RV Shakedown: Florida Trip
- theramblers88
- Mar 18, 2019
- 2 min read
Updated: May 25, 2019
Before we spend a couple of months travelling (and living) in "The Rig" (as Robin calls it), we thought we should try something a little longer than the two overnight trips we did last fall. Spring break from school for Robin provided the opportunity to get away for nine days, and friends with a condo in Florida provided a destination.

Walt and Fara have a very nice condo in Naples, and have invited us to visit when the opportunity presented itself. We would stay there with them for two nights and explore in "The Rig" the other seven.
“We'll stay somewhere in Kentucky, and then northern Florida on the way down, and find another place or two on the way back.”
I picked Robin up at school on Friday with "The Rig", and we immediately set off - headed South.
Southbound
We drove south through Michigan and Ohio, and over the Ohio River into Kentucky. We found a nice campground in horse country near Lexington and checked in late.
By Saturday night we had made our way through Kentucky, Tennessee, and Georgia (including nightmarish traffic through Atlanta - on a Saturday!), and we stopped for the night at an RV park in Lake City, FL.
Naples
We got to Walt and Fara's condo early Sunday afternoon. We had a great time catching up with them, seeing an alligator sunning on the bank of the river near their marina, getting dinner, and seeing the area. Monday was spent at one of our favorite activities. The four of us went for a nice long ride on their boat. We went into the Gulf and over to Sanibel Island, stopped for lunch, and came back on the intracoastal. On the way we saw plenty of Osprey, Pelicans, Dolphins, and even a glimpse of a Manatee.
Siesta Key
Tuesday we left Naples and drove to Turtle Beach Campground on Siesta Key. This is a Sarasota County Park named for the fact that it is directly adjacent to a beautiful beach where Sea Turtles lay their eggs, and where the hatchling turtles later walk across the sand to begin their aquatic lives. We were not there at that time of year, so we had free access to the beach and the Gulf. The park was a popular place to gather to watch the beautiful sunset.
St. Petersburg
From Siesta Key we went to St. Petersburg. The KOA we stayed at there was very nice, with a great pool and hot tub. It was also equipped with warnings about alligators - but we never saw one there. We found a great park with a point on the intracoastal, where we enjoyed the beautiful weather, the occasional Dolphins swimming by, and amazing synchronized aerial acrobatic Pelicans.
Return Trip
We wanted to avoid the HORRENDOUS Atlanta traffic we encountered on the way down, so we came back through the Carolinas, then Tennesee, Kentucky, and Ohio. Some highlights were Asheville and Swananoa in North Carolina, and Knoxville Tennessee. This was definitely the better way to go. Much more scenic and interesting than I-75, and only a little slower.
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