Friday, November 27, 2015

Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreation Area At Flagler Beach

Round 4 of our 6 round camping season is underway, and we find ourselves this time at Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreation Area in Flagler Beach, FL. We are only about an hour south of home, and this is the final time we will camp in Florida this year. For every Thanksgiving since Gary has owned me, we have camped at nearby Tomoka State Park in Ormond Beach. Tomoka is a nice park, but the roads in and out are absolutely horrible. Until they fix them, we will either stay here at Gamble Rogers, or Gary will commute to the Turkey Run car show at Daytona International Speedway from home. I don't remember what it's like to not be camping on Thanksgiving, so I will remind Gary that he needs to make reservations for here as soon as he possibly can. We actually camped here for one night back in 2011, but since then, they have built a second camping loop here. Actually, it was just completed this summer, so everything is fresh and new here. The new camping loop is on the interior side of Highway A1A. The older loop is on the beach side of the highway. This place is extremely popular as most of the coastal Florida State Parks are, and it's very hard to get a reservation here. We lucked into a cancellation the last time we were here, and Gary booked our current reservation during the first hour of the first day that reservations could be made for here in the new loop. One of our goals this year was to stay at places we have never stayed at before. Technically, this is a new place, since this loop didn't exist until recently. The one night we were here before was so long ago, that I can barely remember it. It's nice here, and I can see why it's so popular. Being near the beach is fun, and being just across the highway from it is equally fun. We can clearly hear the sound of the waves constantly rolling in. Gary and I have slept extremely well since we've been here. Needless to say, the new restroom in this loop is VERY nice. Gary has raved about it since he first saw it. I can't say that the campsites in either loop are all that pretty, but they serve the purpose. They are close together, but not nearly as close as the privately owned campgrounds are. I've included a picture from both loops for comparison. The campground road and campsite pads in the new loop are partially paved (asphalt) and partially gravel. In the old loop, they are compacted dirt. There's a boat ramp, picnic areas, and kayak rentals available on the inland side of the park, and walkways and an overlook to the beach on outer side. The beach is picturesque like beaches usually are. Gary is always attracted to the water, and spends a considerable amount of time walking along the water's edge. He was there before the sunrise this morning. I haven't seen a single squirrel here, but TV reception is exceptional. I've been perfectly content watching TV while Gary has been out exploring the park, antiquing, or spending his time at the car show. The weather has been a bit warm, but not at all hot. The wind has been blowing like crazy ever since we've been here. There's been short little downpours on and off, but nothing to detract from our fun. Gary wishes he had brought his bicycle. Oh well, maybe next time. Well, I'm off to bed. Goodnight from beautiful Flagler Beach.

No comments:

Post a Comment