Mon., 21 Jan 13

Up and out early (for us) by 9 am (after traffic) to try another flea market. This time we are going to the Webster Westside Flea Market in Webster, FL.

What a difference from the Orlando flea market fiasco.  This flea market has been going strong for more than 50 years, Here you can find everything imaginable! There is everything from produce, flowers and baked goods to jewelry,plants, boutiques, antiques, musical instruments, electronics, food, drink and many other products and services! On the first Sunday of every month they hold a car and cycle swap meet. It is opened 

year-around every rain or shine.

I planned the trip on the less busy roads. After an easy and enjoyable ride (less than a half hour) we turned towards Webster. Two miles out we were "stop and go". This place is so huge and attracts so many people the slowdown was just the traffic coming in to the site. There were just as many cars coming back - some folks shop early.

Thanks to an early shopper we found a parking spot a short distance from the entrance. On the way in parking lots were filled as far as a half mile away. Luckily, we were only 5 minutes from the gate.

This place is huge. The only larger flea market we have been to is the San Jose Flea Market which is the largest open-air market in the USA. This is even larger than the Mesa Swap Meet in Arizona which takes us 2 hours to walk and shop.

Our first purchase was made at a booth that had a huge collection of Diz Pins. During this year's visit to WDW (Walt Disney World) we only purchased one Disney pin. Here we purchased 14 at two different booths.

The heat, sunshine and humidity took it's toll. We needed a cool drink. Rather than just a soda we decided on a frozen lemonade to cool us down. We sat inside to be shaded and to relax after walking so many aisles.
While there we met some great folks from Lakeland, FL. Everywhere we have traveled we always been fortunate enough to meet friendly folks that have done something to "make our day". Seeing my Route 66 ball cap they figured we were from the north and asked if we ever tried boiled peanuts. They were close. They thought Chicago - we're from Canada.

We were offered regular and jalapeno. We tried the regular. We had bought boiled peanuts once before; but it was so long ago we had forgotten what they tasted like. The boiling makes them soft. They have the consistency of baked beans. Boiled peanuts can be purchased from vendors along the roadside. Perhaps we will stop and pick up some next time we see them for sale.

A combination of the sun, heat and humidity helped us decide not to do the whole flea market. It was too large. We headed back to the entrance to pick up a whole flat of fresh strawberries ($10). At the very last booth before we turned into the parking area we found an old printer's tray. We thought it would make a nice display case for our grandson's small Lego Ninja and Ninjago collectibles.

This trip also helped me decide on the GPS. The Nuvi 3590 LMT was a great unit except for two fatal flaws. First, I could not see the screen. It has a screen similar to a smartphone which reflects so much light it is barely visible in the sunshine. Even when hand-held it was hard to see something other than my reflected face. The problem was compounded when the top was off the Del Sol. The second problem is that it has no earphone/line-out jack. At highway speeds the directions cannot be heard. I returned it to the Best Buy in Winter Garden where I had purchased the unit.

The Best Buy is near SR-535 which is the route we take into Disney's Fort Wilderness. We decided, being it was still an nice day, to head for Downtown Disney and Pleasure Island. Like the Flea Market, probably because it was MLK (Martin Luther King) day, the parking lots were packed. On the way in the Pluto (Disney overflow parking area) was packed, too.

Again, knowing people come and leave early, we found a spot near one of the entrances to Pleasure Island. We were feeling hunger pangs and scouted the choices. We have eaten here before (Planet Hollywood and
Bongos Cuban Cafe) we decided on trying something different.

We choose the AMC Downtown Disney 24. This is a Dine-In Theatre. Here a half dozen of the 24 screens offer "Fork and Screen". Here they offer food and cocktails paired with great movies in an immersive, big-screen theatre. Fork & Screen® offers reserved seating with upgraded seats, a personal call button and seat-side service. There is an extensive menu of featuring burgers, sandwiches and pizzettas. There are also appetizers, desserts and of course, popcorn.Guests must be at least 18 years of age or accompanied by a parent or guardian that is 21 years or older.

The Dine-in portion of the theatre has a bar (MacGuffins) rather than the regular popcorn and drink counter.
On the wall a definition of MacGuffin declares it was "coined" by the famed movie director and producer, Alfred Hitchcock, circa 1939. He popularized both the term "MacGuffin" and the technique, which he explained in a 1939 lecture at Columbia University. "[We] have a name in the studio, and we call it the 'MacGuffin'. It is the mechanical element that usually crops up in any story. In crook stories it is almost always the necklace and in spy stories it is most always the papers". Wikipedia, the free internet encyclopedia, has several other takes on this subject.

