Camping at Mars March 20-22, 2015 (you must pay a membership fee at the camp)

It's a beautiful time of year at CampMars.  The oranges should be sweetly blossoming, wild irises flowering, not too many skeeters and pleasant weather.  The weekend theme is Blackout Weekend.  I will be tent camping on Pedro's  Lane (probably primitive).  If you don't like tenting there are a variety of cottages, rental trailers and yurts for rent.   Go to www.campmars.com to learn more about the campground and how to make a reservation (2 night minimum on the weekend).  Don't wait too long, all the good stuff will be booked up if you do.  Make your reservation with Camp Mars by calling 863-699-1717 or online at www.campmars.com.  Then let me know you are coming.  There is no food service at the campground so you must bring your own or drive into Lake Placid.

Probable itinerary:

• Friday: arrive and get settled, at 9:00 it's time for Bingo in the rec center.  Reserve a chair early and let's meet up on Pedro's Lane and head over early; if I know you're coming we'll try to reserve seats in the afternoon.  After bingo around 10:30 the disco starts and there will be a fire to sit around outside.
• Saturday:  You may decide to hang around the pool and the campground for the day, or join some of us around 11:00 in a caravan to Highlands Hammock State Park about 45 minutes up the road in Sebring (5931 Hammock Rd, Sebring, FL 33872).  Park admission is $6 a carload or $4 for one person. We will bring bicycles  and ride a 3 mile paved loop, which has 8 different nature trails and a boardwalk that branch off of the loop (we must WALK the trails, no bikes). If you don't have a bike you can still drive and walk the trails.  Rental bikes are available, they are $4/hour; they won't take reservations but told me they almost never run out.  There is also an interesting little museum about the Civilian Conservation Corps unit which built the park.
• Saturday evening:  back at Mars, there is a huge potluck around 6:30 [check for exact time at the office] and please bring something.  Or you can drive 20 minutes north to Lake Placid and many restaurant options.  The disco will again start up sometime between 9 and 10.
• Sunday: relax at the pool, pack up and head home or spend another night!  Sunday is quieter, but at night they have games and a movie.

Directions: Mars is, of course, located in Venus, FL.  CAMP MARS 326 GOFF RD. VENUS, FL 33960 

• FROM TAMPA-ST. PETERSBURG  TAKE INTERSTATE 75 OR 275 SOUTH TO HWY 70 EAST THROUGH ARCADIA TO HWY 27.  GO SOUTH ON HWY 27 FOR 9.8 MILES TO COUNTY ROAD 731. THEN FROM FT. PIERCE:  TAKE HWY 70 WEST TO HWY 27.  GO SOUTH ON 27 9.8 MILES TO COUNTY ROAD 731. TURN LEFT ON GOFF ROAD.
•  FROM FT. LAUDERDALE-MIAMI:  TAKE I-75 WEST TO HWY 27 NORTH.  GO NORTH ON HWY 27 PAST THE JUNCTION OF HWY 29 THEN GO 9.8 MILES TO COUNTY ROAD 731. TURN LEFT ON GOFF ROAD.FOLLOW 731 FOR 3.8 MILES AND TURN LEFT ON GOFF RD.   
• FROM SARASOTA:  TAKE HWY 72 EAST TO ARCADIA AND HWY 70.  GO EAST ON 70 TO HWY 27.  GO SOUTH ON 27 TO COUNTY ROAD 731.  TURN LEFT ON GOFF ROAD.       
• FROM FT. MYERS:  TAKE HWY 80 EAST TO LA BELLE.  TURN NORTH ON HWY 29 AND GO TO HWY 27.  GO NORTH ON 27 FOR 9.8 MILES TO COUNTY ROAD 731. THEN FOLLOW 731 FOR 3.8 MILES AND TURN LEFT ON GOFF RD.   
• FROM ORLANDO: TAKE INTERSTATE 4 WEST TO HWY 27.  GO SOUTH PAST THE JUNCTION OF HWY 70 AND CONTINUE SOUTH FOR 9.6 MILES TO COUNTY RD 731. TURN LEFT ON GOFF ROAD.