I moved a little north to Salt Springs this week hoping for a little more wildlife. No real towns or anything around there. Absolutely no phone service in the area which normally is a good sign for wilderness photos. Not this time the area has a state park look lots on concrete the swimming area and the Rv section are very handicap accessible not so with the tent area though its all loose sand and would be very difficult if not impossible to get around in a wheel chair. this surprised me quite a bit most of the rest of the areas within Ocala National Forrest are very handicap friendly all the way around. Not that there was anything to see wildlife wise so after 2 days I packed up and went west to Fore Lake.
I really enjoyed Alexander Spring the people working there were so very friendly and really made you feel at home. I will miss Shanghi Restaurant in Umatilla I'm a huge fan of Hot and Sour Soup theirs is just heaven everything on the menu is great combine that with the friendliest people and you have a winning combo. Also Essex House in Astor I spent a lot of time in New England and this is that North Shore Flavor though and though at a very good price. The weekends when the Forest is overrun with drunk visitors I would run away to Mt Dora. (The one thing I will never understand is why people go to a National Park or Forest to get shitfaced and ruin others experience Just stay home and get drunk) But any way Renningers Flea Market is in Mt Dora and they always have something going on there from a photography standpoint I was like a kid in a candy store. in just a couple of month s I shot a Steam punk Fest, Civil War reenactment, A Pow Wow, a huge antique show and vintage garden show along with all the other stuff they have every weekend already craving one of their baked sweet potatoes.
Now if you are planning on doing any work do not even consider any of the Libraries around the forests their internet is just appalling it really is unusable. you will have to find a coffee shop or restaurant which are few and far between with wifi . In this day and age you would think businesses would realize the benefits of high speed wifi for its customers. Visitors from out of the country need to contact folks back home just for one and they will eat where they can get on their phones and send a text.