Thanksgiving in Florida

It finally came...Thanksgiving in Florida!  Ever since I moved farther south than the rest of my family (when we moved to Charlotte in 2012), I've been begging the rest of my family to come south for Thanksgiving, rather than have us go to the frigid north.  Of course, what with us living in small spaces and not having kids, my pleas fell on deaf ears.  Finally, this year, with my sister now living in Florida, my wish was granted!  My sister hosted Thanksgiving at her townhouse in St. Augustine this year, and for once I didn't have to leave the warmth to celebrate with my family!

Since my sister does still live in a townhouse while they wait for their GIANT house to be built nearby, we stayed nights in our RV for the week.  We stayed at the Clay County Fairgrounds RV park, which actually exceeded my expectations.  Although the reservation system was a little worrisome (I didn't get a proper confirmation, just an email saying they received my request and would be in touch if they had questions/concerns), as the day approached things actually went great.  The camp host emailed the night before with our site number and a map of the campground (this is an unusual perk!); when we got there, the camp host came over to welcome us; the small park had secure access, level and wide sites, and good water pressure.  The night before we left the camp host sent another email reminding us of our departure the next day.  Overall I was quite pleased with the campground for what it was (somewhere to sleep - we're not talking a resort here), and it had pretty easy access to my sister's place.  The biggest downside to this park is that they close for months on end for actual events that happen at the fairgrounds...but it worked great for Thanksgiving week!

Our campsite at Clay County Fairgrounds

Though the weather was a little chilly for the area, it was still much better than anywhere to the north!  The Florida Thanksgiving did not disappoint :-).  We spent 3 days with the larger family cooking, eating, and having fun.  Friday after Thanksgiving my aunt, my sister, and I continued the family tradition of fall apple butter making - something I've been doing with my aunt since I was a teenager.

The 'formal' photo of my family across the street from the townhouse

Ready to eat!

With my aunt and my sister and the fruits of our labor