch oven. I really don't know about the Teflon thing but hey, I know the cast iron won't hurt anyone unless you drop it on your foot! Seriously, do be careful--they get very hot! Always handle with a pot holder or oven mitts. It takes some practice but once you get used to them, you will never go back. I would not however recommend them for back pack camping, unless that is you are a glutton for punishment.
The Happy Camper

Lake Louisa State Park

We stayed at Lake Louisa State Park in Oct. of 2008. It was our first camping trip with our pop up camper. We live 10 minutes from this park and are familiar with it so it was the perfect place to try out our new camper. We stayed at site #30 next to one of the fishing docks with a good view of one of the lakes. This site did offer good sunsets but if you like privacy, you may not like this site since the walkway to the dock was right next it. The campground is nestled between two small pristine lakes, Dixie and Hammond. Both lakes have fishing docks and you can launch a canoe or john boat. No gasoline motors are allowed in these lakes. You can also access Lake Louisa from the park. It is a large lake and is part of a chain of lakes in Clermont. This site offers a swimming beach and picnic areas at this lake. This park also has many hiking and horse trails. We have hiked many of them. Some are in the forest and hammock, some are in the scrub and some are in the open. Our favorite trail runs along Big Creek a creek which runs out of the Green Swamp and into Lake Louisa. We enjoyed fishing, hiking and just relaxing by the campfire. This is a new campground and everything is top notch. There are 3 main loops, very nice bathrooms and washer dryers. There is not much shade however but this will increase as the trees planted by the park begin to grow.
We would recommend this park in the fall and winter months, epically if you like to fish. Some of the biggest speckled perch we have ever caught were out of Lake Dixie off the dock. Alligators can also be seen on these lakes, but don't feed or harrass them. Otters can also be spotted and well as eagles.
The Happy Camper

Squiddo Lens: Crazy about Florida

Who knew, what's a Squiddo? A month ago we had never heard of it. Squiddo is another site where you can create a web site for free. They call it a lens. It is so easy and fun to create a lens on Squiddo. We decided to create a site that has a broader content base. It includes camping but also boating, beaches, hiking, and exploring Florida in many different ways. We may even touch on antiquing. Who knows, check it out, its lots of fun.
The Happy Camper

Grilled Pork Kabobs

Another Easy Recipe
I know, I know, another pork one. But this recipe could also be used for chicken or shrimp.
Ingredients:
1 clove garlic or 1 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp soy sauce
4 tsp olive oil: olive is best but regular vegetable is ok
2 tsp lemon juice
pepper to taste
cherry tomatoes
pineapple chunks
2 to 4 boneless chops or white meat of choice

Combine all ingredients and left over pineapple juice and marinate in zip lock bag for one hour. Make into kabobs and grill approx. 10-20 minutes, depending on the fire and portions, and voe la, that's it!
And as always if you are camping and don't have all these ingredients, improvise. A little vinegar could substitute for lemon. Any tasty veggies will do. Have fun and be creative.
The Happy Camper

Camper Awnings

This may seem like something we should know but if it had not been for a fellow campers misfortune, we may not have thought about it. We typically camp in the fall to spring months and had not encountered any large amounts of rain. However, our friends did and during the night water ponded on their awning until it collapsed. Lesson learned always make one end a little lower to allow water to run off. On a trip to Sebastian Inlet it rained quite a lot and this saved our awning. Also if you have time and a storm is approaching, it's a good idea to take down the awning. Several campers lost their awnings in one of the storms.

Keep it simple

Always take tin foil camping. It has so many uses. Of course you can cook in it, then wrap up the leftovers. No messy plastic bags to fool with, then re-heat in the foil.
Use it to cover a dirty grill or better yet, ball it up and scrape heated grill grate to clean. We forgot our grill brush once and the foil worked great.
Even been camping and it would not stop raining long enough to keep a fire going or cook? Use foil to "tent" the fire. Use sticks or a campfire tripod for support. Just leave a small opening for a vent and your fire will stay lit in the rain.
Use it to cover a pot if you don't have lid.
I am sure there are many others, just take some along and see.

Hillsborough River State Park

The first time we visited Hillsborough River we were astonished at the rare beauty we found. A large portion of the river that runs through the park has enough drop in elevation and rocks in it to produce rushing water and small rapids. There are long walking trails on both sides along the river with a wonderful Florida hammock surrounding it. You can hear the sound of rushing water as you approach the rapids, much like the creeks and rivers of the mountains. The water is clear and fish and alligators can be sighted easily. The campground is just as beautiful and there are sites which are with in a short walk of the river and a canoe launch. We stayed there for 4 days in April at site #25. The majority of the sites are large and have lots of trees and shade. The sites have easy to reach electric and water. The restrooms and showers were aging but clean(this park is one of the oldest in Florida). We took our canoe and were able to launch and use it with ease. A canoe ride on this river is a must. The water was clear with a bluish/green tint from the limestone content. We saw many birds, fish, alligators, and turtles. April is mating season for alligators so we were extra careful not to disturb them. This park also boasts a hugh shallow swimming pool open in the summer months to cool off. It's a great place to bring the kids. There are many picnic areas and pavilions. Fishing is allowed in several areas. There is however no swimming allowed in the river due to the alligators. With the exception of the squirrels (see the "Campsite Vandals" story) we had a wonderful time. The Happy Camper recommends this campground or just a visit to see this natural treasure. If you would like to see more pictures of this park visit the Parks website.

