Florida Friends

[This entry covers March 27-April 1]

We arrived at Cummins Power South (powersouth.cummins.com) in Ocala on Sun. afternoon and got ourselves situated in one of the 10 sites they have on property specifically designed for overnight stays. All sites have 50 amp electric and water hookups with 4 of the spots located on the asphalt parking lot while the other 6 were located on the other side of the fence in a beautiful park-like setting measuring about 3 acres. Of course we chose a site on the grass at the far end and were even able to let the dogs off leash to explore during their walks. We had an 8am appointment for Mon. so this was the ideal location to spend the night.

Our friends, Dick and Beth, have a home near Ocala so while the generator was being repaired we loaded the dogs in the car and spent the next few hours at their house. Initially we had been under the impression that the generator would be finished by end of day and planned to move the RV to their house the next morning to spend a few days visiting since they have ½ an acre. But you know what they say about the best laid plans….

As it turned out the bolts that had sheared off in the fan were not easily retrievable from the rotor, and new parts had to be ordered which meant another night in the Cummins lot and a bigger expense. The next day while they completed the work, we once again spent the day with Beth and Dick leaving the doggies at their place while Beth and I did some shopping and ate lunch at Panera Bread. In the meantime Russ and Dick met up with some of Dick’s friends at the nearby airfield (where Dick loves to go and help out nearly everyday) and lunched at a place called Cal’s. That evening Dick roasted a chicken, and we enjoyed a wonderful meal with our friends before heading back to the RV.

The work was finally complete the next morning, and the manager informed us that our extended warranty would actually cover all the expenses minus our deductible. However, we needed to pay the full amount up front and then be reimbursed by our warranty provider. Oh, well, it could have been worse. With everything now working properly, we moved the RV to Dick and Beth’s house, and set up camp. They offered that we could plug into an outlet in their garage which was a huge help giving us at least a minimal amount of electricity to run a couple necessary items. We teased that they need to have 50 amp service installed before we return at the end of the year.

That evening we joined them for the weekly all-you-can-eat spaghetti dinner held at the local VFW Hall complete with salad bar, garlic bread, and lemonade or ice tea all for only $5.75! They go every week and since the place generally gets packed, a table is reserved for them and 3 other couples. One of the couples, Sandy and Diana, live nearby at The Villages (http://www.thevillages.com/) and invited us all back to their place. You may have seen commercials for The Villages (“Florida’s Friendliest Hometown”), a master-planned active adult retirement community offering a ton of classes, clubs, and amenities. To give you an idea as to its size, there are 38 golf courses at The Villages! At the heart of the community are two town squares, each with their own themed architecture (with a third one under construction), and each featuring a huge assortment of shops, restaurants, a movie theater, and free nightly entertainment in the town square. This is where we headed after dinner, and even with the overcast skies and sprinkling of rain, the crowd was ready to dance! Afterwards we returned to Sandy and Diana’s and enjoyed getting better acquainted.

Our friends, Alex and Susie, have a place about an hour north of Dick and Beth’s, and since we had all initially met in the Florida Keys a couple years ago, plans had been made for Alex and Susie to drive down for a visit on Thurs. After the initial greetings and chit-chat, we headed to 110th Street Grille (110thStreetGrille) for a yummy late lunch. From there we returned to the house to visit awhile longer, and the subject of came up that the surround sound speakers weren’t working. Alex, being an electronic technician, offered to have a look at it, and after several hours (and some humorous moments), he got them working again. So fun to see them and spend some time together.

The next morning I drove back down to the Orlando area for a scheduled doctor appointment, and the plan was for us to hit the road as soon as I returned, but that plan got delayed by about an hour. On my way home there was a huge accident not far in front of me just about 4 miles from their house, and I was stuck on the road. As I stood outside watching and waiting, I sent up prayers for the injured and was thankful I had not been a few minutes earlier. A medevac helicopter arrived, and when we finally were able to move after it took off (they required us to make a u-turn and go back the other way), I saw a stretcher on the side of the road with a white sheet covering a body. Not sure how many people were injured but there were several ambulances, fire trucks, and police for the three cars involved. After finding my way back to Beth’s house by a different route, we hooked up the car and prepared to hit the road. The delay meant we wouldn’t get as far as we had hoped that night, but we at least made it to the Wal-Mart in Valdosta, GA. We're extremely grateful to Beth and Dick for opening up their home (and yard) and being such wonderfully gracious hosts.

