Harbor Lakes - an Encore property

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We were quite excited to drive to the Florida west coast for the first time. Port Charlotte is a nice town with all the shopping you need about 15 minutes from the campground.

When we first drove in we were both a bit shocked to see that this campground is a rather large community of permanent mobile homes. The streets are extra large apparently because this place was once a military base and army planes would land on these streets. We could see a canal surrounding the grounds and a lake behind at the back but couldn't figure out if we could get to the lake. For us, it was more like living in the suburbs - not our type of camping.

Very close to our site is the community centre which holds the very well equipped laundry room, a large library that also serves as a craft room, a card room and a large room with a large TV on a stage. This room is full of long tables and chairs and serves as a room for many activities (line dancing, exercises, bingo, shows etc.). The tables and chairs are moved to accommodate the needs. This is where we can get free internet but sitting on those folding plastic chairs for any length of time is not the most comfortable and the internet is better than our data right now but still won't let me record programs or movies on Playon. There are no sofas or easy chairs anywhere. The office is also in this building but I have to mention that the staff is nowhere as friendly as we have encountered at Thousand Trails campgrounds. Also, we didn't get any activity calendar or any information as to the procedure for using the facilities (we have yet to find the pickleball court).  There is also a pool room and a fitness room which we haven't visited. (I have since found the pickleball, the volleyball and basketball courts while cruising the grounds on my bike).

Shuffleboard

Salt water pool

Community centre

The gym

Billiard room

Tennis court

Volleyball court

Pickleball court

On our arrival, we found out that not only had everything shifted inside the trailer and that things that NEVER fall fell, but the door to our water heater had also fallen off (the roads out of Three Lakes are very rough). Glen was upset but I reassured him (without really knowing) that we could order the piece in. After calling numerous RV dealers, only one offered to order it and really knew what I was talking about: Charlotte RV & Marine. Shout out to them as, not only were they helpful but they were fast. They called the next day with the piece ready to be picked up. Unfortunately I ordered the wrong colour. Since our RV doesn't look like the whitest white, I ordered antique white which turned out to be almost beige. Who cares? Just happy to have it and be able to install it without too much arguing and it didn't cost a fortune!

Every time I hear someone speak French I try to talk with them. On one of those occasions, I asked about access to the lake and was informed that most people walk on a cement drain and over a cement culvert to get to the other side of the canal and thereby be right by the lake. I took Cheeka for an exploration walk and found that yes, there is an easy path that way and there is even a garbage can to deposit the poop bags. Most people walk their dogs on that path as it's much more natural and interesting than on the streets. There are numerous Great Blue Herons that call the canal home and there is an Anhinga that seems to roost always at the same place in late afternoon. There are alligators in all the waterways (no surprise there) so it is best to keep dogs on a leash and it is not permitted to go into the water. But it is nice to walk that path that leads to another community also on the lake.

At our site, I witnessed Ibis birds right under my window while I was having breakfast. It is interesting to see how deep their beak plunges into the earth to get whatever bugs they like to eat. I have also seen rabbits chasing each other and overhead we often see ospreys flying to and from the lake. For the first time we have seen Laughing Gulls and common pigeons.

We are booked here for 2 weeks then one week out and back right here for another 2 weeks which makes me a bit sad since it is not my preferred location. It's almost like living in the city. But we are finding our site convenient as it is close to the community centre, the pool and the dumpsters and I just found out that someone I know lives about 15 minutes from here! I'm hoping to go visit her and her wonderful standard schnauzers soon.

One highlight is the small market that comes around every Tuesday. They have different fruit and vegetables, mostly all local at great prices. Imagine buying juicy local strawberries in February! I also bought oranges as what we find at the grocery store is not even from Florida! There are orange groves everywhere in Florida! Acres and acres of well-aligned trees of different orange varieties.  So why would the stores sell oranges from California? Puzzling indeed...

We enjoyed the gulf water at the Englewood beach. If you drive a little past the main beach you come to the Blind Bend Park which has a huge free parking lot across a beach full of shells. I kept seeing people sifting through the sand and picking up things so I asked someone what they were looking for. It was fossilized shark teeth which keep washing up on the beach. I tried to find some for my grandchildren but it's like looking for a needle in a haystack! There are so many different pebbles and pieces of shells that finding a small black tooth is nearly impossible. But some had found a number of them so I guess it just takes practice. It is so nice to spend the afternoon in the sun with a nice cooling breeze watching the sanderlings run from here to there and everywhere. It was like watching a comedy as when one found something to eat he would run as fast as he could so the others wouldn't catch up with him. So I would see them all running after the one bird. And man, do they run fast! Their little legs were going at warp speed! We will definitely go back but might try another beach which I am told is rated as the fifth best beach in the world. A definite must see!

Laughing Gull

Glen enjoying the beach

Unidentified

A plover of some kind

Sanderling on the go!

Sanderlings everywhere

Looking for shark teeth

We did finally drive to Siesta Key Beach only to find the huge parking lot completely full with many cars driving around and around to snatch a spot as soon as a car would pull out. After driving for a while we decided to go back home. From what I could see, it is a beautiful large beach with restrooms, a restaurant, and gift shop. You can rent lounging chairs, umbrellas, and sunning decks. It's obviously very popular so we'll have to go earlier in the day if we want to park the truck. I do think it's worth returning just to say we were on the #1 beach in Florida and the #5 in the world.

All and all, Harbor Lakes has been rather pleasant even though it's very different from the other campgrounds. A lot of francophones (mostly all from Quebec) spend the winter here. Almost everyone seems to own a golf cart and some of them are really cute colours. Leaving you with some gorgeous shots taken right in the canal surrounding the place. Enjoy life as you only get one!

Beautiful Great Blue Heron

Lunch

Great Egret

Anhinga female

Anhinga male taking flight

The canal

P.S. A friend of mine told me about a product to take the smell of urine out of our sofa and it worked after drenching it with the product only once! Yeay! We don't need another sofa afterall! Thank you Hope!