March Trip reports

[2rad4u]

The weather here now is so perfect!

 

[bama_ed]

So guess who forgot the Magic Bands?

 

[Christine raynor]

The weather here now is so perfect!

We are just outside Houston headed east past Baton Rouge tomorrow. All Rv parks across I 10 from Arizona are booked. If you are traveling be sure and make reservation as soon as possible. Look forward to arriving on 14th.

 

[tiggerdad]

So guess who forgot the Magic Bands?

How far had you made it?

Like DW and I in October. Had made it an hour and a half down road when she realized she left the clothes.

 

[Teamubr]

So guess who forgot the Magic Bands?

If I did that, DW would have assumed it was on purpose so I could go buy new ones.

j

 

[bama_ed]

If I did that, DW would have assumed it was on purpose so I could go buy new ones.

j

Well it was when I was gassing up in Dothan about 3 hours down the road.
Since we are staying off-site, replacement bands aren't free.
But we're just there for one day. I hope Guest Service at the MK entrance can provide some RF cards for the day.

On the way to St. Augustine today one lane was closed east bound on I10 from about mm130 to mm158 off and on. Of course there were delays as two lanes of traffic came to a stop to merge into one. The workers were hauling off more Hurricane Michael debris from last year that was on the RoW. That stretch is sadly amazing because all the tree are snapped off about 30 ft up from the force of the wind bending them over so much.

Anastasia State Park is nice in some respects. We are in a "no large rv" loop as the sites are small. Lots of shade cover, palmettos, etc. You can hear the surf in the distance. Comfort stations rate a 5 out 10. Old, worn out, used up. Nice beach store and parking area. Beach is deep and big here.



Dinner was at Sunset Grille on St. Augustine Beach. Nice, big portions. Ate upstairs in the open as the sun was going down and finished in the dark. A little too cool and breezy by then but that was on me.





Bama Ed

 

[dalir]

@bama_ed, I just saw where they bumped your launch to the 15th. Hope you still get to see it.

 

[bama_ed]

@bama_ed, I just saw where they bumped your launch to the 15th. Hope you still get to see it.

Thanks dalir. Friday evening works better for our schedule. That's our last night here. Maybe it happens then. ED

 

[jeffrey1966]

Well it was when I was gassing up in Dothan about 3 hours down the road.
Since we are staying off-site, replacement bands aren't free.
But we're just there for one day. I hope Guest Service at the MK entrance can provide some RF cards for the day.

On the way to St. Augustine today one lane was closed east bound on I10 from about mm130 to mm158 off and on. Of course there were delays as two lanes of traffic came to a stop to merge into one. The workers were hauling off more Hurricane Michael debris from last year that was on the RoW. That stretch is sadly amazing because all the tree are snapped off about 30 ft up from the force of the wind bending them over so much.

Anastasia State Park is nice in some respects. We are in a "no large rv" loop as the sites are small. Lots of shade cover, palmettos, etc. You can hear the surf in the distance. Comfort stations rate a 5 out 10. Old, worn out, used up. Nice beach store and parking area. Beach is deep and big here.



Dinner was at Sunset Grille on St. Augustine Beach. Nice, big portions. Ate upstairs in the open as the sun was going down and finished in the dark. A little too cool and breezy by then but that was on me.





Bama Ed

Glad to see that you've made it into Florida and vacation has started! I'm wondering if after you're experience at Anastasia State Park, would you camp there again? Last year we stayed at North Beach camp resort and it was really nice but kinda pricey. We were thinking of checking out Anastasia next spring for a couple nights on the way down to FW.

 

[tltay2005]

Well it was when I was gassing up in Dothan about 3 hours down the road.
Since we are staying off-site, replacement bands aren't free.
But we're just there for one day. I hope Guest Service at the MK entrance can provide some RF cards for the day.

On the way to St. Augustine today one lane was closed east bound on I10 from about mm130 to mm158 off and on. Of course there were delays as two lanes of traffic came to a stop to merge into one. The workers were hauling off more Hurricane Michael debris from last year that was on the RoW. That stretch is sadly amazing because all the tree are snapped off about 30 ft up from the force of the wind bending them over so much.

Anastasia State Park is nice in some respects. We are in a "no large rv" loop as the sites are small. Lots of shade cover, palmettos, etc. You can hear the surf in the distance. Comfort stations rate a 5 out 10. Old, worn out, used up. Nice beach store and parking area. Beach is deep and big here.



Dinner was at Sunset Grille on St. Augustine Beach. Nice, big portions. Ate upstairs in the open as the sun was going down and finished in the dark. A little too cool and breezy by then but that was on me.





Bama Ed

Would love to see some pictures of the campground. We have reservations for there next November.

 

[tltay2005]

Since I could not fit Animal Kingdom into our Fort stay and I have a real craving for a Dole whip with coconut rum we are making an afternoon trip over to there today. Stalked the website all morning to get the FPs I wanted, thought I was going to wear out the refresh button . Just goes to show you can get FPs on short notice, just got to be willing to carry around your phone or iPad while doing the laundry, dishes and other household chores .

