Florida RV Park and Campground Reviews

Winter Paradise

2009-08-27T15:24:00.001-07:00

Winter Paradise is located in Hudson, FL at 16108 US-19. They don't have a website so their phone number is 727-868-2285.

We really had a hard time locating a RV Park in Hudson. We found one called the Floridian but when we arrived there at 4:00 a.m. Dave didn't like the way it looked and refused to stay there. There were a lot of mobile homes set up and it did seem a little run down and overgrown. Of course at 4:00 a.m. after driving for 18 hours we were pretty tired.

We started driving trying to find an RV park but most of the ones we found were too tight for us to get in. We finally arrived at Winter Paradise at 7:00 a.m. The office did not open until 8:00 and there was no contact number so we found a place to pull in to wait.

There were not many spaces open and even fewer that we could fit in. We finally found a spot and got set up. The park was very nice and quiet and well kept. The site was only 30 amp but by this time we didn't care and only wanted a place where we could get some sleep.

The people were very nice in the office and also the ones living at the park. Everyone I met was dog friendly and the park was big enough that we could take some nice walks.

One of the surprising things is that there was a strip club in front of the park. We were a little concerned about this but never had any problems or even interacted with any of the patrons.

We did enjoy our stay here and would stay here again if we are ever in Hudson, FL.

Tradewinds Mobile Home Park

2009-08-16T08:43:00.000-07:00

Tradewinds Mobile Home Park is located in Cocoa, FL. This is a mobile home park that has a few RV spots when you first enter the property.

Dave was sent to do a job in Cape Canaveral when the space shuttle was scheduled to launch. All of the RV parks were booked up with people coming into the area to watch the launch. We were very lucky to have found any place to stay at all.

I called Tradewinds before we got there to make sure they could fit a 40' 5th wheel and was told they had plenty of room. They had a paved area in front of the office where they rented RV spots. We did not fit into one of these spots but since they did not have them all reserved, we were able to park by taking up 3 spots.

Tradewinds was not really set up very well for an RV park. They did not provide garbage service so Dave had to take the trash to the job site with him. They did not allow the dogs to be walked in the mobile home part of the park so we had to walk outside the park. Fortunately there were wide sidewalks along the street so we could walk without fear of getting hit by a car.

The coolest thing about this park was that I was able to watch the space shuttle launch while sitting on my couch looking out the window. It was a once in a lifetime experience that I will never forget.

Fay's RV Park

2009-08-11T07:17:00.000-07:00

Fay's RV Park is located in Holiday, FL at 1421 Calvary Road. This is a small family owned and operated RV park. They do not have a website but if you would like to reserve a spot their phone number is 727-942-2487.

Fay's RV Park is full of large old oak trees so most of the sites are shaded and the lots are large. There are only 16 sites but the park is large enough that you can take a nice shady walk and enjoy the country atmosphere.

The park is bordered on 2 sides by housing areas which were very quiet and pleasant to walk through. The people living in and around the park were extremely friendly and gave me directions to an old cemetary where I could let my dogs play off leash.

I know a lot of people are uneasy about going into a cemetary but this one was old and very well cared for. It is always interesting to read old headstones and get a feel for the people who have passed.

We really enjoyed our stay at Fay's RV Park and would definitely stay there again!

FamCamp McDill AFB

2009-08-04T09:05:00.000-07:00

The first RV park we stayed at in Florida was at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa. To camp at McDill you have to be either active military or retired military so it is not open to the public.

The FamCamp is located at the back of the Base and is right on the ocean. Unfortunately they do not allow dogs on the beach but they do have 2 fenced off-leash areas and doggy bag dispensers were located in several places around the campground.

They have a walking trail that runs along a canal on one side of the park. The park did not have many trees so there were no shaded lots.

The sno-birds make their reservations a year in advance in order to stay at the same campsite all season. If you manage to get a space during the winter without a prior reservation, they have a weekly rotation they will do. You will do one week at full hook up, one week at water and electric only, one week at dry camp where you have to use your holding tank for water and generators can only be used during certain hours.

Dave and I had been married 4 years when we stayed at MacDill and I had never lived on a military base before so I was not used to the protocol. There were flags at various campsites and every afternoon you were expected to face one of the flags if you were outside and stand quietly while Taps was played.

I was always a little intimidated being on the base. The people were very nice and friendly but I was afraid I was going to accidently break some military rule. We were there for 2 weeks and I managed to get through it without messing up too bad.

Camp Florida

2009-07-29T08:07:00.000-07:00

One of the things I used the most while traveling through Florida was the Florida Camping Directory. While it doesn't list all the campgrounds and RV parks in Florida, it was always a good place to start.

By going to their website, you can request a free directory be mailed to you or you can view it online. The Florida Camping Directory can also be picked up at some of the RV parks and places where RVs are sold.

The Florida Camping Directory gives you the address, phone number and brief description of the parks. It will also tell you if pets are allowed or if there is a pool or beach at the campground.

