Plenty of room at this RV resort

We received this note from a Florida RVer who had read on RVtravel.com about big crowds flocking to Florida for the snowbird season. Not so, where he is, at least, where there is still plenty of room. He wrote:

"We travel with Newmar Essex and have been in the Hawaiian Isles RV park/resort in Ruskin for 11 years now. It's about 20 miles south of Tampa on Hwy 41. It's a large park, lots of mobliles and park models plus the usual RV sites

"My wife and I made a bike ride around the park Wed Jan 25 and counted 65 empty sites. Now some maybe rented for later in February or March. But for now RVers who can manage with 30 amp service can should on down."

Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park celebrates hippo's birthday

Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park celebrated Lu the hippopotamus’ 52nd birthday on Jan. 26. “Lu has been a longtime resident and has many fans, locally and from around the world,” said park manager Art Yerian. “There is an international club for people who love hippos called the Hippo-Lot-of-Us Club and members attend Lu’s birthday celebration every year.”

Lu, an African Hippopotamus, was born at the San Diego Zoo on Jan. 26, 1960. He weighed 90 pounds at birth and now weighs more than 6,000 pounds. A vegetarian, every day Lu consumes 15 pounds of alfalfa hay and a five gallon bucket of vegetables and fruit. His specially-made birthday cakes consist of bread with icing on top.

A fixture at Homosassa Springs since 1964, Lu has appeared in movies and on television. His credits include the 1960s movies "Daktari" and "Cowboy in Africa," and television specials such as the "Art Linkletter Show" and the "Herb Alpert Special."

For more than four decades, Lu has been a mainstay among the animals at Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Florida Park Service purchased the attraction in 1989. After public support led the state to grant Lu special Florida citizenship in 1991, he was allowed to stay at the park where he has delighted local residents and park visitors ever since.

It's "Manatee" viewing time in Florida State Parks

Although 70 degree waters might feel a bit chilly to humans, it's warm for manatees.

Manatees at Blue Springs State Park

Through March, manatees tend to seek warmer water temperatures and Florida's springs are one of their favorite destinations. With several springs located within state parks, visitors can easily view the manatees, which sometimes congregate by the dozens, in a number of locations.

Some of the most popular spring gathering locations among the wintering manatees include those found at Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park in Homosassa, Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park south of Tallahassee, Fanning Springs State Park in Fanning Springs and St. Sebastian River Preserve State Park in Fellsmere.