TTN Hop 1: Ft Myers Beach FL to Ocala FL

217 miles via I-75, FL 80, FL 31, US 17, US 98, US 301, I-75 (again) and US 27

TTN Hop 1

There are times when the Google map route and the GPS route just don’t jibe, for no apparent reason, and this was one of those times. Google very clearly preferred taking FL 471 north from US 98 to US 301, bypassing Dade City, but the GPS insisted that taking US 98 all the way – despite it being 5 miles longer – was superior. Because we trust the GPS to keep us out of trouble we took US 98, which cost us not only the 5 miles but also about 10 minutes in travel time due to the Dade City rush hour traffic.

I like FL 31 and US 17, but US 98 through Lakeland was a PITA. Too much traffic, too many lights. Because of all the stop-and-go, the “low fuel” light lit when we were about a half mile from our destination. Not great mileage considering that the route is very flat.

Our home for two nights is the Oak Tree Village & Campground in Ocala. If our goal had been to find a place that was the polar opposite of Gulf Waters, we would have to declare success. While the site itself is fairly large and comfortable – and a pull-through, making for easy setup – the park reminds me of a housing project. We locked our door for the first time in 6 months when we went out to dinner. Not only are the “apartments” – cheap double-wide trailers – very low class and unappealing, but the RV section of the park is filled with ancient trailers that have not moved in years. A man I met in the dog park admitted that he had lived in the RV park for 12 years and expected to die there.

Well, we are staying for just 2 nights, but we are hoping that we don’t die there.

The park does have the large dog park, a new playground and a nice pool, so it is not without amenities. But it has no cable TV (we have a choice of 4 over-the-air channels) and is close enough to I-75 that we not only can hear the trucks go by, we can feel them go by.

We won’t return.

Our site at Oak Tree Village

The wreck next door

Apartment trailers

Dog park

Pool

I-75