Friday October 6th 2023

As has been the norm of late it was a very hot and humid travel day. I got underway around 12:30 after completing the travel preparation tasks. The outside tasks left me just a little damp from sweat, but once I was in the air conditioned comfort in the cab of my RV home I dried out quickly.

My journey took me east and south into the center of the state just west of Lake Okeechobee. The trip was on state roads and passed through the large towns of Arcadia, Fort Meyers Shores and LaBelle. The traffic and stop lights in the towns was a major annoyance. I made one stop for gas along the way. I chose the station based on easy access. That was about all it had to offer. The pump was one of the slowest I’ve experienced. It wasn’t much faster than a gallon or two per minute and I put in over 42 gallons. As an added insult the price of gas was fifty cents a gallon more expensive than other stations I passed soon after filling the tank.

I arrived at Ortona South Lock Campground shortly before 3PM. My guess is half an hour of that travel time was at the gas station. I’ve been to this Army Corp of Engineers campground several times before. It is a good thing too. The sign on the highway was missing. The last time was in 2021 before hurricane Ian. I don’t know how badly this park was impacted by the storm. When I walk around the park tomorrow I’ll look for indicators of damage.

I’ll be here for two weeks weather permitting. There are two possible developing tropical systems in the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico. If they decide to head this way I’ll have to move. This area is very open to the wind and subject to flooding. Just one more concern during hurricane season in Florida.