Legoland at Winterhaven, FL

To visit Legoland was a dream for all the boys to see. Both our son and son-in-law were raised playing with Legos and Darryl is bring up his boys play with Legos. What fun for all of us to see what has been constructed with those interesting blocks. All the buildings, animals and rides are built using Lagos. Legoland was also built on the grounds that house Cyprus Gardens many years ago. Legoland maintained the Gardens and added structures made of Legos. Upon entering the park we were treated to eye appealing animals and structures made out of Legos.

Dinosaurs of all kinds

This carrousel and other rides were about the only thing not made of Lagos

The boy on a ride by themselves

   More Dinosaurs

Its winter and still the flowers bloom

Cypress swamp

Ginger plants of all kinds (I think)

Original structure from Cyprus Gardens

 

Lady waiting in the gardens

Above the tree line pink blossoms

Lego Car

These city scapes are made of Lagos but the funny thing is that the names are not quite like the original. It two and a half years and millions of Legos to complete these cities.

It was a perfect Florida day to go to a theme park.

Florida Fun

697 miles from Sevierville, TN to Bushnell, FL three nights in Walmart parking lots. We are glad to be in Florida where we will spend a little over two weeks in one spot. Blueberry Hill RV Resort is the park's name and this is where we meet up with our daughter and her family from St. Petersburg, Fl and our son and his wife flew in from TX. Our daughters family now has the Casita that we spent four years traveling the roads.

Can't believe we spent four years in this small trailer. In 2005 we did our first trip traveling 19,000 miles including Alaska  and Northwest Territories in Canada.We sure had some interesting trips in it traveling with our two cats. We now travel in the 29 foot New Horizons travel trailer shown behind the Casita.

It is always fun to visit with our whole family.

 Our son Chauncey Jr.

Our daughter-in-law Kim

Our daughter with her dad and the last picture of the boat on top of the truck. Michelle and family are now the proud owners of the row/sail boat.

Son in law Darryl

Grandsons Cetan and Hinhan

Indiana and Tennessee Fall Colors

We came to Elkhart, IN to recalibrate our automatic leveling system because we lost its memory in Kansas at the factory. It is really hard to get around Elkhart because it is an old city and the main roads were under construction. I went across town and had to have OnStar help me coming and going. Twelve days in Indiana and colors just beginning.

 

 

On the first of October we leave Indiana and are going to the Smoky Mountains to meet up with our friends from The Woodlands Hiking Club who have rented a cabin in Pigeon Forge, TN. When we are traveling to a new location we park in Walmart parking lots so we do not have to disconnect. We stopped in Columbus, IN and Danville, KY on our 359 mile trip. Kentucky and Tennessee have beautiful rolling hills and still very green. Beautiful country to travel through.

Our cats are always entertaining.

We camp between Townsend and Sevierville, TN with mountain roads going in both directions. We stayed at the Cove Mountain RV Resort for 10 days beautiful park, beautiful weather.

This picture was taken in front of our RV

The first day here we decide to go to The Great Smoky Mountain National Park. We have to drive 12 miles to Sevierville and take a right to go to the park. No one told us of the traffic we would encounter driving from Sevierville through Pigeon Forge and through Gatlinburg to get to the park. Wall to wall people and cars and narrow roads but the drive through the park was worth the congestion. 

On the ninth of October we rotisserie chickens to take to the hiking club cabin. Their cabin is in Pigeon Forge on a hill side. We had to do the chickens at our camp site because the cabin was on asphalt and concrete with no grassy areas. To get  there we have to call one of the guys and he had to come and lead us there up a mountain into a colony of cabins. He had to lead us back, too.

 Smoking chicken

 

The "Cabin"

Visiting with our friends we have not seen since March and some of who we have not seen in over a year is great fun.

 

More pictures of our campground.

Our neighbors across the road decorated in fall fashion

 

That's us on the left

Fall colors two weeks away

Sevierville, and Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg are a den of touristy traps.

Fall decorations are everywhere

On the Go Again

We left Spearman, TX on September 13 heading for Junction City, KS. Our  RV was built in Junction City and we are having a desk built by the factory. On the way we stopped in Great Bend, Ks to spent the night in a Walmart parking lot. We find overnighting at Walmarts safe and convenient. We always check with the store to be sure it is OK to do so. We put our slide out and plug in the generator and have TV and usually have internet using our Verizon aircard.

The next morning we arrived at the factory and discussed our new built in desk with New Horizon's cabinet shop supervisor. They'll build the desk, and we'll come back in November to have it installed. We decided to continue to Elkhart, IN where we wanted to have the suspension on our trailer adjusted. The night on the 14th we stayed at the Paxico, KS. Mill Creek Campground with an uncharged benefit, hearing trains go by several times (12 to 15 times) during the night. The tracts were less then 100 yards from the trailer. Needless to say neither we nor the cats had a good night sleep. It was a really nice campground except for the trains.

Train Coming

Another Train Coming

Paxico Train Station

Storm Shelter

We can tell we are in tornado alley when you find a serious storm shelter in your RV park.

We passed through Kansas City, MO pictures of downtown and the Royals baseball field.

Downtown KC

Royals Stadium

We spent the night in Montgomery City, MO just 80 miles west of St. Louis at the Lazy Day Campgrounds, an Escapees discount park. Pretty little park with decorated painted bathrooms and a washer/dryer in each bathroom. Made washing clothes interesting. We stayed two quiet days.

Note from Chauncey: The reason Jane didn't get a chance to play in St. Louis was that I broke the leveling jacks. So we had another reason to visit Elkhart, IN. The jacks are made there as well as the suspension. In fact about two thirds of all the parts for RV's are made there.

On September 17th we went through St. Louis and I got a picture of downtown but you have to look very hard to see it. Chauncey promised that this fall we would stop in St. Louis and I could tour the Arch.

St Louis

We stayed in another Walmart parking lot in Lincoln, IL. As you can probably tell it was raining on us most of the time on our way to Indiana. We arrived in Elkhart on the 18th.

My favorite picture this last week is of this old farm stead. We can't believe the many abandoned farm steads we have seen in our travels. You know how lucky you are when you can take a picture through a window and it comes out like this.

Out and About in the Panhanle

Drove from Spearman, TX to Borger, TX just the other day and found some interesting things to see. One never knows what will be around the next corner. The reason for going to Borger was to see our cousin at the craft show/flea market at the Borger Aluminum Dome and do some shopping. Interesting a building with history at this link, http://highlightsmemories.com/a-landmark-unique-structure-caused-domesized-headaches-in-its-early-days-p616-163.htm

Borger Aluminum Dome

Bonnie with Her Jewelry

Leaving Spearman on Texas 207 is this Historical Marker which I thought was interesting. Click on it and it will be larger and read about Lindbergh's landing near Spearman.

 

Another historical marker another 12 miles down the road is this one. We are always interested in the old cowmen who did the cattle drives from Texas to the railroads to the north.

Always between the two towns we look for antelope along the way. Sometimes we see them and sometimes we don't. These were the close to the road. Notice how dry everything is.

 

It was nice to see the buffalo across the road.

 

These horses were down the way a little bit. My favorite subjects.