Not your average Morning Coffee Scene

Dec10/15 weather 78 sunny, nights cool 60.  Just perfect.

We have been able to sit out each day with our morning coffee here at The Grand Oaks RV Resort and Carriage Museum.   Today we had a treat.    We had 4 carriages go by, exercising their horses..... How cool is that?????    What a beautiful hobby!    

Good Eats

Billy's Cafe

Dec 1/15  Weather  nice and sunny,  78.   Went out for a few errands and could not resist stopping here.   Really how could we drive by?  With a name like that its got to be good right.    And it was.   Waffles with strawberries and a pile of whip cream.   Yum.    We think we might be Professional Eater Outers!!!

Horses and Horses and Horses

Nov 19/15  Weather is 78 and rainy on our travel day, the storm seems to have moved into for Florida for a couple of days. Next week forecast is for 70's near Central Florida, which is more normal for the fall.  We are headed back to Lady Lake and the Grand Oaks RV Resort; 2 miles to the west of The Villages. 

RV  Park very busy

It's less than a month now before we fly back to Ontario for Christmas so we are going to stay in one spot till then.  Chill for a bit.  Our friends have come down to Florida so we can visit and do some motorcycle riding with them.

Beauty in action

A big horse event is taking place; The Hunt Country Horse Show Finals are going on Nov 20 to 22/15.   It's so smart of this place to have RV sites for the Horse people right on site.  Many of the trailers carry the horses and have camping in the front.

Younger girl and her horse - so well trained

Over 250 horses and riders are in for the 3 day extravaganza.  We went down to watch the action.   Beautiful Horses!!!

in the arena

sticker on one of the pickups.... Nope I can't do that !!!!

Sunshine State

October 20 - 25/15   Weather is Hot.  Days 82, 84, 85, 86, 86.   Nights 65 - 70.  Actually it is a bit uncomfortable.   Yikes... does that sound like whining.   Sorry.   It is the humidity that is at 90%.  

When we get up in the morning and look out it appears to have rained.   No it didn't its just the dew.   Well better than snow that's for sure.   Once we get into Florida we have a hard time not visiting the Grand Oaks RV Resort in Lady Lake.   We just think it is one of the prettiest spots. 

Where can you go and have a beautiful campsite on a million dollar horse farm?  Right here.    Oddly this RV park is not busy.

And there is nothing better in the morning; sitting outside; with a New England Coffee.  Florida always has it in their grocery stores.   I have not been able to find it in Canada; but then we are Timaholics (Tim Hortons)..... guess someday we should try New England!  Sounds like a motorhome destination.

Triple Crown at Grand Oaks

Weather - gorgeous clear sunny day about mid 70's

March 30/2014  - Triple Crown at Grand Oaks RV & Carriage Museum Resort
Every Sunday there is a brunch buffet, a carriage ride and museum visit special at Grand Oaks.   We have been at this RV park on an off through the winter months.  We stayed 3 days, then went on our way, then came back for 3 weeks, then went on our way and then came back for 1 month.   In all that time we kept saying we must do the Horse Carriage Ride and a visit to the Florida Carriage Museum.   Everyone coming and going told us how excellent it was.   I guess we take Retirement very seriously, we don't move to fast and always think we can get to that tomorrow.   Time does move on!!!    So with only a few days to go before we move on finally we took the Triple Crown.   And yes everyone was so right, it is a wonderful day.   The carriage ride is on a large carriage pulled by the two Clydesdale's - Bud and Weiser.   Beautiful.   

The museum goes on and on.  There is a European section, an American section it is the world’s largest private collections of carriages and equine artifacts.  Every carriage is restored to perfection.  There are many life size horses drawing the carriages.  It will give you that dreamy past feeling.   Easy to imagine now those 1800's times in London, England that you read in A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.  There are several carriages from the era that bring those stories to life.   As well as the pioneers crossing the USA in their wagon trains.  There is a stage coach, a chuck wagon, a pioneer wagon - preserved impeccably.   Such an enjoyable day.

