Hey there, travel buddies! If you’ve been following our escapades since we left Canada in October, you’ll know that life on the road with our three Chihuahuas—Auggie, Finnegan, and Casey, the rescue with a strong dislike for everyone except John (yes, that includes me)—is never short of adventures!
So, we finally said our bittersweet goodbyes to Southern Leisure RV Resort in Chiefland, Florida, and headed to our Christmas stop at Crystal River, which, surprise, surprise, turned out to be yet another stunning park! Seriously, decorum suggests I shouldn’t be this fortunate. This one boasted a gated entry (very exclusive), a sparkling pool, and a hot tub that called to us unfailingly. However, the catch was that the fun splash zone closed at dark, which firmly ruined my plans of swimming with the stars—darn it!
This stop had its perks, especially with the fantastic neighbours we met, Richard and Laura Maxwell. These globetrotting lovebirds own a motel in Michigan, which they close for the winter months. How do we sign up for THAT? Laura recommended several local animal attractions to explore—and they even offered to take us with them to Equestrian World, but sadly they were going on the day we were leaving. Our campsite was massive, allowing Auggie a spirited chase after all the cute squirrels that dared to prance by. We even managed a night by the fire, cuddling chihuahuas like happy campers.
Now, let’s get to the juicy stuff! On Christmas Eve, we booked a clear kayak tour to paddle with the manatees. Spoiler alert: we didn’t see them with perfect clarity since they were practically snuggled up against us! But hey, at least they gave us an up-close experience. One cheeky manatee even decided our kayak looked like a toy and pushed us around the canal for a bit! It made for some hilarious paddling moments! Plus, we learned a ton about the local wildlife—no alligators yet (precious fingers crossed), but plenty of cool bird facts to showcase at the next trivia night!
Christmas Day rolled in, and we took the opportunity to curl up with family via video calls, cooking up a turkey feast that was less effortful than we expected (thank you butterball). And of course, our dessert was a cheesecake that could have sent us straight to the cholesterol Olympics. The dogs enjoyed their own festivities with long walks to balance out our indulgence.
Now for the grand finale! On our last day, we took a little jaunt to the highly recommended Homosassa State Park. And boy, were we glad we did! We were greeted with beautiful views and a history lesson on the local manatees—plus, a gasp alligator sighting! Okay, okay, they were captive, but does that not count as a real-life ‘Gatorade’ moment? On top of that, we learned enough about the local birds that I’ll be joining ‘Avian Encounters’ by week’s end!
To top it off, our search for a brewery led us to a roadside gem called Jon’s Nauti Time. My craving for wings (seriously, they’re like Bigfoot down here) was fulfilled, and I dove right into big, juicy plates of happiness. John, the Rockstar husband Laverty, gorged on coconut shrimp and fries—life was good and our tummies were happier!
We capped off our Crystal River adventure with back-to-back hot tub sessions, soaking away the fatigue and relishing the last bits of our stay. As we pack up and gear up for the next leg of our journey, we can’t wait to see what craziness awaits us next! Keep following along, folks; the Chihuahuas and I are ready for more mischief and memories ahead! Here’s to new adventures in the sunshine!
Stay tuned for more tales from our hilariously chaotic travels through the southern USA and our continued quest for the ever-elusive gator!
Merry Christmas Everyone
