Introducing…

The Vagabond View: 11-2015

“A Wanderer’s reflections and commentary on the Rendezvous Experience; Happenings, interesting people, the local color and splendor of this magical place”.

Vag – a – bond: noun:  A person, usually without a permanent home, who wanders carefree from place to place.

Allow me to introduce myself; I’m Dave Pearson, a recent arrival here at the Suwannee River Rendezvous. As a full-time RV’er, writer and musician I was so taken by this special place that I decided to stick around for a while. Needless to say, my first impressions were validated in the ensuing days. The days melted into months as I was seduced by the serene surroundings, wonderful people and many diversions. This prompted me to seek Susie’s blessing for creating a website Blog wherein I could share my observations and experiences with our Web visitors.

Future entries will include pictures and dialog capturing the unique character of not only the physical experience, but more importantly, the diverse and colorful folks that invariably become part of Frank, Susie & Charlie’s growing “family”.

With the fall season upon us, I’m off to capture and share some of this splendor with you all in my next post!!

Till then…Cheers!

Charlie Jr. 2nd post

Biscuit was really really big and I wanted to play really really bad. I even begged his dad to let me play with him. I promised to be gentle.

I took Knight on a walk and then we played with my toys. He liked my bear. I can’t wait for him to come back.

Brinkley was so polite. Mom wants me to be like him. Calm, quiet,… I told her it was going to be a while so she better be patient.

Ginger loves to swim in the spring. I think her new hair cut makes her go faster.

Charlie Jr. 1st post

chalie in bed - Copy

Hi, I’m Charlie Jr.  I moved in and took control of the place last week.  Didn’t take much as I’m a cute dude.  I had guests my very first weekend.  Rango, a black lab, same birthday, how cool is that.  We got together several times over the weekend and we had fun.  Older dogs just don’t get it.

charlie and rango 1

Plan on a 2015 Winter Camping Getaway

It’s depressing to think that the summer is almost over. We’re already in the first week of August! Before long, the crisp winds of autumn will be sweeping over your body like a marching band of multi-colored spiders. Your body will tingle, but your heart will know that any opportunity to extract the resources of summer have long passed you by – and that’s always a blow to the soul. Not something that will propel you into winter. Even writing (or reading) that word gives us headaches.

Thankfully, Suwannee River Rendezvous is located in Florida, which means that we get to avoid the avalanches of cold so many of you have to struggle with. But statistics show that winter is expected to come early and more furious than in years past. You might as well enjoy the rest of the summer when you have the chance, and that includes hopping in your RV and seeing the country – it’s what all the baby boomers and adventuresome seniors are doing, which are behind the biggest resurgence in RV sales since the early 1990s.

Jackie Crosby of Fredericksburg.com writes, “The skyrocketing sales are fueled by the 10,000 or so baby boomers who are turning 65 every day, plus a large band of 50-somethings who are planning for an active or early retirement.” Basically, these people are determined to experience the romance and grandeur of America, but have no interest in camping. We can’t blame them, as camping isn’t for everyone – but since we encourage the outdoors by any means necessary, RV-ing it up is the only option for some people!

Jeff Nobbe, general manager at Shorewood RV Center in Anoka, Minnesota sums it up best: “People are retiring and living more for today than the future. They weren’t doing that before. They were buying lake places before.” This is most certainly an exciting trend to see! Experience America this summer! You don’t have much time left!

Charlie’s 8th Post

Jade went on the kayak with her mom. She helped her mom with her card picks on the poker run.

Lady and Griffin came to visit me at the lodge. I have treats to share with all my friends and they really liked them.

Louie went to sleep when the Karaoke singers started singing. It kind of hurts my ears and I am hard of hearing.

Charlie’s 7 Post

Ruby went spring hopping with her mom and dad and little sister.  She had a great time and told me all about it.

Mama went swimming in our spring and got to explore the resort.  She was so friendly.  I hope she comes back soon.

Charlie’s 6th Post

I’m Charlie and mom says that I hog most of the web site, but I have so many friends. Check them out.

I just celebrated my 12th birthday. All my friends help keep me going in my senior years.  I’m not as old as mom.  I may have to trade her in one day if she can’t keep up with me.

Charlie’s 5th Post

Hi, I am Charlie and if you haven’t seen my pages you are missing all my friends that visit me. Lots of my friends come back again. Mom tries to get pictures of all of them. Come on down to the lodge to get your picture taken if mom hasn’t gotten to it yet.

The Difference Between Canoeing and Kayaking

suwannee units and camping 053Here on the Suwannee River, we have found that the most popular recreational activities for our guests are both canoeing and kayaking. We see a number of folks coming in for rentals each day, as they prepare to get out onto the water. However, with these boats being so similar, we are often asked one important question: What’s the difference between canoeing and kayaking?

Well according to our friends at Canoeing.org, there seems to be three major differences that should help others determine the variances:

1. Canoes are open while kayaks have a deck

2. Canoes are paddled with a single bladed paddle, whereas kayaks use a double bladed paddle

3. The seat height on a kayak is much lower, with the occupant positioned on the ground, feet stretched out.

While we could say that the canoe is like the sport-utility vehicle of the recreational boating world, kayaks, on the other hand, are more like sports cars. (Wonderopolis)

If you’re looking to take a leisurely trip out on the water with a few friends or family members, a canoe is going to be your best choice. Canoes are built a bit sturdier and are able to carry more weight, which means more room for you, your loved ones and maybe even a picnic basket.

Kayaks are going to be a better bet for those who are looking to race or get a good workout in. The sleek design of a kayak allows them to move much faster than a canoe, which makes them perfect for competitive sports and slipping through whitewater rapids.

Regardless of whether you choose to go with a kayak or canoe, at the end of the day it’s all going to lead to one thing: a whole lot of fun! So stop in our rental facility at Suwannee River Rendezvous Resort & Campgrounds and get out on the water!

Friends of the Suwannee River Rendezvous

We are pretty much back to normal.  The river has gone down quite a bit and we have moved back into all the buildings with no damage to anything.  The springs are starting to clear up.  We had a great turn out for the annual Easter Egg hunt.  Lots of helpers, and lots of hunters.