The "Fork and Screen" opens a half hour before showtime. Each section seats has four reserved seats with a counter style table. We sat in H7 and H8 which, for us, were the best seats in the house. They were mid-theatre, center and at a perfect viewing angle and distance from the screen. Our waitress came and took our order (Loaded Potato Skins/Turkey Club) which were equal to the standard chain restaurant fare. It arrived just prior to the start of the movie (Zero Dark Thirty). We thoroughly enjoyed both the meal and the movie.

After the movie we enjoyed walking back through the Pleasure Island venue. Several of the restaurants have live entertainment in the evening. We stopped to enjoy a variety of songs and styles on our way back to the car. It was a smooth trip back to the RV, taking about a half-hour.

We put the bedroom TV on sleep timer and set it for the Tonight Show. We both were asleep before it shut off - we even missed the monologue!

Sun., Jan 20/13

Charlotte made a great Sunday brunch in the RV then we headed out to Jo-Ann Fabrics to both use the 30% coupon she received when she made her last purchase there.

Our decision was to go to a Jo-Ann's in Kissimmee, FL as it is just a short distance from the 192 Flea Market. It is billed as one of the oldest and best flea markets in Central Florida area. The flea market is open 7 days a week from 9:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M. rain or shine. It has over 400 dealer booths and millions of items for one to choose from under one roof. It also provides free parking and admission.

Although I did make purchases (sunglass clip-ons and socks) at the flea market, the market itself was a big disappointment. Every series of booths repeated what the previous booths had on display. After the first half dozen booths it was basically just more of the same.

At Jo-Ann's, Charlotte went into get the materials necessary to make another quilt. Choosing is always a problem when there are so many fabric colours and patterns. The process took an hour. She also picked up some wool to crochet (a quilt).

I spent most of the time trying to find a position for the new GPS. The screen is so reflective that with the top off and the sun came out it was virtually impossible to see properly.I hope the new position will work out otherwise, despite all its great feature I will be returning it within the 30 day limit.

We decided on an early supper considering we only had brunch. Thankfully along US-192 (Irlo Bronson Memorial Hwy) high signage is allowed otherwise there would be chaos in the three lanes of wall-to-wall 45 mph traffic which consists mostly of confused tourists.

Virtually every chain restaurant and all kinds of independents are on both sides of US-192. One good feature, if you have a map and directions is that their are lettered "Markers" that designated sections. At least if you know what section (marker) your destination is located in it makes it easier to find.

Our decision was to eat at Golden Corral. It is not that we want to "pig-out" at the buffet. It is the opposite. We can't eat as much as we used to in our "younger days". We just want to be able to choose what we like and the portions we want to eat. We don't do the expensive buffets, like seafood, as we can't eat that much $$ worth of food anymore. Golden Buffet is reasonably priced and the selection is good. We did enjoy the meal and did not overeat.

After supper the traffic was steady and moving freely as we headed home (RV). We were back in a little over a half hour.

I settled in to catch the Baltimore (Ravens) vs New England (Patriots) NFL playoff game to see who would meet the San Francisco 49ers (decided earlier today) in the Super Bowl. I'm cheering for the underdogs, the Ravens. Currently, they are leading 28-13.

Charlotte laid out her quilt on the RV floor so that she could pin it for the final quilting. It's going to look great!

Although we didn't really do a lot today, all the fresh air (top off) driving in the cooler weather has tired us a bit. This means we will be "hitting the sack" a bit earlier than usual.

Sat., Jan 19/13

Up and out after breakfast headed to Tavares, FL via Howie-in-the-Hills, FL.

Howie-in-the-Hills is a quiet, well-kept rural village located on the shoreline of Little Lake Harris nestled among the gently rolling hills of Lake County, FL. The area, once dubbed the "Florida Alps", has peaks slightly over 300' above sea level. (Florida's highest point is only about 45' higher).

Howey-in-the-Hills was founded by William John Howey and incorporated as "Howey" on May 8, 1925. In 1927, the name was officially changed to Howey-in-the-Hills to reflect the beautiful rolling hills and sparkling lakes, which he dubbed "the Florida Alps.” Mr. Howey envisioned a great citrus empire with the Town as its commercial and shipping hub. The first citrus plant in Florida opened here in 1921 and has been periodically been modernized and still operates today.

Sadly, in many areas, real estate is worth more than orange groves. The Citrus Tower, One of Florida’s first “attractions” , in Clermont near where we are staying, was a stopping point from which to view the orange grove covered landscape of the area. Built in 1956 on one of the highest hills in Florida’s ridge section, the tower reaches 22 stories into the sky. In the late 1980's development took over many of the groves. Today the glass enclosed observation deck allows visitors to observe the panoramic view of the rolling hills of Florida’s ridge section and hundreds of spring-fed lakes in the surrounding 8 county area; but only a few orange groves.