Big Oak RV Park

2009-07-18T15:39:00.000-07:00

Big Oak RV Park is located in Tallahassee, FL. This park is full of HUGE old oak trees. One of the staff members told us that one of the trees was 300 years old! These trees are beautiful, healthy and put out a tremendous amount of shade.

There was a beautiful courtyard set up in the middle of some of the trees where you could sit and watch all the squirrels play. I saw one squirrel come up and take a nut from a camper's outstretched hand.

The park is dog friendly and while there is no off-leash area, we did meet lots of other friendly dogs with their owners.

Orange Blossom RV Resort

2009-07-16T08:09:00.000-07:00

Orange Blossom RV Resort is located in Apopka, FL. This is a nice sized RV campground near Orlando.

Here you will find nice lots with a choice of pull-throughs or back-ins. There are some trees scattered through Orange Blossom RV Resort. There are several full time residents here but everyone we met was pretty friendly.

Orange Blossom RV Resort has a nice fenced in off-leash area for the dogs. We spent lots of time here playing fetch and wrestling around. Beau and Pepper really enjoyed sniffing the vegetation and all the other dog smells.

We really enjoyed our stay here and would definitely stay at the Orange Blossom RV Resort again.

Fleas in your RV

2009-07-13T14:11:00.001-07:00

If you have pets you are bound to get fleas in your RV or home at some time. There are lots of products you can purchase to try to get rid of them but for the most part they don't work very well.

Years ago I had a major flea problem in my house and tried many products that I found at Wal Mart or the pet stores but I still had fleas. I even got desperate enough to call an exterminator but still couldn't get rid of them.

The vet I worked for carried Siphotrol Premise Spray and finally my flea problem was taken care of. At the time they had not developed the spot flea treatment for pets so I was dipping my pets every 2 weeks to try to keep the fleas off them.

For the last year I have been putting Frontline Plus on my pets to keep them from getting fleas but no one told me that you needed to rotate products so the fleas won't develop an immunity to the product so I wound up with fleas in my RV. I purchased Advantage to use on my pets and hoped that this would be enough to stop my flea problem but unfortunately it wasn't enough.

Once again I went searching for a good flea product and couldn't find anything that worked. When I was about to give up hope, I found a vet that carried Siphotrol Spray and bought it. Once again the Siphotrol did the job and my RV was flea free.

Until recently the only place I could find Siphotrol was at a vet's office and not all vet's carried it. Now I have found the Siphotrol that has always worked so well for me online at Entirely Pets.

I have created a couple of banner links to Entirely Pets so you will be able to purchase without having to search like I did. Type Siphotrol into the search box on the Entirely Pets website to see all the Siphotrol flea products.

You can also purchase flea treatment for your pets through Entirely Pets. Just click on the banner at the bottom of this post or the banner on the right hand side to purchase your flea products or any other pet need.

The Siphotrol Spray comes in a 24 oz pump bottle and the Siphotrol Premise Spray comes in a 16 oz aerosol can. Both products work well so you can choose whichever type of spray you prefer.

Daytona Beach KOA

2009-07-07T13:54:00.000-07:00

Daytona Beach KOA is located in Daytona Beach, FL. This park is built on what used to be an orange grove. There are a few orange trees left throughout the park and we were lucky enough to be there while the trees were blooming. The smell of orange blossoms is wonderful. Every time I walked the dogs, I had to stop and smell the blooms close up.

We were at Daytona Beach KOA at the end of the sno-bird season in 2008. This winter was really bad up north and there were several campers stopping there on their way home to give the weather a little more time to clear up.

This is a medium sized park with small campsites. The RV behind us put out their awning and it almost touched our slide-out. Even though the campsites were small, the park was well kept and the staff was extremely friendly.

There was a really nice public park within walking distance that had some great walking trails and a large pond. We went to the park several times to enjoy the shaded trails and watch the squirrels and the turtles.

We had our first experience with French Canadians at Daytona Beach KOA and they didn't leave us with the best of impressions. We've talked to many English Canadians since then and they have all told us that the French Canadians do not associate with the English any more than they have to. The English Canadians are very friendly and great to talk to but we've met very few French Canadians that will even acknowledge your presence.

The Daytona Beach KOA and the area surrounding it is very nice and we would go back to this park again.

Haines City RV Park & Mobile Home Park

2009-07-04T19:01:00.000-07:00

Haines City RV Park is located in Haines City, FL. This is a 55+ community and we were lucky to get in during the sno-bird season. All the sites are normally booked from year to year but someone had to cancel their reservation right before we called.

This is a good sized park and most of the people were very friendly. When we arrived, about a dozen people swarmed the vehicle and helped us back in and get set up. They were all a little disappointed to find out that we didn't have toys in the back of our toy hauler.

Haines City RV Park has a large lake in the back with a wide dog walk that runs alongside the lake. Almost everyone was very pet friendly and made us feel really welcome.

We would definitely go back to this park if we were in Haines City again.

