November's Adventures (and December's)
During our last few days in the Keys, we went to Key West again. We parked at Fort Zachary Taylor and then walked to downtown Key West. We started out the morning by visiting the Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory. It was a series of two rooms: the first had displays and TV screens showing butterfly facts; and the next was a walk-through conservatory with melodic music, exotic birds, and lovely plants. Of course, it also had butterflies. One landed on my hair, another landed on my dad's shirt, and a third perched on my mom's leg. There were several different species of butterflies, ranging from big blue ones to small red and black ones. Feeding stations for the butterflies and bird feeders for the birds could be found along the narrow brick path, along with benches and a small gazebo where you could observe flamingos in the pond. Since it was mating season, the flamingos were quite loud, but it was very cool to hear and see them. We went back later in the day again, and each time we had a different experience.
On the rest of our day in Key West, we went to a small cafe called Sugar Apple Cafe, where we ordered the vegan tempeh reuben. It was so good, I definitely would get it again. We also walked by a Catholic church that had served as a hospital for soldiers during the Spanish-American war. I was so fascinated to find a real building that had been a part of a war I'd only read about in school. That night, we re-visited Mallory Square, where we watched another street performer. He was very talented, and provided great entertainment.
We spent a lot of time at the campground on our last few days in the Keys, and during that time I met a new friend, Peyton, who's only a year younger than me. We had a great time together, talking and visiting the manatees in the marina (yes, you could just walk out to the marina at the campground and manatees would be right there). She is super nice, and I was able to see her again at the campsite in Orlando. I met lots of new friends at the campground, and we had a really awesome time there. But all good things have to come to an end, and on Monday the 15th, we packed up and drove eight hours back to Orlando.
Thousand Trails Orlando (TTO) was a giant campground with over 1000 sites. Every day an activity was scheduled; including things like a coffee social, karaoke night, and turkey craft. Our first site we chose wasn't level at all, and very cramped; so we stayed only one night and then moved to the newer section, which was very nice with a level concrete pad and plenty of space. The site was a back-in site, which posed a problem because my dad hadn't had much experience with backing in. We were struggling until our neighbor, Steve, came up and offered to help. He directed my dad and had us in the site in no time.
The day after we moved sites, my mom and I went out for another mother-daughter date, but it didn't go as expected. We were only a few minutes down the road when we heard strange sounds coming from the truck. My mom pulled over into a restaurant parking lot and checked the tire pressure. It was at three. So my mom called roadside assistance with our insurance, and they arrived soon. The man changing the tire did so quickly, and was very polite. We were so thankful that we hadn't had a blowout and that we'd been able to pull over into a parking lot instead of sitting on the side of the interstate, waiting for roadside assistance. My mom and I were still able to go on our day, and we had a great time. After lunch at Chipotle, we looked around in shops. I love Christmas time, and the shops were decorated in holiday style, which made me very Christmas-spirit-y. Our last stop was Panera, where we researched for activities out in the western U.S. I loved having time with her, and it was a good day despite our flat tire.
We spent the next few days at home. We had some rainy weather, but that just made it extra cozy in Cleo. Mia played with a couple of girls in the camper next to us, and I did schoolwork.
Our first Thanksgiving in Cleo was so good. We spent in in Florida, despite not being with extended family, it was a wonderful first RV holiday. Every Thanksgiving I watch the Macy's Thanksgiving parade, and this Thanksgiving was no exception. During the parade, my mom whipped up a traditional vegan Thanksgiving meal: mashed potatoes, greens, black-eyed peas, and homemade biscuits. For dessert, I enjoyed chocolate pudding. Our friends from Florida who had by now moved into their own camper, came over after lunch. We played outside with some other kids from around the campground. For the rest of the afternoon, Mia and I went swimming; then we went back to prepare for the big Thanksgiving get-together in the campground for full-time RV families. There were dozens of families, all gathered together, and the kids started a huge game of Ultimate Tag; which was a blast!
The next week was spent hanging out with friends we'd met down the road: Shae, Owen, and Shiloh. We played every day: Ultimate Tag, Among Us, Dance School, Legos, Dolls, Coloring, and more. We'd play with other kids too, and we'd play for hours, then have movie nights together. It was amazing.