Grilled Tarragon Pork Chops

Here's an easy one!
Ingredients:
pork chops
potatoes
corn or vegetable of choice
salt and pepper to taste
tarragon
soy sauce
butter
olive oil
Marinate chops in soy sauce, olive oil(any vegetable oil will do but olive is best),tarragon and pepper (use a little salt if you don't have soy sauce) for up to one hour. Parboil cubed potatoes on camp stove for approx. 10 minutes or until just tender but not soft. We used left over corn from night before. Cut off cob and place in tin foil with salt, pepper and butter. When potatoes are done also put in foil with butter and season as desired. Grill all over camp fire or camp grill. Chops, depending on size, will take 20 to 30 minutes. If you don't have any of these ingredients, improvise. That's the fun of camping. You could substitute parsley, rosemary or thyme for tarragon or just use salt and pepper. We save the little packets from eating out like catsup, mustard or soy sauce and keep them with our camping stuff. Butter and foil are a must in the camping supplies. Butter adds so much flavor when other ingredients are scarce. You can hike it off later! We also do a lighter (olive oil instead of butter) version of this recipe on our BBQ at home. We try many of our meals at home first. The BBQ grill is a great place to experiment! Once again, remember to keep a GREEN site. Don't burn any plastics on the campfire.
The Happy Camper

Sebastian Inlet State Park

We visited Sebastian Inlet State Park in May of 2009. Our site was #9 along the back stretch along the wooded area between the campground and the ocean. We picked this site from aerial views because it appeared to have some shade. When we arrived we were offered open sites on the Indian River but after looking at them decided to stay where we were. Site 9 and several others on that stretch did have a considerable amount of shade. Later we were thankful we stayed where we were. The campground was clean and well maintained as well as the restrooms. The middle restroom did however have some septic problems and the washing machines were out of order. The campground proximity to the river and ocean was great. We took our bikes and rode to the beach often. The beach and river there are beautiful and were not very crowded, however we were not their on a weekend. My husband and a friend put their boat in at a ramp just down from the campground- very convenient! We enjoyed fishing, swimming, bicycling and nature watching. We saw lots of porpoises, manatees and many birds. We had a couple storms come from the mainland/river side. The campers on the river side got the worst of it. We did not have any trouble with animals or bugs except some fire ants at the site. The campground hosts and rangers were all very helpful. The Happy Camper recommends this campground especially to anyone who loves the ocean, beach, boating and fishing. For tent campers we would recommend choosing a site away from the river as they offer some protection from storms.

Campsite Vandals

It was our 25th wedding anniversary and we were spending it doing what we love best, camping of course. If you are relatively new to camping as we are you hear all the warnings and stories about animals looking for food whether it is bears, raccoons, birds or whatever: “Don’t feed the wildlife, hang your food from a tree, lock it in your car”. We have had raccoons crawl on our camper at night and in the morning seen their tracks everywhere, especially all over the truck where we stashed our food for the night. So we had some experience with these pesky critters.
So here we are at one of the most beautiful Florida state parks we have ever seen-Hillsborough River. We were trying out a new camper we had bought as an anniversary present to each other. We had a gorgeous camp site nestled in a hammock of live oaks, cabbage palms, Florida holly and magnolias just a few yards from the river. The weather was perfect. After setting up we noticed something. The squirrels were huge and practically surrounded us. There were dozens all around our site begging. They would come right up to the camper door and even come sniff your feet if you stood still long enough. We of course did not feed them and tried to ignore them. We had lots of plans: canoeing, hiking, fishing.
The next day we planned a hike after lunch. The weather was so nice I left the camper windows open to catch the breezes. We had a wonderful hike along the river. After which we headed back to start preparing our anniversary dinner. We approached the camper and my husband exclaimed “there is a squirrel in the camper!” I said “you’re kidding!” But as we looked in sure enough he was running circles all around the camper trying to get out. My husband went in to chase him out and I handing him the broom. What a scene; seeing him running around the camper chasing this squirrel with a broom. He finally got him to go out the front door and I went in to access the damage. He had eaten a hole through the window screen to get in. Our new camper was now christened. He tried unsuccessfully to get into a package of sweet rolls after which he gave up and settled for a bag of dinner rolls. The little bugger! The camper was a mess. We were NOT happy campers! But looking back the scene was hilarious.
Needless to say after that I learned my lesson. NO more food in the camper unless I was cooking. No more open windows when we left. They pestered us the entire trip looking in windows and begging for food. We knew these squirrels had done this before. The big male who broke in was relentless and kept trying to get in the camper. You could tell he was the alpha male by the way he chased the other squirrels away of and by the size of his family jewels. We called him little big nuts. Lesson learned-never underestimate the ability of animals to get to food.
We went to the store and bought some repellant which touted its ability to repel rodents, squirrels included. It did not work. They sniffed it and carried on about their begging and searching. If anyone knows of any sure fire way to repel squirrels, PLEASE let us know! Only humane and green suggestions please. We try our best to have a green campsite!
The Happy Camper- well most of the time

Camp Fire Pizza Recipe

Ever been out camping and had a craving for pizza? Well you can have it. Of course it takes some planning before you leave or a quick trip to the store. You will need dough. Some groceries have pre-made pizza dough like Publix which works well 0r pizza dough in the refrigerated section. A cast iron skillet is essential and really is essential for all campfire cooking. Coat the bottom of the pan with vegetable oil. After rolling the dough ( a plastic water bottle works in a pinch) spread on the bottom of the pan.
I used thinly sliced tomatoes rather than sauce as the base. Then add the toppings of your choice and cover. If you do not have a cover, tin foil works too. Place over campfire grate at least 6" over hot coals. This is not an exact science so check your crust often. Ours took about 45 minutes and it was great! Happy Camping.

Ingredients for this pie:

pizza dough

4 small tomatoes

2 cups mozzarella cheese

turkey pepperoni

thinly sliced onion

garlic powder

pinch of red pepper

fresh basil leaves