Monday February 14th 2022

The temperature got down into the high thirties overnight. It was in the mid forties inside this morning. I couldn’t roll over and snuggle under the covers until it got warm. Today was a travel day. The temperature eventually reached the mid sixties.

I took my time getting ready to travel. Checkout time in most Florida state parks is 1PM and I only had about thirty miles to my next stop. Even taking my time, I managed to create a bloody mess. Somewhere in the cold temperature I nicked a knuckle on one hand and scraped the back of the other. Both were minor breaks to my skin, but I found blood all over before I found the source. A little washing and blotting with a paper towel and I was good to go. I didn’t even need a bandage.

I pulled out of Silver Springs State Park at 12;45. My first order of business on the road was finding gas to fill my tank. With a little detour off the shortest route, I found a gas station with easy access that wasn’t too busy. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the cheapest. Later on my journey I saw gas almost ten cents a gallon cheaper. At $3.48 per gallon, I didn’t get the tank full even with two credit card authorizations. One Hundred and ninety eight dollars almost filled the tank. I need to stop letting the tank get so empty.

I arrived at Rainbow Springs State Park northeast of Dunnellon at 1:45. You need to have a gate code to get in. The campground had called earlier with the code, but I didn’t have to use. The trailer arriving moment before me had to call for assistance resulting in the gate getting opened remotely for both of us. This park is setup different than other Florida State Parks. You need to check in at the concession office rather than a gate house.

My site is a little uneven. It took extra effort to get leveled and setup. Overall it looks like a nice campground. There is plenty of distance between sites and a good amount of foliage for privacy. A quick wander around the campground showed that the park is popular with travelers. Out of state license plates heavily out numbered Florida plates. Just Like Silver Spring State Park, the river is a good hike away. I’ll explore that walk in the morning. On the down side cell reception is poor and consequently so is the speed of my internet access.