Riverside Lodge RV Resort

2009-07-04T18:33:00.000-07:00

Riverside Lodge RV Resort is located in Inverness, FL. This is a medium sized park with more park models than RV sites. The RV sites are at the back of the park surrounding a roundabout. It was very difficult for us to get back in the RV area so if you have a large rig, you might want to go someplace else.

Once we finally did get into our site, we really enjoyed the park. There was an private island where dog owners went to let their dogs run off leash. This was only one of two parks who charged extra for having pets out of all the parks we stayed at in Florida.

The Withlacoochee River ran alongside Riverside Lodge RV Resort and there was a fishing pier that extended out into the river. We were fishing off it one night and had a six foot gator chase my bobber.

The Riverside Lodge RV Resort was a nice park but because of the difficulty we had getting into the campsites, we wouldn't go back. If you have a small unit, you should have no trouble getting through the park.

Lakeland Carefree RV Resort

2009-07-02T15:37:00.000-07:00

Lakeland RV Resort is located in Lakeland, FL right off I-4. This is a gated park but has posted instructions on how to get in after hours.

This park was clean and had nice sized campsites. There was a large lake with paddle boats you could use while staying there. The staff was very friendly and the streets were wide and paved so you had plenty of room to walk without fear of being run over.

Lakeland RV Resort was very pet friendly. Not only do they have a fenced off leash area for dogs but they also had a dog wash station on the side of the laundry building.

This was a very nice park but we did get a little bored walking around it but I would definitely recommend it for people who don't want to take long walks.

Lucky Clover RV & Mobile Home Park

2009-06-29T16:27:00.000-07:00

Lucky Clover RV Park is located at 635 E. Eau Gallie Blvd., Melbourne, FL. This park is mainly a mobile home park with RV sites along the outer street. Normally we try to avoid parks that are mainly mobile home parks because the people don't seem to be as friendly but we were in Melbourne during the sno-bird season and had to take what we could get.

The lots were a nice size and each one had a trash can that you had to put out on trash day. Most of you will laugh at this but this is one of the little things you miss doing when you are always moving. At most parks you have to take your trash to the park dumpster but a few will pick up your trash bags at the front of your lot. There was just something homey about having a real trash can and having a garbage truck pick it up in front of your RV.

The laundry building had a privacy fence around a large area that had clotheslines available for everyone to use. I was always fascinated by watching my grandmother hang out the clothes on wash day and there is something relaxing about being able to hang your clothes out to dry so I took advantage of this.

Lucky Clover RV Park is big enough to get in some pretty nice walks and the road that runs in front of it has wide sidewalks so we got plenty of exercise. The area was really nice and we were close enough to walk to Wal Mart if we needed to pick up something.

We really enjoyed our stay at the Lucky Clover RV Park and would definitely stay there again if we go back to that area.

Wilderness RV Park Estates

2009-06-26T14:38:00.000-07:00

Wilderness RV Park is located in Silver Springs, FL. This is a gated park but there is a night security person who you can call using a radio kept in a box at the campground entrance who will let you in and guide you to a site if you arrive after hours.

This is a large park that is divided into 3 sections. They have new section that is just for Class A motorhomes with concrete pads and patios and storage sheds. There is another section that was designed to accomodate park models but there are several RVs in this section also.

The 3rd section is located at the front of the park and is where they park the short timers. This section is the older part of the park but they are doing upgrades on the sites and buildings. There are a lot of sites for sale here and several of the lots have already been purchased by individuals. Some of the lot owners are very territorial so you have to be careful not to accidently get on their lot....with your vehicle or your pet.

This RV park is very pet friendly and has a fenced in area where dogs can play off leash. Wilderness RV Park even has "doggy pots" mounted on posts at every 3-4 street corners so you don't have to carry used poo bags with you through your whole walk.

Wilderness RV Park is a nice well kept campground and most of the people we met were very friendly. We were lucky enough to be able to stay in this park twice and the only drawback we found is that cell phone and internet service were kind of sporadic since it is located in a rural area. Wilderness RV Park does have Wi-Fi available for an extra charge but we made due with our wireless card.

Woody's RV Resort

2009-06-24T09:21:00.000-07:00

Woody's RV Resort is located at 4414 US 27S in Sebring, FL. Woody's RV Resort does not have a website at this time. It is located right on the highway and there are a few baby trees but nothing to give any shade.

We found Woody's RV Resort after we had been told to head to Colorado right after getting set up in Buttonwood Bay RV Resort. When we left Buttonwood Bay, we drove for about an hour and a half and got a call to turn around. The company wasn't ready for us to head to Colorado after all and wanted Dave to work the Sebring job after all.

We really wanted to go back to Buttonwood Bay RV Resort but we knew we wouldn't be in Sebring long and hated to go through another hour of set up time. Woody's RV Resort was right on the highway and had plenty of open pull throughs so it was easy to get into.

The manager was really nice the night we checked in and the park was clean. The manager's wife was not dog friendly or even very people friendly. We paid by the night since we knew we would get a call to leave at any time and it was very difficult to find someone in the office to pay. When we did stop in to pay, they were not very pleasant to deal with.