Continuing on we soon arrived at our destination for today - the "Orange Blossom Cannonball" steam train. This train is also known as Florida's Movie Train which began it’s career in 1964 with the film “This Property Is Condemned” starring Natalie Wood, Robert Redford and Charles Bronson. Famed director Martin Scorsese used the train in his second feature film “Boxcar Bertha” in 1972. Barbara Hershey and David Carradine teamed together to make a story of train robbers and lovers in the American South.


Since then over 20 additional TV and film projects have used the train. The most recent: “True Grit,” “Appaloosa,” “3:10 to Yuma,” “There Will Be Blood,” “O Brother, Where Art Thou,” and “Rosewood.”

Actors who have appeared in these films, reads like a “Who’s Who of Hollywood.”

• Slim Pickens Jaclyn Smith Ben Johnson Harry Carry, Jr Keith Carradine Dennis Quaid Stacy Keach
• Lloyd Bridges Gregory Peck Patrick Swayze Jean Simmons Daniel Day Lewis Russell Crowe
• Christian Bale Peter Fonda Jeff Bridges Ed Harris Tom Skerritt Ashton Kutcher James Coburn
• Matt Damon Josh Brolen Hailee Steinfeld Jimmy Stewart Olivia de Havilland Linda Evans
• Wayne Newton Hal Holbrook Johnny Cash Jon Voight George Clooney John Goodman
• Holly Hunter Charles Dunning Viggo Mortensen Renee Zellweger Jeremy Iron Dylan McDermott
• Rachael Leigh Cook

Other facts the trip: 

• trains and cars are involved in an accident every 2 hours in America. This train has been hit on an average of once a year.
• to move the train to another location (not allowed on other rail lines due to its age) they remove the steel wheels on the train and all (4) cars; hook it up to a semi (transport truck) and tow it down the highway. This is very dangerous - not the towing; the idiots swerving all over the road trying to take picture.
• the train station is being refurbished and in a few moments will be completed with an exterior matching the original late 1800's station.
• in the near future train tracks will be restored to allow the train to run from Mt. Dora through, Clermont, Winter Garden, and on to Orlando.

After purchasing tickets I placed 2 pennies on the track before boarding the train. They were exactly were I left them when I checked on our return - double pressed - coming and going. They are the two smudges on the rail - quite flat. This old practice, some say for "Good Luck", is the fore-runner of today's flattened souvenir coins. 

The trip itself was relaxing although the scenery was not astounding. It is still fun to ride the rails, hear the clickety-clack and enjoy the slow ride (top speed less than 20 mph). Many folks that live beside the tracks come out to wave. The train, at times, running close to the lake, gave interesting views of city the and the countryside.

Since this train is the only daily operating wood-fired (oak) steam locomotive in America I thought that after smelling so much oak smoke we should go to Sonny's Real Pit BBQ (also oak smoked).

There are several  in the area. We decided on the Sonny's in Clermont being it was closer to the RV. The sun was out and the temperature was now into the 70's F so the top off the Del Sol and enjoyed the country roads. At Sonny's we decided on the Rib Sampler. We had the Sweet & Smokey St. Louis Cut Ribs and their Signature Baby Back Ribs. Both were sweet, tender, and full of that real hardwood smoked flavor. Lots of meat and both had great taste.

After the meal we ran the car through the nearby car wash. We got the exterior wash only - a full wash (includes interior cleaning) could run up to $25. We then went to the SuperTarget store a few miles down the road to pick up additional car cleaning supplies. SuperTarget is a Walnmart SuperCenter without the chaos and the crowds.

Again, a GPS is advisable as most of the commercial properties are not allowed prominent signage. You can't drive and find these places as they are so well hidden by the rolling landscape. Even when we knew where to look it often meant, if we spotted it (at 55 mph), we had to turn around and go back to an available entrance. 

On the way back to the RV we were stopped at a traffic light. Two police cars approached the intersection with full lights and sirens; yet the first car in line crossed right in front of them when the light turned green. What part of sirens and lights didn't they notice? Oh, yeh - the light did turn green; so why not pull out right in front of them. Duh! Another reminder to drive defensively - all the time!

Back at the RV channel hopping brought up the Pittsburg (Penguins) vs Philadelphia (Flyers) hockey game. NHL hockey has returned. We watched a NOVA (PBS) program checking in on the game occasionally and did catch the last few minutes as the Flyers tried to get the equalizing goal with their goalie out of the net (for an extra forward). As usual, it didn't work. Pittsburg scored an "empty-netter" to win 3-1.

The weather today was much like a nice summer day back home. We had fun!

Fri., Jan 18/13

The temperature for today was 20 degrees lower than the previous 2 weeks. It is low-60's F yet feels cooler because of the steady high winds.  It is also totally overcast. Folks walking outside have coats, hats and gloves on to keep warm.

