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Florida

December 2005 .........

St Cloud: Laurel's son, Doug, and wife, Suzie, have recently moved from South FLorida to St. Cloud. We visited them for a couple of weeks, spending Christmas there. They live on Lake Tohopekaliga, commonly called Lake Toho. It's an 18,000 acre lake, the second largest in the the 50 mile string in the Kissimmee chain, and is located just South of Orlando. The chain of lakes comprise the Northern section of the great Everglades watershed. The campground we stayed in was called East Lake Fish Camp, and blended well with the very rural feel of area. Fish camps are new to us, but they are very popular in the South. This camp has 100 acres, cabins, a restaurant, boat rentals, air boat rides, an RV park and fishing guides are available. It's a very old camp, as most of them are. We understand this camp is sold and will close in May. There are some old campers in there that haven't moved in 30 years, and some people haven't been to them in many years. It's our understanding the camp sold for $18,000,000. and they are going to build homes and condos. Sure hope they don't tear out all the old trees. Update 2007: As of winter 2006 the Fish Camp is still open for camping, it's our understanding the construction project has been put on hold. Update 2010: As far as Doug knows the project was never started and it is still a fish camp.

Pictured Below: Our campsite at the Fish Camp and Shingle Creek, a 1.4 million square Ft Hotel and Convention Center in Orlando. Son Doug was a superintendent on the project. It was his last project before being transferred to Tennessee.

St Cloud

Melbourne: Coming into Melbourne, on Highway 192, before you cross the bridge over the river, and before you cross I-95, is a little place where you can take an air boat ride. Doug and Suzie told us these rides were better than the ones at the Fish Camp. The ride lasted about 45 minutes and cost $20. each. The guide was an interesting fellow, he kept assuring us airboats were "redneck toys". We saw lots of Alligators, some on the shore and some laying quietly in the middle of the marsh waiting for an unsuspecting duck, and the guide took lots of time getting us up close to the gator's. We had been on an airboat before, however this was a much better trip. The airboat had a 350 HP lycoming airplane engine, extremely powerful and noisy. Ear guards and life vests were furnished, however the guide told us we didn't really need life vests because if we fell out we'd be eaten before we drowned. I hope he was kidding.

Melbourne