Ringling

 A few years ago our girls watched the movie "Dolphin Tale." While we were in Orlando we learned that Winter (the dolphin) lived a couple of hours away in Clearwater Beach. We could not resist the opportunity to take the girls for a visit. In recent years the music from "The Greatest Showman" has echoed through our home. The movie is about P.T. Barnum but the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus was headquartered in Sarasota, Florida. John Ringling lived in Sarasota and his property is home to the Circus Museum and his home is open to the public. With all of this information about the circus in the air we had to pay a visit.

High wire practice.

This is how Olivia goes through a museum. She reads every single thing and wants to learn all there is to learn and absorb it all.

This display was amazing. We thought it was a train set but it kept going and explained every part of the circus. We learned all kinds of things from this display. How the train cars were unloaded. How the circus workers ate and how meals were prepared. How the show animals were separated from the work animals. How they set up and how they tear down. Did you know that while the evening show was less than half way finished the first train was already packed and on its way to the next town.

John Ringling's personal train car.

The Ringling home is a sight to behold.

Everyone loved The Ringling but this girl and her sister could not wait to get in this pool. Tonight we dream about the circus.

 

Airboat Adventure

 The second day began at a slow pace. Hanging out and a morning swim. A great way for a vacation day to begin.

I often tell the story of how we watched large birds followed the trash truck when the girls were little. While swimming the girls came excitedly to the door. These visitors came up to the pool. They were excited to show dad.

Emily made a friend of an injured lizard.

Today we decided to take an airboat through the swamp marsh.

For our wait there was an Indian village and gators and a restaurant for refreshment.

We were off! We saw alligators, gator's nests, and skeeters as big as birds. It was fast, loud, informative, and fun! What a blast! 

I am not sure it is at all proper to take a selfie of someone taking a selfie.

This is our guide. He says this was his second time on an airboat. I don't think so but he gave us a great ride.

We got home after our adventure and the two pool dwellers (Emily Grace and Addison) went for the pool. After some rest Olivia (who is wild about anything Disney) wanted to make another visit to Disney Springs so she and Dad went to do a little shopping.

This is an awesome vacation already!

It's Going to be Florida!

This year we are just climbing out of the pandemic. We were given a stimulus check early in the year and determined that we should rent a house. "Who knows what things we look like financially by the time summer gets here," we said to ourselves, "but where should we go?" On the heels of extraordinary immaturity on the part of many - a lot of our options had been burned and vandalized by rioting. One place we knew was relatively stable and place we always like to go. So, It's going to be Florida. We did not know if Disney would be an option but there is much to do in Florida and, if nothing else, we would have a place to rest, relax, unplug, and experience time as a family. Some preparations and a prayer and we were off at 4:15 AM.

The plan was for everyone to get in the car and sleep for several more hours. Anyone with three girls should never make such plans.

We arrived at this house in Orlando. It will be our headquarters for our great vacation.

We don't spend much money on cars, never have.  We do not take for granted when one of these old cars gets us where we are going successfully. We are thankful.

We couldn't be this close to this place without a visit. Disney Springs was as close as we could get at this point and we had a great night there.

It seems we never plan it necessarily, but every visit to Disney seems to begin with a visit to Rainforest Cafe.

Already the weight of the world already begins to lift and there are our family unites itself with a determination to enjoy this vacation! Wohoo!