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!!!

Carriage Show at Grand Oaks Resort

Feb 14, 15, 16  
Our last few days Grand Oaks Resort was a nice way to end it.   

There was a Carriage Show and it was interesting and beautiful to watch the horses and their owners/carriages perform.
We did not realize that the entire presentation is judged, the horse(s), the carriage, the performance of the horse, the costume.   Mostly we saw women in period costumes with beautiful embellished hats.  

There were a couple of booths selling the hats and as you can imagine they had a very large price tag!!!   Rosey just had to try one on.....   

 

Gotta Love this sign - Horses have Right of Way

 

Such a "unique" RV park setting

Jan 24 - Feb 16/2014  Weather - first week unseasonably cold then 3 days of rain and dense fog; 2nd week unseasonably hot - 3rd week - who knows????   it seems Florida is being affected by Polar Vortex as well.   Gosh we left Canada and it still follows us!  We went from having the heat on to air conditioning.  No in between. 

There are some wonderful places you can not get enough of:)  The three days we stopped here in Lady Lake at Grand Oaks Resort & Museum were just a taste of a beautiful setting; so when we left Alliance Coach in Wildwood we both thought let's go back there for a couple weeks.  It seems many other campers have not stumbled across this place yet and we feel like we have the whole place to ourselves.  There are 4 of us in the 45 sites currently.   

BIG  Rig

Our neighbours are quite interesting campers - they have a 45 foot trailer behind their Freightliner truck.  When they are in transit the trailer has living quarters, a smart car, a golf cart, a horse carriage and their horse Stormy......  amazing!  When they take everything out and they camp, they spread out the living area to use it all.  This couple and their beloved horse come from Illinois to Florida for the winter and this Ranch is ideal for them.  Everyday they take their horse and carriage out for a drive.  How cool is that???

We have decided to stay for a bit and let this tranquility soak in.  You cannot find a more beautiful and unique setting when looking out your motorhome or sitting on your patio at day break and sunset.   While enjoying coffee the other morning we watched the carriage riders go by and one fellow was blowing his horn....   You know that "away to the hunt" tune - Dunt duh duh da!

Our view while having coffee in the morning

See his horn?

While biking around the 450 acre ranch we also came across a different looking donkey in one of the paddocks.  We chatted to this fellow petting her,  who told us she is quite a find. 
A Poitou Donkey from France.... Apparently there are not many in the world!  Her name is Nicole and she is big with curly long hair and huge ears!  She makes me laugh when I look at her, ha ha.

French Donkey named Nicole

Look at those ears - Makes you want to smile

Funny Girl

Equestrian RV Resort

Jan 16 - 19  Sunny but very cool for Florida - 60's, low 50's during the day - 3 nights frost warning
Well we were very glad to miss the Polar Vortex the first week in January but seem to have caught a short cold front in Florida; which we feel coming in from our vacation in Aruba.  30 degrees difference!  

We wanted to stay close to our friends to visit with them and also get our coach over to Alliance Service Center for some maintenance work.  Looking around the area in central Florida we happen to spot a new RV park that opened just in November 2013 on an Equestrian Ranch in Lady Lake.  The Grand Oaks RV Resort and Carriage Museum.   It's absolutely beautiful and tranquil.   

Brand new super long pull thru sites with all the amenities necessary, beautiful clubhouse and the rest of the 450 acres have all the Horse amenities.  The property is set amid majestic oaks and gently rolling fenced pastures.  There are well-appointed houses or cottages for rent, a Carriage Museum,  special equestrian events, activities and training.  Horses are boarded here from all over the country.  Carriage rides and horseback trails are available.  There is also a restaurant bistro style and a Spa!  Sundays they have an outdoor Cowboy Church too.    We happened to stay here for 3 days but definitely want to come back to enjoy the Spa and Carriage ride.