But Shae, Owen, and Shiloh had to leave near the very beginning of December. We hugged one another goodbye so many times, I lost count. But the good news is, we have reservations at the same time for a campground in Texas, so this wasn't the last time we'd be seeing them.
Mia's birthday was on December 3, and my nana and great-grandma had come in the day before with my nana's camper and a special surprise guest: Mia's cat, Finn! Mia and I cried, we were so happy to see him. He was even softer than we remembered, and so cute. The night before Mia's birthday, we invited Shae, Owen, and Shiloh over for one last night. We had cake and cupcakes, rode scooters and bikes, and played Cops and Robbers, Legos, and more. That night, Mia asked my mom, "You know how this night could have been better?" "How?" she asked. "It couldn't have been," was Mia's reply.
The next day, Mia's official birthday, we went to Sea World Orlando for the first time. It was so fun. We rode the most intense roller coasters Mia and I had ever been on; including one called Manta where you went upside down and rode in a flying position, with your chest facing the ground. The other roller coaster, Mako, had a 200 foot drop that made my mom question if we'd survive. I had to hold my glasses onto my face with one hand, while holding on for dear life with the other hand. For the rest of the day, we also rode a couple of water rides, saw three AWESOME shows (my favorite was the dolphin show: magical), and went to see animals like dolphins, penguins (yes, real life penguins), sea dragons, and sharks. Overall, it was a fantastic day.
We left for our next campground in Bradenton, Florida, on December 5. But the night before, my family and Peyton's family went to dinner at Chipotle together. Peyton's friend Lydia joined us, and she was really nice. I hope to see her again on our RV experience.
Our campsite in Bradenton was only four sites away from my nana's, so we went over often to eat dinner together, play cards, or just hang out. Our campsite was very private and had a little backyard; with trees to hang up our hammock in. The hammock was awesome, I loved rocking in it and watching the palm trees wave back and forth in the wind.
While in Bradenton, we stayed busy with lots of day trips (and some night trips). We went to TECO (Tampa Electric Company) to walk the trails and see the manatees. Manatees came to the water outside of the company, since the company released warm water that attracted manatees. We saw a mama manatee with her calf (I was snapping pictures like crazy) and a manatee that had been injured by the red tide released back into the wild after being nursed back to health at Sea World. It wasn't an everyday occurrence, and I was so happy we were there to experience that.
I went shopping with my nana, great-grandma, and Mia on another day. We spent six hours out, and shopped till we dropped. I got a new jean jacket at Marshalls, and was so happy with it.. It goes with almost everything! I always love shopping at Christmas time; all the shops are decorated and have their holiday merchandise on display. We also got some exciting news while we were out that day. We were going to get to go to Disney. So on Tuesday, we got up before six A.M. and drove nearly two hours to Hollywood Studios.
We started the day off with one of Disney's newest rides: Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railroad. It was fun, but not one of our favorites; so we headed to a ride we loved: Rock 'n' Roller Coaster. We spent the morning at Hollywood Studios, then rode the monorail to Magic Kingdom. That night we went to Epcot to watch the fireworks show Harmonious, which was a light show/ fireworks show with good music. We didn't get home until past midnight, but I had an fantastic day that I won't forget.
One day we went to Historic Manatee Village (the area is called Manatee, manatees didn't live in this village) and I was loving it. I am a major history buff, and all of the historic buildings were awesome. We also visited Gamble Plantation, and it was all decorated for Christmas. We came on a special day where all tours were free and there was a Civil War camp reenactment set up, with tables where you could learn about the Civil War and its heroes. It was so cool, and I learned some really cool facts. It was a lot more fun than sitting and reading a history book.
Over the past few weeks, I have become really content and happy with the RV life. We've gone to amazing places, seen incredible things, and met awesome people. We have been doing an Advent calendar devotional in the month of December, and the time together as a family, discussing the Bible, has been really great. This chance to travel America is such a blessing, and I am loving it.
Questions? Remarks? Leave them in the comments below, and I'll be happy to answer them! Thank you guys for all of your support, it means a lot to me. You guys are great!
I love reading these so much! ! Glad you are enjoying your adventures in FL. Merry Christmas!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kristen! Merry Christmas to you as well
DeleteThat was great Kate. You do a fantastic job💕
ReplyDeleteThank you, I had fun putting it together!
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