The extended chronicles of our travels as recorded on this blog have been largely chronological. We’re taking a bit of a departure from that linear model of storytelling and skipping a few months of recent history immediately following this brief update. Our new camper is working well – we’ve adapted to towing a trailer, mostly because I am overly cautious and usually well-prepared if given the luxury of time to plan. The set-up/tear-down time of the trailer is virtually the same as our previous motorhome – maybe 20 minutes to park, unhitch, hook up utilities (if available), and stow a few items that were packed for travel mode. Leveling the trailer is much easier than the motorhome, simply because the power jack solves the issue of front to rear leveling so we really just need to get the left-to-right level accurate manually (still using our trusty Utility Blocks we purchased three years ago). The biggest downside is the lack of storage compared to our previous rig (as expected), which means my instruments are constantly shuttled between the bed for travel and the shower for parked storage, and we have to move lots of things more often in the effort to get to other things – and we chose to leave some things behind in basement storage. That’s the quick update – more to come in a future post on the new gear we purchased and how we prepared for a life in tow. The rest of this post will focus on Lake Louisa State Park and the nearby town of Clermont in central Florida.

After departing Pennsylvania and following the Harvest Hosts trail south through Virginia, North Carolina, and Georgia, we arrived in northern Florida with one week remaining on our temporary registration for the trailer and immediately sought out the closest DMV. We slowed our travel pace and spent a leisurely week at Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park (another topic for a future post) before delving deeper into Florida with Lake Louisa as our next stop.

We spent a single night at Lake Louisa in 2018 after departing New Mexico on our second overland voyage to the Keys. We’ve taken the western route along the Gulf Coast south through Florida and we avoid the Miami side as much as possible, so the comparatively leisurely drive through the center of the state has become our preferred route. Stephen Foster and Lake Louisa are two state parks conveniently located along that path connected by a very manageable two and a half hour drive mostly along I-75. Now that we have a separate vehicle as opposed to having only the motorhome in the past, we have the option to explore areas further outside the range of our bicycles. We backed the camper into our chosen spot at Lake Louisa without incident and made plans to visit Clermont in the next couple of days.

Lake Louisa State Park is home to three lakes – one of which is Louisa, the largest of the three, with two smaller lakes reserved mainly for fishing and canoeing/kayaking. The Lake Louisa swimming area is about three miles from the campground, but the two are connected by a road (of course) and a trail. Visitors will find a sandy beach, bathhouse, and picnic tables (and possibly charcoal grills, but I don’t remember for sure) as well as many signs warning visitors of the potential presence of alligators. Combine that last little fact with the dark, black tea-hued water of Lake Louisa and you have a horror movie waiting to happen. We stopped by the Lake Louisa swimming area on our return trip from Clermont one day out of curiosity. I waded into the waters maybe knee-deep while Ashley wet her feet a bit further behind me. The beach was empty – it was late in the afternoon and the weather that day was relatively cool for Florida in October. Wind gusted over the lake into shore, driving the tannic acid-stained water in waves against our legs. Though the water only reached my knees, I could no longer see my feet. But those alligator warning signs sure became more apparent.

Reported alligator attacks against humans in the US are relatively rare – two fatal attacks in 2018, three in 2016, three in 2015, to give you an idea according to Wikipedia – with the vast majority occurring in Florida. Standing on the shore of Lake Louisa, looking across the grassy banks and into the murky depths evoked scenes from a summer horror thriller. The movie begins with a widescreen shot of a lakeside beach packed with families accompanied by a jaunty pop music soundtrack. Kids are splashing in the water while parents flip burgers and apply more sunscreen. Within minutes of being introduced to this idyllic summer scene, the shot changes to a young boy wandering away from the beach and holding an empty leash while calling after Fluffy, presumably the name of a missing pet. A piercing scream splits the air from somewhere in the distance as the boy has now wandered out of sight of the beach. Chaos erupts on the beach as sunbathers scatter, scrambling over one another as a group of alligators lunge forth from the water attacking anything they can sink their teeth into. The shot shifts again to the little lost boy shuffling through the undergrowth as the camera pans further along the path revealing a massive alligator lurking within mere feet of the boy, its yellow eyes glinting in the fading sun…

To be fair, Lake Louisa has never had a reported alligator attack. An article in the Orlando Sentinel from 2015 claims the park staff only saw one alligator near the swim area in the years since 2008. We didn’t see any alligators in the swimming area during our visit, but we also didn’t really swim in the lake. I fished in two of the smaller lakes and while I didn’t catch any fish, I did spot a tiny alligator floating amidst the lily pads one morning. The scene was far from a horror movie; the little guy was kind of cute!

Alligator drama aside, the nearby town of Clermont is undergoing a bit of a revitalization. Nestled between Lake Minneola and Lake Minnehaha, Clermont features convenient access to the water as well as an easily walkable downtown area. Main Street was under construction in places, and some of the storefronts were vacant but we still found plenty of places to visit on a Thursday. We first stopped at Energy Lab Cafe for a coffee, which features a small indoor seating area as well as a patio overlooking Lake Minneola. Energy Lab’s menu is loaded with specialty coffee drinks, juices, and smoothies. The espresso was one of the most flavorful I’ve ever had – complexity that evolved with each sip. Ashley highly recommends their signature coffee drink with turmeric (although neither of us can remember the name). Just a couple of blocks away on Main Street, Suncreek Brewery shares a building with three restaurants creating a warehouse marketplace for customers to enjoy. Grab a beer, walk to the restaurants and peruse the menus, order some grub, and enjoy your food at one of the tables inside, the bar, or at the outdoor patio.

The Clermont storm water runoff treatment area lies on the edge of town, serving to enhance the water quality of Lake Minneola. The natural greenspace is surrounded by a boardwalk leading to an observation tower overlooking the entire simulated wetland. It’s a great place to spend some time enjoying the fresh air and observing the local Florida wildlife. If you’re in Clermont, enjoy a coffee at Energy Lab followed by a walk along the lake and through the simulated wetland. You can find plenty of places to grab a bite to eat after that. The town is also a haven to cyclists, with a trail leading around Lake Minneola and a bike shop located beside Energy Lab Cafe. Clermont, in fact, is referred to as the “Choice of Champions” thanks to its rolling hills, warm climate, numerous lakes, and sports facilities all serving to create an ideal athletic training ground. We only spent one day in Clermont, but well definitely pedal around the area should we return in the future.

Back at Lake Louisa State Park, visitors will find the typical amenities of an RV campground – electric and water at each site, as well as a dump station on the property. The park also features a “luxury tent camping” option for those wishing to experience the great outdoors from the comfort of an air-conditioned tent. The camping gear is provided and set up – all you have to do is arrive and move in. This is the first we’ve seen this at a state park during our travels, but we didn’t observe anyone using these sites during our visit. Lake Louisa is within easy commuting distance of Orlando (read: Disney World) so the park makes a good home base for Disney visitors with RVs or those staying in the luxury tents. I assume the summer months when kids are out of school prove to be the busiest for Disney and possibly Lake Louisa, but we’ve only stayed in the park during the fall season. The park was full but not crowded during our visit in late October this year.

Lake Louisa and nearby Clermont are excellent stops along the journey through central Florida. Experience lake life, get a dose of Florida humidity, sample some locals brews, and maybe see a gator or two. And if you choose to go fishing, well – maybe you’ll have better luck than me.