Thursday
Before I get started with our visiting, I wanted to let those with DirecTV & DISH network know that there is a free preview of HBO and Cinemax this weekend Friday - Monday. If you are like us and don't get the "premium" movie channels regularly, you can watch and record some movies from those channels this weekend. The preview is also available for AT&T U-verse & Verizon FIOS for our "sticks-and-bricks" friends.
FreePreview.TV was started to keep track of the free previews (movie channels, sports packages, and various other channels you may not have in your current package) that your provider often fails to tell you about. You can even sign up to get notifications.
Most of the morning, I worked on Journal entries I'll be posting later this month.
In the early afternoon, Ron & Linda from Tennessee picked us up. We had met them a couple of times before, and they are staying here in the park for the month of February. They had arranged for us to have lunch with their friends Cliff & Laura who are also from Tennessee. Cliff & Laura are coming to the Spring Rally, and have just started full-timing.
We made the half hour drive to Eaton's Beach Sandbar & Grill on Lake Weir.
It was a bit too cool and breezy to sit outside. But we walked through the warmer inside seating and sat out on the enclosed deck with heaters. I'm sure they open it up when it gets warmer.
They have a large menu with items you may not have seen anywhere else. They call it "Florisiana Cuisine" - Cajun, Creole, Low Country, Barbecue, and Spanish or "Three Cs with a little BS". :)
You can check out the eclectic menu here: Eaton's Beach menu.
I went with the Louisiana side and got gumbo, and the Washday Special - red beans & rice with Andouille sausage. Pretty good but not great.
Linda went out on a limb with the Jazz Burger which is a bacon cheeseburger with a little peanut butter. It was just a taste of peanut butter and it was, surprisingly, quite good.
Oh, be careful about the "Specialty Drinks" - there is no pricing on the menu, and Linda's Back Porch Lemonade came in a souvenir plastic cup which we didn't realize was $15 until the bill arrived. Yikes. It was large, and she said it was good, but not that good.
We had a lovely conversation and enjoyed the company. Cliff is 76, he just sold his business, and they sold their house and their stuff to start full-timing this year. Wow.
In addition to the main restaurant, they also now have the Steam Shack down below which opened earlier this month. We didn't check it out, but I'm guessing it has more of a "beachy" feel down by the sand. I bet this place really gets hoppin' as it warms up.
After our late lunch, we got back home around 5:00, and relaxed the rest of the evening.
Friday
Today, I did some more writing, returned emails, posted a couple of things in the Forum, and generally did some "work" stuff. Linda took our laundry into town. There's more room at the local laundromat than here at the RV park, and it's cheaper.
She also bought some yarn. She really likes this finger-knitting thing she's doing, and she's made four scarves and is working on a fifth. Here's one she sent to our friend, Joyce, in Louisville.
Linda used this video to teach herself.
Around 4:00, we drove 30 minutes east on U.S. 40 to the Blackwater Inn in Astor, Florida on the St. John's River where we met up with Kris & Dan (Meandering Jaxs) who are staying in our park, and Rowdy & Missy (left) who are visiting from Fairbanks, Alaska.
Rowdy has been a frequent contributor in our Chat Room for years, and he is now about a month away from retirement from his firefighter job. They have a contract on their house and the fifth wheel toy hauler and truck have been purchased. They are ready to roll.
Some of our RV-Dreams family have visited them up in Alaska, and they will be keeping a cabin they own for summer visits. We hope to make it up there to see their place one of these days.
We were seated in the dining room which has floor-to-ceiling windows along the river.
Once again the food was pretty good. Linda & I had the off-menu grouper special.
We enjoyed getting to know Rowdy & Missy and chatting with Dan & Kris.
Rowdy got a selfie of all of us as we departed just before dark.
We made our way back to Wilderness RV Resort, where we had more plans for the evening. We stopped by our rig to pick up games and then joined Lee & Edie for an evening of Qwirkle.
I got back on a winning streak which was greatly enhanced by Edie's warm brownies. :)
Eventually, we called it a night. Tomorrow is supposed to be beautiful, so it looks like the four of us are going to rent one of the park's pontoon boats and tour the Ocklawaha and Silver Rivers. That means there will probably be a lot of pictures in tomorrow's entry. :)
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