Woody's RV Resort is one campground that I would not want to stay at again.

Buttonwood Bay RV Resort

2009-06-23T20:03:00.000-07:00

Buttonwood Bay RV Resort is located in Sebring, FL. We arrived at this park and were thrilled to see all the beautiful trees and the lakes. This is an older park but well kept. It is a little difficult to get into the campsites with a large RV.

We arrived in the afternoon and I could hardly wait to get set up so I could walk through the park with Beau. It took a while to setup since it was a little difficult to get into the campsite. We were put in the older part of the park where the lots were large but the streets were narrow so it took quite a bit of manuevering to get into our site.

It took about an hour to get into the campsite and hooked up. Just as we were finished and ready to relax for a little while before exploring Buttonwood Bay Resort, Dave got a call telling him they had decided to send him to Colorado for a job instead of doing the Sebring job.

We were very disappointed that we could not stay at Buttonwood Bay Resort and hope to go back at some point so we can fully enjoy this campground.

Okeechobee Resort KOA

2009-06-22T12:39:00.000-07:00

Okeechobee Resort KOA is located in Okeechobee, FL. Lake Okeechobee is only a quarter of a mile away so this is a great place to stay if you love to fish!!

Like most KOAs, this campground has Kamping Kottages and Cabins but unlike any other KOA we've ever stayed at, this one has a 9 hole golf course for the avid golfers! We were told that the Okeechobee Resort KOA is the largest KOA in the US.

There is plenty of room to walk and the sites are large. There is a fenced in area for small dogs to play off leash.

The RV park is very well kept and our stay here was extremely pleasant.

John Prince Park Campground

2009-06-22T12:19:00.000-07:00

John Prince Park Campground is located in Lake Worth, FL. This is a county run park and is absolutely beautiful!!! It is a big RV park with plenty of room to walk and it is inside the John Prince Park so you can walk through both parks without having to get out on any roads.

This park wraps around a large lake where you can fish, boat, ski or jetski. We were surprised to find a lot of the campers were locals who just loved to come to the park for the weekend. One of the campers could look at her house from her campsite and boated back and forth if she needed anything!!!

We saw iguanas of all sizes running around the park. I had never seen an iguana close up and it was fascinating to watch their activities. The larger iguana were a little scary looking but they all jumped in the water if you got too close to them so they definitely were not dangerous.

If you want to stay at John Prince Park Campground, you would be wise to call ahead. It is a very popular RV Park and they book up fast for the weekends. We thoroughly enjoyed exploring this park and can see why it is so popular.

Boyd's Key West Campground

2009-06-16T10:48:00.000-07:00

Boyd's Key West Campground is located in Key West, FL. It is a pretty good sized park and sits right on the ocean. The landscaping throughout the park is beautiful and there is a boat ramp so you don't have to go anywhere else to launch your boat.

The people in the office and working around the grounds are very friendly. We were there just before the sno-bird season started and the park was pretty empty. There were several campers who came through for a few days to go crab fishing. They were all happy to tell me about their experiences and how they actually catch crab by hand!

I saw my first sand crab here and it looked like a big spider with a shell. It gave me a scare when it popped out and back in a hole in front of me.

As most of you know this is an island at the southern most tip of the US. What I didn't realize was that Cuba was only 90 miles away from the southern most tip of Key West!

I didn't find any dog parks nearby but they did have a stretch of beach where you could take your dogs. When we were there the beach was pretty deserted but it was very well taken care of and beautiful.

Boyd's Key West Campground was pretty expensive compared to RV parks in the main part of Florida but with the limited amount of space on the island, I'm sure their expenses were pretty high too. If we ever get sent back to Key West, I would definitely stay at Boyd's again.

Fleetwood RV Park

2009-06-11T12:38:00.000-07:00

When we are moving to a new job site, I try to find a RV park that is under 10 miles from the station where Dave will be working. Because of this we sometimes wind up in park that we normally wouldn't stay in.

Last week we were sent to Jacksonville, FL and it was very difficult to find a park within 15 miles of the jobsite. After hours of searching the internet and the park directories we have, I finally found Fleetwood RV Park. This park is less that 2 miles from Dave's jobsite and less than 6 miles from a really nice dog park.

The only way I found out anything about this RV park is through a review that someone else had written. I don't want to slam other bloggers but the review I read did not match up with reality. We probably would have stayed here if we had known what the park was really like but it is quite a shock to read a glowing review and then arrive to find it was almost all false. Rest assured that I write what I see.

Anyway, back to Fleetwood RV Park. It is what I would consider a medium sized park. It has a mobile home section in the back of the park, about 8 pull through sites in the very front of the park and in the middle is an RV section where the long term residents stay.

The park is pretty old and the pull through lots aren't very big but this time of year there aren't many people traveling through so there's plenty of room. There are some decent trees in the middle and back of the park so you do get a little shade when you walk the dogs. Most of the RVs are really old and the park is pretty rundown.

