Hunger Games Horse Movie Stars

Weather  mid 70's , nights end up cool just above 50
Little did we know that there were movie stars here on site at the Grand Oaks RV Resort.........   Two of the most handsome you will ever meet !   And they will eat right out of your hands.  My new friends love a nibble of carrot every night at sunset, they are so gentle.

Dieuwe and Tristan  both Friesians were the director's choice to pull Katniss and Peeta's Chariot in the Hunger Game 2.  Ocala Daily News Star Banner reported last November these two were chosen out of 17 horses kept on set.  

Waterless Cleaner

This is the best cleaner we have used without doing a full wash/wax of the coach.

16 oz Liquid Turtle Wax
7 cups distilled water
1 teaspoon Dawn Detergent
1/4 teaspoon Lemon Juice
Spray container
Mix in a gallon container and fill spray bottle with solution. Spray on coach and wipe with soft clean cloth.  Let dry and then buff with dry soft cloth.  Micro fiber will work too.

Vintage gas pumps

We happen to stop at a used motorcycle shop called Wheeler's Cycles in Fruitland Park and found some impressive restored fuel pumps...... You just never know.   The front of the store and sign are plain looking so it was quite the surprise when you enter into the shop.

Guess the price tags............. Some $7000, some $10000!!  We talked to the owner and he sold 10 at a car show on the weekend.   I was asking him if Jay Leno bought any, apparently not but a Nascar driver and a Country Singer were a couple of his high profile clients.  Very cool.

Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park

March 15/14  Weather beautiful clear warm day 77, low at night 61

Do you know what the Florida State Bird is?   Flamingo, right?  Wrong.....   it is the Northern Mockingbird.  Funny as a kid I always associated the Flamingos with Florida.  Even when I see one of those tacky plastic lawn ornaments.   So where are all the pretty pink birds hiding?   It felt like there were lots of them in Florida when I was a kid but maybe that's because when we visited the sunny south we hit all the theme parks in a two week span and those are your memories.  The Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park features many different native Florida wildlife.    It is situated on the Homosassa River and without a doubt the main attraction is the West Indian Manatee but for us it was the Flamingos!

Take the walking tour and see black bear, alligators, otters, hippo, birds of prey, whooping crane, shore birds, waterfowl, reptiles, key deer and the beloved manatee.    Spoiler alert~ Flamingos are found on the island in the shore birds section!

Gators

Wounded Bald Eagle

 

 

Owls

Bike Week in Daytona Beach

Weather  Sunny, warm about 80, 60's at night
March 9, 2014
Bike week is on at Daytona Beach which is a nice ride of under 2 hours from our RV park at Grand Oaks in Lady Lake.   We met up with friends; 4 other bikers for morning breakfast in Eustis then headed over.  There are many events in the Daytona area.   Vendors are setup at the Speedway where thousands of bikers stopped in to see new motorcycles, choppers, trikes, gear...... you name it everything for the enthusiast. 

Daytona speedway

Arlen Ness Chopper

BMW Trike

Indian Motorcycle

On a Monday afternoon most of the crazies are still recovering from the weekend so it was pretty tame.  We cruised down Main Street which was not as bad as we thought it would be.  Stop and go for a mile.  

cruising main street

cruising main street

Snowbirds have Taken Over Florida

March 3 - April 3/ 2014 

Sad to say but this is the first time not reserving ahead has hindered us in the last 2 years of traveling along as the urge takes us.   While in Arcadia we tried to book campsites along the Atlantic Ocean and the Big Rig ones were all booked solid till March 23.   Hmmmm 3 weeks from now.   So we could have stayed in Arcadia but it did not really intrigue us since we did get to ride out almost everyday and see the local sites.   The weather is definitely warmer in the southern area but we decided to move back to central Florida where the motorcycle riding is much better.

Darn Snowbirds isn't anyone left back in the North????  

 Well our motto has always been to just go with the flow so that's ok.  We are back in the Grand Oaks RV and Carriage Resort in Lady Lake.  It's such a beautiful place, fate must have meant for us to come back.
There is a beautiful 1968 Cadillac Convertible for sale on the grounds.   Billy thinks it would be a sweet tow vehicle.  Ha Ha.  It's almost as big as our motorhome!!!

Solomon's Castle - The Rembrant of Recycling

Weather  March 1/14 Sunny and warm 80's plus, 60 at night
Beautiful day for a ride and see what Solomon's Castle is all about.   We had a few campers tell us we needed to see this place;  so why not?  The ride from Riverside RV Resort was about 45 minutes through cattle ranches and orange groves.  That by far is one of the best smells on the motorcycle we have come across.  The orange blossoms!!!  

  
Howard Solomon is an artist on a different level......  definitely one of those "off beat" tourist attractions. 

 Solomon's Castle  (which he lives in and shows to the public on tour) is 12,000 square feet and the outside of the the house is covered in aluminum off-set printing plates.  All of his artwork inside is completely made from recycled things - what others throw out he creates with.   Imagine making a sculpture from oil drums, broken appliances, car parts to name a few. 

Howard is the king of pun's in naming all his artwork...  quite a tongue in cheek sense of humor for each of his masterpieces.  He is also named the  DaVinci of Debris.

As well on the property he has built a spanish galleon, a moat, a dungeon, a drawbridge, stained glass windows and gardens.... and a restaurant.   Howard can be found in his workshop most days, hammering away.    He will gladly engage you in a conversation which is quite entertaining too..... remember to lighten up when conversing as Howard does not take any conversation too seriously.

Wow what a ride ..... Life

That pretty much says it all:)