RV Life
About six years ago, I met my husband, Steve. He’s an avid RV’er. I never stepped into an RV until we got together. My first few trips were to his motorcycle races. It took a little while for me to get used to staying in this small space.
I felt a little more comfortable when we picked out and purchased an RV together. I must admit, the kitchen is a little fancier than the one in the house. now that I’m comfortable in my very own RV, I’m really enjoying our travels.
So what are our favorite campsites, so far?
Most of our vacations have been quick trips to places along the coast. We haven’t been all over Florida just yet, but we are well on our way. We love to camp at the springs and near great kayaking and surfing locations.
Since I surf, we try to fit in at least 2 surf camping trips per year.
Instead of taking my surfboard down a hotel elevator and through the lobby, I just pull it out of the back of the truck and go.
Jetty Park, Cape Canaveral
My first trip to Jetty park, was with a friend group. There is a tent area separate from the RV’s and the group camped there. The next few trips were in our RV which for me, is a nice experience. It’s like having your own little cabin everywhere you go.
Jetty park has space for tents, rv’s and cabins. There’s a very short walk across a parking lot to the beach to a nice little surf break. On the north side of the campground there’s additional RV parking that overlooks the Jetty.
Many people will sit on the seawall and watch the ships go in and out of the harbor at night. It’s truly a beautiful site. And of course, it’s a great place to watch the launches since it’s so close to Kennedy Space Center.
There’s a nice small break right off the campground.
There’s lots to do around town as well since it’s so close to Cocoa Beach.
We took the kids to Parker Brothers Concepts which is a custom car shop. They do have a showroom area that is worth taking time out of your day to visit.
If you’re looking for a place to eat or hangout, there are several nice restaraunts at the port along with a Wyland Art Gallery. My artwork isn’t there but they have beautiful pieces. Wyland is an amazing artist.
After the gallery, stop by the Florida Beer Company for a cold brew.
Ocean View Campground, Flagler Beach
Ocean View campground is one of the smaller and more expensive campgrounds we’ve been to. There are no in park activities but there is a good size store on site and you can park your RV on the Sea Wall.
All I can say is … wow!
I was able to watch the sunrise over the beach from my bed. How cool is that? We did go out and watch the sunrise one morning and it’s so nice to just step out of the RV for the sunrise.
As an artist, I am always taking photographs. I got some great sunrise pictures that I can use in future paintings.
~Sunrise Picture~
The surf was a little too small to catch while we were there. It looks beautiful but if it’s small, just take a short drive down to the pier and you can surf a decent break.
We did go into town and visit a cute little wine shop, Flagler Beach Front Winery.
This is a cute little place with a lovely view of the beach. They seem to be famous for their wine smoothies. My recommendation is to skip the crackers and order a tapas board with a baguette.
Dog friendly beach.
Feel free to bring your pooch for a walk down this dog friendly beach.
And here’s a tidbit for you. Flagler Beach is home to Right Whale sitings. It’s rare but possible to view a Right Whale and her calf off the coast. You’re more likely to see these beauties if you take a boat out for a fishing adventure.
If you spot one, call the Right Whale Hotline 1-888-97-WHALE
Kathryn Abbey Hannah Park, Jacksonville Beach
Hannah Park is still my favorite place to beach camp despite the campsite’s distance from the beach. There’s a short drive or bike ride to the beach from the RV campsite. There’s tent and cabin camping on site as well.
We brought our dog, Brienut, to the park on our first visit. She was so cute running across the beach with her little chihuahua ears flapping in the wind.
The bike trails keep me going back to Hannah Park.
We try to make it up to Hannah Park once a year. I was introduced to trail riding here and one of the things I love is that there are 3 levels of bike trails. When I’m in great shape, there are more challenging trails to ride.
For those of you with little kids, there is a splash park. Although, we’ve personally never made use of it.
If you are going to surf, there is a break on the beach but it a little north near the military beach. When you take a look at the beach, walk or ride up and take a look.
You’ll find several locals there, even on a small day.
I hope this helps you make decisions on your next RV trip to Florida.
Next Trip… Outer Banks, N.C.
I look forward to visiting several campsites and beaches in the Outer Banks, while on vacation. I can’t wait to get out there and bring back some fun memories.
My best art reference photos were taken during these beach trips.
Part of the fun is taking pictures of the beach, children and surfers every trip. I use the photos as references for many of my paintings. Here’s an example of a painting that one of my good friends purchased as a gift. The photo on the left is one I took while at Hannah Park.
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