Charlotte is sewing here quilt pieces together in the pattern she laid out the other day. It is quilting day at the "Veranda"; however, since there are no lessons she would rather just quilt in the RV rather than lug everything back and forth. This resort is so large it is almost a mile to that clubhouse.

The first test of the GPS was a trip to get Javex for washing. We went to Dollar General a few miles down the road. Another feature I noted is that the GPS shows the posted speed limit for the road. The vehicle speed is also indicated and it turns red if it is above the posted speed. I noticed it was red and slowed down just before the speed trap. (I was actually only 2 miles over).

A few purchases at Dollar General and we returned to the RV - now designated as "Home" on the GPS. It announced "Arriving at Home on the left" - neat! I then programmed the GPS to go to the laundry. Since it was only a few hundred yards away from the RV the GPS asked if I was walking or driving. Very intuitive! I also changed the voice from Jack to Michelle. (I had already changed it from the original Jill earlier.) It will probably take a few trips to decide which voice I wish to get upset at.

We picked up the laundry and proceeded to the laundromat - one of 3 in the park. I was surprised at the size - 20 washers and 20 dryers. This is what I would have expected if the park only had one facility. It did not have a laundry tub or a change machine which I did expect. Our problem was a lack of quarters and the office closed at 4 pm. We had enough to manage putting everything into 2 washers and 2 dryers. Ironically, we could not do a "bleach" load due to the lack of quarters. We were told the laundry area at the "Veranda" is better equipped and includes an ironing board and iron. Maybe we will try it on our next laundry day.

We had conversations with other folks as we waited for our laundry to finish. I also went out to take a picture of the Sand Cranes that were out front. The RV Resort guidelines state that they are protected by "The State" as are the alligators and should not be disturbed or fed.


Finished up and returned back to the RV just as it was getting dark. I made a tuna salad for supper and we settled in to watch Jeopardy. It was a good day to do exactly what we did.

Tomorrow is supposed to be closer to the normal mid-70's F. Perhaps a little ride somewhere is in store.

Thu., Jan 17/13

Yeh! The GPS has finished downloading - sometime in the middle of the night.

So far, I really like it! It will pick up the satellites inside the Motorhome ( 3 feet from the windshield) without an antenna. It even picked up the traffic reports for the nearby toll road showing no problems. I will have a lot to learn.

I couldn't believe it. An accurate weather forecast. The cold front was predicted to bring rain by noon. Exactly as the noon news started it also started to rain. As often typical of Florida it was a moderately heavy downpour for about 10 minutes and the road was dry 15 minutes later. This, along with strong winds, could be expected throughout the day.

This was a good day to take it easy, set up the GPS and just watch TV.

Although there was not a lot of rain the temperature did drop 20 degrees and it will drop another 20  by tomorrow morning. The two weeks of weather 10 degrees above normal is over. We enjoyed it while it lasted. At least we didn't get the snow like the rest of the south.

Charlotte spent time sewing her quilt pieces. She temporarily laid it out on the bed in a possible pattern . It looks great!

We are actually using the convection feature of the RV's microwave (after all these years). Charlotte made a delicious supper which included spiced baked chicken, green beans, cole slaw and baked potatoes from the microwave. Baked are easier than mashed when we only need a small quantity.

Thursday is "Person of Interest" TV night. This is my favourite TV program (NCIS is second).

The "cold spell" means we turned off the air conditioner and turned on the fireplace (electric) in the RV to take the chill off as we watched TV. May need an extra blanket tonight.

Wed., Jan 16/13

This morning we headed back to the Winter Garden Village Mall. I decided to return the printer to Best Buy rather than send it back to Epson.

 I dropped Charlotte off at Barnes and Noble and continued on to Best Buy. Jen was most helpful and the procedure was quick and painless.

While at Best Buy I picked up a new GPS - a Garmin 3590 LMT. This is not Garmin's latest high end model - a new one just came out - the 3597 LMT. The model I chose is slightly larger and heavier than the new model. I figure I can live with the extra fraction of an ounce and fraction of an inch of thickness. I believe my choice is a better device as it has all the same features including lifetime maps and traffic, as well as a longer battery life, more included features and is about $50 cheaper.

I really like shopping in this mall. It is the nicest we have seem anywhere. It is truly like a village with the small stores on streets with parking in front and the Big Box stores around the perimeter with large adjoining parking lots. It has a nice "Village" feeling.

The mall also has several great restaurants. Our decision for lunch was Five Guys Burger and Fries.

The restaurant features a simple layout of red-and-white checkered decorations, a single counter for purchasing and picking up food, and a few tables and chairs.

The Kitchen is open, bags of potatoes area stacked in customer space as is a box of bulk peanuts.


There are more than 1000 locations across 40 states and in Canada with an additional five stores open every week.


