Disney World and Lots of Florida

Main Street U.S.A at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom.

Florida's fancy entry sign on major highways.

    The only reservation we made for this trip before leaving California was Fort Wilderness, Disney World's campground in Florida. To go to Disney World or Disneyland one has to plan ahead, so over a year ago I built our itinerary around being at Fort Wilderness on October 16. Before reaching there we had one more night on the road and we spent it at another Cracker Barrel, a location that is totally growing on me.

 

Early morning at a Cracker Barrel in Sanford, Florida, about an hour from Disney World.

A pair of Sandhill Cranes Rob and I encountered on a walk nearby.

They didn't seem the least bit interested in our presence.

Nor in the danger of crossing the road.

They did wait for traffic to clear, but they sauntered across so slowly that they still managed to stop traffic when it resumed.

Some ducks at the pond where the cranes were.

Spanish moss dangling from a tree in Sanford, Florida.

    Rob's first trip to Disneyland was with his grandmother in 1955, the year it opened. I would go for the first time in 1959 when I was 8 years old with my grandmother, my cousins Mike and Woody, and my Uncle Karel and Aunt Ginge. It was a magical place, and over the years we have enjoyed it, even without kids. We've been to Disney World a few times with Scott and his family, but this would be our first time at Disney World with just the two of us. We knew about Fort Wilderness, Disney's campground resort, and I really wanted to experience staying there. We reserved the campground for four nights and bought park hopper tickets for two days. We would take a day off between days in the park to give ourselves a break. In the past when we would go to Disneyland we would only spend one day there, but many years ago we learned that we could have a much more enjoyable and relaxed time if we spent multiple days so we wouldn't feel like we had to spend every second in the park. The most relaxing vacation at Disneyland we ever spent was when Ruth was a teenager and we took just her and spent 5 days (two of them at other parks). We would take a break every afternoon to hang out at a swimming pool and then go back into the park. This trip to Disney World was fun, but it was not a "relaxing vacation." Disney World has four main parks, and the crowds, though controlled in size by a reservation system, are much bigger than Disneyland of 25 years ago! Pretty much the only time we sat down on our two days in the parks was on a ride or when we stopped to eat.

Some haikus for Disney:

Overload senses

Disney does that very well

Sleep Deprivation

At Fort Wilderness

Greeted with patience and care

We are welcome here

Hospitality 

In true form is a real gift

Thank you Walt Disney

Driving through the welcome gate to Walt Disney World

From the moment we encountered the first "Cast Member" here we felt the Disney hospitality.

The world could learn a lot from the care Disney takes to treat everyone with courtesy, patience and kindness!

Our campsite at Fort Wilderness

    I had heard that Fort Wilderness was the very best of RV parks, and it certainly didn't disappoint us, The site, unlike some other RV parks we've stayed in, was perfectly level. The bathrooms and laundry room were impeccably clean. But, I have to say, the last KOA we stayed at in Fancy Gap, Virginia was also very nice. Fort Wilderness is great, but there was nothing "unbelievably" wonderful about it - I guess it met Disney standards, and I expected no less!

But this is still Florida, so watch out for gators!

    I'm pretty sure Disney "relocates" any gators or venomous snakes that it finds, but they still have to put up signs like these just in case a guest might encounter one. Disney World is huge and Disney is a massive corporation, and there is a lot of "fake" stuff here, but it has always felt like they are doing something environmentally right when we see lots of healthy birds and other wildlife, including baby ducks in the water ways at Disneyland many times in the past. 

Some of the water where gators may lurk.

    We arrived at Fort Wilderness at 11:00 AM, two hours before checkin time, but they had a site ready for us so we could begin our Disney adventure early. We started out by walking to the "Settlement" in Fort Wilderness where we found some lunch and then headed out to explore a bit on Disney's transportation systems. We would ride busses, boats and the monorail before returning to see if we could get into the "Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue" and dinner at the settlement. We lucked out and got seats for the all you can eat dinner and fun show because of others not showing up for their reservations. We were told that reservations are quite hard to get, sort of like campground reservations at popular places like Lake Tahoe and Samuel P Taylor State Park.

Our seats were right over the stage, but it was all fun and good, unlimited food and drink.

A Halloween display in front of a campsite near us, glowing in the dark.

The next morning with Rob standing next to the witch in the same display.

