All my life, I’ve heard about the plague of Love Bugs from New Jersey snowbirds who head to Florida in the Fall and return in the Spring. I never knew what they were since I hadn’t experienced them on the east coast of the state. I got a “crash” course in them while driving up the west coast in May.

They’re called Love Bugs because after mating, the male stays connected to the female to ensure no other male can fertilize her eggs. They swarm when mating twice a year and that’s when they cause the most trouble for drivers. You drive through clouds of them and they splatter all over the front end of your car. The females are pregnant at this point and the resulting carnage is both insect and larvae, which is like glue.

Love Bugs stay attached after mating.
Internet photo.

I had to pull into a rest area to clean my windshield but it wasn’t very effective. I later bought a cleaning product specially made to remove the little bastards…I mean buggers. I wish I’d had the protective windshield tear-off film the use in car racing!

Front of motorhome covered with dead Love Bugs.

The residue left by the dead bugs is like glue and very hard to clean off the windshield.

Ocala National Forest is located in the center of Florida, just north of Orlando. Using my National Park Pass, I got 1/3 off the fee for a full hook-up site. Having a sewer hookup is rare for government campgrounds so this was a real treat.

My campsite at Ocala National Forest.

There are several natural Salt Springs in the park where you can swim in the crystal clear water. There isn’t actually salt in the water, it has a lot of minerals and some trace elements that give a slight salty taste to the water. Some believe this is the legendary Fountain of Youth.

One of the many spring openings in the rocky bottom that feed the lake.

The park offers easy access to swim in the spring water.

Blue Crabs and catfish are abundant here.

Just a few miles down the road is Silver Springs State Park where I enjoyed a ride in their famous glass-bottom boats and saw the spots where the underwater scenes in Creature from the Black Lagoon where filmed. The man who played the Creature in the underwater scenes worked at the park and was later able to add his movie experience to entertain visitors.

Admission is only $2.00 but I got in free with my State Park Pass. The boat tour is a separate fee of $11 with no park pass discount, just a senior discount rate of $10.

The famous Silver Springs glass-bottom boats.

This is where the underwater scenes in Creature from the Black Lagoon were filmed.

Captain Joe was a very entertaining tour guide.

Moss covered cypress trees.

The only alligator I saw in the wild during my month touring Florida’s natural wonders.

Painted turtle sunning on a log.

A cormorant drying its wings.

The beautiful grounds of the park.

I stayed a week at the Ocala National Forest campground and it rained the entire time so I didn’t get to do the hiking I had planned but it was a very nice place that I recommend and would return to, if in the area again.

Tillie didn’t mind the rain.

While here, I took a little overnight trip in the Jeep to visit friends from New Jersey who were near Daytona.

Visiting my former New Jersey neighbor, Ron and his family friend Marnie at his house in the Daytona, FL area.

My route from Palm Harbor to Ocala National Forest and side trip to Daytona.

Upcoming post:

The Florida Panhandle.

My name is Lindsay Reed and I’m a photographer and retired graphic artist with a passion for both lighthouses and road trips. I am living as a full-time solo RVer in my 31 foot Coachmen motorhome and plan to spend the next few years traveling the U.S. and Canada photographing not only lighthouses, but everything else there is to see in this wonderful land. I hope you enjoy my blog and will follow my adventures in the months and years ahead.