SUNSHINE KEY RV RESORT
We arrived at Sunshine Key RV Resort on Dec 22. Sunshine Key is an Encore Resort located on Ohio Key, but with an address of Big Pine Key. We booked our site for the week of Christmas probably about 4 months ago–maybe longer. We didn’t want to get clear down to the Keys of Florida and not have a place to park, so we paid full price for this week. The Trails Collection would allow us to stay for only $20 a night, BUT we’d have to wait till we were only 60 days out from arriving. Not willing to take that chance this time. We went ahead and booked an ocean facing site which we would NOT get using the Trails Collection reservation.
The first night here, we got pounded with rain and wind. We got FIVE inches of rain! Evidently a tornado went through the Keys about 20-ish miles from us! A place that has to deal with hurricanes should NOT have to deal with other things like tornadoes! A lot of the park flooded. Our street was totally flooded. Luckily we pulled in to face the ocean view, and therefore had no flooding by our door or patio area. It was all behind our coach and down the street. The staff was out pumping the water out of the worst areas within the park. Not going anywhere today!
View out the bedroom window 
These are rental trailers to stay at the park. 
Our site was NOT flooded!!
There are two pickleball courts marked out on the two tennis courts. It takes a while to get used to the tennis net going way beyond the out lines It is dedicated pickleball time from 8:00am -10:30 am. So since the pickleball courts were free of standing water, play resumed. I’ve played each day even if we had to stop momentarily for a short passing shower. Nothing too bad though after the first night of 5 inches!
Not sure we can get used to this humidity! We need to have the dehumidifier running in the coach 24-7. The air conditioner also helps cut the humidity inside the coach.
Christmas Luau at Sunshine Key
We got home from our day at Bahia Honda State Park in time to shower and head over to the luau that was provided at Sunshine Key RV. Luckily for us the luau got postponed from Dec 20 due to weather. We sat with Brian who was at a table by himself. His wife was still working back in the RV. He remembered me from Orlando when I was in the main building and asked about pickleball, and evidently we walked by them the day before in Key West. Small world–especially the RV world. Turns out Brian and Michelle have been full timing for about a year and have a YouTube channel called LivinRVision. We both have a Newmar Ventana that we’ve named Vinny! Now we have our own special club. LOL We thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Brian over dinner. By the time the Polynesian dance entertainment was to begin, Michelle was able to join us. The dancers were delightful as they took us to several places like Hawaii, Tahitti, and even New Zealand.We really enjoyed our visit with Brian and Michelle! Too bad they are leaving in the morning. I’m sure our paths will cross again. 🙂
DECEMBER 28-LAST DAY IN THE KEYS.
Today is our last full day in the Keys. It seems like it has rained to some degree just about everyday–but, really it is more at night or super early in the morning. That happened early this morning, and then as the sun rose it was immediately hellaciously hot and humid! It was horrible playing pickleball in 80 degrees with 88% humidity! I don’t like to sweat like crazy without even exerting myself! Growing up in Ohio, I had enough humidity. This is not impressing me to consider living in Florida for the winters!
We decided launch our kayaks from “our” beach. This water was so much calmer than what we were in yesterday at Bahia Honda. We headed out and went under Route 1. The breeze was perfect! The water was so clear! We came upon a little island, so we beached our kayaks, while we explored and just got lost in the peace and tranquility of our surroundings. This is so awesome! There was a swing put together near the water’s edge. It didn’t swing very well, but it was cool just to be up on it. (Not sure how long those ropes have been holding everyone up, or how sturdy the limbs of the tree were.
After a while we had company on the island, so we headed back out in our kayaks. We paddled the rest of the way around the key. It was cool to see it from the water. We came by Sunshine Key’s Sunset Pier and some of the other areas where the sites have a water view. We took our time getting all the way back because it was just so peaceful and beautiful out on the water. Besides, once we got back it would be time to start packing everything up to be ready to leave Sunshine Key and head northwest to Ft. Myers.
We took a quick ride on our bikes to the marina area and out onto “our” Sunset Pier here at Sunshine Key to catch our last sunset in the Keys. No spectacular colors, but it was nice.
There are several colorful tiny homes being setup next to the site we were in. They have fabulous water views. A lady told me that supposedly these are not going to be for rent, but for purchase at approximately $300,000. Course this is an Encore park, so you will not own the lot, therefore, you will have to pay yearly for lease of the site the tiny home is on. The tiny homes are not for rent. I loved the colors and how they will look all next to each other at the waterfront sites. (The resort does have a good number of trailers that they do rent out. Guess they have trailers instead of the little cabins found at a lot of Thousand Trails and Encore parks.)
Hey Barry and Nancy!
What a very nice write-up! We really enjoyed our visit and getting to know you both! Hoping we will see you both soon.
Oh, just so you know. You can still get those ocean views with the Trails Collection at Encore, depending on if there is availability for the amount of days you would be staying. We had an ocean view at the Encore (Pacifica) outside of San Francisco. We didn’t even have to ask, but when we were at Sunshine Key RV we did ask and the lady looked at the reservations trying to make it work, and then said if we were staying shorter term, then she would be able to get us in a spot with Ocean view, but there were others coming during some of the dates we would be there. So in your situation at that time, you were only able to get the ocean view by paying, but don’t give up at your next Encore…never hurts to ask…or beg. 🤣. Ok, maybe not beg. 😜
Safe travels!
Brian & Michelle
LOL–I believe in asking for things like that with “puppy dog eyes”. If you ask, the worse that happens is they say no. 🙂 We just knew we didn’t dare not have a spot guaranteed for this trip. Next time we can be more flexible…if we get an Trails Collection spot great…if not, we can go some place other than the Keys. 🙂 There is definitely more to explore.