Celebrating Early

[This entry covers March 18-26]

Plans had been made that a week before my birthday, Linda and her daughter, Angela, would drive over from Tampa for an early celebration. We thought we’d go to Old Town (http://www.old-town.com/) where there are plenty of restaurants, shops, and rides providing some fun for all of us. Angela decided to invite her friend Ashley to share in the rides while Linda and I leisurely strolled around. As it turned out the rides didn’t open until 11a.m. so in the meantime the girls had some fun creating a Bopping Heads Dance Video and posing for pictures including in the monster truck’s big wheels next door at Fun Spot USA. The girls decided the rides looked better at Fun Spot so Linda bought them each a wrist band for unlimited rides while we headed back over to Old Town and Tex Mex Express (http://texmexexpress.com/) for a tasty lunch complete with a frosty adult beverage! We strolled through the various shops with the girls catching up with us periodically in between riding. Afterwards we stopped at Edy’s Ice Cream to enjoy some yummy ice cream treats before heading back to the campground. Though at times the day may have seemed to be more about the girls, it was a great way to celebrate my birthday with a best friend and two fun and silly 11-year-olds!

Paul and Anne joined us on Mon. for a birthday dinner at Miller’s Orlando Ale House (http://www.millersalehouse.com/), and on Thurs. Russ needed to get some lab work done, and since I had a coupon for a free burger and fries from Steak ‘N Shake, we stopped for a take out order and enjoyed a “picnic” lunch from the back of our car under the shade of a lovely tree next door at the flea market. Who says he’s not romantic?!! (and I didn’t have my camera with me either day!) However, I did have it with me on Fri. when we went to Denny’s for a Free Grand Slam breakfast, which in case you didn't know anyone can get on their actual birthday.

One last picture to share for now is from Gatorland, and it always strikes us funny whenever we've passed it. We’ve never been to Gatorland, but this eye catching sculpture sits right out front.

Sun. marked the end of our four months at Lake Magic RV Resort, and it was time to move on. We planned to head about 1-1/2 hours north to Ocala, FL, to have our generator repaired before heading west for the summer.

We've Arrived

Just thought we'd post a quick update to let everyone know that we've arrived safe and sound at Capitol Reef National Park in Utah. You may recall that we are going to be hosts at Fruita Campground located within the park until July 15, and we thought you might like to see a picture of our campsite. Directly behind our site is a horse pasture (part of the historic Gifford House and farm) with three horses. This is a beautiful campground in a beautiful area, and since we've arrived everyone from the Superintendent on down have made us feel quite welcome. Over the next week we'll work on updating the blog with our trip from FL to UT so stay tuned because you won't want to miss it!

Magical Days

Our Walt Disney World annual passes were due to expire March 15, and since we would be leaving the Orlando area a couple of weeks after that, there was really no point in renewing now but rather waiting until we returned at the end of the year. Of course, this meant we’d need to cram in as much time at Disney as possible over the next 5 days! Epcot’s International Flower & Garden Festival had started a couple weeks earlier with this year’s theme “Epcot Springs To Life”, and as you may recall from previous years’ posts, part of this annual event is the Flower Power Concert Series featuring entertainers from the 60s & 70s. The concerts are only held on weekends with three 35 min. performances held each night at the outdoor American Gardens Theater. This weekend featured The Guess Who (American Woman, These Eyes, No Time), with original founding member, Jim Kale (below left in the vest), and what a concert! We arrived for the middle show, stayed for the next one, and then caught the Illuminations fireworks before heading home.









The next day we didn’t arrive at Magic Kingdom until late in the day since it was open till midnight so we could catch the fireworks and one of their newest shows called “The Magic, The Memories, and You!”, which is tied in with the park’s theme this year of “Let the Memories Begin”. But first we walked around the park, caught Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor, Carousel of Progress, Country Bear Jamboree, and rode a few rides including of course everyone’s favorite It’s A Small World.


It was now 8:30 and time to find a spot for watching the fireworks which would be immediately followed by “The Magic, The Memories, and You!” It was actually being shown twice that night and as we got closer to Cinderella’s Castle, we could see that the early performance was already underway so we got to see the last part of it and see what all the fuss was about. It definitely encouraged us to want to see more from the beginning! We moved to a better location, and after the fireworks, we were able to do just that…watch it from the beginning. There are 16 high-powered state-of-the-art projectors casting images from about ¼ mile away that seemingly bring the Castle to life during this 10 min. show. Nearly 500 images of guests that were taken that day by the PhotoPass photographers are the main focus but also included are video snippets and photos from Disney’s past. Though basically a 2-dimensional show, the Castle comes to life with color, dancing skeletons, bricks that seem to fall from the building, balloons that burst upwards along its face, and so much more timed to music that make it seem more 3-dimensional. Towards the end there’s a giant mosaic of all the day’s images, and the finale features a burst of fireworks that seem to start on the face of the Castle! This amazing spectacular is hard to describe and these few pictures definitely do not do it justice. We have been amazed by so much of Disney’s magic, but this is the most spectacular thing we’ve ever seen them do. It is truly a magical event that must be experienced.

Sun. we returned to Epcot early enough to see many of the topiaries during the daylight hours, and we’ll simply share a few photos with you.

We stayed long enough to catch the first two shows of The Guess Who, and since it was their last night, they seemed even more wound up! At one point lead singer, Derek, and lead guitarist, Laurie, carried the show out into the audience and up the aisle to the delight of everyone there. The Guess Who are truly master musicians and entertainers!

