Tuesday - 22 Mar/16
Another cool start to the day; however the skies were clear which made it a really nice day even if it wasn't into the 80's F.
After lunch we headed for Central Florida Auto Salvage in Zephyrhills, FL. An online check indicate they had a few Del Sol's in their yard. The trip took about an hour and a half; however it was a pleasant drive as I was able to avoid all the heavily congested roads to get there.
Along the way we stopped at a Roadside Fruit Stand on SR-50 and Charlotte was able to purchase a basket each of both Blood and Honey Bell oranges (which were bagged). A large bottle of Tupelo Honey was also purchased. We don't want to run out when back at home.
Finally, we made it to Central Florida Auto Salvage were Bryan, at the front counter, was super helpful. It is always a pleasure to deal with someone who is knowledgeable and Bryan was all that. A salvage yard usually dismantles high demand parts then stocks and inventories them. Low demand (or large items) are usually removed if ordered. When you are looking for parts on a low volume 21 year old foreign made auto like a Honda Del Sol chances of them being removed and on a shelf are remote to say the least.
Bryan hooked me up with Rob who was also very helpful (and patient). He took me to the location of the Del Sols so I could check for the parts and their quality. The console portion I required was missing on all - an obviously less than sturdy part that others before me must have also required. I did locate a few parts and placed my order. Bryan will call when they have been removed and I will return to pick them up.
I had a two items planned as a surprise for Charlotte. First up was a stop at Hancock Fabrics in Lakeland, FL - just off the Interstate (that's a "family joke" - it's only "Bill Miles"). She was lucky enough to be able to find a few different patterned fabrics that were not available at JoAnn Fabrics, Hobby Lobby or other stores close to the RV Park.
Surprise Two was just a few miles down the road (also in Lakeland) and just in time for supper. Nick introduced us to the original "Manny's Chophouse" in Haines City, FL two years ago. If one is near - we have to go - it's that good!
This restaurant is a virtual duplicate of the original, Route 66 styled, 60's Roadhouse restaurant and, like the original, it was packed.
I sent Charlotte ahead while I finished parking the car. I couldn't believe that in the short time that elapsed before I could get inside there were over two dozen customers already waiting in line. I checked and couldn't find Charlotte among them so I proceeded into the dining area.
WOW! Charlotte managed to get the last available table. At Manny's the parking lot is always full and the line waiting is always "out the door."
Our usual order (for Steakhouses) was the 9 oz. Filet; Charlotte's Medium w/ Baked Sweet Potato (huge).
My Filet was Medium-Rare and my w/Baked Potato was equally huge. Both were cooked to perfection! Bill's "Steak Rule" is cut thin, salt well and eat immediately. The "eat immediately" is because a Med-R steak has very little extra heat and I don't like my steak cool or cold. Not surprising, we had to take our potatoes "to go". We were both too full to finish (actually, we barely had a bite).
Supper allowed the 20 miles of 6 lane traffic through Greater Lakeland to thin out while we ate. By the time we were back to 2 lanes the traffic was sparse and we were then on the "Back Roads" which made it a nice drive the rest of the way back.
Bonus: The wonderful aroma from the Orange Blossoms is something that defies description. Passing a few groves in blossom was such a treat.
Thanks to DST (Daylight Saving Time) we were able to get almost all the way back before dark. The last 20 minutes in the dark was also a treat. The clear sky with a perfect Full Moon was stunning.
We had a busy; but enjoyable day. We won't need to be rocked to sleep tonight.
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