12th Annual South Florida Gathering - December 1-3, 2023 - Pictures Added

Our 12th (13th year) Gathering will be December 1-3, 2023 at Highland Hammock State Park (Sebring, FL) with the main day being Saturday the 2nd.

Sites & Attendees
Site 80 - Russ and Libby Mills (Friends of Doug's from the neighborhood)
Site 81 - Doug ( dougmays )
Site 82 - Jeramy ( jarjarchef )
Site 84 - j-regn
Site 85 - @carol506 & Jon
Site 87 - Mark (@Discus39)
Site 88 & 89 - Keith ( JckDanls 07 )
Site 125 - @fxsales1959
Site 128 - John ( Fueling Around )
Site 135 - Robert ( Fife )


Events (all optional and not taken too seriously, all times below are open for change) :
- Welcome Weenie Roast
- Keiths famous ham and sides provided by others
- Family style Potluck, Saturday ~5-6pm
- Fun & Friendly Rib Competition on Saturday ~5pm (before it gets dark)
- Cocktail competition Saturday ~3pm
- Games and camaraderie all all the time, if you have a favorite game or activity please bring it (examples: Cornhole/BagToss, ring toss, horseshoes, etc.....)

 

[JckDanls 07]

So I just checked the website... still some sites available for the first weekend of Dec.

I will say the State Parks reservation system sucks ... Just to get to the map of sites to see availability... Good Golly ...

 

[j-regn]

As requested, getting an early start to setting up a thread for the next South Florida Gathering. It'll be December 1-3, 2023 at Highland Hammock State Park (Sebring, FL) with the main day being Saturday the 2nd.

NOTE: Let's keep chatter to a minimum, for now, to allow others to see what's going on with the North Florida Gathering (April 2023) and other sooner events :)


Sites & Attendees
Site 81 - Doug ( dougmays )
Site 87 - Mark (@Discus39)
Site 88 & 89 - Keith ( JckDanls 07 )
Site 128 - John ( Fueling Around )


...more information to come

j-Regn just booked site 84

 

[JckDanls 07]

j-Regn just booked site 84

Good deal... I'm looking forward to it already... Thinking of that cool weather as it gets hotter and hotter every day

 

[dougmays]

Awesome j-regn ! Glad to have ya!

 

[Fife]

Hey y’all FYI just booked site 135 so see ya then

 

[Fife]

So I just checked the website... still some sites available for the first weekend of Dec.

I will say the State Parks reservation system sucks ... Just to get to the map of sites to see availability... Good Golly ...

I am in site 135

 

[tx smoker]

Wow...after just getting home from the North Florida gathering, this is seriously intriguing. I can't check flights this far out with SWA but going out as far as I could (early November), it looks like the flights are pretty cheap...IE: not very many points used to fly for free. The only issue is that it appears as though the closest airport SWA flies into is Ft. Myers, and that's a 2 hour drive to Sebring. I'd also have to get a hotel close by because carrying a ton of camping gear on the plane would be challenging at best All things considered though, it's only 30 minutes further than the drive from Panama City where I flew into to the N FL gathering so I guess it's not really that bad. I could also fly into Tampa but that's just a bit further drive and I'm guessing worse traffic...but I don't know that for sure. Gonna start really looking into things, that's for sure.

Robert

 

[Fife]

As requested, getting an early start to setting up a thread for the next South Florida Gathering. It'll be December 1-3, 2023 at Highland Hammock State Park (Sebring, FL) with the main day being Saturday the 2nd.

NOTE: Let's keep chatter to a minimum, for now, to allow others to see what's going on with the North Florida Gathering (April 2023) and other sooner events :)


Sites & Attendees
Site 81 - Doug ( dougmays )
Site 87 - Mark (@Discus39)
Site 88 & 89 - Keith ( JckDanls 07 )
Site 128 - John ( Fueling Around )


...more information to come

Site 135 for me can’t wait

 

[JckDanls 07]

Good deal Barney... glad you and Joe Are gonna make it...

Robert... Keep looking into it... the hotels are only a few minutes from the park...

SmokinAl can tell you exactly as he lives close by

 

[tx smoker]

Robert... Keep looking into it... the hotels are only a few minutes from the park...

Tracy gave the green light yesterday Keith. She also asked that I start using the SWA Visa (airline miles) card versus the Discover (cash back) for my every day purchases to ensure we keep a nice stash of miles after the trip is booked. It's too early for me to book a flight but as soon as I can, I'll be doing that and searching hotels. I'll probably reach out to SmokinAl for some advice here. As we get closer I'll get in touch with you for an address to send a check to for a jar of that blackberry moonshine to share with the group

The jar...what's left of it

drdon

boykjo

Man that was some good stuff!!

Robert

 

[JckDanls 07]

Man that was some good stuff!!

That it was/is ... He just told me yesterday he now has strawberry too.. along with cherry...

 

[Fueling Around]

Good deal... I'm looking forward to it already... Thinking of that cool weather as it gets hotter and hotter every day

Come north Keith. Been battling 40's since getting here. Got in to the low 50's today and wife was in a t-shirt out cleaning the lilac hedge this afternoon.

 

[Fueling Around]

Plan to be there in our reserved site. Wife is actually looking forward to be in the mix.
She hopes there isn't a repeat with Rob.

Tracy gave the green light yesterday Keith.
...

I only had a quick swig of the shine at the 2022 gathering and it was really good.
Wife had a severe bought of TMJ that cut our stay short.

Looking forward to meeting you Robert.

 

[h8that4u]

I would recommend flying into Orlando, can take the toll road from the airport to I-4, to Hwy 27, then south to the hotel. Traffic will be much better, but cost a few dollars for the tolls. Normally flights into Orlando are less than Tampa, but also depends on starting point and hubs involved. From Tampa, you could take Hwy 60 to Hwy 27, that drive sucks, trust me, or you could take I-4 to Hwy 60 to Hwy 27, that sucks also.

 

[jarjarchef]

Booked site 82 Thursday night through Sunday

 

[dougmays]

Howdy! I just updated people's sites the first post! I'm counting down the months, not to far now :)

 

[tx smoker]

I would recommend flying into Orlando

Thank you for that tip. I checked and SWA does fly into Orlando. It's pretty much the same distance as Ft. Meyer and if you say it's an easier drive, I'll take that every day. Still too far out to book flights but I keep checking. I'll be flying in on Thursday and staying close by through the event. Will drive back to Orlando on Sunday for the flight out Monday morning. I don't want to have to deal with a 2 hour drive to the airport the morning I'm flying back home.

Robert

 

[tx smoker]

He just told me yesterday he now has strawberry too.. along with cherry...

Interesting. I'm about to start an experiment with a big jar of moonshine I have here. gonna do blackberry, peach, and black cherry versions. Make a small amount of paste for each one, add it to the jar along with some of the fruit, and vac seal the jars till December. Don't know if it's gonna work but it's worth a try

Robert

 

[JckDanls 07]

Robert... Since it's the same drive time from airports... Fort Myers is a lot smaller (less people,BS) and the drive would be way less traffic as you'll pretty much go backroads once you get out of Ft. Myers (80w,29n,27n).... If going this route you will pass the original site of the Gathering (Fisheating Creek)

It's all towns and redlights coming from Orlando (27S.)... I avoid the Orlando area like the plaque...