Getting Ready for the New Year
After leaving Ocala, it was time to head west to our next destination -- a place called Rock Crusher Canyon RV Park, which is located in Crystal River, Florida. This is where we planned to spend New Year's Eve, and the package they were offering was too good to pass up. It included three nights of camping, a multi-course buffet, a live band, champagne at midnight, a fireworks display and a continental breakfast on New Year's Day for $129.95 a couple.
We had heard a lot about Rock Crusher, but had never made the trip. In addition to a really nice wooded campground, it has the largest natural music amphitheater in the state, where dinner shows, festivals and parties are held year round. Plus, there's a lake for fishing, a clubhouse and pool, and an area set aside for horseshoes and shuffleboard. All of the hookups look brand new, and many of the sites provide a buffer of trees for privacy.
Rock Crusher Canyon always has camping specials on all the big holidays, so this time we wanted to see what it was all about. Once we reached Rock Crusher Road from Highway 44, it looked like we were approaching some sort of theme park. The pavilion and parking area was huge, but the campground sits far off the beaten track, offering 400 sites with plenty of woods and privacy.
There are two different levels of camp sites. The bottom section is where folks with some of the bigger rigs like to stay. Then there's the upper deck, which is located on top of a small incline where there's a group of additional camp sites. All of the sites are roomy and spread out, and we were surprised to see some tent campers roughing it in the cold. There was only one drawback: no bathrooms, which means here on the top deck, tent campers were relegated to a couple of porta-potties.
Aside from that, Rock Crusher Canyon proved to be the perfect setup. There are plenty of nice-sized spots for community campfires, which are strategically placed throughout the park. On the top level, the campfire "pit" is exactly that -- a huge hollow full of sand and surrounded by cliffs. Hard to believe there's a sand pit like this in Florida, because the canyons here make you feel like you're camping out west. It's a great place for kids to play, or folks can build a bonfire or join one of the larger community gatherings.
Rock Crusher is a great place to sit back and relax. When New Year's Eve arrived, we decided to check out the park before watching an afternoon of NFL playoff games. We walked past the pavilion where all the parties and banquets are held, then headed toward the outdoor amphitheater. As we peered over the gate, we were amazed at how great the setup is for concerts. Small tables were set up on a grassy hill overlooking the stage, where partygoers could enjoy dinner, drinks and dancing.
Just past the amphitheater, we saw a beautiful, crystal blue lake where a couple of campers were enjoying some catch-and release fishing. Truly a nice addition to the campground, and a great place to enjoy the picturesque surroundings.
On our way back to the site, we walked by the rec center where folks can have a private party with friends or join an organized group for dinner or hors d'oeuvres. We were standing outside the rec hall when I ran into a guy I used to work with a couple of years ago. Rich and his wife had made the trip from Clearwater too, and were looking forward to the big party that night. We agreed to look for each other later that evening.
The best part about Rock Crusher is, we didn't have to worry about drinking and driving since we were staying right here at the campground. Plus, we could walk to the party if we wanted to, since it was being held inside the pavilion hall. The great thing about the pavilion is, the sliding glass doors open onto the grassy hill we saw earlier, which overlooks the huge outdoor amphitheater below. Since it was cold outside this time of year, the dinner was being held inside the pavilion and space heaters were strategically placed to keep all the guests warm and cozy.
The hall was decorated all New Year's and festive like, with round tables so you could mingle with friends and other guests. We all got our own party hats and horns, and quickly made friends with a couple and another group as we enjoyed the last of the hors d'oeuvres before the tables were called to join the buffet line.
We were really impressed with the buffet. There was carved roast beef, broiled fish, broasted chicken, various side dishes, vegetables, salad, rolls, and a wonderful chocolate mousse for dessert. The food was so good, we felt like we were at a wedding reception. Once all the guests were served, we even managed to go back to the line for seconds.
The band was playing jazz, swing and old-time favorites, and we enjoyed watching all the old timers laughing it up and talking about the good old days. We struck up a conversation with a couple who belonged to the Good Sam's Club, who taught us a thing or two about checking for propane leaks in our trailer.
I even managed to find my old friend, who was seated with his wife and family. As we joined them for dessert and a champagne toast, we laughed when we realized we recognized the drummer in the band. He had worked with us too!
We joined the drummer on his break and ended up ringing in the New Year together. As we headed back to our trailer to watch the ball drop, we were able to view the beautiful fireworks display over the canyon. It turned out to be a great night and a wonderful way to celebrate 2001.
The next morning, the continental breakfast was a nice way to start the morning. As we packed up after a long week, we decided that Rock Crusher Canyon would soon become a favorite on our list of Florida RV adventures.
