On The Road With The Dennens: Wagons HO! (Hey! Who you callin' a HO?)

Before we left today, we ran up to the ranger station. OK…we limped up to the ranger station, but we didn’t drive there. We walked both ways and lived to tell about it. My only regret is that along the way I saw an otter cross the street and disappear into the woods and didn’t get a photo of it. It was beautiful to see, though. Along the way I was treated to beautiful scenes of wildflowers, the inlet and birds.

The museum on site was a fishing museum. It told you about Sebastian’s once glorious fishing industry that has gone the way of most things, in the face of progress, laws that stopped a way of life and several hurricanes that have left only a handful of the heartiest souls here to make a living as a commercial fisherman. However, despite the hardships and lack of income, the fishermen love the freedom to do as they please and be their own boss. There were several rangers on hand to answer questions as well as a movie about how Sebastian grew up over the years and what kinds of things impacted it. The video was very informative.

We are coming back to this park in November. We’ll get a second crack at it and see if our opinion changes…but for now; I would say that this is a very big attraction for families. If you have children, this seems to be the place to go. Kids are bountiful here. We were never sure if they all actually belonged to anyone or if they were feral children moving in packs. They were seen entering and staying at several different campsites. People should really learn not to feed the feral ones. You also have to be wary of what my husband refers to “The Biggest Little Teeth In All Of Florida”. The biting gnats. They apparently have the same summer vacation schedule as humans. When colder weather arrives, apparently, they leave. We’ll see about that in November. When they bite they really leave their calling card…all over your body.

After our museum visit, it was several minutes past our 1:00 check out time, so we high tailed it and got our wagon hitched and pulled out of space 22. We now make our way to Okeechobee, FL and Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park. It is world famous for being remote and for its luxurious star gazing facilities….open land and open skies with no lights.

As we make our way to where we are going, we like to amuse ourselves with the usual RV games. When you travel in a motor home, especially to “ride aboard” type, not the towing kind, you learn a few games pretty instantly. The first one is called “What Was That Noise?!” It is also sometimes referred to as “What Fell?” The objects of this game are to figure out which objects really aren’t secured, where in the RV you actually heard the noise, what went wrong and what you have to do to fix it. Bonus points if you can see it happening and shout: “It’s NOTHING!” before it happens. There is the auxiliary game of “Pick Up” once you’ve arrived at your destination. This is a game for everyone, driver and passenger alike, however, passengers have the advantage.

ITS NOTHING!!!!

Another game for the whole rig is “OH! Look At That! Too Late, You Missed It!” This is played equally by all. Notice something really spectacular, and draw everyone’s attention to it just a few moments too late. Fun!

The next game is for the main care giver who is NOT driving. I like to call this one “Stand And Deliver”. When the driver (or any other passengers you may have on board with you) declares hunger or thirst you STAND up, while the vehicle is careening down the highway at a speed of at least 55 MPH and make your way to the refrigerator. The most exciting part of the game is opening the refrigerator. The rig has a natural pitch and roll, like a boat out at sea. This causes the contents of the fridge to “adjust” slightly. You have the daunting task of opening the door before a red light or a thoughtless driver cuts you off, causing sudden and violent movement to the rig and the contents of the refrigerator. If that happens when the door is open, it’s a real party, trust me. Your new objective is to maintain your own balance as you procure the items from the fridge BEFORE anything falls out, and place it onto the counter on which you are to work. You are now supposed to simultaneously juggle a jar of mayonnaise, an avocado, a container of sprouts, tomatoes, turkey meat and flat bread and make sandwiches, and not drop any of it on the floor. If you want extra credit points, add a ravenous cat who adores turkey meat to the kitchen. Chances are he will jump up to where you’re working and demand his share of turkey meat. So, add jousting and fending off to your activities. Are the sandwiches made? OK, now DELIVER them to the interested parties. You can’t have sandwiches without a beverage, right? You also can’t leave out the perishables, so guess where you’ll be adventuring to again? That’s right! The fridge! Go through the same gyrations to get out the tea and put back the bread, mayonnaise, and sprouts. Now…as you’re traveling 55 MPH CAREFULLY pour the tea into the cups. The road is bumpy and your driver just slammed on the breaks! NO SPILLING! Deliver the beverages, too. Did you make sure to give the cat some turkey meat? Bonus points! Now, find your way to your seat, juggling your sandwich and your drink. It’s time to enjoy the spoils of the war. Baby, you earned it!

Before you think it’s all fun and games for everyone but the driver, think again! There is RV Driver Rodeo for you! Find a Flying J, Loves, or other “trucker/RV” type gas station. Make sure it’s one that is laden with big rigs all over and close quarters, too. Now, this environment is full of people who have no clue where they or you are headed to. Everyone has glazed over eyes, weary from travel and looking for a little cheap fuel. The skilled Rodeo Driver can eagle eye a spot and zip in and get their fuel and zip out without injury to self or others. Weaving through tight spots and past lost vacationers is the RV Rodeo Driver’s sport.