Their burgers are rated the best. GQ awarded the chain "the best $5 burger a man can eat". We agree - at any price.

We get it with the regular toppings (we stop at the Jalapeno Peppers)

The regular burgers are huge and the petite are large. We ordered a regular bacon cheeseburger with small fries (twice the size of a McD's large) and a large drink (refillable). We cut the burger in half and shared. It was all we could do to finish the fries. We didn't even have room for the bulk peanuts that are available for all to munch on.

We enjoyed the trip back to the RV. It was about an easy 50 mile round trip. For most of the trip we are on 6 lane roads (SR-50) with 4 lanes (US-27) to the Resort entrance. Although there is always traffic it is not an overload like the Orlando/Kissimmee area roads. This will be the last day of the above average 80F+ weather so we soaked up the sunshine driving "topless" in the Del Sol.

We were back at the RV in less than half an hour.

I set up the printer to find it still had the same glitch. The glitch is that it always asks if it should reset the date. It just requires I press "No" after start-up. Everything else works fine. I will think on it for a while. Epson already said it would replace it and I have 30 days to return it to Best Buy. I will make a decision before we are scheduled to leave in mid-February. Perhaps I will return it when I get back to Canada as Epson will replace it within the year.

I also set up the GPS. The updates and downloads took several hours due to the slow WI-Fi. It showed an 8 hour download time. There were still 4 hours left when we went to bed at 11 pm. I left it on to finish before morning.

Tues., Jan 15/13

Wow! I can't believe we did virtually nothing today. It is not like us to rest!

Charlotte did make two great meals - Pancakes and Sausage for brunch and Spiced Chicken and potatoes w/ green beans - both delicious.

I updated my database and researched for a new GPS. Two problems - the internet connection was down for a half-hour and I received a reply from Epson report on a question about the new printer.

When I turn it on it always asks if it should use the default time setting. Apparently, this is a rare hardware problem and they will gladly exchange it. Tomorrow I will return it to Best Buy - they should exchange it over the counter. Other than that annoyance - it works fine.

I also spent time trying to decide on a new GPS. This is a big problem as the iWay 500 that I currently have is perfect except for 2 problems. Lowrance no longer supports it which means my maps are way out of date as are the POI's (Points of Interest). The other is that the touch screen often does not work - at least until it warms up. Then, it sometimes stops working. Usually, when I need the GPS the most!

The biggest problem in finding a new GPS is that none can compare or have all of its features. None have the programmability of the iWay 500C - newer isn't always better.

I have narrowed the field to:

Garmin nuvi 3590LMT (Car GPS)

Garmin dēzl 760LMT (Truck GPS)

Rand-McNally RVND 7720 LM (RV GPS)

Each only has a few of the iWays features. I will have to choose which ones I want and I will have to make the choice soon.

Tonight is NCIS night on TV.

Mon., Jan 14/13

Today was an RV day.

We slept in and took it easy. I spent the day doing computer updates - mostly for the new printer - which took a long time without high speed internet.

The main quest today was to get our insurance certificates for the RV and Del Sol. I have not idea what happened. We discovered, as Charlotte was cleaning out the car's glove box, that we did not have up-to-date insurance certificates. We had every year from 2006 to 2012 - yet none for 2013.

I was sure I put the 2013 behind the 2012 in the car when it came in. The same for the RV. I was also sure I made a scan of the certificates on the computer. Apparently, I was wrong. We both searched and came up empty.

Lunch was the leftovers we took home from Ruby Tuesday. They were enough for both of us for lunch.

We then set out to clean the sticker goo off several items with "Goof Off". I could not believe how well it worked. In 5 minutes all were clean!

Thank God for e-mail! Both insurance agencies quickly forwarded copies which I printed out and placed copies in the appropriate vehicles (and our wallets and RV safe).

The only pictures for the blog today are the ones that Liz emailed when she got home and downloaded her camera pictures taken during our stay together at Walt Disney World. I printed these out to test the new printer tray auto selection. The printer has 2 trays. Tray #1 was loaded with 4" x 6" glossy photo paper and Tray #2 with regular letter size paper. It worked perfectly.

Even though we didn't go together to the Magic Kingdom we did meet for a few moments during the Light and Fireworks show.

Next I checked out the duplex (both sides) printing. That worked great as well.

I spent the rest of the time using the internet to look up area restaurants, shopping and attraction items that we can visit while we are here. Just about anything you can think of is within a half hour's drive.

We will relax this evening with Chips and Dip when we get hungry later. Monday, isn't my favourite TV day - I'm sure we will find something.

Sun., Jan 13/13

A little sleeping in today.

Being it is Sunday, we had brunch about 10:30. Charlotte made a great breakfast. Bacon, eggs and hash browns hit the spot.

