Wednesday, January 2, 2013

1/2 Lake Kissimmee State Park

I've had a restful three days here, after I got back from my visit to my Ohio family.  I had chosen this park about a month ago after realizing I needed a place to stay for four days before my next reservation farther south.  Unfortunately, there weren't many choices of state parks because this is a very busy tourist time of year. 

Positives:  Spots are large and separated by lots of greenery, so there is a lot of privacy.  There is fishing and a boat launch along the river nearby. 

Negatives:  No access to the lake unless you ride your bike or walk a couple of miles. Also, while you cannot see the lake, you know it is there because you can hear the roar of airboats 20 hours a day.  Not much to so other than bike riding and fishing.  Also, just discovered (after I put clothes and money in) that the washing machine uses only cold water, even though it gives you the usual selection of hot, warm, and cold.  They really should have a sign warning about this because I do not like to wash clothes in cold water only.

 
The land here is a bit higher than Myakka--more pines and fewer Live Oaks.
 


Here is the river boat launch and the shut-down for construction observation tower:


And somewhere, WAY in the distance is supposed to be the lake.  I had already ridden my bike 8 miles to the entrance and back, so after reaching the out-of-commission tower, I decided to skip riding a mile or so farther to get a peek of the lake. 

Another positive was these guys stopping by my campsite for a visit.


I had a relaxing time here, but I probably will not come back.  There are a lot of other state parks which I have yet to discover, which is what makes my trip an adventure, not just a vacation! 

5 comments:

  1. wonder if it's hard to find the lake edge because the water level has fallen with overuse and canal-building?
    also, cold water washing isn't that bad, is it?

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  2. You are getting lots of bike riding in anyway.

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  3. But I had to ride my bike almost two miles just to get to the boat launch, which was on the river, not on the lake. The lake shore is marshy and a bit dry this time of year, but the real problem is that they built the campground a long way from the lake. There was not even a trail from the campground to the lake. I know it is about 1500 feet from the campground because I could see the open water part of it on the map and hear the airboats, but no way to walk there directly.

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  4. I am old fashioned about laundry--need hot water to help soap dissolve the body oils. There is a washer and dryer in this park as well, but I asked and no hot water. There IS hot water right next door for showers, however.

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  5. Those birds look like the Sandhill Cranes that hang out in my neighborhood during the summer.

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