Nearing the end of my two week stay at EG Simmons Campground

 I have been surprised that this year the campground has never filled up. It has 115 nice campsites and it seems like I see available sites almost everyday. The weather has been slightly above normal and we only had two rain storms over my entire stay.

I got in 4 long bike rides and several shorter ones around the park and out to dinner one day. I paddled twice around their marked canoe trail and one time across the bay to the Apollo Beach area. I updated the map I posted in my last blog showing all the paths that my "Map My Ride" GPS Ap displayed. Rather than post the map again, here is the link to the updated MAP, or just look at my January 8th blog.

I cook almost all of my meals, always eating good full course meals the same as Peggy & I always cooked on our  previous trips. I ate out when Judi and Larry visited me, but this week on Thursday I biked over to Julies Fish House which is only about 2-1/2 miles from my campsite. 

They prepare nice fish dinners in a casual outdoor atmosphere. You order at the window and share a picnic table or do take-out. This is a photo from four years ago when I was there with Peggy. They are only open three days a week and it is very popular and highly rated. This year I had Grouper which was very tasty.

This last weekend it turned cold, for me. Morning lows are in the 40's and highs barely reaching into the mid-fifties. It is also very windy so I may not do anymore paddling. I may take a few more short bike rides around the park and watch the NFL football playoff games. Two years ago Peggy and I camped here on Super Bowl weekend which was played in Tampa. The campground was very full on that weekend.

My plan is to leave here on Monday morning and do my bi-weekly shopping. You can't check in at Oscar Scherer State Park until after 2 pm so I have plenty of time to get there. It is only 60 miles south of here, between Sarasota and Venice, FL Last year I was able to get a campsite there for 3 nights and enjoyed that it is on the Legacy paved bike trail that goes from downtown Sarasota to south of Venice with a new spur all the way to North Port. One thing about FL State Parks is that they are always reserved 11 months in advance and give no discount to out-of-state campers. So I was lucky to get a site and I hope to enjoy my two week stay here. My friends Barry & Sue from MI plan to be here during the same period.