Wanting to take advantage of the great 80F+ weather I looked up a Jo-Ann's Fabrics so Charlotte could shop for the remaining materials for her quilt. I located the closest in Winter Garden, FL.

Unlike Arizona, Florida has a larger network of roads connecting nearby towns. I plotted a GPS course keeping us off the "busy" roads and the toll roads. We enjoyed the slower roads as we drove the Del Sol with the top off. It is about a half-hour drive to Winter Garden from the RV.

Winter Garden Village at Fowler Groves is an open-air shopping center offering shopping in a village atmosphere. 

Smaller stores are along "streets" with "in-front" parking. This area is well landscaped and very pretty. 

The larger stores more along the perimeter with the additional parking required for their needs.Virtually everything is here. There are department stores to electronics to a health club and specialty retailers, along with the wide array of restaurants and eateries for shoppers to enjoy. This is a very nice place to shop.

We found Jo-Ann's. This was probably the nicest we have found to date. It was very large with a huge selection of everything for any style of crafter. There were a lot of 50% off items. Selective shopping allowed us to save almost that on every item.

The clerk at the fabric cutting counter liked my idea of using "fleece" material for the backing of Charlotte's quilt. She had never heard of anyone doing that before. My logic was that not only would it allow the quilt to be comfortable and warm when used alone on the sofa, the material would save money as it would replace using quilt batting and would require less material (fewer yards) due to its larger size (width). I'm not just a pretty face (grin).

Next stop in the shopping village was Best Buy. I went in alone to check on iPhone 5 accessories (virtually none); GPS selection (2 possibilities - I'll check on-line) and available printers. I saw the Epson I was interested in - and it was on sale for this week only! I made note of the prices and departed for Staples.

No better luck at Staples for iPhone 5 accessories. No suitable GPS selections. The same printer, on sale here too, was $20 more. The checked for "Goo Gone". They had none in-store - just on-line.

Next we were off to Lowe's for Goo Gone which I needed to remove the adhesive left after removing the labels from the parts containers I bought at Harbor Freight last week. Hard to see through the transparent lids when there is sticker adhesive remaining. It took a little looking. No Goo Gone - an alternative - "Goof Off" would do the same job.

We discussed the new printer and decided I should return to Best Buy and make the purchase. Charlotte was feeling thirsty so I dropped her off at the Barnes and Noble bookstore where she could get a cool drink at Starbucks and look for interesting books and magazines.

I returned to Best Buy and purchased an Epson Expression Premium XP-800 "Small-in-One" Printer. This is a great printer that will do everything. It will print brilliant photos, sharp text, 2-sided printing, copying, scanning and more. It has an intuitive 3.5" touchscreen with gesture navigation for easy setup and operation. It is always ready to print.   features a dedicated photo tray, as well as an auto-extend output tray. And, with the 30-page Automatic Document Feeder, it can copy, scan or fax stacks of originals. It makes it easy to take on any creative project with direct CD/DVD printing, plus a rear paper feed for card stock, envelopes and more. Featuring convenient wireless and Ethernet networking, the XP-800 can be shared from any room in the house. You can even print and scan from your smartphone or tablet with Epson Connect. I think I made a good choice.

Winter Garden Village has a great selection and variety of restaurants; however, with the filling brunch we were not quite hungry so we decide to head back to Clermont, FL where we would decide on an eatery.

At Clermont we drove down US-50 scouting the restaurants. We made a U-turn just before reaching the US-27 intersection and headed back to our decision. We decided on eating at Ruby Tuesday. It had been a while since we ate at this (brand) restaurant. This would be a refreshing change.

We started with lemonade - we were thirsty and each had a few refills. Charlotte had the Spicy Fishy Tacos which were grilled fresh and filled with lettuce, cheddar cheese, pico de gallo, sour cream, and cilantro and finished with a drizzle of spicy ranch along with a "Create Your Own" Fresh Garden Bar. I had the Triple Prime Bacon Cheddar Burger - Medium Rare with a loaded baked potato and baked Mac and Cheese.

The food was excellent and the portions were large (for us). Charlotte took one whole fish taco home. I packed my untouched loaded backed potato for future consumption.

We arrived back at the RV resort in less than 20 minutes. Instead of going directly to our site we headed for the "Veranda" clubhouse. Charlotte set out to find the payphone while I waited in the car. She found it located around back and outside near the pool area. The payphone, set low for the handicapped, had a chair to sit in while making calls. She was in luck and connected with our friends, Diane and Alberto, in Mexico.

In the past we have enjoyed travelling with them in Mexico and on their visits to Canada. We had hoped to meet them in Las Vegas, NV this year. Unfortunately; circumstances for both of us means this rendezvous will have to be postponed until next year. After a half hour of "catching up" Charlotte returned to the car.