    We were rather astounded at the often very elaborate Halloween decorations in front of campers' camp sites. I can't imagine dragging all that stuff around, but talking to one of the Cast Members she said there are folks who camp here for many months at a time and change their decorations with the seasons,  just like folks in their brick and mortar houses. That's definitely a different lifestyle than ours.

Monday morning sunrise as we take a boat from Fort Wilderness to the Magic Kingdom.

Pinocchio between us.

Rob's shadow trying to catch a bell as we wait for the Buzz Light Year attraction.

Autopia - we had to see if these cars drove like the John Deere Gators that remind us of them.

There is definitely a similar feel to our campground gators!

A lizard on a path at Magic Kingdom.

A spooky back drop.

Thunder Mountain Railroad in the background.

We only needed to ride this one once!

A beautiful lion as seen from our "Safari" vehicle at Animal Kingdom.

Yes, it was real - no animatronics!

The Castle at Magic Kingdom lit up after the fireworks in celebration of Disney World's 50th year.

    Tuesday was a day off from the parks, but we did take a bus to Disney Springs (like Downtown Disney in Anaheim - basically a great big shopping mall) for ice cream and lunch - yes, it was in that order. And Tuesday evening we ate dinner at one of the food trucks that comes to the "Settlement" at Fort Wilderness. After dinner we headed out on the transportation system again. All the transportation is "free" while you're at Disney World.

Sunset from our dinner spot at Fort Wilderness

    Wednesday we started the day by heading to Epcot, then to Hollywood Studios in the afternoon and finishing up at the Magic Kingdom late that night. We definitely got less sleep than we're used to while we were off the road for four nights.

The car of Rob's dreams?

At the Test Track attraction in Epcot Center.

Woody, my favorite Pixar character, behind us at Hollywood Studios.

Do you see the face in the top of this stump?

Rob noticed this as we packed up to leave on Thursday, October 20, 2022.

Driving away we saw this power pole.

Even they have Mickey ears!

    We took our time leaving Fort Wilderness, sleeping in a bit to try to recover from the sleep deprivation. We left at exactly 11:00 AM, check out time, and headed south toward the bottom of Florida. We made it to South Bay Campground which is on the southern end of Lake Okeechobee. We found it really quite beautiful and peaceful there and were surprised to learn later that it is the water that flows to and through this giant, but shallow lake that eventually flows into the Everglades.

 

South Bay, Florida, complete with palm trees and warning signs for alligators.

There is LesThora, nestled in for the night.

A bird on the shore of a channel by Lake Okeechobee.

    As I looked at this bird I wondered if it were drying its wings or getting ready to fly. What it did shortly after I took this picture was dive into the water. When it came up only its head and neck were out of the water - curious behavior to me.

The levee road/trail I walked on for a bit on Thursday evening, October 20.

    It was here, walking in this peaceful setting, that I felt my feelings about and for Florida changing. I know it will never be my favorite state, nor will I dream of being a "snow bird" or retiree here, but it is a beautiful place too, and this spot really caught my attention. The crop on the other side of the highway to the left in this picture is, I think, sugar cane.

Looking across the canal - out there is the huge "inland sea" of Lake Okeechobee.

    From South Bay our next destination further south in Florida was Everglades National Park. Of course we've seen pictures and read about the Everglades, but it is so different to actually be there, to experience it first hand. A month ago I think I would have said the Everglades were mostly swamps, but we learned it's really all a river, with very clear and clean water - and of course alligators. The trails in Everglades National Park and in the adjoining Big Cypress National Preserve are mostly water trails, and yes you can hike in them. I did get much more careful being around these waters where there are alligators, but not comfortable enough to walk through the water.

An alligator right next to a paved trail and tram route at Shark Valley.

    We took the tram for this 16 mile round trip to an observation tower. We were going to ride our bikes, but we hadn't charged the batteries since our last ride on them. We were glad we weren't able to ride the bikes because there were long stretches where water covered the path. Others were walking and riding bikes through the water, but that definitely didn't appeal to us. We saw several alligators along the route and were glad to have our first close look at them from the distance of the tram.

Part of the Everglade River.

Another big gator.

Gators weren't the only wildlife we saw.

Looking across the Everglades from the observation tower at the turn around point on the tram tour.

At the base of all that grass is water.

    We decided to camp two nights at Midway Campground which was situated in Big Cypress National Preserve immediately adjacent to Everglades National Park. We really needed some time just to rest and get a couple of good nights of sleep after the long days and short nights at DisneyWorld.

