Tampa to Auburndale – 4 February 2024
One of our not to miss spots this trip was the Camp Margaritaville RV resort in Auburndale, Florida where we stayed for 3 nights and we certainly were not disappointed.
The whole atmosphere there was very chill, catering for both the average Joe to those who could afford upscale amenities right at their site such as a private Tiki Hut with Kamado Joe Grill, outdoor TV, Adirondack chairs, hammocks, etc. But for everyone there was the main Tiki bar with its array of Margaritas and other fancy drinks, communal fire pits, music, dancing, fitness facilities, 2 pools, restaurants etc. etc. Jimmy Buffet was inspired to write the famous Margaritaville song after sitting in an airport lounge drinking Margaritas. There was no such place as Margaritaville – just something Jimmy made up. He originally wrote the song so it could be recorded by Elvis Presley – but Elvis declined it. The song soon inspired restaurants and resorts and today the Margaritaville brand appears on more than 70 restaurants, bars, hotels, resorts, casinos, cruises and vacation rental experiences worldwide bringing in $1.5 – $2 billion annually. Jimmy Buffett died on September 1, 2023, at age 76, after battling skin cancer for 4 years. A renowned singer songwriter, film producer, businessman, novelist, and philanthropist. His legacy will forever live on.
When we arrived at Margaritaville it was the tail end of the Sunday market so once we had set up, we hurried down to the main hall to see what they had to offer. We ended up each buying a long sleeved Conch Life dry fit top. They are very handy for the RV and even for swimming. Mine was a peach colour and Derek’s a bright blue. We also purchased some delicious tasting Lavender and Mint chocolate. Derek wanted some bourbon maple bacon relish to enjoy on his toast for breakfast. As it was late in the afternoon our next stop was the Tiki bar. There we bought some “Its five o’clock somewhere” cups which were filled with some delightful tasting Margaritas. We were told if we purchased a cup then cocktails would be cheaper. Not sure how much by, because when we saw the bill at the end of the tab they had charged us about $25 Canadian for each drink – Yikes!!
We decided to make the most of our time in the campground and just enjoy the facilities of the park instead of travelling elsewhere and exploring. We needed some non driving days and here was the ideal place for that. So in the mornings Jax and I would go for a long walk in the nearby Lake Myrtle park (a massive sport complex) while Derek did a morning run.
The following evening we curbed our drinking somewhat, and sat at the communal fire pit outside of the Tiki hut where over the course of the evening we were joined by several other RV’ing couples. We were all of similar age and many travelled extensively so we had some good conversations. After a while music started up and along with several new friends we danced and sang the night away.
It was a really great RV resort. Weather was not really hot while we were there so we unfortunately did not swim. We were sad to leave but heavens those drinks were expensive!! Probably a good thing we didn’t extend our stay any longer.