Back at the RV we both put on our pj's and settled in to watch TV. Charlotte used the rear TV for her programs while I watched the Patriots vs Houston NFL playoff game on the front TV.

I planned on printing the blog on the old HP printer to use up the ink before setting up the new Epson printer. I think I bought the new printer just on time. The old HP printer stopped after printing a few pages of the blog.

I set up the new Epson printer and printed out the complete (Winter 2013) blog (to date) while watching the Golden Globe Awards. This printer is so much faster. I will have to figure out/set up the Wi-Fi and the app that will print directly from my iPhone 5.

Now, its time for bed.

Sat., Jan 12/13

Today was another day to organize. We know have the dinette back for use with all the items packed on and under in new locations. I spent a good part of the morning on the computer. I downloaded Skype and Charlotte spent a half hour talking to her sister (Catherine in Ottawa).

I then set out to find why the blog would not upload pictures. It worked at the beginning but stopped at Disney. I have no idea why it started at Fort Wilderness. It apparently is something to do with Internet Explorer 9 as I found it would work when I used Google Chrome. Using Chrome I updated all the blogs that did not have pictures.

I also disabled Java as a result of the US Governments warning that it had a serious flaw that would allow hackers to access info for identity theft and other bad deeds.

In the late afternoon I installed the RV's front privacy screens.

I then installed the digital flat screen TV in the passenger side bay so we could watch programs outside. I settle in to watch the Baltimore Ravens / Denver Broncos Super Bowl qualification playoff game. The evening outside was nice except for one thing - bugs were biting! Time to go inside.

This reminded me why I like Arizona better than Florida. Along with no rain, no clouds and no humidity it also has no bugs - at least until after late April when we would leave to return home.

Charlotte made snacks for the game meal as we were not hungry after another great lunch of nachos.

I finished today's blog while watching the game. Now I am caught up - pictures and all.

We will just relax watching TV this evening.

Fri., Jan 11/13

We slept in until a little after 9 am. After breakfast we headed over to the "Veranda". This RV resort is so large there are 3 clubhouses and pool/spa areas. The "Veranda" is the clubhouse in the middle and this is where the quilting/sewing group meets. Charlotte went in to get details. No formal lessons - just the opportunity to get together and "do your own thing". Lots of friendly advice and soon we were off to "Old Town" Clermont to find a quilting and fabric shop.

We saw the "Downtown Clermont" sign across from the ACE Hardware and turned. Scouting the downtown we found a dance studio - the fabric shop should have been next door. No such luck.We kept criss-crossing the blocks and soon discovered there was another dance studio a block away from the first and next door - the quilt, fabric and sewing shop.

Charlotte brought her quilting machine; but, did not bring fabric. In Arizona, all the projects had specific material lists so trying to bring material would have been futile. Here the RV park qilting group had no specific lessons or projects, Charlotte decided to pick up a simple quilt pattern and buy the required materials so she to could do her "own thing" on Friday's (Wednesday optional) at the "Veranda". After a half hour of exploring, picking and choosing Charlotte had what she needed.

Our quest to find the quilt shop led us past the city park/beach/fishing pier area in "Old Town" Clermont. We decided to go to Wendy's near the intersection of US-27 and SR-50, pick up lunch and return to enjoy the meal on the picnic tables under the large, spanish moss draped oak trees by the water.

"Old Town" Clermont has a quiet, small town charm that we both enjoyed. We certainly can't complain about the week of 80F+  and the opportunity for great convertible weather.

A stop at Walgreens (Pharmacy) for a few items we forgot to pick up at Walmart and we were headed back to the RV. We like the location of the Clermont (Golf and) RV Resort. (We don't golf so we don't think to add that part to its name). Anything we need can be found within 10 minutes around Clermont. US-27 traffic is much less than that along I-4, US-192 and US-441(Orlando/ Kissimmee/ Apopka area). Disney area atractions, if we decide to return, are less than a half hour south.

We continued to sort and arrange the RV in the afternoon. Charlotte made Nachos (cheese, hamburger, sauce, etc) for supper - excellent!

Liz called. LNM (Liz, Nick and Marty) arrived safely at home. They made Winchester, VA last night. A traditional stop at Hershey, PA (chocolate fix) and home by early evening. Kat (our other daughter) called to let us know LNM had arrived home safely.

A;ways good to hear from our girls.

By the time I finish the blog it will be time to catch the start of Jay (Leno - Tonight Show) - then bed.

Thu., Jan  10/13

Our first full day in the park means we have to start setting up the RV for living in one spot rather than living o the road. We spent the morning unpacking and arranging things in the RV. We also had to go out for lunch as it was now 1 pm/ We also had to shop for food. We decided on going to Walmart just off US-27 a little south of the crossroads with SR-50, We would have lunch there before shopping.

