CAMPING AND WORKING IN SARASOTA AGAIN

Another blog?  Really!  We had so many requests from family and friends to write another blog that we decided to chronicle our brand new adventure for 2013.

After returning from Wyoming in September 2012, we decided to stay on the east coast for the summer of 2013.  We did some research and narrowed down our choices to campgrounds in New York (Finger Lakes Region), Massachusetts (Cape Cod) and then finally an offer from Wassamki Springs Campground (near Portland, Maine).  Since Maine was our first choice of east coast destinations, our choice was an easy one.  Portland, Maine, here we come!

Before going to Maine we had unfinished business in Florida.  We spent the winter in Sarasota working for the third year in the Baltimore Orioles Spring Training ticket office.  Our winter home was again the Sun-N-Fun RV Resort. We attempted a bit of holiday festivity by decorating the RV with Christmas lights for the season.

The resort was decorated for the Holiday Season as well. This inflatable was next to the shuffleboard courts which can be seen in the upper left of the photo. Tacky, huh?!?
 

 We also decorated the patio at our campsite with solar lights.

There was considerable more work to do this year because the Orioles converted to a new computer ticket system, so we were in Sarasota for more than 4 months.  In the end, the season was a great success, breaking spring training attendance records in all categories.

Family from both Gainesville and Dallas visited us in Sarasota during the grandchildren's spring breaks.  It is hard to imagine that 3 of our 4 grandchildren are in school now.  We took a quick day off to join the family at Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World, when we had everyone together. Left to right are Jack, Henry, Amelia, and John.

We were fortunate to have Wendy, Amelia and John come to Sarasota for a few days after their trip to Disney World. Here Ann is showing John how a ticket printing machine works.

Amelia and John posed with the Bird.  No, the Baltimore Oriole mascot does not have a name.  He is just called the "Bird". Notice John is wearing his Orioles souvenir, a Matt Wieters' jersey.  John was thrilled when Wieters hit a home run late in the game they saw.

A visit to Sarasota would not be complete without a trip to Siesta Key, consistently ranked one of the ten best beaches in the US. It was a cool and windy day, but Amelia and John built a fine sandcastle with Grandma's help.

Laura brought Jack to Sarasota for a few days at the end of March for his first true camping experience. Jack and Grandma are enjoying a picnic lunch at the table outside our motor home.

   
Jack was so excited that the RV resort had a mini-golf course that he could play again and again. He had a great time getting the ball in the hole, sometimes with lots and lots of strokes.  Who needs mini-golf rules anyhow?

  
Jack was fascinated as the dinette table in the RV turned into his magic bed.  Laura was not so lucky, sleeping on our sleeper sofa.  It took her two nights to figure out how to get comfortable all night long, but she was a trooper with our camping accommodations.

Baseball, warm weather, and family--no better way to spend the winter and spring.