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Author: Wolfgang
Travel-Journal April 2004
Travel-Journal
April 2004
How goes the saying…..”time flies when you’re having fun” Well, - this must be the reason why I have not found the time nor the quiet to sit down and write. Since our arrival in the TGO Paradise (www.tgoresort.com/), our entire days are filled with activities and sports, followed by socializing and partying with old and new friends. We are having really wonderful times …. although by now (May 29th) the weather is getting hotter all the time and temperatures are reaching in the mid-nineties. I can hear some of you saying….so, - what are you still doing down there? The reason why we are still here ….I shall explain later…..
But let’s now backtrack to the early part of April while we were still at the TNN Resort (www.thousandtrails.com/) in Orlando.
Dagmar next to Activity Center …in front of the Family Pool
…our “Wilderness” lot …picture postcard
When we first came to this fantastic TTN Resort on HWY 27 on the outskirts of Kissimmee, - I think it was in 1992 -, the area surrounding was kind of isolated and consisted mainly of Orange Groves stretching on both sides of the highway right down to Clermont – the then Orange Capitol of Florida. But in the mid-nineties severe frost periods forced most growers to abandon their plantations. I still remember when they first tried to save their crop with the use of heaters - later on even installed sprinkler systems - since the forming of ice could somewhat protect the oranges. In any case, there is hardly a plantation left today. What happened to the rest….well this is hard to imagine…..but developers moved in and created gated communities one after the other for miles on end. Practically a new city was born all along Highway 27. Unreal…..This has totally transformed the character of the region. Talk about changing the landscape….
The weather during our first week was wonderful (dry and sunny), but during the second week we had a tremendous thunderstorm followed by a much higher humidity level. But this was the only time during April that it rained. In fact, Florida needs rain badly. Right now they have a lot of fires which sometimes do get out of hand and threaten entire communities.
During the first week, Blackie was also happy being outside on her leash. But at the start of the second week she suddenly got real sick. She was throwing up constantly. First we thought it had to do with her eating too much of that coarse grass …or perhaps struggling to get rid of a fur-ball. But soon we realized that this was anything but normal. We don’t know what actually happened - but think she might have been bitten by something poisonous, - a snake or scorpion. Once inside in the evening, she recovered quickly. But from this moment on, she does not want to go outside anymore…unless it’s dark. And when she walks besides us and sees a branch, stick or something resembling a snake, she stops and with utmost care approaches the object slowly, then touches it gently with her front paw ….while at the same time jumping high into the air. This is really funny ….but kind of revealing.
…the two girls at Easter Breakfast …and here as eggheads on the left, lol
Anyway, before noon we spend a lot of our time around the family swimming pool and did get a nice suntan…even me eventually, lol. On April 7th TTN offered their members a chartered bus trip to Cape Canaveral to board a SunCruz Casino Liner. Cost - $10@ person. Those new big Casino Liners cruise outside the 3 mile zone for gaming to be legal. Transportation to Cape Canaveral, Boarding, Entertainment, Hot and Cold Buffet, Free Cocktails while Gaming and a Coupon to “Buy $10 Get $5 FREE”, seemed like a bargain (and it was - see here http://www.gamblingmagazine.com/ManageArticle.asp?C=200&A=74 )…and so we decided to book and pay the $20. The following morning we arrived on time in the Community Center …but nobody was there. So we went inside the office and inquired. Guess what? The bus had already left. Mamma Mia!!! We somehow got mixed up with some of our clocks because they were neither synchronized to the new Eastern Time zone nor switched over to Summer Savings Time. We were more than embarrassed …when suddenly I noticed on the wall about a dozen big clocks showing different time zones …and they had not changed any of those themselves. I turned around and tried to blame them for our stupidity ….but failed to get my money back….
Sun Cruise Casino Liner … interior view
So much for that trip, but I told Dagmar that once we get “home” to Titusville (Cape Canaveral) we would drive to the pier and take that FREE trip, - which we eventually did. Telling the bartender our story (with worthless receipt to prove it), he allowed us to have all the drinks we wanted without gambling. As they say in Germany: “Ende gut, Alles gut”, lol.
I think Disney is getting cheap. In the past we would on occasion walk over to TTN’s own 60 acre “Lake Hancock” before nine PM to watch the closing Fire Works of nearby Disney World. Not anymore. We could only hear some distant thunder and see some lightning from the other side of the lake. We stood on the beach for the longest time when suddenly I saw some flares coming over the tree tops. I said to Dagmar: “Hey, now the show starts”. But it must have been the end of the Fire Works since those blasts were followed by absolute silence. Too bad…..’shame on you CEO Eisner’.