The residents all seem pretty friendly and the manager is very friendly. There are several cats running around the park that have been left or dumped by various people. The manager collected all of these cats and had them fixed so the park is not overrun by feral cats. These cats are very well taken care of. I am so impressed that the manager cared enough to get them fixed and take care of them.

The ducks you see in the picture are all over the park. There's probably a dozen adults and over 2 dozen babies running around. They are fun to watch and the babies are soooo adorable.

Word of warning, we had 2 problems while we were here. They do not take cash and only accept Mastercard or Visa. They accidentally charged my card for an extra week and I had to go through my bank to get it fixed so watch your account closely.

The second problem is extremely irritating. We have a mail forwarding service since we move so much. We arrived here on Friday and on Monday I called our mail service to have the mail sent here. Tuesday I talked to the park manager to let her know a package was coming here for us and she said she would let us know as soon as it arrived. By Thursday I hadn't heard anything from her so I started checking the office every day. Each day I was told it had not arrived. Finally, 1 full week after the package was sent I called my mail service and found the package had arrived here on Wednesday and was refused by the office. Luckily I had delivery confirmation on the package or I would have no idea what had happened. When I went to the office to find out what happened, they had no recollection of the package arriving and that it was my tough luck.

We stay at a lot of RV parks without any problems. We've been at the Fleetwood RV Park 1 1/2 weeks and have had 2 problems. At this point I would have to advise anyone against staying here. It is just not worth the aggravation.

Helpful RV accessories

2009-06-10T09:35:00.001-07:00

There are a few things that help make RV travel a little easier.

You always want to make sure you check your tire pressure before moving your RV. We bought a new RV and found that it had bad tires on it so now we extra vigilant as to tire pressure. Here's a great 11" tire gauge that will reach dual tires or deep hub wheels. We struggled with regular car tire gauges for a year before we found one of these. It takes my husband much less time and effort now to check all 12 tires.

If you haven't already done so, you need to replace the garden hose with a drinking water hose. You know the funny taste water has when you drink out of a garden hose? When you use a drinking water hose, the water tastes like tap water from your house.

While we're on the subject of water - using a Brita Water Pitcher is a great idea. Even though the drinking water hose makes the water taste like tap water, water is different in every RV Park you go to. In the beginning we bought bottled water to drink but it seemed like we were always having to run to the store to buy more. The Brita Water Pitcher replaced the need to constantly buy gallons of bottled water. We are very happy with the Brita Water Pitcher and the water tastes better than most bottled water.

We started out using blocks of wood behind and in front of our tires to keep the RV from moving once it was disconnected but wheel chalks work much better. They stay where you put them and they are much lighter and easier to store.

One of the biggest problems is not being able to see while you are backing your RV into a campsite. My husband would love to have a rear camera so he wouldn't have to totally rely on my directions. I try really hard but sometimes I just can't stay in view of his mirrors. By installing a Sony RV Color Rear Camera you greatly decrease the risk of backing into things that will not only damage your RV but could cost you money to repair the campsite or neighboring RVs.

There are many more items that will make RV life a little easier but this is enough for you to consider now.

Confederate Dog Park

2009-06-09T13:14:00.000-07:00

Confederate Dog Park is located in Jacksonville, FL at 956 Hubbard St. in the Springfield District. It has been closed for the last 6 months for remodeling and was just reopened on Friday. Confederate Dog Park will have its official grand opening this Friday, June 12.

Our first visit was on Sunday and there were 4 different local people with their pets that came and left while we were there. Every one of them made us feel very welcome in the park and was happy to share information about the area.

From what I was told, several years ago the area had been run down and had become populated by a lot of drug dealers, addicts and prostitutes. Somehow a group of people got together and started fighting to take back the area and turn it into the neighborhood it used to be.

These people formed a neighborhood watch group and with the help of police and private security, they gradually made the area less profitable for the law breakers. A historical society was formed and houses began to be restored to their former beauty.

Confederate Dog Park is absolutely beautiful and as you can see, my dogs were very happy there. There are shade trees and benches placed all around the park so you won't be standing out in the hot sun playing with your dogs.

The park has a small dog area and a large dog area. In both areas a water fountain has been installed for people and a metal waterer for dogs. The dog waterer is set up so that the old water drains out to prevent it from getting dirty or too hot. When your dog needs a drink, you just turn the tap and he can have all the fresh water he wants.

All the people involved in restoring the Springfield area should be extremely proud of what they have accomplished. It really restores your faith in people to see a transformation like this taking place.

Sanlan RV Park

2009-06-02T11:03:00.000-07:00

Sanlan RV Park is a nice big park and pretty true to their website. It is located in Lakeland, FL just off the interstate. There are shade trees scattered through the park and most of the campsites have concrete patios. They are in the process of upgrading several sites so you also have the choice of parking on pavement for an additional charge.

There are open fields scattered throughout the park also and the lots are big enough to park your rig and your vehicle. The permanent park models are concentrated around the outskirts of the park while the transients are down the middle.

