Sunday February 14th 2016

About noon today I headed for the east coast. My goal was to take a sight seeing cruise on the Banana and Indian Rivers. I had scouted out the tour on a previous trip to the Merritt Island and Port Canaveral area. It was not to be. Even though it was sunny and calm at the RV park, it was cloudy in the 60s and showery on the coast. I can wait for better conditions to take the tour.
That was not the only negative event today. About an hour into the drive I realized I had left my cell phone at home. I was so concerned, I actually considered turning around. It’s amazing how lost I felt without the phone. I wasn’t expecting any calls or important messages, but the security it represents was missing. The level of dependence I have developed for a little piece of plastic packaged circuitry is amazing.
Instead of the sight seeing cruise I stopped at Port Canaveral to watch the Cruise Ships depart. There were three ships leaving between 4 and 5 in the afternoon. The “Cove” area of the port was filled with people there to watch the ships leave. There were also many brown pelicans watching the spectators and the fisherman. Every bait cast got watched by the birds more intently than the guy holding the rod. Those birds have it figured out.

Watching from rear of a boat

Before returning home I stopped at one of the Cape Canaveral beaches to check on the departing cruise ships. Several people had found a use for the windy weather; kite surfing. The combination of wind and surf really gave the surfers a good ride.

Carnival Cruise Ship departing with kite surfer getting read to launch

The trip home was uneventful. My phone was on the table waiting for me. I had no missed calls, no messages and only one marketing email. I survived for 6 hours without my phone.

Saturday February 13th 2016

Today was another bright sunshiny day. It was a little cooler than yesterday with highs in the upper 60s, but less wind.
I did a lot of driving and sight seeing from the car with a couple of stops along the way. The general destination was points west and south of my starting point in Davenport Fl. The trip started with heavy traffic on Interstate 4 all the way to Tampa. Interstate 75 south to Bradenton was only a little bit better. I continue to be amazed by the volume of traffic.

Bradenton FL Riverwalk

In Bradenton I walked along the Manatee River at the Riverwalk park. This is an area along the river with entertainment venues, art, natural science displays and play grounds. There were many walkers, bicycle riders and others enjoying the afternoon on the river. I found the area just OK. If I lived in the area I wouldn’t go to this park regularly. The river view is limited by three bridges, two for cars and one for trains. It’s to bad that you can’t see beyond the bridges.

From Bradenton I drove east into the center of the state. When I got to Hardee county, toward Avon Park, I found citrus groves. I was glad to see that Florida still has many acres of groves. Over the years I’ve been coming to Florida, I’ve seen the number of groves in the Orlando area shrinking rapidly. In fact, since I’ve been down here this winter, one grove near my RV resort has been leveled. I understand that there is a citrus disease threatening the crop. It looks like housing developments and shopping centers are a bigger threat in the Orlando area.
It was a lot of driving, but I enjoyed seeing the ranching and agriculture of the center of the state. The flat straight roads made it possible to see things and drive at the same time.

Friday February 12th 2016

It was a bright sunshiny day in central Florida with high temperatures in the upper 70s. Today’s objective was bike riding on the General James A. Van Fleet Rail Trail.
About 10AM I loaded the bike on to the car and drove over to the bike trail. This is the same trail I hiked last week. There were more people riding on the trail today, but not so many that you needed to pass anyone going in the same direction. You had to watch for on coming traffic, but since the trail is flat and straight you could see them a mile ahead.
The warmer weather also brought out more wildlife. I hadn’t ridden more than few hundred yards when I had to dodge a gopher tortoise making its way across the trail. In a short span of trail I saw four tortoises on the side of the trail.

Alligator

The trail runs through swampland that is well flooded this rainy winter. One of the easily spotted animals are the alligators. Not only are they big enough to see, but they are catching the rays of the bright sun. I saw at least 5 alligators. A couple of them were pretty big and could get onto the trail if they wanted. I didn’t really have and concern other than general awareness of the possibility.
A couple of Florida’s larger bird species were also present on the trail. I saw a Blue Heron and a Great Egret. I was well buy the Blue Heron before I though about taking a picture and it was gone when I came back on the return trip.

