Ormond Beach & Daytona Beach Pt 1

Time to see stuff in Ormond Beach.

Just about one block past the Granada Bridge entering Downtown Ormond Beach, you will find the Ormond Memorial Art Museum & Gardens. The Museum was closed preparing a new exhibit, but we were here for the Gardens.

After sitting next to this waterfall, Marlon soon had to find a bathroom.

This was a very tame wild alligator.

This is a rare species of turtle known as the Whale Turtle. The Whale Turtle evolved when cross breeding was attempted with the blue whale and the box turtle.

They can now be found at various lawn and garden retailers.

Sandy's Garden is a memorial to a long time friend of the museum.

The wall in Sandy's Garden.

The walking path at the Gardens.

Like a Bridge Over Turtled Waters

He's TRYING to catch that water in his mouth.

Lots of turtles just below the surface...every once in awhile a head pops out.

Leaving the gardens.

Fotunato Park is located under the Granada Bridge which heads into Downtown Ormond Beach.

Houses on the shoreline go for a pretty penny. One sign we saw proclaimed "Reduced to $950,000" or some such amount.

The rest of the sign said "120 by 300 foot lot". Yes, this was JUST a LOT.

This was a perfect place for fishing.

The park boasts the original Cupola from the Historic Ormond Hotel. What exactly IS a cupola? Look here... http://education.yahoo.com/reference/dictionary/entry/cupola .

The Ormond Hotel lured such names as the Rockefellers, Vanderbilts, Henry Ford, Will Rogers, and Al Capone.

Unfortunately, the historic structure was demolished in 1992 (only 12 years after being placed on the US National Register of Historic Places) in favor of...yes, a condo.

For more pictures, go to http://public.fotki.com/Marlonfleenor/1/2008/april/ormond-beach-and-da/ pictures 14-44.

To be continued...

Daytona Beach at Dusk

After hooking up the RV, we took a short drive over to Daytona Beach just before the sun went down.

Here's Doug just finishing up a cheer.

Here's a view of the nice long deserted beach.

Here's a nice view of the Broadway Bridge completed in 2001. It spans the Halifax River and Intracoastal Waterway and leads into Downtown Daytona Beach.

Here's the same bridge during the daytime.

For more pictures, go to http://public.fotki.com/Marlonfleenor/1/2008/april/ormond-beach-and-da/ pictures 1-13.

To be continued...

Sunshine Holiday Daytona RV Resort

Leaving the Wildwood Monaco Service Center, we headed to Ormond Beach, Florida. Our route took us back through Orlando briefly, where Marlon got to fight Orlando traffic one final time.

On our way north to Ormond Beach, we passed by the Daytona Beach exit.

Our RV site at Sunshine Holiday Daytona RV Resort. Oddly enough, the sewer hookup was underneath the motorhome, which provided somewhat of a challenge.

The office at the resort.

Doug and Marlon both like playground equipment for some reason. Doug stands on what we believe is meant to be a model of Noah's Ark.

Marlon takes his place as engineer of The Little Engine That Could.

The park is easily located off of I-95 and should be a good base for seeing the surrounding areas.

For more pictures, go to http://public.fotki.com/Marlonfleenor/1/2008/april/ormond-beach-florid/ .

To be continued...

Leaving Theme World for the Monaco Service Center

Well, our 189 nights at Theme World RV Resort and Davenport, Florida have come to an end. We'll return to Theme World and Epcot next September.

But right now...we're heading out...

We are heading back to Wildwood, Florida for another visit to the Monaco Service Center. This visit will be brief, though, as the issues are minor.

Here we are...we made it. There were really no pictures to take on our way here...just about 50 miles of Florida Turnpike and other toll roads amounting to about $10 in tolls. Oh...the good old days of quarter tolls are all but gone.

Although the trip was very upsetting for the smaller members of our traveling party, they WERE happy to see different stuff out the front window.

There's Knight now being worked on.

On the 2nd day of our visit, we decided to let Chatfield and Sammy roam free while the work was being done. They seemed to enjoy sitting there, when they weren't sleeping.

A few of Monaco's service staff who took care of us---

Chuck...who finished off our short list in no time.

Proud Grandma Debra...

So proud that there are at least a couple of places in the building you can find loads of her grandkids' pictures, including her newest born in December.

Vicki...the sometimes receptionist...sometimes concierge...depending on the month and the year.

and there's Inez...

The circle on her forehead is NOT a big Band-Aid. In certain light, the camera puts this circle in the image and we never find out until later when the picture is enlarged on the computer screen. Inez was tired and looking forward to a four day weekend.

Thanks to everybody at the Monaco Service Center!

We stayed a 3rd night at the campground in order to get a fresh start on Friday morning for our drive to Ormond Beach, Florida, just north of Daytona.

For a few more pictures, go to http://public.fotki.com/Marlonfleenor/1/2008/april/leaving-themeworld-/ .

To be continued...

Visiting Jay & Janet in Lakeland, Florida

Today we went to visit two friends who used to live in Colorado. Former co-workers of Marlon, Jay and Janet, live in Lakeland, Florida.

Here are all the former Half Price Store employees now standing on the step of the fantastic home Jay and Janet built about three years ago.

They introduced us to Harry's, "A New Orleans Style Restaurant", located in historic Downtown Lakeland.

Janet and Jay now...

and Janet and Jay then...October 1997, when they met us at the Orlando Airport for dinner on our way home from Key West.

Here we were then...at an outdoor Italian restaurant in Key West.

For a few more pictures, go to http://public.fotki.com/Marlonfleenor/1/2008/april/going-to-jay-and-ja/ .

To be continued...