Midway Campground in Big Cypress National Preserve.

Looking across the little lake in the middle of the campground.

And of course there were signs warning of alligators, but we didn't see any.

Sunset at Midway Campground.

    Saturday, October 22, was our full day at Midway Campground. We had charged our bicycle batteries so we rode them about 3 miles to the Oasis Visitor Center in Big Cypress National Preserve only to find it closed when according the website it should have been open. There was an observation deck there to walk on and the southern end of the Florida Trail.

This one seemed to be guarding the closed visitor center door.

This trail runs 1500 miles north to Pensacola Beach.

Many of our National Trails intrigue me, but not this one.

At this end, this time of year one would be walking in a lot of water, 

and don't forget the gators and snakes!

    

    After leaving the closed visitor center we headed back toward our campground and stopped on the way at the Big Cypress Gallery. It is an art gallery with beautiful art representing the Big Cypress Preserve, complete with a gift shop of course. On the day we stopped there was obviously a large event happening and we learned it was a fund raiser for a program that the National Park Service puts on for all sixth graders in the area. Classes come for a one day experience in the Everglades to learn all about it and hike in it. This event was guided hikes that involve walking through water that folks had reserved spots for, but we were invited to walk around and talk to the National Park employees who had various educational displays, sharing what they share with the students. It was very interesting and I found myself growing more comfortable being in gator country. My nervousness about the gators reminded me of the campers who come to Lake Tahoe and are freaked out about the bears. Our Tahoe Black Bears don't scare me, but I respect them - it seems that's how the Floridians in the Everglades feel about the alligators. I definitely don't chose to live amongst the gators, but I can see how folks do. A number of the young National Park employees we met expressed a desire to work in California amongst its great diversity, and they hoped that the Everglades was just a stop on the way.

Cypress in the water near the Big Cypress Gallery.

Back at Midway Campground - a Turkey Vulture.

A turkey vulture spreading it's wings.

A Great Blue Heron taking flight in the campground.

    

    After leaving the campground on Sunday, October 23, we decided to take an airboat ride through the Everglades and stopped at one of the concessionaires recommended by the Park service. They had a nice nature trail to walk around before we got on the boat, and there we saw our first alligator right next to the path we were walking on. I was surprised to find I was not particularly uncomfortable with it close by, but of course not too close. Two days earlier I would have definitely been less at ease about it.

 

A large alligator right next to the nature path.

Heading into the Everglades in the airboat.

The boat headed right through what looked like grass land, not water, 

but there was plenty of water here too.

The beautiful, flat Everglades.

More of our water journey through the Everglades.

Following the boat ride was a "wildlife show."

This young woman showed no fear around these gators.

Though I was growing more comfortable being in gator country, I was not about to want to get this close!

Rob and I again on the nature path with the big, lazy gator behind and between us.

A baby alligator that we saw from an observation deck at another visitor center in Everglades National Park that we stopped at before heading towards Key West where we would visit grandson Kyle.

    Our plan had been to camp somewhere on the way to the Keys on Sunday night before getting to the expensive real estate near Key West, but there wasn't much available and the closest Cracker Barrel turned out to be in a questionable neighborhood in Florida City. Reviews mentioned bicycles being stolen off RVs while people slept in them. Figuring we wouldn't get much sleep if we stayed there we decided to spring for the most expensive RV park we've ever stayed in! Yes, even more expensive than DisneyWorld. We stayed two nights at the Sugarloaf Key/Key West KOA. It was a very pleasant campground, and we made sure to take advantage of the pool, hot tub and bocce ball court while we were there! 

 

We saw our first free roaming rooster in the Keys when we stopped for groceries in Key Largo.

Our campsite in the tropical KOA

Near our campground where I could have walked a very long way!

The road trail that looked like this for a very long way.

I thought it would finally come out to a beach, but it actually ran parallel to the beach with too much vegetation to actually see the water.

    Kyle, who works and lives in Key West, 17 miles from our campground, came to pick us up. 

We had a great visit over lunch, touring Key West, playing some Dunning Board games and having dinner together. Kyle has been in Key West just over a year and figures it's a stepping stone on his way to some other place.

Two islands we looked at from the resort where Kyle works in the restaurant and bar.