Overall I traveled about 12 miles round trip. Considering I hadn’t done any riding since last October on the Cape Cod Canal, this was enough. Coming back to the car, into the wind, I was not making any where near the speed of the outbound trip. Next time I’ll ride a different section of trail.

Thursday February 11th 2016

Today was a beautiful day. The sun was shining with not a cloud in the sky. The wind of the previous few days was gone and the temperature was in the middle 60s. The natives called the day cool but nice.
I spent most of the day doing more chores around the RV. I got the laundry done and ran the vacuum cleaner around on the floors. This motorhome has a built in vacuum cleaner. It really is over kill for the amount of area to keep picked up.
Outside I emptied the holding tanks and prepared my bicycle for some bike riding. I haven’t ridden the bicycle since I left New England in November. Unfortunately, it has picked up a bit of rust. So in addition to pumping up the tires, I had to wipe down a few parts with oil. A short test ride around the RV park proved that bike works and I remember how to ride.
At about 5PM, I needed to get out and do something as a reward for completing my chores. I didn’t have a real destination, but ended up at Disney Springs. This was my first visit in the evening. The place really comes to life after dark. There are many entertainment acts scattered around the park. I saw a cappella singing groups, folk singers with guitar, a saxophone soloist, rap groups as well as full blown rock bands. In another area there was a DJ. Disney has the whole range covered. The evening visit finally showed me something interesting about Disney Springs. Prior to this visit all I saw were restaurants and stores.

Balloon at Disney Springs in the Air.

Sweet Adeline and Barbershop Quartet at Disney Springs

Now that my bicycle is ready for use, I planning to go back to the Van Fleet rail trail tomorrow for a bike ride.

Wednesday February 10th 2016

We are still experiencing Florida cold here in the Sunshine state. It never got out of the 50s with a strong wind all day.

My Morning Visitors

After a couple of busy days, today was dedicated to catching up on chores. Chief among the chores was restocking the kitchen. I was out of pretty much everything. Without a grocery run I’d be eating from the freezer. So about noon I headed for the Walmart up the road toward Clermont.
The Super Walmart is about 9 miles away through Florida winter traffic. It seems like anywhere I want to go traffic is an obstacle. I’ve found some back road short cuts, but any time your on a main road, you’ve got lots of company.
My refrigerator is now restocked. It will be good for another week with a few quick stops at the Publix down the street. I just don’t like the prices and choices available at Publix for many things. (Since this is the second blog entry I’ve talked about grocery shopping, I must really be hung up on food.)
Later in the afternoon I did another couple of laps walking around the park. The park has filled up more now that February is here. Several sites are still open and some park model units aren’t occupied. There are several residents from Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Ohio and New Brunswick Canada. The northern origins of others are disguised by Florida License plates.

My Afternoon Visitor

Tuesday February 9th 2016

Florida winter weather continues here in the center of the state. In didn’t get out of the 50s today and the wind was blowing strong. They are predicting lows in the high 30s or low 40s with a wind chill in the 20s over night, but I’m nice and comfortable in my RV home.
This afternoon I went back to Disney’s Magic Kingdom. I thought the low temperatures and being late in the day the crowds would be manageable. It looked promising in the parking lot as I parked a lot closer than last week, but once in the park it was jammed. The park was open until 11PM. People were still arriving when I left at 7:30PM.

Cinderella’s Castle

Today I caught a few more rides and shows. My old favorite, the Carousel of Progress, is showing its age. While they updated the last scene a few years ago to be more current with technology, it’s already outdated. The other concern is the actual mechanical features of the revolving theater. It is a very rough bumpy transition as the theater seating moves.
I rode the Undersea Journey of the Little Mermaid. This is a new ride since I was at the Magic Kingdom in 2008. It a fun ride that imagines you are under the sea sharing the adventures of the Little Mermaid. The bright color and the characters are very well done.