As you drive into Sanlan RV Park there is a lake sitting on your left. There are benches to sit on while you are fishing, a picnic area and a 10 foot alligator to be found sunning on the beach or swimming in the lake. Yeah, I said a 10 foot gator. This guy doesn't hide and we see him almost every time we drive by the lake. The office staff said he's been known to steal fish off people's fishing lines.

This will really interest all you golfers - there's a 27 hole golf course at the back of this park.

They also have some nature trails if you want to get out and do some exploring but be prepared to actually be a part of nature. The dogs and I hit the trails yesterday afternoon and got much more than we expected. Several areas of the trail are nicely shaded but there is a lot of water bordering the trail. You know what fresh water means in Florida.

The trails map indicates several lakes or ponds but it looks like there is quite a bit of dry ground surrounding the trails. Wrong! The water came right up to the trails but in most places there was a decent bank so you didn't have to be too concerned with the gators joining you.

I could hear the gators grunting as we walked by which made me a little uneasy but not overly concerned - not until I got to the area they call Banana Lake Run. There were no banks here but there was quite a bit of brush and downed timber. We had barely entered this area when I heard a gator grunting and soon realized it was following us in the water. At this point the lake lived up to it's name.....we ran!!!!!

Unfortunately, I am very directionally challenged and at this point all the signs started saying "wildlife trail" instead of "nature trail". The last thing I wanted was more wildlife so we kept going and going.....You guessed it - I missed the trail back to the campground and the one I was on dead ended at a padlocked gate.

There was no way I was going to go back the way I came so I climbed the gate and managed to raise it enough to get my dogs through. Katie is only 40 lbs so I could have lifted her if I had to but Beau is 80 lbs so one or both of us would have gotten hurt if I had tried to lift him over. I was so proud of him - he's 11 years old and never had to crawl under anything before but he squeezed through when I asked him to.

We wound up in a cow pasture and had to crawl under, over and through a total of 4 padlocked gates before we got back to the park. I hurt so bad this morning that I could barely get out of bed. I have had enough Florida nature to last quite a while so we're going to stick to walking around the park.

There is a very nice dog park about 15 minutes away from here. It's very clean and well kept. They have agility equipment for your dogs to exercise and play on. There are some grass covered dirt mounds for them to climb and automatic waters.

The only drawback I see with the Sanlan RV Park is that while their site rent is very competitive, they put in some additional charges that add up. You are allowed to have 2 vehicles and your rig or RV counts as one so if you have 2 cars or a truck and a car, they charge you $1.80 per day for the extra vehicle. Also they charge $1 per day per dog and you have to buy a $5 permit to wash your vehicle or RV.

When I was in the office buying my wash permit, I asked about the dog fee. I was told that it was the fee Sanlan RV Park charged for the aggravation of putting up with the dogs. My opinion is that while this park does allow pets, it is definitely not what I would consider pet friendly.

Some of the restrictions dog owners have while traveling are due to irresponsible owners not picking up after their pets. No one likes to step in dog poo so please carry bags with you while walking your dogs and pick up what they leave. We don't want to get our pets banned from any more areas. Thank you.

Paradise Island RV Resort

2009-06-02T08:13:00.000-07:00

Doesn't the name conjure up visions of a peaceful, tropical paradise? Paradise Island RV Resort's website made this place sound big and wonderful and the reality was a bit of a disappointment.

The park is located in Ft. Lauderdale, FL right next to a Walgreens which was very handy but the park itself was very cramped. Fortunately we were just there but we would have had a lot of trouble getting our unit in and out of the Paradise Island RV Resort during the sno bird season.

There was only one road that was wide enough for two cars to pass. The campsites had a decent yard but they were not deep enough for most people to park in front or back of their RV. We had to park in the front yard which crowded the lot next to us. Most of the parked vehicles crowded the road so there was no way to drive through them with a RV in tow.

We were asked to walk our dogs on the dog walk which I didn't mind until I saw that it was very narrow and also filled with parked cars. Being the off season, the park was pretty quiet and no one complained about the dogs being walked through the park.

The office people and nighttime security were very nice and helpful. The park was just not what it was built up to be. All things considered, the Paradise Island RV Resort was okay but if we go back to Ft. Lauderdale, we'll try a different park.

On the bright side, I found a wonderful dog park at Snyder Park. They have a wonderful fenced small and large dog area with an agility course. There are benches and pavillions scattered through the dog park for people and pets to relax and/or socialize. Across the parking lot there was a lake with a dog swimming beach. The areas were never jam packed but Beau and Katie always had other dogs to play with.

Christmas RV Park

2009-05-22T10:51:00.000-07:00

Christmas RV Park is one of my very favorite RV parks and it's actually located in Christmas, FL. It is a large park in a very rural area with large campsites and lots of shade. Though it is very rural, it is about 10 minutes away from Titusville where you will be able to find just about any restaurant or shopping area you need.

I have never been a big Christmas buff but there is something that kind of stirs inside you to see a town decorated with Christmas items year round. There really seems to be the feeling of Christmas spirit that we normally only get during December.