Wild animals in our park are not afraid of humans anymore. A huge vulture landed right in front of our Coach to retrieve a road-kill (rodent). At that very same moment a little girl approached on a bike. She made a sudden stop right in front of that large bird and let out a loud scream. She must have been scared to death because of his enormous size. Instead of taking off, this giant vulture just lifted his wide shoulders higher, spread his wing tips even further to protect that source of food … and staring at the kid with his ugly red face and crocked neck. Then he leisurely picked up his morsel and flew into the next big Spanish Oak. It’s a good thing that Management insists we all drive not over 15mph, otherwise those monster vultures might cause traffic jams on our roads, lol
We went for daily long walks inside the compound which has many miles of beautiful trails through hammocks, including a flooded area with a lot of cypress trees. It is a typical natural Florida wilderness, where the difference of every foot in elevation seems to produce different trees, plants and animal habitats. But what amazes me most is the fact that this Nature Wonderland appears like landscaped. This must have somehow to do with the carpets of Palmettos, the white sand and relative flatness of the topography. The variety of plants and animals in Florida (Spanish for ‘Land of Flowers’) seem endless and to someone not native like us, a real source of wonderment. And the beauty of it all in true color leaves us sometimes breathless…
…like these beauties behind our unit.
We went to Clermont and Kissimmee to shop …and look for new watering holes ….since some of our favorite ones had vanished, lol. But there were plenty new ones….and the “Happy Hours” down there are still really ‘happy hours’. After work the natives obviously want to have some fun…. and that’s where they meet – at watering holes. And it’s no surprise, as for me on a hot day in Florida there is nothing better than pouring ice-cold draft beer out of a pitcher into ice-covered glasses. Hmmmm…. when you’re hot, you’re hot – but what a relief it is. Even a low-carb beer goes down ….smooth and easy, lol.
As for Dagmar, - she still does her 10K jogging every morning, - without fail. This morning she jogged to a place where in the past she always found delicious grapefruits growing wild on trees left at a former plantation. As usual, she brought home some and even peeled them into slices for breakfast. Although the slices looked great, it turned out they had begun to ferment and probably would have made you drunk. Too bad…but it was just too late for harvesting those Freebees. Winos probably would have had a ball with the lot, lol. As I understand it, some animals (primarily birds) do love the highs they get from such fermented fruit; - I guess it’s the season to be jolly for them, lol.
It is always with a heavy heart when we have to leave Orlando. Our two-week stay went by too fast. We did many things….but not Disney and the tourist traps. Our stay was this time more relaxed and more nature oriented. Now it’s mid-April and time to drive “home”. Wonder what our place looks like after three years of absence.
Quote from Jay Leno about the difference between men and women: “Men make a project out of everything. Women tend to do the job. Men will clean the kitchen from top to bottom once – “OK, it’s all clean, Honey” – but they wouldn’t do it on a week–to-week basis. They will bring in a sandblaster and clean the thing perfectly once …and think it will last forever.”
Well – that’s me alright. When we left our place three years ago I used the next best thing to a sandblaster to keep the jungle at bay – thinking it will last forever. When we came back on the 13th of April - boy was I wrong. Major work lay ahead of us to keep my (paid for) view of the 16th Green unobstructed. So we bought a Brush-Wacker on sale from Sears. We got one for half price because someone didn’t like it. Now I know why the guy returned it…it was just hard to keep the blasted thing running. It was either full speed or idle, - in the mid-range it stalled. But I managed to cut down the tall grasses and weeds in what’s called common area between my property and the Golf Course before deciding to return the unit. When I did, they exchanged the unit for a brand new one which is still in the box. Sears – good people. The area which I had to clean up is about one acre in size and used by many animals ….such as deer, raccoons, bobcats, armadillos and the like. They roam between the jungles on both sides of the Golf Course which at my property is the shortest distance to cross. My neighbor tells me he has seen a Florida Panther pass through the corridor just before we got there. Such is a rare sight indeed, there are not too many of those around. But some folks do see them occasionally and Dagmar swears that a few years ago she was stalked by a Florida Panther while jogging at some of the nature trails. I always told her it was probably a wild pig. But she insists up to this day that it was a Panther.
Florida Panther…..
This afternoon we’ve watched a deer with her little Bambi right behind our unit. But by the time I got my camera, they were off into the bushes. Also today while dumping cuttings into the bush, - Dagmar saw a large black snake devouring what looked to her like a rat. But the most dangerous thing around here is not animals at all, - it’s the poison ivy growing on trees. We destroyed all we could find on our property as well as in the common area. That stuff can really hurt….
By the time we arrived in Titusville, most of our friends were still around ….so we had a lot of parties. I have never been at a place where people are more friendly as they are here. It has definitely to do with the type of folks allowed in here …but the tranquility and beauty of the place mellows every spirit. What is the TGO? Well, - “The Great Outdoors, RV- Nature and Golf Resort” ( www.tgoresort.com/ ) is consistently receiving year after year the highest rating in the industry (five stars). Over the years it has now grown into a small city with two Churches, a new Post Office, a major Bank, big Country Store with Café and Restaurant, a Hair & Beauty Salon, Turkish Massage Parlor, a large RV Repair Facility with Shop and a huge Golf Cart Dealership. There is also an area with a Sales Office where some of the larger RV Dealers such as “Lazy Days” and “Buddy Gregg” display their newest Motor-homes. On “Lake Judy” there is the beautiful Welcome Center with offices nearby handling the administration of the Resort. Then there are two separate swimming pools (one large) with Sauna, Steam Rooms, Hot Tubs, and an extensive Gym. There are lighted Tennis Courts, Shuffle Boards, Horseshoe pits, etc, etc.
