Maps and the Apps

Gulf Shores, AL     High:  65   Low:  45

Today was spent visiting some RV parks in the Gulf Shores area..There are quite a few, but we visited just two very upscale parks today-- Lake Osprey RV Country Club in Foley, and Bella Terra,  both in Foley, AL. We wanted to view these two parks in the area and compare notes on pricing, sites and amenities. Lake Osprey is small, right now they only have 26 sites, but the website says 188 when all sites are completed. They advertise themselves as a "country club for RVers." There is a beautiful championship golf course right next door, Soldier's Creek, that you can play for a good discount. The clubhouse is classy and gorgeous, and so is the pool.

Unfortunately, the entire view across the manmade lake is dirt. The lake view lots are HUGE, which is nice. They are wide open, and no shade except for an occasional palm. The park is relatively new, so it has a long way to go as far as landscaping and future development for certain sections of the park.

Here is another view from the side of one of the lake lots.

The lots BEHIIND the lake view ones are more developed.

Lake Osprey RV lots across from the lake

Driving to the park does feel like you are driving to the middle of nowhere, it's outside the little town of Elberta, AL. It's a good ten miles back to where the action is in Gulf Shores and to shopping. We thought the landscaping was very beautiful in and around the clubhouse, but in the year's time since we last paid a visit to check things out, development appears at a standstill on the view across the lake. They have a tiki bar which was kind of cool, and FREE laundry, top of the line machines, for additional amenities besides the pool. It was very pretty, but it just didn't quite call us home.....

We decided to go to Bella Terra RV Resort, also in Foley, AL, where we encountered a similar but different setting....Another beautiful pool, an infinity edge walk in pool with gorgeous views.

Monthly rentals range from 800-900 dollars plus $100 electric cap. If you go over 850 kw for the month, then you pay .12 a kw/h after that. During high season which is January thru March, the quoted cost depends on the amenities on the sites--from a plain concrete pad to a site with a screened in gazebo and outdoor kitchen!

Sites are HUGE....They have a special movie theater room with high backed movie chair seating. They have a 6,000 square foot clubhouse, library, free wi-fi, cable, 200 amp service at each RV lot (that's BIG, says E.) sauna, outdoor fire pit, a card/game room, putting greens, and they have Pilates exercise classes. (That's for Sparky, clarifies Eldo.)

Bella Terra living room at the clubhouse

With all the money we are saving the entire month of January, we decided to splurge a little for February. We have been doing really well staying way under budget for campground stays with our Thousand Trails and Encore specials for the past few months. We decided to commit to a month's stay in February at Bella Terra. They only ask for a dollar deposit!

Back to planning mode after visiting these two parks. We have to plan the next few months out...sort of...When you are in the south for the winter, and you are on the east coast and staying in Florida, you better have a plan for the winter months! It's almost impossible to get into Florida State parks, you have to book really far out. We don't usually do that, and we weren't sure what direction we were going to head after this winter--back out east towards Maine again, or out west....We're still not sure of that, but we are sure we need to go to Red Bay, AL to the Tiffin plant in the next few months. They were so busy and backed up this fall, we put it on the back burner.

So-o-o-o...out came the maps, the apps--Thousand Trails app, All Stays Camp and RV (Eldy's favorite), the phones, and the good old fashioned yellow legal pad...We knew we had the following pencilled in:
December--in Sarasota, FL at Sun 'n' Fun....
January--We are booked the first two weeks in the Keys...we want to hit the Tampa RV show the second week of January. We need to get a spot not too far away...we're going to shoot for the Manatee RV Park in Bradenton where we can stay for 139.00 a week on an Encore special, which is available for Thousand Trails members. Going to spend a week there...Check!

The last two weeks of January, we've decided to head over to Lake Magic to use our Florida Max Pass, which was purchased last year to enable us to stay for free or 3.00 a day if we have used up our free stays on our zone membership. The Florida Max Pass was purchased at the Tampa RV show (199.00) to give us six additional Florida parks, one of them is Lake Magic in Clermont.  We've now got January covered.

February--a month at Bella Terra RV Resort and from there, to Red Bay, AL....And that's it so far....