While the Christmas RV Park is big enough for enjoyable walks, the highway that runs past it has large open shoulders where you feel perfectly safe walking without fear of a speeding car hitting you.

There is a pool at the park and shuffleboard courts. We were there at the end of the sno-bird season and the people still there were extremely friendly.

This park is also close enough that you can easily travel to Disney World, the Kennedy Space Center or several beaches.

Fort Myers Beach RV Resort

2009-05-22T10:15:00.000-07:00

Fort Myers Beach RV Resort is an old park and large rigs would have trouble getting into a campsite during the busy season. If you go during the off-season, you won't have much trouble fitting no matter what size rig you have.

There are trees scattered throughout the park so you have a good chance of getting a shaded site. It was very quiet when we were there and the park was big enough that we could enjoy walking through it.

There is a pool and the staff and the few residents we met while there were very friendly. There was plenty of shopping close by and a big plus was a huge produce market within about 10 minutes drive!

Fort Myers Beach RV Resort is located in Fort Myers, FL. The area was very nice and clean. There was a large produce stand not too far from the park as well as a Super Target which is a lot like a Wal Mart Supercenter. There was also a variety of restaurants and places to shop.

Grice RV Park

2009-05-22T10:05:00.000-07:00

There have only been a couple of parks that I really didn't care for so I'm going to get my least favorite park out of the way now.

Grice RV Park is located at 5931 Polk St. in Hollywood, FL which is close to Ft. Lauderdale. The park is very small and we barely were able to get into a RV spot.

They have tried to make the park look nice by planting trees and various plants on all the sites. It is bordered on one side by a very busy commercial area and on the other 3 sides by housing. In most cases this wouldn't have bothered me but the whole area was pretty rundown and grungy looking. It is not a place where I would feel safe without a big dog and even then I spent most of my time inside.

We were here during the sno-bird season so all the bigger parks were full. Also, during this time the traffic was so heavy that I did not want to drive anywhere. Grice RV Park does not have a website so I cannot give you a link.

Camp Nebraska RV Park

2009-05-22T09:56:00.000-07:00

I was always told that if you don't have something good to say, then don't say anything but after discussing this with my husband, we felt it was only fair to tell you some negative things about some of the parks we've been at too. Saying that, I'll start with this park.

Camp Nebraska RV Park is located at 10314 N. Nebraska Ave., in Tampa, FL. There are a lot of extended stay workers there and they were all very friendly but the park itself wasn't one of my favorites.

This park is very small and located in an area that I didn't feel secure enough to venture out in. The sidewalks were all very close to the road and there was quite a bit of traffic so I didn't feel safe to walk the dogs on the streets.

If you are passing through and just want a place to sleep then this park would be fine but if you are looking for a park to enjoy, then you'll probably want to go somewhere else.

Camp Nebraska RV Park does not have a website so I cannot give you a link.

Bay Bayou RV Resort

2009-05-22T09:31:00.000-07:00

As you can tell, I'm on a bit of a roll today. It's raining outside which makes walking unenjoyable so I figured I would do a little writing. There are a lot of parks we've stayed at the last year and a half that I want to share with you and today's a good day to start.

Bay Bayou RV Resort is probably my favorite Tampa, FL area park. It is a nice big park with nice sized lots. This is a gated park so you would be wise to call ahead if you are arriving after office hours.

There are two ponds and a few orange and grapefruit trees that have the best tasting fruit I have ever had!!!! They do have a pool and a mini store in the main building. If you like to fish, there are also fishing docks extending into the river so you don't have to navigate down the banks.

For us pet people, Bay Bayou RV Resort not only has a fenced area for the dogs to run in but they have a pet washing station! There are chairs and a picnic table for the humans to sit and visit while their pets play in the pet area. The pet area is surrounded on 3 sides by trees and what I would call scrub (overgrowth) which helps to shade the area during the day. Being from the central US, I appreciate shade wherever I can find it to escape from the Florida heat.

Cypress Woods RV Resort

2009-05-22T08:12:00.000-07:00

This park is located in Fort Myers, FL and is absolutely beautiful!!!!! Quite a few of the lots are owned by individuals and the work and money they have put into landscaping is amazing! I am still kicking myself for not taking pictures of some of the campsites there.

Cypress Woods RV Resort has 2 pools and 3 lakes. There were also tennis courts and shuffleboard courts. The lots not only have large concrete patios but also long paved pads to park your RV and vehicle on. Each lot has a storage shed but if you are a short time renter, you don't get access to these.

The park is gated and big enough to take long walks without ever getting bored. We were there for 3 weeks and everytime I walked through the park I found something I hadn't seen before.

The park is a little pricey if you go there during the winter season but off-season the prices are reasonable. Cypress Woods RV Resort is a gated park so you do need to call ahead to make reservations if you are going to get there after hours.

Barkingham Park is about 10 minutes away and we went there every morning. Not only is it a fenced dog park but there are several walking trails going around a lake and through the woods.

