Florida State Parks, Gamble Rogers

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I really wanted to like Gamble Rogers State Recreation Area, because I really liked the gentlemanafter whom it was named.

I met Gamble Rogers when our lounge hosted him for a two show concert at The Captain's Table in 
Cedar Key.  I had seen his performance before at Frog's Landing.  His good friend, Jim Carrick, is a friend of
mine.

Gamble was an accomplished finger pick style guitarist, a fine vocal performer, and a story teller.  His style
was referred to as mock heroic.  Hie was widely held as a very talented and extremely humble Southern
Gentleman.

He lost his life in an attempt to aid a tourist caught in the rip tide off the Flagler Beach area which now bears his name

The Good:  

Again, I am astonished at the foresight of the State of Florida to set aside areas such as this
for the common good.  Gamble Rogers State Recreation Area is a relatively small holding in the Florida
State Parks system, but it is squarely in the middle of some very valuable beach front real estate

Our campsite was literally atop the primary dune separating us from the Atlantic Ocean.  The sound of the
incoming surf was not to be drowned out by any campground activity, nor the traffic on A1A, which bisects
the park.

Boardwalks to the beach and overlooks abound.  Comfort stations with laundry and dish washing facilities
are very clean and well maintained.

Across A1A on the Intracoastal waterway there are canoe, kayak and bike rentals as well as a launch ramp.

The Not-So-Good:

Camp sites are very crowded with literally zero buffer.  Ours was adjacent to a "Beach Overlook" ramp,
which gave us a little elbow room, but still our neighbor was right there.  Bear in mind that our experience
has, to date, been with more traditional State Parks, so the close proximity may not be as much of a
negative to the commercial campground RV'er.

Negotiating the rig, big or small, into the sites is exciting, if not frustrating.  We got the 'Pod nestled in
with not much heart burn, but we watched several other bigger rigs back and fill for a while before getting
it right.  Maneuvering is made even more of a challenge if surrounding sites are already occupied, denying
one the option of some extra space.

In fairness, I have to admit that our visit was diminished by a couple of problems-  One of our pups was
not feeling well, and our R-Dome became buffeted by a front that arrived at midnight, requiring me to
dismantle it in my PJ's.

We didn't have a very good experience, and ended up leaving after one night (of a two night reservation).
Since there are many, many other Florida State Parks that we want to experience, we will leave 
Gamble Rogers to those who will undoubtedly appreciate its virtues, which are many.

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coopercdrkey Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 26 Aug 2012 Location: Cedar Key, FL Online Status: Offline Posts: 457	Topic: Florida State Parks, Gamble Rogers Posted: 28 Nov 2012 at 5:54pm
	I really wanted to like Gamble Rogers State Recreation Area, because I really liked the gentleman after whom it was named. I met Gamble Rogers when our lounge hosted him for a two show concert at The Captain's Table in Cedar Key. I had seen his performance before at Frog's Landing. His good friend, Jim Carrick, is a friend of mine. Gamble was an accomplished finger pick style guitarist, a fine vocal performer, and a story teller. His style was referred to as mock heroic. Hie was widely held as a very talented and extremely humble Southern Gentleman. He lost his life in an attempt to aid a tourist caught in the rip tide off the Flagler Beach area which now bears his name The Good: Again, I am astonished at the foresight of the State of Florida to set aside areas such as this for the common good. Gamble Rogers State Recreation Area is a relatively small holding in the Florida State Parks system, but it is squarely in the middle of some very valuable beach front real estate Our campsite was literally atop the primary dune separating us from the Atlantic Ocean. The sound of the incoming surf was not to be drowned out by any campground activity, nor the traffic on A1A, which bisects the park. Boardwalks to the beach and overlooks abound. Comfort stations with laundry and dish washing facilities are very clean and well maintained. Across A1A on the Intracoastal waterway there are canoe, kayak and bike rentals as well as a launch ramp. The Not-So-Good: Camp sites are very crowded with literally zero buffer. Ours was adjacent to a "Beach Overlook" ramp, which gave us a little elbow room, but still our neighbor was right there. Bear in mind that our experience has, to date, been with more traditional State Parks, so the close proximity may not be as much of a negative to the commercial campground RV'er. Negotiating the rig, big or small, into the sites is exciting, if not frustrating. We got the 'Pod nestled in with not much heart burn, but we watched several other bigger rigs back and fill for a while before getting it right. Maneuvering is made even more of a challenge if surrounding sites are already occupied, denying one the option of some extra space. In fairness, I have to admit that our visit was diminished by a couple of problems- One of our pups was not feeling well, and our R-Dome became buffeted by a front that arrived at midnight, requiring me to dismantle it in my PJ's. We didn't have a very good experience, and ended up leaving after one night (of a two night reservation). Since there are many, many other Florida State Parks that we want to experience, we will leave Gamble Rogers to those who will undoubtedly appreciate its virtues, which are many.
	Bob and Joyce Jennifer and Baxter, the Campin' Cocker Spaniels RP 177 "Key Pod" Chevrolet Silverado 1500 LT / Z71

Paige Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Visit Members Homepage Add to Buddy List podders Helping podders - pHp Joined: 23 Jul 2012 Location: Upstate NY Online Status: Offline Posts: 216	Posted: 28 Nov 2012 at 9:28pm
	Oscar Scherer, Myakka River both great FL state parks! We also liked Curry Hammock,,,small but a nice location. Oh, and our son just spent almost two weeks at Jonathan Dickenson State Park,,,huge and beautiful!
	Paige and Pete 2010 177 - RPug 2012 Rav (six cylinder) New York & Florida residents

SCgal331 Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Newbie Joined: 01 Jun 2015 Online Status: Offline Posts: 1	Posted: 01 Jun 2015 at 6:25pm
	Paige: we are planning to buy a 179 or 181g in the next few weeks. We winter in S.C. but hope to travel farther south in Jan. and Feb. Is it easy to find spots in Florida campgrounds during those months? We have nightmares of finally getting our Pod with no place to stay!

JohnBG Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Senior Member Joined: 14 Apr 2015 Location: Deltona, FL Online Status: Offline Posts: 190	Posted: 22 Jun 2015 at 9:45pm
	I was checking out Gamble Rogers as its close to home and on the beach and they are pretty much booked solid for the year. I made a reservation at Jetty Park at Cape Canaveral instead in a few weeks. Not on the beach but close.
	2010 R-Pod RP-171 2010 Honda Ridgeline TV