Florida is as bad as Arizona for allowing business signs. If you don't know where something is changes are you will drive by with realizing. Signs are limited and shopping areas are landscaped to blend in. We would have missed it if we were not specifically looking for it. Even when we spotted it access was tricky if you didn't know where to turn. We didn't and had to double back. No entrance signs whatsoever.

Walmarts usually have a McDonalds or Subway. This one had a Blimpie. We shared a sub and a drink and purchased a dozen Macadamia cookies. then went shopping for food. Two shopping carts full later we had all the basic food items required to stock the RV.

A half hour later all we were back at the RV and another half hour and all was packed away. It was supper time; however, after having the late lunch we were not hungry. We decided to just have a snack later in the evening. The Macadamia cookies filled the bill.

TV and bed before Jay (Leno show) - tomorrow will still require some sorting out be done in the RV.

Wed., Jan 9/13

Today we will be leaving LNM (Liz, Nick, Marty) to pick up our motorhome and drive to Clermont Golf and RV Resort.

LNM were off to the Polynesian for breakfast with Mickey, Lilo and Stitch.

I took the "Yellow" Bus to the check-in to use the Wi-Fi. There I checked the e-mail, did the bankng and entered the blog for Tuesday. Only one vehicle is allowed at the campsite so I parked the Del Sol close to the check-in. I then took the Del Sol back to the RV to pack it with the items we took for our stay with LNM at Disney.

Shortly after we had everything packed, LNM returned from breakfast with an autographed picture of Pluto and Goofy. We thank LNM for inviting us to stay with them at Fort Wilderness and sharing their RV. We had a great time.

After saying our good-byes we headed back to the Apopka KOA to pick up the motorhome which we left in storage. Often it pays to ignore the GPS planned route. The GPS defaults to the "quickest" route. We prefer the easier and less busy way.

Leaving Fort Wilderness we followed Vista Blvd (East). Signs point to I-4 and CR-535 (Winter Garden - Vineland Road). We do not follow the sign (to turn) as this leads to I-4 and CR-535 south. We want CR-535 north. This involves ignoring the "authorized vehicles only" sign and continuuing straight on Vista Blvd. It appears that many folks do this. This shortcut is about a mile yet it saves several miles and a lot of traffic grief.

We follow CR-535 north to SR-429 which is a new toll road that will connect us to US-441 just a few miles south of the KOA. This route not only saves the crush of I-4; but also the many stoplights and heavy traffic through Apopka.

Lucky for us that we had enough coins. The toll, on entry, (to our knowledge) did not say transponder or correct change only; yet that is what we were faced with. The info sign also did not work and we did not know how many coins to enter. We tossed a quarter at a time into the collector tray - waiting a few moments aftr each, until the light turned green. Three quarters later we were on our way.

This is a new road with additional sections almost complete. Traffic was light and we also saved several miles on this section. People often avoid toll roads; however, we have found that the small charge is worth the time and distance saved as well as the convenience of less traffic. The fuel saving is really worth it when we are in the motorhome.

After hooking up the Del Sol to the motorhome we headed north on US-441 which is actually West Orange Blossom Trail. A few miles and we pulled into the Citgo Truck Stop to fill both the RV and the Car. Fuel here is about a nickel cheaper than near Clermont. We noticed this while on our RV park scouting trip last week.

Again, ignoring the GPS, which also tends to default to higher level roads (I (Interstate) before US (Federal) before SR (State) before CR (County) roads. We turned on Jones Ave (Mount Dora), then CR-448A to CR-48 (to Astatula) then CR--561to US-27 just a few miles south of our destination. Again, we drove only half the distance and avoided a lot of heavy city traffic. I always check out the roads (eg. Jones Ave.) on Google Map (Street View) to determine their suitability. I also do this for fuel stops to make sure I can get the 60 feet of motorhome and car into the pumps easily.

A quick stop at the Clermont Golf and RV Resort office and we were on our way to site 26 which we had pre-scouted and reserved last week. Our premium site faces north-east and has huge shade trees protecting us from the sun. We are also on the main road a short distance from the entry compared to other parts of the park which are more than a mile from the entrance. This place is huge with 1251 sites and 3 clubhouses and agolf coure all surrounding its own lake.

We arrived mid-afternoon and were set up before supper which would be at a nearby restaurant in Clermont, FL about 10 minutes south of here. Tomorrow we will have to go shopping for food. The refrigerator should be cool by the. Charlotte decided on eating at Cracker Barrel which is always a favourite with us. Naturally, we headed there with the top off the Del Sol. We are enjoying the extra warmth and sunshine (10 degrees above normal = 80F+) which will last at least for the next week.

After supper we returned to the RV with the top off as the air was still quite warm. A little TV and then early to bed.