The Wandering Disciple

Osprey, Florida: After almost a year hiatus from camping, we pulled the gear back out for a weekend camping trip at Oscar Scherer State Park. Since this was the first trip in a while, we stayed close to home to home to make sure we could work the kinks out of our gear and set-up before embarking on longer adventures. Oscar Scherer is a good choice for us because of its close proximity to the house. It makes for a quick and easy weekend trip. This is actually our third camping trip here. While this was not out first camping trip, it felt like it. It has been a little while and our first trying to fit the gear in a car rather than an SUV. I am glad we didn’t bring the dogs because I don’t think we would have had enough room. Despite not having room for the dogs, the 2017 Hyundai Elantra fit more gear than I had expected. We were able to pack all of our regular camping gear and still comfortably seat our family of 3. Since we did not have the dogs, we were assigned a cam...

Sarasota, Florida: With over 37,00 acres of wilderness, Myakka River State Park is one for the oldest and largest state parks in Florida. The park is a popular spot for hiking, biking, wildlife watching and of course camping. Myakka River State Park features 90 sites on four categories; cabins, tent/RV, RV only and tent only. The sites are situated among four regions of the park. The cabins are on Cabin Lane, Sites 1 through 26 are in Big Flats Campground, Sites 27 through 48 are in Old Prairie Campground and Sites 49 through 90 are in Palmetto Ridge Campground.  In addition to these camping choices, Myakka River also features primitive camps and youth camps. All campsites feature electric and water while some also have a sewer hook-up. There are bathhouses located throughout the campground loops which contain restrooms, showers and laundry facilities. For entertainment, Myakka River features several miles of hiking trails with numerous opportunities to view wildlife. Th...

Tierra Verde, Florida:  Day two got off to a rather early start.  Because of the holiday and going back to school tomorrow, we decided we were going to hit the road rather early this morning.  We quickly tore down camp and then headed out to tour the fort before we left. Fort Desoto was a Civil War era fort constructed to protect the Tampa Bay.  The harsh Florida weather has not been gentle on the fort and very little of the original fort remains.  The most prominent remaining structure is the Battery.  We toured the fort and looked at the large cannons before we hit the road for home. On the way home, my wife asked if I wanted to stop by the airport one last time before heading home and of course I could not resist, so we stopped by TIA before heading home.   I really had a great time at Fort Desoto and will be scheduling a return visit soon.  While the park is very pet friendly and it was great having our dogs along, having them w...

Tierra Verde, Florida: For those of you that are familiar with Florida weather, the window for comfortable tent camping is not very long. We have been trying to get a trip scheduled for a while but with our son's baseball schedule, we haven't been so lucky. But we caught a break this weekend as his Saturday game was cancelled due to the holiday weekend. I went online and booked the only available campsite at Fort Desoto Park. I have only been to Fort Desoto once while passing through the area but it was a quick stop and we didn't have a chance to enjoy the park. I was looking forward to going back and exploring the park as it has received great reviews for it's beach, wildlife and for being pet friendly. Since it was highly regarded for being pet friendly, we decided to bring the dogs.  We arrived at the park and checked into our site, #102. What a great site. It was located right next to the bathhouse and had wetlands behind the site. While setting up our ...

St. Augustine, Florida: Whether you look to kick back and relax on the beach or get active and enjoy the watersports, Anastasia State Park is the answer for everyone in the family. Located just outside historic St. Augustine, the park features four miles of beaches, a nature trail, fishing spots and camping. Established in 1949, Anastasia State Park has over 1,700 acres of maritime land consisting of beaches, tidal marshes and upland hammock. The park offers great recreation options that include swimming, fishing, hiking, biking, windsurfing and much more. The park also features a 139 site campground. Located within the upland hammock, the campsites are situated along seven loops and provide sites for tents, travel trailers and RV’s. Each site is equipped with electricity and running water and are within walking distance to the beach. Near the entrance to the park is the coquina quarry. From here, laborers mined the coquina rock that was used to build the Castillo de San Marcos ...

