Recovering from chronic appendicitis (while still rocking a drain poking out of my abdomen) was slow and annoying, but honestly, I couldn’t have picked a better place to do it.

Welcome to Ichetucknee Springs!

As you pull into Ichetucknee Springs Campground, the first thing you see is a large building that houses:

• The office
• What used to be a bar
• Bathrooms & showers
• A well-stocked games room

Right next to it? A full-on farmyard with guinea hens, chickens, cattle, goats, pigs, and dogs (including two tiny little chihuahuas, which made us feel right at home).

John the Rockstar Husband Laverty checked us in, and we rolled over to our site—which was in a semi-secluded area, between the main camping spots and what looked like a brand-new, unused section of the campground. Perfect.

It turned out to be the ideal setup, since we eventually figured out we could walk the dogs off-leash through the whole new section without running into anyone.

Recovery Mode: Walks, Showers & Guinea Hen Shenanigans

Despite feeling like a human science experiment with my drain, I managed to:

• Get a couple of short walks in most days
• Take a hot shower in the campground’s beautiful, well-maintained facilities
• Enjoy watching the chis explore their new farm-filled world

The Local “Wildlife” & Finnegan’s New Job

We spent a lot of time just soaking in the unique farm-meets-campground vibe. And let me tell you, the animals were characters:

• The flock of guinea hens were obsessed with the chihuahuas, especially Finnegan. Every time they saw us walking, they would march right over to investigate.
• At first, Finnegan was nervous, but it didn’t take long before he realized he could herd them. And just like that, Finnegan, Guinea Boss Extraordinaire, was born.

Most mornings, we also saw:

• Goats wandering the park, foraging through the bush and empty campsites. They mostly kept to themselves.
• Pigs, who couldn’t care less about anyone or anything and just roamed wherever they pleased.

On our last morning, the pigs decided to pay us a visit—they casually pushed their way past our dog fence to explore our campsite. (Thankfully, we hadn’t staked it in!)

One day, we were out for a walk when we suddenly had to slow down because of a young steer frolicking through the trees and campsites. A camp worker was keeping an eye on him, but honestly, he seemed to be having the best day of his life.

A Quick Trip to the Actual Springs

Since the Ichetucknee Springs were only five minutes away, we had to check them out.

We took the dogs, so swimming was off the table, but we talked to some people who told us the water was a balmy 78°F year-round. We’re definitely coming back when I’m allowed to swim again!

Instead, we tackled one of the longer trails, which, for the first time ever, actually wore Finnegan out. That alone made the trip worth it.
We even had time to head in to Lake city where we had a lovely lunch (with the dogs) at Marion Street Bistro, and Halpatter Brewery to try their brews.The brews didn’t meet John’s tastes but the staff and owner well exceeded everyone’s expectations. They couldn’t have been more welcoming.

Back to Florida for Surgery… But First, Nashville!

While we were at Ichetucknee, I finally had my follow-up appointment with Dr. Rose, who:

• Pulled the drain out (HALLELUJAH)
• Scheduled my surgery in Florida

Since we have a couple of weeks before the surgery, we’re heading to Nashville for a change of scenery before returning to Florida for my grand appendix finale.

Here’s hoping the next part of the trip involves fewer medical surprises and more adventure!

G.O.A.T Camping. | Finnegan at work | Anybody Smell Bacon? | Casey smells beef