Sounds like a plan...Now, the next plan is to convince Eldy to go back up the east coast to Maine...heh, heh, heh...But Sparky just said that to tease Eldy. As much as she would like to head back to Bar Harbor, Maine, she really doesn't mind a trip heading west....Colorado, maybe this summer, anyone? Anyone? (Hmmmmmmm....says E.)

Buckeye butterfly spotted at Lake Osprey RV park

Lake Magic Encore RV Park

After a harrowing day yesterday figuring out what to do about my bank card that had been hacked, we settled in to the Encore Lake Magic Park in Clermont, FL. An update on that is, Wells Fargo did an awesome job helping me sort things out. I've already been reimbursed for the fraudulent charges even though they still have to dispute the charges with the merchants. Yay!

Lake Magic is close to Disney World, within 7 miles, and we are thinking about going there, MAYBE, because Sparky has never been to Disney World. We picked up some brochures from the office like we usually do, to read about the area. We are here for just three nights and two days, so we're gonna have to move quickly if we do tour Disney World, AND we're going to have to agree on which park section to see. Eldo has been to Disney World many times, so he is really not too picky about which one he sees. It's just that it's kind of expensive, but we've gotten some tips about where to get discount tickets and it's NOT from the street shops leading to Disney, that advertise with gigantic signs, shouting, "DISCOUNT TICKETS HERE!"  Stay tuned, we might be going.....

Our site at Lake Magic #233

Lake Magic RV park is a very nice park....level, spacious concrete sites, but very little shade...It is surrounded by pretty apartment/vacation rentals. It has two pools, laundry, shuffleboard, pickleball and a small lake...our site, #233, a pull through, has no concrete patio and the ants (fire ants? wonders E. nervously) are everywhere. The sign at the office says to let them know if you are concerned and they will come and spray. Sparky got bit just the other day and YES, WE WANT YOU TO COME AND SPRAY! Man, those fire ant bites are PAINFUL! Those little boogers are tiny, tiny, but they come with a BIG bite and leave a nasty, pus filled sore the next day. UGH! Here is another view of the park....

We love the pool, it's very pretty and it has shaded areas for sitting...

Our first full day here...Eldy woke up and went outside to enjoy the early morning sunrise. He saw about TEN hot air balloons come floating by. Knowing that Sparky loves nature photos and events photos, he came inside to the bedroom and whispered, "Sparky, are you awake?" Sparky was fast asleep so SHE MISSED A GREAT PHOTO OPPORTUNITY! Rats! Eldy did not get any photos of the balloons, he tried with the camera phone, but just missed the bunch. Sparky caught an errant balloon that seemed to be part of the group, but was having difficulty staying in the air. Next time, Eldo, YELL for Sparky to come out and what's going on! I guess these balloon outfitters are regulars around the area, and they have been known to land in the park! Bless his heart, he knew she needed her sleep with a bad shoulder that had been keeping her up at night for the past couple of nights. But, first night on the sleep number bed and she was out like a light!

The park has a little laundry room with a beautiful shady porch just outside it for waiting for your laundry to get done...nice touch!

Free cable TV, 30-50 amp at all sites, you pay for Wi-fi (3.00 a day Tengo Internet services), seasonal cottages available to rent for 60.00 a day, or 1850 monthly (ouch!) Four hundred seventy-one full hookup sites, seventy pull thrus, 45 foot maximum length RV. There is pickleball and tennis....There's a boat launch and a lake--Lake Davenport, at the back of the park, it's big enough to kayak in! This park is part of the Florida Max Pass that we obtained at the Tampa RV show, so we are staying for FREE!  We are only going to stay three days, because that's the maximum stay allowed to move to the next Thousand Trails/Encore park without having to stay out a week of the system. We're kind of checking out the Thousand Trails parks this year in preparation for next. Since the Tampa RV show was in January, we've got till the end of next January to use our Thousand Trails zone memberships and the Florida Max Pass.  This park charges 35.00 a day at this time of year (April) and 180.00 a week, if you don't have the Max Pass. Great rates, but this is April.... We really like the park and highly recommend it!

That's the latest on the park for now.....We're heading over to check out the Thousand Trails park in Orlando later today, and the Florida Mall where there is an M & M store...(Sparky's in trouble already, she LOVES peanut M & M's. The last time we visited an M & M store in Las Vegas, Sparky had a stash that lasted for months! explains E.)  See you there tomorrow!