Not to start a travel log, but we used to spend a lot of winters in FL & enjoyed the Ocala area. Back then it wasn't a tourist destination & the
Villages were just getting started.Fl has grown so much & all areas have more ppl etc.
I'm west of Orlando about an hour and south of Ocala about an hour - in The Villages, FL. If you head down this way sometime, look me up. I've never been to Merrit Is and would love to go there one day but since retiring, we aren't very adventuresome. Actually we're very content here in the villages.