Peace, Love, and Old-Fashioneds: Our Groovy Week in Dade City
- 1nonblonde
- Apr 21
- 3 min read
March 2025: After wrapping up our Orlando adventures, we pointed our rig west and rolled into Dade City, Florida—a quiet little spot that delivered big on charm. Why? Because we got to meet up with our partners in crime, Alex and Bruce Steeley from Fort Collins! They were cruising the area for the Peace Love & Vans event, and naturally, we couldn't pass up the chance to rendezvous.
Morningside RV Estates: Where the Vibe is 55+ and Fabulous
Nestled in a laid-back 55+ community, Morningside RV Estates isn’t flashy, but it totally won us over. Picture: friendly folks, peaceful mornings, and not a golf cart drag race in sight. It was the perfect no-frills home base for a week packed with bikes, brews, and a touch of medieval mayhem.
The Hardy Trail & Dade City Discoveries
Bikes out, helmets on—we hit the Hardy Trail, a lovely shaded path that winds through town and just happens to end right near two important cultural institutions:
Dade City Brewhouse – Craft beer on tap and friendly locals.
Uncle Fatty’s – Burgers so juicy they should come with a poncho. Darren even scored a brand new Uncle Fatty’s t-shirt, which has quickly become part of his official uniform.
Vanlife Vibes at Peace Love & Vans
We joined Alex and Bruce for a weekend at Peace Love & Vans, and what a groovy time it was!Vanlifers, content creators, and DIY legends filled the grounds. We mingled with Instagrammers, peeked inside van builds that made our 5th wheel look like a space shuttle, and even sat in on some seminars (where we learned things we didn’t even know we should know).
Ready, Set, Renaissance!
Because our week wasn’t full enough, we also geared up (literally) for the Bay Area Renaissance Festival (aka BARF). We donned our finest faire attire and spent the day:
Shopping for baubles and blades (I got some new shoes!!)
Feasting on turkey legs and beer
Drinking… more beer
And blending right in with knights, jesters, and fairy queens.
Back for Round Two
We convinced our friends to spend their last night in Dade City parked next to us at Morningside RV Estates. Boy did they look like the new kids on the block in their fancy van compared to all the big beefy RV's surrounding them. Before they headed back to Colorado, we squeezed in one more trip to Dade City Brewhouse & Uncle Fatty’s—because burgers and beer are a love language, right?
Dan’s “Improvised but Impressive” Buffalo Trace Old Fashioned
No week is complete without a little cocktail hour. While in Orlando, Dan whipped up his signature Buffalo Trace Old Fashioned and Stacey was kind enough to send us off with their homemade barley tea simple syrup. We took that recipe with us and shared it with Alex and Bruce (because sharing is caring).
Dan’s Recipe:
2 parts Buffalo Trace (or any bourbon you love)
1 part tsp barley tea simple syrup
3 dashes Hella bitters aromatic
Garnish with a lemon twist, if you're feelin’ fancy
Stir over a giant ice cube, sip, and pretend you’re in a speakeasy
From peaceful park evenings to medieval mischief and vanlife inspo, Dade City gave us just what we needed: a week of laughter, low-stress living, and the kind of memories you make with lifelong friends.
Cheers!
–Chasing 78° ☀️🚐🍔🍻🎭🛍️👑
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