K for A-Z Challenge

 

K-Kissimmee, Florida

 

 

Don't you love the name? It came from the word (cacema) and Indian name meaning (long water) and has nothing to do with kissing:)

All of the well known attractions are close by but slip out the backdoor on your Kissimmee vacation and the amazing world of native Florida comes to life. The swamps and scrub flow into working cattle ranches, massive lakes and streams, and amazing wildlife. 


See Kissimmee from the air and have a once in a lifetime experience!!

WARBIRD ADVENTURES

"These are not simulators!!! This is the real thing. Come fly like the aces of yesteryear in some of the most significant military aircraft in history and prepare yourself for the experience of a lifetime! Whether you want a thrilling aerobatic adventure or a smooth straight-and-level flight, the experience will never be forgotten. Great for first time fliers, nostalgia buffs, modelers and pilots. You take the controls in the front seat for your Discovery flight and one of our very experienced instructors will teach you everything you want to learn about flying these beautiful pieces of history. It's a 100% hands on experience..."

 

 

Horse World Riding Stables

 

 

 

Maybe this is more your speed and closer to nature.

 

 

Or even better how about sitting and having a lovely dinner and just watch the action at the the

 Medieval Times Dinner and tournament.

 

 

Yes indeed they have wonderful horses known for their strength, agility and temperament and theses

 

 Spanish Andalusian stallions are one of the best parts of the show.

 

The seated knights atop these beauties are impressive with their skills and joust for honor, chivalry, glory and the roars of the crowd. The festivities end with a royal falconer

 that demonstrates his strong and powerful abilities as a bird of prey.

  For a topnotch trill you should give Skycoaster a try!

 

 

 

 

and for you fishermen out there......Many of the bass in the Kissimmee area top 10 pounds and have been recorded in the 17 lb + range!

 

 

 Giant Large Mouth live here!

 

 

 Don't miss the monument of states.

 

 

 

 

 

 and stop by Shell World before you head home...

 

 for a special keepsake or to get your picture taken with their clever advertisement.

 

Happy Trails

J for A - Z Challenge

J-Joliet, Illinois

 

 

 Joliet has been known as City of Steel, City of Stone, City of Champions, Prison City but after researching this city I think they should add (A town of re-invention).


It all began with available transportation and even today there are several railroads and Interstate Highway 55 and 80 that
 connect the city to the outside world.

Then there was the quarrying of limestone

 

 that was used to build the Michigan Canal

 and quickly became an artery for shipping stone to regional customers.


In 1858 the state of Illinois located a new penitentiary in Joliet, in part because of the abundance of stone for prison walls and cell houses. The first inmates built this place, walling themselves in with limestone they quarried just a few hundred feet away from the foundation.

 

 

When the prison, with its mammoth turrets, opened in 1858, it sat just north of the Joliet city limits. This Correctional Center once was one of the largest prisons in the nation. For many, the name of the city became a synonym for penitentiary.
To say upgrading this facility was slow is putting it mild and running water and tiolets were not available to individual cells for over 62 years. Near the middle of the yard sat an original cell from the prison, preserved to give a glimpse of incarceration in 1858. Dark and narrow--less than 5 feet wide--with no plumbing, the cell was equipped with an iron bed and straw mattresses, a stool, a bucket for a toilet and a ceramic pot for water.

 The prison closed in 2002 and all that is left is a tour of the decaying building of yesteryear with all its ghosts and stories to tell (including the year the warden's wife was murdered).


The “City of Steel” emerged with the construction of the Joliet mill in 1869. 


The city's large labor force and its steel mill attracted other industries. Wire mills, coke plants, stove companies, horseshoe factories, brick companies, foundries, boiler and tank companies, machine manufacturers, can companies, bridge builders, plating factories, steel car shops, and many others established businesses. Other Joliet industries have ranging from the production of greeting cards and calendars to the bottling of Seven-Up,  to the brewing of beer. Pianos, windmills, wallpaper and barrels have all been manufactured in Joliet. It's hard to imagine  that Joliet's economy entered a period of decline in the late 1970s and by 1983 its unemployment rate stood at 26 percent!

 All that is left of that giant steel mill is a tour of the ruins

Now this blue collar town boasts of three casino's for a mecca of gambling nightlife

The Rickard Petty Driving School for a once in a life time experience if you are a brave soul...

and the new NASCAR drag race tracks. They have also revitalized the down town area.

 

 

A highlight here anytime of the year, but especially to escape the winter blues, is the Bird Haven Greenhouse and conservatory.

 

It is a slice of tropical paradise with many sitting areas to just sit and take it all in. There is a arid area that contains cacti and other dessert plants and a peaceful waterfall with aquatic plants and Koi.

 

 

A slice of heaven

 

 

Happy Trials

 

 

I for A-Z challenge

I-Indio, California

 

What I always remember hearing about Indio is that on your way there you could run into a bad sand storm...