Country Bear Jamboree

One of my favorite shows at the Magic Kingdom continues to be the Country Bear Jamboree. The singing bears continue to entertain my simple tastes. I wouldn’t be to surprised if this attraction gets replace once Disney comes up with something better for the space. It was not well attended considering the number of people in the park.
Leaving the park was more of a challenge than it should have been. The boat transportation to the parking area was not running and one of the two monorail routes was not running. This resulted in a very long line waiting to get to the parking lot. Eventually, they got the other monorail line running.
I probably am finished with the Magic Kingdom for this visit to Florida. When I come back later in the year I might venture to the park again. The other Disney parks are still in the running for more visits.

Monday February 8th 2016

After breakfast this morning, I set out for the gulf coast of Florida. My rough destination was the sponge docks of Tarpon Springs. I’ve been there before and wanted to see if it was anything like I remembered.
Getting there proved to be a bit of an adventure. The highway part of the trip was fine but once I reached Tampa progress slowed to a crawl. This area of Florida seems to have cornered the market on traffic lights. Between the mid day traffic and an over abundance of red signals, it was very slow going. I finally made it to the gulf coast and worked my way north to Tarpon Springs.
The sponge dock area of the city turned out to live down to my expectations. I remembered it as a small area with lots of shops and restaurants. What I found was a narrow road with side walks full of people on both sides of the road. Parking was three dollars for the day. I’m not sure if it was the aggravating drive getting there or just me being overly frugal, but I didn’t park and walk around. Instead I took a couple of photos from the car and continued on. Tarpon Springs was to much of a tourist trap for my tastes.

Tarpon Springs Sponge Docks

The boats are tied up parallel to the road. You can book sight seeing, dolphin watch and fishing trips on many of the boats. In front of the boats are shops and kiosks. One kiosk selling sponges had an ATM right beside the buckets of sponges. I’m guessing you might need it to afford some of them.

Kiosk selling Sponges – Note the ATM

After my brief trip through the Tarpon Springs dock area, I continued north on US19 a few miles. I had looked into staying at a couple of RV parks in this area. I’m glad I was unsuccessful. This area is to built-up with strip malls and congested. I returned east on route 50 to Clearmont an on down US27 back to the RV park. The route 50 area is back to more natural Florida scenery.

Sunday February 7th 2016

Today is Super Bowl Sunday. I’m watching the game as I write this blog entry. I don’t really have any preferences in this game. Since the Denver Broncos knocked the Patriots out of the contest I should probably be cheering for the Panthers, but I really don’t know anything about the team. Cam Newton is the only player I know anything about, and that is not all that favorable. So I’m neutral.
This afternoon I when over to Disney Springs. My plan was to get lunch at Cookes of Dublin. They have pretty good fish and chips. Unfortunately, all of Disney Springs was mobbed. The line at Cookes was out the door and down the walkway. I returned to my RV home for a couple of grilled hamburgers.
While I was at Disney Springs, I took a few pictures of the changes Disney is making. Once they complete the additions all of the former Downtown Disney will be surrounded and thoroughly updated. The changes are advertised to be completed in the Spring of 2016, Given the current state of completion, I doubt it.
A whole new area called Town Center is being added to the existing Marketplace, West Side, and The Landings areas. The Landings is a renamed and updated Pleasure Island. It originally had a separate admission at night, but that ended a few years ago along with the entertainment.
The Town Center Area and a new bus transportation area are taking up a large portion of the parking. To offset the loss of parking lot, two parking garages are being built. The first garage has been completed near the West Side area. The other garage will be up near the marketplace. Open surface parking is still available beyond the West Side area.

New Bus Area under construction.

The picture above of the New Bus Area was taken from the new parking garage.  The 2nd incomplete garage can be seen beyond at the top of the picture and a new building in the Town Center area is at the left.   It sure doesn’t look like it will be complete in the spring.

