24 – 26 Jan 2025
I took Jarek on his first Scouting camp out to be his cross over event. We went out to Mariana, FL to visit the Florida Caverns State Park and tour the cave. Of course, this was also just after the big storm system and cold front came through and brought snow to the south!
We are still getting transitioned from the RV life to typical camping. Previously, we did a camp out in December with the Cub Scouts, and it was also cold then (below freezing). When we got back, I set the tent up to dry it out, but then it rained a little bit and we quickly put it away. What we didn’t do was properly pack it up, but rather hastily threw it into the shed to get it out of the rain. This would become important later.
We arrived at the Lake Seminole Campground ahead of the rest of the convoy and Jarek got to play with the snow/ice on the side of the road while we waited.
Once we got into the campground, we proceeded to setup camp. I got Jarek situated and then went to set up my tent, which was the tent I had used with the Cub Scouts. I unpacked it and quickly discovered that there were no poles or stakes in it.
After a quick discussion, I decided to drive to Mariana, FL and make it to the Walmart there and buy a replacement tent. I missed them by about 15 minutes, they closed at 11 pm, and even with gaining an hour with the EST / CST timezone change.
So, what to do. I went back to the campground and made myself a improvised tent in the truck bed. Being as tall as I am, I don’t do so well inside the truck sleeping. And it was going to be cold anyway.
I used my heavy duty truck tarp, which I used to cover our gear on the trip, and strapped it over the bed of the truck, making a nice little covered area.
My sleeping area set up in the bed of the truck. I woke up with a layer of frost on the outside and on the inside of the tarp!
Jarek enjoys a hot breakfast on a chilly morning.
The kids spent the morning having fun with snowball fights!
After some fun in the snow, it was off to the caverns. The cavers are still ‘alive’ and dripping with water. They even flooded during the heavy rains of the recent hurricanes.
Our guide explains features of the cave to the group.
A shark’s tooth fossil embedded in the ceiling in one of the rooms.
A ‘wedding cake’ formation.
A view of the “enchanted forest” passage.
Relics from the 1930’s and 1940’s – The porcelain bowl was used as a reflector for the lantern light to illuminate the rooms.
The “Rock of Many Names.” This rock was on the cave floor, and was called many names – some of them creative I’m sure – when the early developers and explorers would pass through the room, as the original entrance was near by. They would also tie a rope to it and use it as a reference point while exploring the cave.
This formation was described as two gnomes, among other possibilities.
The Scouts walk by a ‘dead’ column that we were allowed to touch. It was used as a hand hold over the years by many tourists and the early explorers.
Other formations in the cave.
Sunset at Lake Seminole as seen from our campground.