Indian Mound Fish Camp is an RV park and boat launch located in Oak Hill Florida. Our views were of the Indian River North, which is part of an intracoastal waterway along the east coast of Florida just north of Cape Canaveral.
The Woods, Land O’ Lakes Florida
From Tallahassee, Florida it was about a 4.5-hour drive to Land O’ Lakes. We were here only a few days, just in case we needed RV repairs. Luckily, we didn’t! Our original site sold, so we had to move. We like this area because there is a Costco, lots of restaurants, it’s close to numerous beach communities, the resort is gated, has a hot tub, and is adult only.
Indian Mound Fish Camp
It was about a 3-hour drive across Florida from Land O’ Lakes to Indian Mound Fish Camp. Our site overlooked an intercoastal waterway.
Daily we watched dolphins hunt fish right off the bank.
We had full service, but WIFI was not complimentary. Our site was a mix of sand/shells/grass which makes it messy inside the Airstream because the nightly dew makes the sand stick to shoes and dog paws. We used the Shark upright vacuum alot.
There were plenty of birding opportunities. Brown and white pelicans. A crow wanting the fish an osprey just caught.
It was a great place to spend a week. There was always something to look at.
On Jan 18th, we watched a SpaceX night launch. We were able to get an iPhone picture. It was our first launch viewing. What a beautiful orange silent glow. It seemed like it took a few minutes to finally hear the rumble, since the launch was about 35 miles away.
Seminole Rest, Timucuan Indian Historical Site
The site was essentially a large garbage dump for the Timucuan Indians from approximately 600 to 1400 AD. The Timucuan subsisted on a seafood diet. When done with the shells, they were dumped forming large hills. In 1890 a family built a home on top of the shell hill, possibly because of the view it offered. Eventually, the Nature Conservatory purchased the property, then the National Park Service.
We had lunch at Goodrich Seafood and Oyster House. Good food and views on a chilly day. An outdoor heater would have been nice. We could have dined inside but opted for the view.
The area was beautiful to explore. We explored Canaveral National Seashore from New Smyrna Beach and Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge.
Vero Beach
We visited with our friends Lynda and Guy. It’s a very nice community with lots of restaurants and shops. We had a delicious lunch at Citron Bistro and later dinner at American Icon Brewery. Everyone tried a different cocktail.
New Smyrna, Florida
New Symrna has beautiful beaches, plenty of restaurants and shops, and is adjacent to Canaveral National Seashore. Such a unique area. There is plenty of beach access.
A nice boardwalk at Turtle Mound that led to good views.
Osprey, vulture, and hawks were abundant.
The restored Eldora Statehouse in Canaveral National Seashore.
Canal Street. An early dinner at Prima Pizza Cucina. A bottle of wine with a white pizza.
Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge
Roseate spoonbills were abundant. Their classic spoonbill with a pale pink body and bright pink shoulders makes them easy to identify. However, they are very shy and difficult to photograph.
Playalinda Beach at Lot 13 is on Canaveral National Seashore adjacent to Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge. It is a beautiful beach and must be very refreshing in the summer.
An armadillo along the road always gets Jake excited.
We saw quite a few hawks. We think most were cooper’s hawks.
We had mostly cloudy cold days with some rain. The day we visited, the temperature only warmed up into the high 50s, but it was sunny. It was nice to see this alligator soaking up the sun.
The Blackpoint loop drive was amazing. It was scenic and did not fail to please. We saw a large variety of birds, but also briefly saw an otter.
First full moon of the year rising not long after sunset.