Planet Hollywood dome.

The Planet Hollywood restaurant closed shortly after the new year. The spherical building is being updated into the Planet Hollywood Observatory.  The building really needs an update as the paint had faded and the magic was gone.   I understand all of the memorabilia inside will remain.

Balloon Ride

The balloon ride, located between the West Side area and the Landings area is new since I visited in 2008.  I wonder how much use it gets.  If the wind is blowing with any strength they keep it on the ground.   It seems like most days this winter have a significant wind blowing.  Today had gusts of 30 mph.

Amphicars at the Boat House restaurant

The Boat House restaurant has 8 antique Amphicars that you can ride complete with a captain/chauffeur.  You know it’s expensive when they don’t post a price list.  A search on the Internet seems to indicate that it costs $125 for twenty minutes.  There are three seats available in the car.  I don’t know if it’s $125 for all three or per seat.   Either way, I like looking at the cars but don’t need to ride one.

If you want to shop or you want to eat, Disney Springs is a good destination.  It will be a lot easier to deal with when all of the construction is complete.

Saturday February 6th 2016

It has rained all day here in Florida. It was not a day for outside activities. I stayed in and worked on a home improvement task.
The medicine cabinet that is built into my RV home has only two fixed shelves. They would be perfect if I wanted to store a bunch of ten inch tall bottles, but most items I store in a medicine cabinet are not that big. I needed to add another shelf.

Medicine Cabinet – Before

I looked for plastic or metal shelve dividers or platforms, but couldn’t find any narrow enough to fit the cabinet. A little minor cabinet carpentry was needed. Knowing that this was a possibility I had brought some supplies with me. The most difficult part of the task was digging my tools and the supplies out of the basement storage areas of the RV. A little cutting, a little glue and some time clamped in place is all it took.

Medicine Cabinet – After

I still need to buy some English Chestnut stain to cover the bare wood. The new shelf will significantly increase the storage space in the medicine cabinet. If I need more, I can divide the top shelf too. I’ll give this setup a try for a few months.

Friday February 5th 2016

It was Florida cold today. That’s what I’m calling it when the locals are complaining about the cold. They bundle up in layers and start every conversation with a complaint about the temperature. To most of the country, 55 degrees in February would be a heat wave.
The source of today’s adventure was the General James A. Van Fleet Rail Trail. This is a 29 mile paved section of converted railroad bed. It’s set up for biking and hiking. Today I chose to walk the part of the middle section of the trail in the Green Swamp area. My bicycle stated at the RV park. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do before I left and it’s a lot of work to put the rack and bike on the car. Next time I’ll take the bike.

General James A Van Fleet Rail Trail

The trail starts out in a cattle grazing area, proceeds into an area of denser trees, then gets into the swamp area. The trail is straight and flat. I walked out about two and half miles if the markers can be believed then returned.
I saw very few signs of wild life on the first part of the walk. The cattle were making noise but I didn’t hear any movement in the woods or bird sounds. At one point I did see a circling raptor in the air above the trees. I’m not sure if it was a hawk or possible a bald eagle as I think its head was white. Either way, its presence may be the cause of the silence in the woods.
Once I reached the swamp area the wildlife increased. I saw many small birds that I don’t have the knowledge to identify. I need to learn more about bird identification so I have a little better idea what I’m looking at. One thing I did recognize is an alligator in the water beside the trail. It was taking advantage of the bright sun to warm up in the cool temperature. This is the first alligator in the wild I’ve seen this winter.

On the way back to car I may have seen a feral pig. Some distance down the trail behind me, what I though was a fat brown dog crossed the trail quickly. I turned around to get a brief look at the animal. When I was reading the tail guide later, it indicated that feral pigs were common in the area. So maybe.
I’ll bring my bicycle next time I visit the trail. I need to be able to cover more distance in less time. A 5 plus mile hike is OK, but 20 mile bike ride would be better.