A Winter Retreat in Central Florida 🌴☀️🏕️
For our second winter on the road, we decided to head back to central Florida, landing at The Resort at Canopy Oaks in Lake Wales—about 90 minutes south of Orlando. This was our first experience at a full resort, and let me tell you, it was a game-changer!
Resort Life: All the Perks & Plenty of Space 🏖️🐐🍕
With over 400 sites, this place had everything you could want right on the property:
✔️ Tiki bar 🍹
✔️ Pizza & deli 🍕
✔️ Ice cream shop 🍦
✔️ Nail salon 💅
✔️ Pool & hot tub 🏊♀️
✔️ Fitness center & pickleball courts 🏋️🏓
✔️ And best of all—GOATS! 🐐❤️
The RV sites were huge, with full concrete pads and plenty of grass space between neighbors—a huge upgrade from last year’s experience.
Gator Tours, Christmas Traditions & Beach Days 🎄🐊🏝️
One of our favorite adventures was a swamp tour in Kissimmee with my brother, Ronnie—so many gators! 🐊 It was an absolute blast.
Christmas was extra special this year, thanks to our good friends from last winter, Karen & Mark. They stayed at the resort for a week, and we continued our annual tradition of prime rib, courtesy of chef Nick. Even Leo got in on the fun—meeting Santa and experiencing a few snowflakes (fake, of course 😉).
Even though we were in central Florida, we still made time for beach days!
✔️ Vero Beach—stunning shoreline and some great shopping 🏖️🛍️
✔️ Venice Beach—home to an amazing dog beach where Leo had a blast 🐶🌊. We even started considering this spot as a potential home base—we loved it that much!
Catching Up, Exploring & Unexpected Adventures 🚀🔥
Another highlight? Reuniting with friends from last winter at Seminole Campground—it was so great to catch up and see everyone again! We also took a trip to Bok Tower Gardens in Lake Wales—a hidden gem with stunning grounds and a beautiful historic tower.
Other notable moments:
🚀 Watching SpaceX launches—always incredible!
🔥 Frequent wildfires near the resort—made for some eerie skies!
🍔 Slaw burgers at P&J’s in Frostproof—a must-have treat!
🔧 Nick playing roadside mechanic—helping folks fix a flat in the middle of nowhere, Florida.
😷 Round three of COVID—yep, it finally got both of us again. Ugh.
🚐 Checking out the Tampa RV Show—always on the lookout for what’s next!
Final Thoughts: Florida Feels Like Home 🌅🌴
Between the palm trees, sunsets, and warm winter weather, this stay was everything we hoped for. No surprise—we’re already planning to come back for Winter 23-24!
Until next time, Florida! 🚐🌞
