This easy-to-find state park in High Springs (just north of Gainesville) is dissected by the Santa Fe River. I am always curious about name origination and more times than not Wikipedia provides the answer. The Santa Fe derives its name from a Franciscan mission, Santa Fe de Toloca, formerly located near the river. Santa Fe means “holy faith” in Spanish. Coincidentally one must have faith with this river, as it fully disappears in a large sink hole within O’Leno State Park, travels underground and resurfaces 3 miles downstream in River Rise Preserve State Park.

River sink. The water swirls down the drain, giving the turtles on the logs a calm ride.

I assume High Springs was named for the numerous springs around the river and the sink holes that occasionally change location and the places where the river sinks and rises.

O’Leno was an interesting read.

Originally named “Keno”, then Leno, then  O’Leno for Old Leno

You may recall I am not a fan of bridges and even the mild-mannered suspension bridge in the park gave me pause. This park is another Florida oldie, built by the CCC in the late 1930s. Trails, large pavilions, a youth camp and a large metal dock to swim in the river are all easily accessible. The forecast held a fair amount of rainy moments with thunder showers likely so we got going and headed out for the River Trail once settled.

Memorable not for my bridge walk but for warm enough for shorts !

Hadn’t walked very far when thunder rumbled and the sky went dark. Gotta love those pop-ups! Russ said better double time it back but I ran because getting drenched wasn’t on my to-do list but then neither was crossing the bridge twice. It hardly sways with one person, but two will make it move- wheeeeee.

Our rain shelter

Took us a bit to figure out the reason for bench dividers… or are they?

We made it to a large pavilion and hung out with Betty for quite a while. She is a winter volunteer at Stephen Foster State Park (came to O’Leno for a few hours), playing violin to pay her way. She shared how volunteering works and that good vocational skills are in high demand. Was a pleasant way to pass the time and we got a picture of her tiny camper as she drove off.

Betty hails from South Dakota; imagine living in this for much of the year.

We did get to walk the River Trail and others another day; Russ was also able to bike a few of the passable trails. Also pretty certain that the three-foot long black snake warming itself next to the path, raising its tail with a rattle noise before slithering away, was perhaps a rattlesnake???

We drove to downtown High Springs one afternoon in search of the Secret Garden Bakery (we found it!) and came upon the final day of the 2015 Model-T Gainesville Winter Tour. Must have been 30 of these beauties by the time they’d all parked across from a rustic and inviting restaurant.

Model-T road trip heads through downtown High Springs

The plates were fun to read

We all know why the trunk is so named, right?

I’ve had time over the past few weeks to improve my skills

Do these look like palm trees?

Our spacious site, 007, at the park

The park has a tiny Nature Center with Friday-Sunday 10-2pm hours and the day we stopped they’d closed early. We met the outdoor gopher tortoises though.

Couldn’t make him smile, but he didn’t run and hide like his neighbor

The tunnels help out other creatures too

The park had a prescribed burn (RX burn) last year and you can see the dark char still, as well as new growth. Important for keeping the habitat in balance.

The prescribed burns allow grasses, shrubs and other small plants to grow

Happy road warriors again with our 2-hour, 76 mile trip northwest to Apopka and Wekiwa Springs State Park. With only 10 miles of the trip on I-95, the remainder on 2-lane state and county roads, one doesn’t zoom along at 65mph the entire time, but that’s our preference anyway.

Here’s a few stats- first, about our travels so far:

• Miles driven since Annie joined the clan: 3,150
• Gals diesel purchased: 383
• Highest fuel price paid: $3.79 in PA in Sept and CT in Nov
• Lowest fuel price paid: $2.76 believe it or not in the Keys on Jan 31 right as prices were about to creep up
• Amount of time driving in snow or rain: precious little and all of it prior to Dec 3

About Wekiwa Springs State Park:

• 42 million gals of clear water flow each day from the two fissures in Wekiwa Springs
• Wekiwa means “spring of water”; from the Creeks who were later called Seminoles
• The park covers 7,800 acres
• Miles of trails = 26+, for hiking, multi-use and horse
• The campground is small. Two loops, each with 30 RV/tent sites. All sites have water and 30amp hook-ups and all but 23 also have sewer. A dump station is provided.
• The park has a primitive youth camping section and youth camp cabins
• Visitors can rent canoes, visit the Nature Center, shop for trinkets and ice cream at the concession bldg.

Check-in could not have been easier: we pull up to the ranger booth; receive info packet and receipt. Done.

Park entrance

We usually have to ask where we can unhook Bonny and the answer is often accompanied by an odd look. No idea why; I mean we already said this was our first visit.

Unless we have a pull-through site (rare) we don headsets and I drive Bonny ahead then help direct Russ in. This time was easy; the Captain is quite the backing up pro.

We had booked nine nights here and the weather behaved in typical winter fashion: days of warm and mostly sunny, days of chilly and cloudy and some days of rain.

What makes a desirable site (for us):

• Wide enough for slide-outs and awning
• Space and/or shrubs or trees between sites
• Mostly sunny with no overhanging branches
• Level site with gravel, cement, grass or hard sand to park on
• Well marked so we can find it
• Not being directly across from the site across the road; some places stagger the sites a bit which is nice

Our site is #46 on the outside of the second loop.

Our site as seen from the trail leading in

The outer edge sites often seem wider and they usually don’t back up to other sites, just woods or empty space. Full hook-up and plenty deep and wide, but a lone pine kept the awning in. Enough tall trees provided dappled sun between 10am – 4pm. Sunrise at 6:46 which meant no light shone in until 7:15 and then we sprang ahead and boy the mornings were dark. Sunset moving to 7:30pm brought big smiles.

Looking down the loop from our site- before the weekend

This shot is deceptive; the fifth-wheels, campers and tents outnumbered the motorhomes; at least on our loop. The weekend brought in a full house.

The Spring and the head of the river; four feet deep at the most

Nature Center at Wekiwa

Feeding time for a one-year old gator

Adult and jr. yellow sliders enjoy the sun

So many trails! See if you can find Sand Lake and the river camps to the north

Raise your hand if you know about or have done a Volksmarch trail. Yes, I thought so. A new one on us.

Time to turn back 😦

All along the way up, we kept skirting along short mucky sections but we got to the river camp. The river had flooded its banks a bit thanks to the recent downpour before we arrived. We went on but very quickly came to this and I drew the line in the mud!  We could always come up from the southern end of the trail we’d hoped to take down to Sand Lake. In a few days.

Why did the turkey cross the road?

To have a drink of turkey water

Weekends mean Renninger’s Flea/Farm/Antique Market opens in Mt. Dora. Mount did I say? Yes! Hills really, but not the totally flat we have grown accustomed to while snowbirding in sunny Florida.

See a hill! Entering the market

This weekend was Cars & Guitars Show too and how great to own a vintage auto in Florida- no snow, rust and all that crap that ruins a car before you can say, “back to the future.” A Delorean was there, but I didn’t take a photo.

The real reason we went wasn’t to buy stuff that we don’t have room for; it was donuts. Gee, how unusual. 🙂  and since we keep reading “you deserve a donut” we’ve come to believe it!

 Worth the 25 min drive, the tiny donut booth sells ‘em as fast as the machine makes ‘em.

Toothpicks made for less messy face-stuffing!

The market itself reminded us of the market in Charleston, only more on the trashy side; no offense. Inside halls with everything, outside booths and stalls and more tables set up farther out.

This was one of the classier booths. 🙂

Was almost too much and I was happy not to be collecting vintage plates, glassware and fabrics anymore. Vintage RVs are another thing and always fun to see.

We liked this new but retro RV tucked in along our loop