Bradenton, Florida: Lake Manatee in eastern Manatee County is the main freshwater reservoir for thousands of people living in Manatee and Sarasota counties. In addition to being a source of water, it also home to the Lake Manatee State Park. The 526 acre park extends along three miles of the lakes southern bank. The park opened as a campground in 1986. In addition to being a popular spot for camping, it is also known for great fishing, canoeing and hiking. Today thousands of visitors travel to the park to take a break from reality along its tranquil shores. Much of the parks amenities surround the large freshwater lake where it gets its name. The 2,400 acre lake is popular for fishing and is home to bass, perch, bluegill, shell cracker and catfish. You can fish from the dock or from a boat as long as the boat’s motor does not exceed the 20 HP maximum set by county ordinance. The lake is also popular for canoeing and swimming. The park also has three nature trails to enjoy, all...

Bradenton, Florida: After our rather successful camping weekend a few weeks ago, we decided to take another one this weekend. This time we went to Lake Manatee State Park located in eastern Manatee County. We have never been to the park, but the campground had great reviews so we made a Saturday/Sunday reservation and loaded up the truck. The park is located on State Road 64, about nine miles east of I-75. It was close enough to a Publix and fast-food restaurant in case we forgot something or needed to grab something other then hot dogs and S'mores. When we arrived at the park, there was a distant sound of loud engines, and with a county ordinance allowing just 20 HP motors on the lake, it wasn't the boat traffic on the lake. Turns out the campground was just a mile from Desoto Superspeedway, a big plus for a race fan like me, however we did not go to a race this time. We checked into campsite 46 and began to set up camp. The campsite we had backed up to wildland and had...

Osprey, Florida: In addition to great hiking and wildlife opportunities, Oscar Scherer State Park is also a popular camping attraction. Under the thick canopy of trees, there are campsites that can accommodate anything from a tent to an RV. The park features 94 sites with some on the water of South Creek. They range in size from small tent sites through large RV sites with everything in between. All sites feature water, electricity, a picnic table and a fire ring. Campfires are permitted and firewood can be purchased at the Ranger Station. There is also a group campsite that can hold up to fifty campers for group outings. Pets are allowed but only at select campsites. The campground also features five bathhouses and a playground. There large campfire circle where the staff of the park puts on a campfire presentation on select nights. There is no restaurant or store located in the park, but there are plenty within a short drive from the park. In addition to the campgrounds ameni...

Sarasota, Florida: Along the banks of the Myakka River lies one of Florida’s oldest state parks. Myakka River State Park is home to many unique ecosystems which provide home to thousands of plant and wildlife species. The land of the park was once the ranch of Bertha Palmer. Palmer was a pioneer settler of the region and one of the biggest landowners in Florida. Following her death, the land was awarded to the State of Florida and in 1934 became one of Florida’s first state parks. The early development of the park was contributed to the Civilian Conservation Corps. They helped to construct many of the park’s building in cabins during the great depression. Today Myakka River State Park has grown to over 58 square miles. It features plenty of outdoor activities the whole family can enjoy. From hiking, biking, watching wildlife, kayaking, camping or just kicking back and enjoying the great outdoors, it’s all here for you to take advantage of. The park features of 38 miles of hiki...

Lake Buena Vista, Florida: Nestle among the thrills of the theme parks and the luxury of the resort hotels is a place where guests can pitch a tent and take a break from the hustle and bustle of a Disney vacation. The campsites and cabins of Fort Wilderness brings the joys of camping to the magical world of Walt Disney World Resort. Opened in 1971, the Fort Wilderness Resort features 800 campsites and over 400 fully equipped cabins spread out over 700 acres. The campsites vary from tent only sites to sites large enough for an RV. The cabins sleep up to six guests and feature a kitchen, double bed, bunk bed, Murphy bed and more. The resort features a wide variety of activities for everyone in the family to enjoy. There are two swimming pools, marina with boat rentals, fishing, petting zoo, stable with pony and horse riding, arcades and much more. In the evening, there is a campfire program in which guests can watch a movie under the stars and roast marshmallows on the campfire....