The huge Community Hall …
…holds each week big events like Dances, Movie Nights, Theater productions, Shows, Orchestras with Choirs and in the Mornings and early Afternoons they hold classes like Aerobics, Paladis, Yoga and Kick-Boxing or toning with weights…. In the nearby Pavilion they do have weekly fish-fries (TGO has over 20 lakes) and every Friday a TGIF Party Social. There is also a Hobby Center for Arts and Crafts, Pool Rooms and we even have a Library with free Internet Connections. Then there is the Plantation Manor belonging to the 18 hole champion-ship Golf Course …but open to all owners and their guests. It has a superb Restaurant (with a famous chef) and a huge Art Deco Lounge. The Golfer’s Pro Shop sells you all you need to play the game. We also have our own community paper – “The Happenings” - keeping everyone well informed of what’s going on. There is also a huge Rally Area where all sorts of RV groups gather year-round. I mean you can never run out of things to do around here and that’s why this place is so alive. And talk about the newest Resort Homes…they are by now massive structures. This has all changed since we first came here. In those days one could only build so big….nowadays they have changed the by-laws and one can add on all sorts of structures.
...down this street…. …is this corner house (front entrance)….
..which is (Car Garages and RV Garage on right)… ….just magnificent.
When we bought our place in 1993, we were only allowed to build a 12X12 shed and a 12X12 Gazebo. Now they allow up to 460 sq/feet of space on your lot. So next season we are going to apply to add a guest cottage on the lot, connecting the Golf-Card Shed with the Gazebo. It is exciting what you can do today and we can’t wait for the next step to take. We keep the lot for sure since we love the mature landscape of Oak Cove Road with its many Palm- and massive Spanish Oak Trees. But mostly we love to have the jungle right next to our lot where we keep a secret hide-away hidden from view in the midst of Nature. Our own tropical outpost….
…a new lot with additions…. …as this neighbor did
….next season we intend to connect the Shed with the Gazebo, creating a guest cottage….
We also made several trips to close-by Merritt Island adjacent to Kennedy Space Center and the famous Playalinda Beaches.
Playalinda Beach on the Atlantic
Imagine a broad, flat expanse of salt marsh stretching from where your car is parked to the Indian River, a distance of about 1 mile. The only obstruction is an occasional hammock of palms or a mangrove-rimmed pond, and behind you, on higher ground, slash pines. Marsh streams gracefully wind through the marsh and provide a thoroughfare for microscopic plants and animals, shellfish and fish. Egrets and herons are poised along the stream edge, like spear-fishermen patiently awaiting a meal. Sparrows search for insects in the chest-high grass. Occasionally, tides aided by a strong wind flood the marsh, and on the ebb, nutrient-laden waters are exported to the river. The marsh and river are one.
Natural salt marshes such as this have all but disappeared on Florida's east coast, giving way to widespread coastal development. NASA's intervention saved the northern half of Merritt Island from development, but dikes constructed for mosquito control purposes in the 1950's eventually altered most of the salt marshes. Today, an intensive management program developed between the refuge and the local Mosquito Control District has seen the restoration of some of these marshes. Other areas are being managed as shallow water impoundments, which benefit a variety of other animals. Today, the Black Point area with its Nature Center… (http://www.nbbd.com/godo/minwr/BlackPoint/index.html)
Black Point Nature Center
...attracts more species than ever before and is considered one of the premier birding areas in Florida. And if you wish to see alligators lounging in the sun on the banks of canals, the road to the beaches is the place to see them by the dozens – big and small. Here’s another link to the largest coastal nature preserve in the Unites States http://southeast.fws.gov/pubs/facts/mrtcon.pdf .
….things we saw while in the Refuge
BTW, as for ourselves…we’re doing really great. Since loosing about 80 pounds so far, I feel so much more energetic. Each morning at 9:30 am we are to be found in the swimming pool to attend an “Aquacise” Class, - followed by swimming some laps. This is a really great way to get into shape. In addition Dagmar goes each morning at 8 am to either an Aerobics- or Paladis (Stretching) Class. I did come along a few times… but each time felt totally inadequate for the task at hand. For the moment I stick to the pool, lol
Dagmar poolside with Golf Course in background
…I'm doing the same with 70 pounds less... ..than during the Spring of 2003 in Italy…..
Ohhh yes…to find out about the reason for our prolonged stay in Florida….read the May Report…..
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