Malibar, FL
I always enjoy my time in Maine which works out well since I have spent a lot of time there over the past 30 years. This visit was no exception. It was sad to see a couple of long-time establishments close due to staffing or owner frustrations. Of course, Portland boasts a large panhandler population who just don’t seem to want to pitch-in and earn a living. I understand that some may be incapable of working, but there are just so many of them in all parts of the area. I did manage to cross-off one item from the bucket list when I took the cog railway to the top of Mt. Washington. The day was gorgeous with pleasant temps and little wind, which is a rarity for the mountain.
I eventually headed south, picking up a couple of friends in Wilmington, NC and headed to Malibar, FL to begin my stay and Camelot RV Park. The winter season lasts from November to March and it was encouraging to see the temperatures rise as I headed south. I drove one of my friends to the west coast near Punta Gorda and made note of the residual hurricane damage. Lots of signs of damage remained as demonstrated by tarped roofs and boarded windows, but lots of debris was piled up ready for collection. It was a short visit so I returned to Camelot to begin my winter.
The start was a little rocky as a tropical storm/hurricane Nicole made a visit during my first week. Some people left to go elsewhere for a few nights. The trailer did rock some but never lost electricity and it passed quickly. The area bounced back quickly, and I began to explore the area.
Across the street is the Indian River Lagoon which adds to the tranquility of the place. Old Route 1 is there as well between the campground and the lagoon, but traffic on the east coast is much less than traffic on the west. It doesn’t take long to notice that the population age skews older in this area and this all blends into a slower paced life. I have nothing but positives to mention about my five month stay here and here are some of the highlights.
Other than the initial storm, the weather was wonderful. Nearly everyday the high temperature was between 70 and 80 degrees and the low at night was in the sixties. Each day was nearly identical to the one before and it was convenient to grab a pair of shorts and a tee-shirt and start the day.
It was also nice that the Campground had a decent dog park. This became a gathering place for those of us with sociable dogs. It was a great way to start the day and help Jasper burn off some energy. Jasper is a high energy dog who loves to run and play. I have taken him to some immense dog parks where thirty or forty dogs are not uncommon, and he will run and run without any aggressive incidents. At the campground there were two sets of small terrier type dogs – aka little yippee dogs, and it was unwise to let them in sight of each other. By the end of my stay Jasper had associated the owners with their yippee pets and he snapped at the back of their leg. This situation requires diligent attention.
It was nice having a lot of nature close by: the ocean, the lagoon, many parks and sanctuaries plus an assortment of plants and trees that I haven’t seen much of before. Plus an array of wildlife that doesn’t travel too far north.
Another nice thing were rocket launches. Cape Canaveral is about thirty miles north and launches, particularly evening launches, are quite the spectacle. The horizon lights up similar to a sunrise followed by a view of the rocket with bright white flames shooting out as it climbs into the night. For SpaceX launches the booster separation and return to earth is noteworthy as well given that they trigger sonic booms as they return to the Cape.
I was also able to take in two sporting events that add to the fun. I attended a spring traing game of the Washington Nationals and a NCAA first round game featuring UVA.
I left the area April 17 and traveled with a friend westward with an interim stay in Santa Fe, NM.
On a less pleasant note, I was able to drive to Orlando to watch UVA lose to Weber State in the first round of the NCAA Men’s basketball tournament.