There were only two days left on our annual pass so we returned to Epcot late Mon. to watch the Illuminations fireworks, and then made a mad dash to catch the monorail to Magic Kingdom one last time. We arrived in time for the fireworks, another showing of “The Magic, The Memories, and You!”, the updated show at The Hall of Presidents, and some last minute rides as well as enjoying a yummy Dole Whip. We also finally used the rest of our gift cards from last year, and one of the things Russ bought was this cool shirt honoring Disney World's 40th anniversary! This was our last day at Walt Disney World as we were too tired to return to any of the parks the next day. Oh well, it’ll all be there next year!

Rhinos and Tigers and Bats...Oh My!

We finally made it over to Animal Kingdom, and what a beautiful day it was! We got there shortly after opening and made a beeline for the very popular Kilimanjaro Safaris. The sign said the wait was only 20 min. but looked longer to us, and before getting in line, we picked up Fast Passes so we could ride again without as long a wait…always a wise decision.

The animals were out in abundance especially on our first ride, and we were lucky enough to see the newest Pink-backed Pelicans in their nest, all fuzzy and white, well protected by the rest of the family in the nest. I won’t list all the animals we saw but will share a few photos including the best view we’ve ever had of the cheetahs!











After exiting Kilimanjaro, we walked next door to the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail where you’ll find birds, fish, a viewing area of the hippos underwater, meerkats, and so much more on this self-guided walking tour. Our favorite animals to see here, however, are the Lowland Gorillas. If you’re lucky, you may see a couple of them near the large observation window at one end of the enclosure, or you’ll see several of them along the trail out in the open brush. Last year right up against the window we saw the newest member of this Lowland Gorilla family, little 8-week old Lilly. We hoped to see her this year, and sure enough there she was clinging to the underbelly of her mama walking in the distance. (You can double-click on the photo above to enlarge it.) She found a spot to rest, and then Lilly was off on her own exploring…but not too far from mama’s watchful eye! She’s now a year old, and cute as ever though smaller than what we expected.

Next it was on to Maharajah Jungle Trek, another self-guided trail “through the ruins of an ancient palace inhabited by exotic animals”. Here we saw what seemed like a huge Komodo dragon, a lounging tiger, and numerous bats hanging from the trees in their enclosure…fascinating to watch!

Further down the trail was the aviary full of more birds than we’d ever seen there before...and so many colorful varieties. We must have timed our visit just right since so many were out and about. One of the most interesting was the blue-billed duck pictured at right (though the blue didn’t really come through as well in the photo as seen in person). We’d never seen anything quite like it.

After our second ride on the Kilimanjaro Safaris, we left “Africa” and headed over to “Asia” where we picked up a Fast Pass for Expedition Everest, the high-speed roller coaster (another hugely popular ride), and then walked over to catch a performance of Finding Nemo – The Musical. This original stage production is always fun to watch, and though it only lasts about 30 min., it still covers the entire story. Good songs and very cool staging, but would you expect anything less from Disney? From here it was back for our ride on Expedition Everest…we forgot just how intense this ride is!!

The park was packed so we decided to head on home for now and return another day for two of our favorites, Festival of the Lion King and It’s Tough To Be A Bug.

Full-time life in an RV isn’t much different than in a regular home. There are still repairs that need to be made on occasion, and sometimes it requires a learning process. Most of our windows have day/night shades, and once the string begins to wear (and eventually break), they don’t work so good. We had one repaired last year through a local camping store that cost us $40 just to have some guy restring it. Now we had 3 more in need of repair, and I had been researching on the internet hoping we could do it ourselves. Last week when Paul and Anne stopped by, we discovered that they had ordered a kit to try and repair one of theirs. We made plans to come by their place Sun. so we could see how it’s done. The kit had come with a learning CD, some grommets, and the required string all for $15. Paul had watched the CD before we arrived so he was ready to begin the repair when we arrived. As it turns out, it’s a much simpler process than any of us had imagined. Theirs was only a 2-string shade, and though we had one of those, we also had two 4-string shades which are a little more involved but as it turns out, not much. We borrowed their CD and went in search of the correct string. We found some masonry string at Lowe’s that we were assured by one of their associates would work just fine (he’s restrung several of these shades before). It was cheaper than ordering online and cheaper than the kit so figured we’d give it a try. If it didn’t work, we weren’t out much money and would probably order the correct stuff online since it’s nearly impossible to find in the stores. Paul and Anne made plans to come by Wed. afternoon to see how the 4-string was done, and before they arrived we repaired our 2-string shade and one of the 4-strings (thought we should be prepared before they arrived). Once again, the re-stringing was much simpler than any of us anticipated once you knew what you were doing. Hardest part was getting the shades out of the window boxes. Hmmm, maybe we’ve found a new line of work!