Week 5 at Wekiva Falls: Power Outages, Road Trips, Raccoons & a 30-Year-Old Kid
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If Week 5 at Wekiva Falls had a theme, it would probably be “Expect the Unexpected.”
Mother Nature cut the power, the road called us out on a 5-hour adventure, libraries stole my heart (again), and a raccoon family nearly upstaged karaoke night.
You know… just your typical RV week.
When the Lights Go Out… The RV Life Goes On
The week kicked off with rain, gusty wind, and a power outage here at Wekiva Falls RV Resort.
Now, if you’ve never experienced a power outage in an RV park, it’s basically like someone suddenly pressing pause on modern civilization. No AC, no microwave, and suddenly everyone remembers what their battery percentage is.
Fortunately, we were fully prepared RV nerds with pre-charged electronics. Tablets, phones, laptops… we had enough digital entertainment to ride out the storm while the wind howled outside.
The next day?
Another power outage.
This one was short-lived, but still long enough for us to shrug and say, “Well, guess we’re going for a walk.” So, we wandered around the property, enjoying the peaceful side of this 100-acre resort known for its natural springs, lagoon swimming area, and wooded trails.
Not a bad place to be temporarily unplugged.
Shoulder Rehab: Resistance Bands & Reality Checks
I officially started physical therapy for my shoulder this week. The plan:
PT sessions twice a week
Exercises at home on off days
A lovely little stretchy resistance band to keep me honest
The therapist also delivered some news I wasn’t expecting: my trapezius muscles are tight, which can limit neck mobility. Apparently, when your neck doesn’t move well, your biceps compensate, which can lead to the shoulder pain I’ve been dealing with.
So now the mission is:
Loosen up the neck
Strengthen the shoulder muscles
And possibly bribe a massage therapist into fixing my cranky trapezius.
Who knew a stiff neck could cause such drama?
A 5-Hour Road Trip to Hang with Friends
Midweek we hit the road for a 2.5-hour one-way trek (5 hours round trip) to Southern Leisure RV Resort in Chiefland, FL to visit our New York friends Melissa & Ken and our Pennsylvania friends Tammy & George.
First stop: a tour of the park and all its amenities.
Second stop: a subtle attempt to convince us to sign a year-long lease.
Nice try, guys.
We paused for a classy snack break of cheese and crackers, then headed out for a 25-mile bike ride together. Not bad for a casual afternoon with friends.
Naturally, we rewarded ourselves with food at Beef 'O' Brady's.
My order:
Guinness
Reuben sandwich (sadly… mediocre)
Darren’s order:
Cherry Coke
BBQ Pulled Pork Loaded Nachos
Verdict: Darren definitely won dinner.
The Library That Stole My Heart
The next morning I had shoulder PT, and Darren biked over to meet me so we could continue our adventure with a planned boat tour in Winter Springs.
Unfortunately, by the time we arrived around 1 PM, the parking situation said:
“You should have been here three hours ago.”
Plan B: explore the Winter Park Library.
And wow.
Have I mentioned I LOVE LIBRARIES?
This one was incredible. Highlights included:
Tons of cozy laptop workspaces
Built-in elevated laptop stands (genius)
Giant monitors on the public computers
A gorgeous spiral staircase
Upstairs was an entire floor dedicated to kids and teens, including a magical “no adults allowed” teen room with:
Twinkle lights
Giant TVs showing a cozy fireplace scene
Comfy seating
A huge communal table
Honestly, I briefly considered pretending to be a teenager just to hang out there.
Playground Nostalgia & Free Steakhouse Food
After the library, we wandered over to Martin Luther King Jr. Park, where we discovered a fantastic playground that instantly reminded us of the old Tavelli Elementary School playground in Fort Collins.
Then we remembered something important:
Darren had been carrying around a free Texas Roadhouse Onion Blossom gift card for FIVE YEARS.
Time to finally cash it in at Texas Roadhouse, along with a $50 gift card.
Free food always tastes better.
Before leaving the area, we cruised through Winter Park, especially down Park Avenue, where we discovered gorgeous homes, cute shops, and restaurants that instantly landed on our “we must come back here” list.
I really wish I had taken photos.
A Celebration and a Zoo Day with Scarlett
Friday included a milestone:
Our youngest son, Logan, turned 30.
How this happened so quickly is still under investigation.
Later, we visited the Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens with Stacey and her granddaughter, Scarlett.
The zoo was in the process of taking down its Festival of Lights displays, and I snapped plenty of photos. I only wish we could have seen everything lit up at night—it must be spectacular.
Karaoke Night… Featuring Special Guests
Friday night karaoke at Wekiva Falls already tends to be entertaining, but this one came with unexpected wildlife commentary.
A mama raccoon and her two babies were hanging out in a tree nearby.
At one point mama decided she had somewhere important to be, and R.U.N.N.O.F.T.The babies then spent several minutes trying to figure out how to climb down the tree.
The crowd was absolutely invested in this unfolding drama.
A First Birthday Celebration
Saturday, we headed to Dan & Stacey’s house to celebrate Scarlett’s 1st birthday with family and friends.
Cake, laughs, and a whole lot of adorable baby moments later, we returned to Wekiva Falls for—you guessed it—
One more night of karaoke.
Because apparently that’s just how we roll now.
RV life continues to prove one thing:
You can plan the week…but the best moments are usually the ones you didn’t plan at all.
Cheers!
– Chasing 78° 🍻🚐🌴🎤🦝🚴♀️📚
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