Sat – 31 Dec/16

The cold spell came and now is on the way out. It is cold this morning (40’s F when we awoke at 9 a.m.); however today it will be sunny and the temps will get above 70F.

Charlotte made a McD breakfast using our Hamilton-Beach Breakfast Sandwich Maker. Mmmm-Good!

We watched “The Henry Ford”, as usual, on TV. The show is always interesting. The Henry Ford itself – even more so!

The museum itself is worth a visit; but take at least a few days – you'll be glad you did.

It had warmed up enough this morning for us to enjoy having the top off the Del Sol as we drove to Mount Dora.

Our first stop was as “In A Nutshell Miniatures and More”. We always stop in to check for Boyd’s Bears. Charlotte found two first editions to add to our collection.

Then it was time to head to our Cat Boat Tour in at Gilbert Park.

We arrived just as a tour had come back to the dock.

“Kat” was checking everyone in for the 1 p.m. tour. She gave us details of what to expect on the tour, went over the safety instructions then led us to our Craig Cat Boats. These two person crafts are really neat.

They are like two surfboards with seats and a 30 HP Evinrude outboard motor centered on the back. The driver (Me) sits on the right. Steering is controlled by a long stick with a large ball on the end situated on the left of the driver.  A forward motion steers to the right and backwards to the left. Straight up generally guides the craft straight ahead. The speed of the turn increases with the motor speed and the amount of forward/backward input on the “Stick”. A control on the right of the driver is both the transmission and speed control. A squeeze of a lever in the handle allows selecting the direction of travel. Forward = Forward and moving it to the Rear = Reverse. In either direction, the speed is controlled by how far the lever is pushed.

The passenger (Charlotte) is the “Communications Officer” on this “Tour of Duty”. She wore the “Walkie Talkie” which is used to receive instructions and/or tour info from our Tour Guide as we boat across Lake Dora and through the Dora Canal to Lake Eustis.

This was our own personal “Saute Moutons” which literally is French for “Jump Sheep”. You wouldn’t expect the French-Canadians to play “Leapfrog” would you? (grin). 

Jet Boating the Lachine Rapids on the St. Lawrence River is not only a local tourist attraction, but a symbol of the spirit, history, fun and adventure that make this one of Montreal a world-class tourist destinations (In summer – in winter many parts of the St. Lawrence freeze over). It is quite possibly the world's greatest city boat cruise tour!

The “Whitecaps” of the Lachine Rapids might be thought of as “White Sheep” (Moutons) that you are jumping (Saute) over (or Leapfrogging) in a jetboat.

This is a spectacular 1 hour ride that is wet, wild, wonderful, and should not be missed by anyone! We really had a fun time!

In Mount Dora, the “Cat Boat Tour”, is equally as much fun! It was our own 2 person “Saute Mouton” experience. We got up to “Speed” as we crossed Lake Dora and soon were “Leapfrogging” over the lake waves and the wake of passing craft.

As warned, we did get splashed, which added to the fun.

Our “Cat Boat Tour” brought back childhood memories to Charlotte. In her “Younger Days”, when visiting her Uncle’s Cottage, she would take his aluminum boat (w/10 hp outboard) out into the “River Channel” to “Jump the Wake” provided by the Ocean Freighters navigating by on the St. Lawrence Seaway.

Our destination was to boat through the Dora Canal. This was originally known as the Elfin River; but became the Dora Canal in the 1800’s when it was widened to make the passage from Lake Dora to Lake Eustis easier for the steamboats of the day.

Today the canal is bordered by numerous residences with docks that feature a variety of craft of which the majority are pontoon boats.

It is also a sanctuary for alligators, snakes, and  numerous water and tree birds.

An abundance of Spanish moss covers the 2,000 year old Cyprus trees that also have water plants at their bases. We noticed the water plants were a few feet above the current water level; but this can be expected in the “Dry Season”.

We have previously taken tours down the Mt. Dora Canal. Scenes from the movie ’The African Queen’ with Humphrey Bogart, were filmed in the Dora Canal. We just watched that movie before coming south; but could not recall any specific scenery (grin).  A few Tarzan movies were also filmed here. It has been called "The Most Beautiful Mile in the World. (Hey! It’s a 1930’s quote); but it is still worth a visit today.

When we reached Lake Eustis we circled around and made our way back, at “No Wake” speeds, through the canal, to Lake Dora. This time we ran, at speed, along the other side of Lake Dora as we returned to the dock. This tour, lasting over 2 hours, is heartily recommended for everyone!

We returned to the RV after the tour. We stopped only to fill with gas. We then relaxed watching various TV programs 6 p.m. when we switched to the local news channels.

We needed to use the sliced mushrooms purchased earlier in the week so super was “Cream of Mushroom Soup.”

Then it was time to relax for a bit before the New Year’s Eve Dance in the main clubhouse. Being it will run past midnight, the event will only begin at 9 instead of the usual 7 p.m.

I will publish the blog now.

Happy New Year Everyone!