Good Vibes at Imperial Bonita Estates

That’s the name of the campground (aka “RV Resort”) we’re staying in through December, until we head to the Keys.

A Campsite with a View

I mentioned last entry that we lucked out on our corner site that backs up to the Imperial River, and how lovely it is, with its tannin-stained water, herons and egrets, jumping fish, and …

a river otter!

He (or she) isn’t pictured here because he’s darned elusive, but for a couple of days I could hear him leaping up and down the banks behind the trailer and splashing around, much more playful-sounding than the jumping fish here.

Then one morning, as I stepped out of the trailer with Banjo, there he was, loping along the top of the bank closest to me. Like a ninny I stuck my head back in the trailer to tell Tracy instead of taking a picture (wasted time because Tracy didn’t get to see it).

Still, I know he’s there. Living just feet behind us.

Maybe my next entry will be named “My Otter Teacher.” (If you haven’t seen My Octopus Teacher yet, I recommend it.)

Cheery Campground

So yeah, the campsite we’re on is quite nice, but so is this resort, at least from my initial impressions.

For instance, although the rules say you need to pay to store your boats in their fenced lot, the resident who checked us is (this is a co-op) said that if we could fit them discreetly under the back of our trailer, we would be fine.

I’m thinking she didn’t realize how long our boats are or how small our trailer is, but so far we haven’t been asked to move them.

This way we can load them on Tracy’s small, wheeled cart one by one and walk them over to the boat landing and head down the river. We could launch directly from behind our campsite, but I’m thinking that’s pushing the rules a bit much.

The people here are absurdly friendly. It’s an over-55 community (no kids), so you’re either retired and living here full time or you come down for the winter, and everyone knows each other. We’ve already had people stopping to say hi while we’re sitting outside and even knocking on the trailer door one evening. (This is the first time anyone has ever knocked on our door, no joke.)

The lots are large(ish) here, so folks set up pleasant-looking living areas outside and seem to spend a lot of time in their sunrooms or tooling around visiting each other.

This house has fairy lights cascading down from the watering can; I need to remember to walk by tonight to see what they look like in the dark.

While folks aren’t decorating for Christmas or riding three-wheel bicycles and golf carts around visiting each other with six-packs in their baskets, they’re swimming, playing tennis and bocce, and a favorite: horseshoes, at 8 am. That’s the time you meet up with your buddies and trash talk each other and fling the horseshoes back and forth. Banjo and I are walking then so we get to listen to the men especially make fun of themselves.

I think Tracy and I might become horseshoe sharks.

Time to Settle In

I’ve been spending an inordinate amount of time going to the dentist here (getting some replacement crowns since I didn’t like the dentist in Texas), and poor Tracy has been driving me around and waiting for me.

But he did ride his bike out through historic Bonita Springs to the beach yesterday.

Now that my dentist visits are done, Christmas presents are shopped for (online), and we’re stocked with groceries, I think we’ll sit back and enjoy this place. Go to the beach (this time with suits), learn how to play horseshoes, sit around outside with our neighbors, listen to the raucous, truly Mexican music of our neighbors across from the RV park. Have a relaxing Christmas.

Banjo has begun so with no delay.