It can pit your paint and windshield and cause a lot of damage and there is no where to hide.

 

Aside from that I have learned that Indio is the official bird sanctuary because of the seasonal bird migration flight routes to the nearby Salton Sea.,..

 

 

 

 

                                                                 A rather strange place I must say.

 

 

 

A sight you would never guess to find in this desert area is TWO

Club polo teams

                                              Isn't amazing what can be accomplished with a little water!

 

 

 

 There is also the thousand palms oasis state park

 

and Shields date farm for you to buy all the fresh dates you could want.

 

 

 

You will want to visit the Coachella Valley History Museum and see the on going restoration preserving their rich heritage.

 

 

 

 "The museum campus contains the Smiley-Tyler House, a 1926 adobe home which houses the main exhibits; the historic 1909 Indio Schoolhouse; and the Date Museum. Also, the spacious grounds hold a variety of gardens, including a Memorial Date Garden, a Japanese Garden, the Jardin Del Desierto, and the oldest Cork Oak tree in the Coachella Valley. Other highlights include our Submarine house, a Blacksmith shop, various farming equipment, and the Museum's archives."

 

 

In the fall of 1996 the Indio Chamber of Commerce formed a committee to develop a Historic Mural Project to help revitalize the economy of the city. There is are now, 10 such murals around the town.

 

 

 Happy Trails

H for A - Z Challenge

H - Hershey, Pa.

Know as the sweetest place on earth and indeed the whole town smells like chocolate!

Yes, it is true that the town of Hershey, Pa. was started by Milton S. Hershey in 1903 when he broke ground for his factory there and a planned community. That within itself is quite a story and you can read more about that here. Not only a brilliant businessman but a man with vision and care for his fellow mankind.

It should be of no surprise that nearly everything in the town seems to have to do with Hershey like the


 

Hershey BEARS Ice Hockey team

and the
 
which has established itself as the area's premier performing arts center, presenting  Broadway shows, classical music and dance attractions, and many world-renowned entertainers.



There is  the

Hershey Gardens which contain:

Historic Hershey Rose Garden
A beautiful garden that contains the brilliant assortment of 5,600 roses of all different varieties includes an interesting mix of heights, colors and flower forms of Hybrid Tea, floribunda, shrub, and miniature roses.
A special Seasonal Display Garden,  A Perennial Garden,  A Herb Garden , A High Point Garden which features old garden roses as a tribute to his wife Catherine Hershey, A .Rock Garden,  Oornamental Grasses, A Japanese Garden and The Children's Garden that is is filled with surprise hideaways, creatures and whimsical characters.
If that isn't enough there is also The Butterfly House and The Oak Grove to explore!


Hershey Amusement park

 

 I mean when was the last time you got a hug from a chocolate kiss!

 

 

 

 calm rides and wild rides

 

 

 

Something for everyone

 

 

 

You won't want to miss

Whether young or old it is something to see...

and thing to learn

Not everything is about chocolate...there is the

Antique Auto Museum

The Museum collection currently numbers over 150 vehicles, all of which have been donated. Exhibited vehicles are rotated regularly so no matter when you come or how many times you will most likely see something totally different but they are all beauties dating from the 1800's to 2000.

Even the hotels get in on the action

 

The Hershey Chalet

 

 

 

 Happy Trails

 

G for A - Z challenge 2013

G - Grants Pass, Oregon

Grants Pass was a stagecoach stop in the 1860's and became a rail head with the completion of the Oregon-California Railroad in 1884. It's name is in honor of General U.S. Grant.

 

 

It continued to grow from the push west, to gold fever, the big timber, growing of hops, farms and dairies and of course now the tourist. For a while it was the major U.S, producer of gladiola bulbs.




Enticing residents and visitors both, is the fact that there is no Sales Tax in Oregon and the mild weather at Grants Pass.

Weather Averages (F and Inches)

	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
High	47	54.4	60.8	67.8	75.2	81.8	89.9	89.5	83.7	69.9	53.7	46.6
Low	32.4	33.8	35.5	38.2	43.2	48.3	52	50.7	45.4	40.2	36.4	33.7
Precip.	5.5	4.0	3.4	1.9	1.4	0.7	0.3	0.3	0.8	2.4	4.5	5.8
Snow	2.3	0.5	0.4	---	---	---	---	---	---	---	0.1	0.9

 Which they proudly proclaim.

 

 

The historic downtown area is filled with shops, art galleries and cafes

 

and is all lit up in the evening time

 

 

The Rogue River offers many opportunities for water fun

 including wild river tours.

 

 

 

 

If cave exploring is for....

 this is the spot to be.

 

Or maybe you always dreamed of staying in a tree house....

 

 Wouldn't that be fun!

 

 

 

 

 

Seems to me this might just be a perfect spot.

 

Happy Trails