We start out the first week of December, ending our stay at Thousand Trails Three Flags in Wildwood. We really enjoyed our stay at this park and plan to return when we return to Florida.

Our next move takes us to a Harvest Host in Sarasota, Florida, for an overnight stay. This Harvest Host is called the “Dog Bar.” It is an indoor dog park combined with a bar/restaurant. We brought the dogs in, and they had a lot of fun making new friends and playing with a puppy. We had some dinner here as well. Food was good, and the dogs had a blast. What’s not to like about that? We had a quiet overnight and a short drive to our next stop.

Our next stop is Bradenton, FL, at Encore Winter Quarters Manatee. This park is pretty nice. They do a good job keeping the grounds manicured, and all the RVs and permanent units look well-kept. This park seems to be more of a long-term stay kind of place, but there were also some travelers. The only part of this place we found odd was the number of park models for sale and lots where you can tell a long-term tenant had vacated. We also found it odd that the clubhouse, which looked almost new, was virtually unused the entire three weeks we were there. A person who lives in the park told us they used to have all kinds of activities, but they stopped when a new manager arrived. We were here for the Christmas holiday, and unlike the last park, there were not many events. They did have a potluck lunch, but it seemed to have been put together at the last minute, and we could not attend because we were working.

Jenn’s parents came down from Maine to visit for Christmas and stayed in St Petersburg in the same complex where her aunt Marie lives. We made Christmas Eve dinner at the RV and went to her aunt’s house on Christmas Day. We took a ride to the Freedom Factory racetrack to see the light display they set up. It’s pretty impressive how many lights and other Christmas decor are displayed, along with food trucks and fun activities for kids.

We also had a surprise visit from John and Tracy, friends from New Hampshire. They happened to be in Tampa while we were in Bradenton, so we took a ride to go meet up with them for dinner. We were not able to get together when we were in New England over the summer, so it was nice to catch up.

After Christmas, we moved again, this time further south to another Encore park. Encore Harbor Lakes in Port Charlotte, Florida. We only stayed here for a few days to wrap up 2025, but this is another park that we have to visit again someday. The site we stayed on was massive, as were the roads coming in. They were possibly the widest roads we have ever seen in a park; they were like a 3-lane freeway. There is a mix of small homes and RVs in this park. It was pretty quiet, and everyone was friendly. We did not do a whole lot while we were here, just worked, and we never even unpacked the garage since our stay was so short.

That brings us to the end of 2025.