We got to AK around 3:30 and there were a lot of people clearing out, perfect timing. I think a lot of the spring break crowd got there early and were heading back to their hotel. This is also what I am hoping for during our stay at the end of the month, as I made all of our park plans for late afternoon. We did all of our FPs and only had a 15 minute wait for Dinosaur which we did not have a FP for. Did not get my Dole whip but did find a new drink to add to my favorites list: Khumba Icefall at the Thirsty River Bar in Asia.

 

[SolNest]

BamaEd posted a great loop map with side numbers. Are there maps like that for loops 700,800and 900. Wiuld really help when requesting a spot.

Here is a place with all of those loop maps: https://wildernessprincess.net/loop-site-details/

 

[Christine raynor]

Here is a place with all of those loop maps: https://wildernessprincess.net/loop-site-details/

Thanks again. Tuesday will be 3 days out and I will use the info when we call.

 

[bama_ed]

Glad to see that you've made it into Florida and vacation has started! I'm wondering if after you're experience at Anastasia State Park, would you camp there again? Last year we stayed at North Beach camp resort and it was really nice but kinda pricey. We were thinking of checking out Anastasia next spring for a couple nights on the way down to FW.

jeffrey1966,

The proof is in the pudding. This morning I booked another Anastasia visit around New Years because DW really liked St. Augustine and wanted to come back to stay longer and sight see. So we got one of the few remaining campsites that my popup would fit in. Yes, you heard that right. Sites that accommodate big rigs are not that many and snapped up early it seems. I was in site 43 in the third loop up from the south end of the campground and the first 3 loops are all small sites on narrow ovals (turn at the far end is tight. Lots of popups, Class Bs and Cs, tents, pickups campers. Only a few short travel trailers in those 3 loops (didn't drive the others). Florida State Parks use Reserve America so really pay attention to the site details and photo. Some have the power post right in the middle of the blessed site.

All in all, I would recommend Anastasia with the caveat that the Comfort Stations are the weak link (no AC it seems). They use Camper Hosts to clean the bathrooms (saw them) but I'm spoiled by Gulf State Park who use people employed by the Park System (state job) and DW loves Gulf's Comfort Stations (have AC). Pay a good wage, demand good performance, get great results.

Would love to see some pictures of the campground. We have reservations for there next November.

Not many Terri. We went into town for church and a walkabout, then I booked the visit to capitalize on DW's enthusiasm. Sites appear to be small but most have good cover, shade, privacy. My only site complaint was the power post was up by the road. Oh and the raccoons are ruthless professionals.

Our loop road.



Our site 43.



The St. Augustine Lighthouse is very near the entrance to the state park. You can climb it to the top and the light is on at night.



Like most Florida state parks, Anastasia is in demand so book asap (11 month booking window). It's a nice 2-3 night add-on to a Disney trip for you folks coming down I95.

Bama Ed

PS - now at Jetty Park. In full shades and flip flops mode now. Update later tonight. Was 81F today at 11am in St. Augustine.

 

[jeffrey1966]

jeffrey1966,

The proof is in the pudding. This morning I booked another Anastasia visit around New Years because DW really liked St. Augustine and wanted to come back to stay longer and sight see. So we got one of the few remaining campsites that my popup would fit in. Yes, you heard that right. Sites that accommodate big rigs are not that many and snapped up early it seems. I was in site 43 in the third loop up from the south end of the campground and the first 3 loops are all small sites on narrow ovals (turn at the far end is tight. Lots of popups, Class Bs and Cs, tents, pickups campers. Only a few short travel trailers in those 3 loops (didn't drive the others). Florida State Parks use Reserve America so really pay attention to the site details and photo. Some have the power post right in the middle of the blessed site.

All in all, I would recommend Anastasia with the caveat that the Comfort Stations are the weak link. They use Camper Hosts to clean the bathrooms (saw them) but I'm spoiled by Gulf State Park who use people employed by the Park System (state job) and DW loves Gulf's Comfort Stations. Pay a good wage, demand good performance, get great results.



Not many Terri. We went into town for church and a walkabout, then I booked the visit to capitalize on DW's enthusiasm. Sites appear to be small but most have good cover, shade, privacy. My only site complaint was the power post was up by the road. Oh and the raccoons are ruthless professionals.

Our loop road.



Our site 43.



The St. Augustine Lighthouse is very near the entrance to the state park. You can climb it to the top and the light is on at night.



Like most Florida state parks, Anastasia is in demand so book asap (11 month booking window). It's a nice 2-3 day add-on to a Disney trip for you folks coming down I95.

Bama Ed

PS - now at Jetty Park. In full shades and flip flops mode now. Update later tonight. Was 81F today at 11am in St. Augustine.

Thanks for the reply! I'm getting close to my 11th month out time. I did talk to a person at reserve America who gave me some advice about booking for ASP so hopefully that will help me to snag a larger site. Enjoy the rest of your vacation.