This whole area is very beautiful and there is something nearby that everyone will enjoy.

Citrus Hill RV Park

2009-05-21T13:29:00.000-07:00

For the last year and a half, I've felt like Citrus Hill RV Park was home away from home. This is the first park we stayed in when we came to Florida and it's where Dave's employer has a warehouse so we get back here 2-3 times a year.

Citrus Hill RV Park is located in Dover, FL which is a rural area but is close to Brandon, Plant City, and Lakeland. These cities offer a large variety of restaurants and shopping areas.

There is no pool at Citrus Hill RV Park but there are several pull-throughs and it is easy to get in and out. They have plenty of room for big rigs in the back section which is a new addition that just opened within the last year.

There are quite a few people who live here year round and most of the shaded campsites are occupied by them. That means those of us who are traveling through park in the sun but that's the way it is in most RV parks.

We were pretty disappointed when we got to Citrus Hill this time. The new addition was so open and clean the times we were here before but the managers are allowing people to junk up their sites. Citrus Hill RV Park no longer feels comfortable to us so we sadly will be looking for a new park when we are in this area. This doesn't mean we wouldn't stay here again because I do really like the area and the people but I don't like the direction the park is going.

This is a pretty big park with plenty of room to walk the dogs and it's about 20 minutes away from the Mango Dog Park. It's also close to some really good produce stands. One of the best things about being in Florida is being able to get good produce year round.

Ocala North RV Park

2009-05-19T18:33:00.000-07:00

After leaving Pensacola RV Park, we headed to KY so Dave could have a much needed vacation where we spent 3 weeks relaxing, visiting family and fishing.

When the vacation was over we headed back to the next job which is in Gainesville, FL. There are not many parks close to Gainesville. In fact, the closest parks we could find were almost 20 miles away.

We decided to stay at the Ocala North RV Park in Reddick, FL which is between Ocala and Gainesville. We were here once before for a couple of days and I was happy to come back. The park has lots of trees throughout which really helps on those hot Florida days. The park is in an area full of horse farms and is great for those of us who like rural areas.

There is a hiking trail which goes through the woods. It isn't very long but it sure is nice to be able to take a walk through the forest and get off the pavement for a while. I've never encountered anyone on the trail so I take the dogs off leash and let them enjoy a little freedom.

There is a nice pool at the Ocala North RV Park as well as shuffleboard courts and a sand volleyball area. The residents and people who work here are very friendly to us and to our dogs. There is a short pet walk area but everyone walks their dogs through the park. There are about 125 sites and a lot of them are pull-throughs.

The only possible drawback would be that it is takes about 20 minutes to get to any shopping or restaurants.

Pensacola RV Park

2009-04-13T17:06:00.000-07:00

My husband and I have been traveling through Florida with his job for over a year and a half now. Since we have to move every 8-14 days, we decided to buy a fifth wheel to live in. We actually bought a toy hauler so we could use the "garage" as a utility room/candle workroom. Also we had 2 dogs and 3 cats that we were not willing to give up when we sold our house and started traveling so the "garage" gives us plenty of room for a litter box and pet food storage.

One of the biggest problems we have faced is finding good RV Parks. Every park you call is going to tell you that they have a great park but we have found that they may be a little (or a lot) biased.

Everyone's opinion of a good RV Park is different so I'm sure there are lots of people who are looking for different things than I am. This is what I look for in a park: mostly RVs which means limited permanent residents, plenty of room to walk the dogs outside without fear of getting run over or assaulted, clean, friendly workers and friendly travelers. If there is an actual dog park or dog beach near by then I'm totally thrilled!!!

In the hopes of helping out other travelers, I decided to write this blog letting everyone know about the different parks we have stayed in so they will be able to make a better decision about where they would like to stay.

For this blog, I am going to start with the park we are currently in. We are in Pensacola, FL staying in the Pensacola RV Park which is only 4 months old and is located at 3117 Wilde Lake Blvd. The park is relatively small but it is set in the country while being minutes away from stores and restaurants. It is a family run park and they are all very friendly.

Pensacola RV Park is very clean and the roads through it and the campsites are very well made. There is plenty of room to walk around the park, through the fields and around the pond. I've been told by other travelers that there are some nice bass in the pond but the park asks that you release them back into the pond so others can enjoy catching them too. There is no pool or swimming in the pond. In case you have never been to Florida, you really don't want to get into any fresh water ponds, lakes or rivers because of the possibility of alligators.

The biggest drawback to the park is that all the trees were cleared from the park area. There are lots of big beautiful trees surrounding the park but none to give your campsite shade on a hot day.

There is a wonderful dog park less than 10 miles from here. It has huge shade trees with benches and picnic tables placed all around it. The dog park is located at the Roger Scott Complex at 2130 Summit Blvd. There are tennis balls all over for the dogs to play with and everytime we've been there, there has been a steady stream of friendly dogs for mine to play with. This is the only dog park I've ever been in that has a vending machine with dog toys and snacks.

I'll post more later on other parks we have stayed at........