Christmas in Stuart

We arrived at Phipps Park and Campground in Stuart on Saturday 22 December. We have a reservation until 2 January.

We have power and water, a dump station and restrooms with showers. It is great to unpack and know that we have stopped for a while. The christmas decorations come out again. I think they look better each time they are put up.


Phipps Park, a state park, is  located along the Okeechobee Waterway and is adjacent to the St. Lucie Locks.  It is a 55 acre conservation and campground area.










We have a water front view! There are only a dozen or so motor homes. The park is also used by boating people as it has a public boat ramp, picnic tables and other amenities. The front gate is closed and locked each night so it is very secure.




















Our friends Tim and Carolyn live in Stuart. They had  invited us to spend Christmas with them. Tim suggested we stay at Phipps Park. It is a 5 minute bike ride from their home. He couldn't have found a better spot.


Over the next 10 days we spent many enjoyable times with Tim and Carolyn. They took us out and about around their community and into Stuart. We ate out several times and had lovely meals at their home ... and spent more hours than we should count sitting around their Tiki Bar!


At the end of each day we biked back to the RV by torchlight, along the footpath, like a couple of kids. Then we would have the  lock on the front gate to contend with. The lock combination is changed on Mondays so one of us had to be on the ball!! Lots of giggling trying to get the numbers to line up by torchlight. It was all  fun.

On Christmas Eve we went to Tim and Carolyn's traditional family dinner. Carolyn's family background is Italian. Their family Christmas Eve tradition is a feast including 7 different fish followed by pastas, sauces and salads. Tim cooked the fish on an oil cooker outside and then they were set out on large platters. Then the pastas. What a wonderful smell of  italian cooking ...!
Tim's christmas margaritas -  with raspberry schnapps - were great!
We were included in everything and made to feel very welcome by all the family!

The cooks!

When we got home that night we spoke to the kids on skype. We had Todd on the phone at the same time. He was in Sydney getting ready for the Sydney/Hobart yacht race on Boxing Day. We were all together in a funny sort of way.

Merry Christmas everyone!