Follow the Fosters SouthEast: Alaska RV Reunion and Indialantic, FL

Because we took a RV caravan trip to Alaska in 2008, both last year and again this year, we went to Tampa, Florida for a reunion with many of the friends we met there as well as numerous others who had also taken this tour in the last few years. All together, there were about 200 of us at an incredible RV park, called Lazy Days.

In addition to the Lazy Days RV Park that caters to rallies of large groups of RVers, they have the largest sales department of motorhomes, trailers and fifth wheels I have ever seen in one place.

Also on their property, they have an enormous service department, a Flying J truck stop, a big Camping World store (aka, “Candy Store for RVers”) and a Cracker Barrel restaurant that is part of a chain where many RVers happily put on more than a few pounds as they travel across the southern part of the country.

Our reunion rally included hugging lots of old friends, a big pizza party, a catered dinner and dancing…oh, and Nicodemus made an appearance as well. Spike (Our fearless leader) had asked Don to do his Nicodemus monologue for the group on Sunday morning. It was very well received. (Please ignore the balloons and stars that were decorations in the room thanks to Lazy Days decoration committee.)

Spike, the owner of our Alaska tour group.

"The Yellow Jackets" Reunion.

D & D with some friends from our tour.

Who let them in?

Dorene introduces Nicodemus.

Don presents his Nicodemus monologue for the group on Sunday morning.

The tour group is called, Alaska Discovery RV Tours and if you are ever considering RVing to Alaska, we could not recommend it more highly.

Our Wagon Master, and owner of the tour company is Spike, a very gentle and easy-going guy. He’s the one with the white beard and curly hair. He lives in Anchorage and has been taking three tours a summer to Alaska for many years.

I don’t think there is much of anything about Alaska that Spike doesn’t know. When we get together for reunions, someone ALWAYS comments on how he spoiled us with the wonderful tour he did for us.

One of the things that always happen when we are at this reunion is a side trip to nearby Plant City, Florida, for strawberry shortcake. Everybody from our group got together in our coach and then headed out to Plant City. (In cars, NOT in the motorhome!)

"Where's the shortcake??"

There is one place Plant City that specializes in this wonderful stuff. There is always a line of people way out to the street waiting to order strawberry shortcake with soft-serve ice cream and all of it covered in whipped cream.

They also sell fresh fruit and veggies, but it is the strawberry shortcake that is the main attraction. And rightly so, I might add. It is SO GOOD!! Almost worth a trip to Florida just for that! (I take no responsibility if by reading this paragraph you have just put on five pounds! Sorry, but it happens!)

Just A Small serving.

Mmmmm! And a larger serving!

We thoroughly enjoy our time with this group and the camaraderie of these folks. Such great people! However, we don’t expect to make the trip to the reunion again next year as we have plans for a lot of other traveling involving family as well as another trip to Alaska.

We will miss meeting all our old friends at the reunion next year. However, we met some of the people who will be going to Alaska for the first time with us this summer…And you will be going with us as well, as I will be blogging on that trip as well, so stay tuned...

After the reunion, we went over to Indialantic, Floridia, on the east coast of Florida near Melbourne, to visit with my brother and sister-in-law, Jared and Carolyn. They live on an intercoastal waterway just a couple miles from the Atlantic ocean. They are right on the water, so have lots of water fowl and impressive sunsets on a regular basis.