Return to Cypress Gardens Adventure Park Part 2

Now we are heading in to see what exotic animals await us here at Cypress Gardens Adventure Park's Nature's Way.

Vanna points the way.

What is this? This is Nature?

"When Radios Were Radios" is a neat collection of antique radio equipment located in Nature's Way.

This is a not-so-antique goat, probably of the African Pygmy variety.

Lemurs doing what they do best.

This Coatimundi took time out from its busy schedule to pose for us.

This is a marmoset. He was quite a little thing...about 8 to 10 inches tall.

Remember the Wallaby Squash? It was a carbonated lemony soda which only lasted in the soda wars from 1976-1980.

Anyway, here's Bennett's Wallaby. We don't know who Bennett is, but this animal is similar to the kangaroo. Hopefully we'll get a better view of it in the future.

This seagull just got finished taking his bath.

Reeve's Muntjac tries to figure out how we got up there. We don't know who Reeve is either.

This one IS an antique. This is an American Alligator named Tarzan. He is currently 77 years old and makes his home at Cypress Gardens.

He is a retired actor, having been miscast as Cheetah...er...a crocodile in the Johnny Weissmuller Tarzan movies of the 1930's.

Here's the miniature Loch Ness Monster of Lake Eloise.

Marlon put together a brief video of Cypress Gardens on this visit. Here it is.
For more pictures of this visit to Cypress Gardens, go to http://public.fotki.com/Marlonfleenor/1/2008/january/cypressgardensjanua-1/ .

To be continued...

Return to Cypress Gardens Adventure Park Part 1

We decided to return to Cypress Gardens today to see some of the park we had missed the first visit.

Here's a quick view of Topiary Trail as we walk toward the botanical gardens.

A swan...

A duck...

A waterfall...

Pictures of the Cypress Gardens Botanical Gardens.

A bridge spans a babbling brook...

Don't drink out of the babbling brook.

The cypress trees from which Cypress Gardens gets its name.

The huge 70 year old banyan tree of Cypress Gardens.

As promised in the prior blog, today we rode the Sunshine Sky Adventure. This is the only panoramic tower in North & South America.

The platform rises 16 stories into the air and revolves 360 degrees for a spectacular view of the park and the surrounding area.

See the next blog for the zoo section of the park.

To be continued...

Presidents Hall of Fame, Clermont, Florida

Today we drove about 25 miles north on US-27 to visit The Presidents Hall of Fame. The attraction was originally opened in 1960 as the wax museum called The House of Presidents. Renamed The Presidents Hall of Fame in 1990, this museum includes thousands of artifacts of both presidential and Americana interest.

The black limousine in the front of the building was a Presidential Parade Limousine used by several presidents, including Nixon.

Abe guards the entrance to the museum in this replica of The Lincoln Memorial statue.

Upon entering the museum, you encounter a replica of The White House Dining Room complete with Abraham Lincoln, Ronald Reagan, George Bush & Franklin Delano Roosevelt.
Marlon prepares to watch the video "Stand-Up Reagan". This is one of many videos patrons of the museum can view during their visit.

In addition to wax figures of each and every president, The Presidents Hall of Fame also has a collection of miniature wooden presidents each measuring about 2 feet high.

In the main exhibit area, each president has his own display of memorabilia in its own showcase.

First ladies Hillary Clinton and Jacqueline Kennedy stand at their husbands' sides in the exhibit.

There are miniaturizations of The Oval Office for each presidency beginning with the 1909-1913 Taft Administration.

The Oval Office of Lyndon Baines Johnson (1969-1974)

The Oval Office as it appears in 2008

The Hall of Fame also features a vast collection of miniatures created by owner John Zweifel.

The bread and butter of The Presidents Hall of Fame is a 1/12th replica of The White House which is currently touring various Presidential Libraries.

This scale replica of Mount Rushmore is featured next to the Hall of Fame.

Yes! Marlon made a video. Enjoy...

For only $9.95 plus tax, you can visit The Presidents Hall of Fame an entire year...and parking is free!

For more pictures of The Presidents Hall of Fame go to http://public.fotki.com/Marlonfleenor/1/2008/january/presidentshalloffam/ .

To be continued...