 

[tltay2005]

jeffrey1966,

The proof is in the pudding. This morning I booked another Anastasia visit around New Years because DW really liked St. Augustine and wanted to come back to stay longer and sight see. So we got one of the few remaining campsites that my popup would fit in. Yes, you heard that right. Sites that accommodate big rigs are not that many and snapped up early it seems. I was in site 43 in the third loop up from the south end of the campground and the first 3 loops are all small sites on narrow ovals (turn at the far end is tight. Lots of popups, Class Bs and Cs, tents, pickups campers. Only a few short travel trailers in those 3 loops (didn't drive the others). Florida State Parks use Reserve America so really pay attention to the site details and photo. Some have the power post right in the middle of the blessed site.

All in all, I would recommend Anastasia with the caveat that the Comfort Stations are the weak link (no AC it seems). They use Camper Hosts to clean the bathrooms (saw them) but I'm spoiled by Gulf State Park who use people employed by the Park System (state job) and DW loves Gulf's Comfort Stations (have AC). Pay a good wage, demand good performance, get great results.



Not many Terri. We went into town for church and a walkabout, then I booked the visit to capitalize on DW's enthusiasm. Sites appear to be small but most have good cover, shade, privacy. My only site complaint was the power post was up by the road. Oh and the raccoons are ruthless professionals.

Our loop road.



Our site 43.



The St. Augustine Lighthouse is very near the entrance to the state park. You can climb it to the top and the light is on at night.



Like most Florida state parks, Anastasia is in demand so book asap (11 month booking window). It's a nice 2-3 night add-on to a Disney trip for you folks coming down I95.

Bama Ed

PS - now at Jetty Park. In full shades and flip flops mode now. Update later tonight. Was 81F today at 11am in St. Augustine.

Thank Ed. As we stay in a State parks each month Oct - April, I always have the 11 month mark noted in my calendar, even then if you don't get on first thing in the morning your choices of sites can be limited. I also noticed with ASP that most of the sites were small, I had a hard time finding one for our 27' (including tongue and bumper) trailer. I booked site 135 which has a max trailer size of 26', so I am hoping for the best.

 

[bama_ed]

We made the short drive to Jetty Park Campground yesterday in less than two hours from St. Augustine. We drove past the Cruise Ship Terminals and just kept driving straight into Jetty Park which has a public beach and picnic areas besides the campground. I had made my reservation exactly a year ago and had gotten the ONE site that was available for my dates. It's a grass site so no constantly sweeping sand out of the camper like at Anastasia.

Here is our site:







Temp was mid 80s and breezy. New for this year is an extendable flagpole that reside in my camper's rear hitch receiver. No more trying to throw a string into the trees. I like to fly Old Glory when I camp - we always did in Boy Scouts when camping.

After the set up it was time to watch two cruise ships leave the port and float by the campground on their way out of the channel, the Carnival Liberty and the bigger Oasis of the Seas. The event draws quite a crowd along the banks of the channel.





Here comes the Liberty. People are out on the topside and decks waving at us and us at them.











Rolling to the next post.

Bama Ed

 

[bama_ed]

The Oasis came and went. She is much bigger than the Liberty plus they had to turn it 180 degrees after it pushed away from the pier which took a while.



DW took a picture of the Oasis from our campsite as it floated past. There it is above the rv's and trailers.



For dinner we ate at FishLips which is in a set of restaurats between the cruise ship terminals. We ate in the downstairs dining room and it was good.



This is the logo in the sidewalk at the front door.

Before heading to Disney for the Braves game today, we need to get the girls a sun hat and/or sunglasses. Because who comes to Florida and leaves theirs hats and shades at home? It's a conspiracy just to able to go shopping I think. My hat and shades did make it down here with me.

Bama Ed

 

[tltay2005]

The Oasis came and went. She is much bigger than the Liberty plus they had to turn it 180 degrees after it pushed away from the pier which took a while.



DW took a picture of the Oasis from our campsite as it floated past. There it is above the rv's and trailers.



For dinner we ate at FishLips which is in a set of restaurats between the cruise ship terminals. We ate in the downstairs dining room and it was good.



This is the logo in the sidewalk at the front door.

Before heading to Disney for the Braves game today, we need to get the girls a sun hat and/or sunglasses. Because who comes to Florida and leaves theirs hats and shades at home? It's a conspiracy just to able to go shopping I think. My hat and shades did make it down here with me.

Bama Ed

We sailed on the Oasis's sister ship the Allure last year and will again this June. They are not the most "pretty" of ships, but they are massive in size and basically a floating city. Today the Dream will be sailing out around 4:30 ( I think) now that is a pretty ship! We definitely loved sailing on her.

 

[JETS70]

Today the Dream will be sailing out around 4:30 ( I think) now that is a pretty ship! We definitely loved sailing on her.

@tltay2005 I totally agree with you. We sailed on the Dream in late January (my first ever cruise) and enjoyed it so much that we have booked the Halloween on the high seas cruise in October. I was reading about the design of the Disney fleet and one of the design styles was to use 2 funnels as compared to the modern need for only 1. It was meant to pay homage to the ocean liners of the past. I think that it was an excellent design decision.

Steve