He said the one on the left is the rich island and the one on the right is inhabited by homeless folks.

The island with big fancy houses and nice tropical looking vegetation.

The "poor" island with more natural, scruffy looking vegetation.

Kyle said this island is noted for low crime, that the folks there get along well.

Kyle, a sailor, and Rob.

Tourists at the Southern Most Point in the United States.

Key West is way down there!

It was definitely interesting to see it once, but we doubt we'll ever go back there.

Kyle took us to a very interesting Butterfly Conservancy.

The numerous brown butterflies feasting on the fruit are from Costa Rica.

And this is what those brown butterflies look like with their wings open!

Another brown one up close.

Kyle putting his hand out hoping one will land on him - it didn't.

This is a huge moth!

    After leaving Kyle and the Keys on Tuesday, October 25, we headed north and camped again at South Bay Campground on the southern end of Lake Okeechobee.  Once again we enjoyed our overnight at this clean and well managed campground.

A bird taking flight while I went on a walk near the campground.

And alligator I saw on my walk.

This wasn't a very big one, maybe 3 feet long, but I felt privileged to see it in a drainage ditch next to the agricultural road I was walking on.

   Wednesday we headed further north in Florida. It's a very long state, reminding us of traveling the length of California, though a very different landscape. Most of Florida is really flat, but as we traveled north we noticed the trees getting a lot bigger. We drove further and later than we usually do and I was really tired when we arrived at Salt Springs Recreation area, but after a walk in that beautiful park with its unusual springs I felt revived.

 

One of the beautiful trees over a trail at Salt Springs Recreation Area.

Can you see the fish in t the spring's water?

There were lots of them!

And beautiful big crabs with blue legs.

We heard that there is a very expensive fine if you mess with these crabs.

We also heard that Manatees even sometimes come into these springs.

Where the underground salt water aquifer comes up through the rock.

    One of the interpretive signs near the springs had the title: "Salt Springs....A Magical Place Forever." It was indeed a magical and unique place. According to that sign the spring "gushes forth with 52 million gallons of water a day at a constant 72 degrees."

Looking across the springs.

Sunrise over Salt Springs.

    We would spend one more night in Florida as the guests of our friends from Kings Beach, Lake Tahoe Days, Liz and Tom.  After retiring from their first careers Liz and Tom worked as missionaries for the United Methodist Church's Board of Global Ministries serving for 7 years in the Congo in Africa. Tom was a treasurer helping to manage UMC funds and Liz was a health educator. Both were from the east coast of the U.S., but following their second retirement they came to Lake Tahoe where they lived for several years before their final retirement to Penney Farms Retirement Community in northern Florida. But they are not truly retired as they participate in various volunteer service activities. Among other things Liz is the Mayor of the small town of Penney Farms and Tom is a treasurer at the retirement community and also an active builder of the PET (Personal Energy Transportation) vehicles that the community builds for use of amputees around the world where typical wheelchairs would be unsuitable. Penney Farms Retirement Community is an unusual and special place - too bad it's in Florida!

    We spent some 12 nights in Florida and saw a lot of the state. I definitely left there with more positive feelings about this hot, humid, buggy state than when we entered it, but I have zero desire to return to the place of Florida except to visit friends and family and perhaps DisneyWorld.

This sign greeted us on a lesser highway than the ones with the fancy signs.

    

    After leaving Florida on Friday, October 28, we would return for just a couple of hours on Sunday, October 30 to have lunch with my nephew Robert and his wife Sheri in Pensacola where they live. Robert is the son of my oldest brother, Chick. Chick and "Billy" (Wilhelm) were sons from my father's first marriage, and by the time he married my mother he had sole custody of them. Chick was 13 and Billy 11 when I was born. They both left home when they turned 18. Chick came back to California when he was around 30 years old with Linda, his wife whom he had married in Florida. Tragically Chick died as the result of a cerebral hemorrhage at age 32 when Robert was just 5 months old. Robert and his mother Linda moved to Florida where Robert grew up in the home of Linda's parents. Over the years they made a few visits to California and Rob and I have visited Robert a couple of times now in Florida.

    As of the writing of this post we are now five states away from Florida, but tales of our adventures in those states will have to wait for my next posting.

    Meanwhile back in California the kitties are thriving on Angel Island:

Straus and Erin

Erin said there is a back story to these pictures - but she hasn't told me it yet.

Elsie in a typical pose.