IT'S A JINGLE BUG CHRISTMAS!

We ventured out ~ before the Packer game ~ to Old Town.  Getting there before the game to view the VW's in the back lot.  They were coming in and lining up for the cruise.  Joe took off to find a place to see the beginning of the game.  Sue, a friend from the park, and I wandered through the back lot "oohhing" and "aahhing" at the VW's of the past.  I took so many pictures!  I have posted some impressive ones today.  I tried posting a video, but can't seem to get it to post and work.

Old Town is decorated for Christmas right now and music was blaring.  Some of the cars were decked out for the season ~ most weren't ~ as a VW can stand alone, undressed, and look great! 

This one resembles the one I drove to college, not so many years ago!  Started smoking in the front/strange the engine was in the trunk.
Had to sell it - a guy bought it to make a dune buggy. 

Pretty in red!

Bright blue caught my eye...

Older than me!  1947  First '47 I've ever seen.

Are you familiar with Fridolin?  I wasn't either.  It is a VW mail truck, built for the German Postal Service.  Only 1,626 were built between the years 1964 and 1973.  It's a combination of the bug, the bus and the squareback.  At the present time there are only about 25 in the United States, several used for campers and most going to car shows. 

Very clever "redo" on this one.
John Deere VW pick-up.
Couldn't find the owner, wondered if he was
from Wisconsin?

Our shadows in the this VW bus. 

The squareback ~ new to me!  A VW station wagon. 

HERBIE ~ what more is there to say?

The Volkswagen Type 181 "Kurierwagen", popularly known in the United Kingdom as the Trekker, in theUnited States as the Thing, and in Mexico as the Safari.

This is similar to my VW van, back when Michelle was 7 and Josh was a newborn.  NICE!

Volkswagen Karmann Ghia

My VW show is done, for now.  

If I can figure out the video I'll upload it.  

Old Town is the place to go if you like vehicles.  Thursday nights there is for motorcycles.

Friday night a cruise of old cars.

Saturday night is the cruise of OLD cars.  

That's the one we frequent.  We like them all ~ and here's a "heads up" ~if you ever visit us ~ you will end up at OLD TOWN!

BUSCH GARDENS ~ TAMPA, FL

How cool is this?
Mel knows how to advertise his hot dog diner!  We drove past this VW on the way to Busch Gardens. Needed to make a u-turn (without the GPS telling us to (as she so often does) ) so I could get a picture.

Beautiful gardens at every turn...
Busch Gardens**buy a ticket for a day and come back all year!  We did that, last January when Brian and Ceci visited.  Senior Citizens get special passes that are good for 15 months.
Thank you Busch Gardens! 
We will be there several times before our passes expire in April! 

Vibrant colors and amazing birds.

Frances and Lana on the sky ride.
We were in the next 'car' ~ the only ride I went on! Oh, I also rode the train and the safari jeep, but those aren't really "rides" when Busch Gardens is full of roller coasters.

A small part of the new roller coaster, CHEETAH RUN, it winds up and down throughout the entire park. While on the train, I noticed some of the animals jerked and weren't startled when the roller coaster cars traversed the tracks above them.  That I did not like. The animals at a park like Busch Gardens should not be frightened by something that gives pleasure to people.  They should have secured areas, especially if they have to be "caged." 

See the lizard on the top of the screen?
Reminds me of Michelle's dragon!

...and what are you?  

Santa's elves ~ poising at the entrance of the park.

Lana, Joe's niece, accompanied us to the park. 

Lana was visiting her Mom, Frances, who is in FL for a few months. 

Lana, Fran, Nancy, Joe

Scaring yourself silly is fun!  They had a great time on this ride ~ SANDSERPENT.  I stayed below and was the Keeper of the 'stuff.' 

Tortoises and Anteaters were among the privileged that weren't deleted from my camera.

CHEETAH RUN**Yes, it is enormous, loud and  intrusive winding throughout the park.
Guess when you think of Busch Gardens/you think of roller coasters.
I favor ANIMAL KINGDOM for viewing animals and going to shows. 

The Christmas tree was decked out with various types of gourds, all with paintings of cheetahs.  The new roller coaster opened this Fall and everything is "All about it."
It was a great day!  We were there 11 hours. At the end of the evening we ate popcorn and listened to a wonderful group of people sing Christmas carols.
WHAT A WONDERFUL LIFE!

MARCO ISLAND, FLORIDA

"Vacation" is a state of mind. 

I can be on vacation sitting at the pool, riding my bike on a trail lined with trees, viewing the sunset, relaxing in my chair while reading a book.  Last week vacation was walking the beach! 

The beach this November, was on

 Marco Island, FL. 

We went with friends, Bill and Andrea, from our park in Florida. We stayed at a condo, on the bay, and by the end of the week we meandered in and out of all the roads available.  

     Very pretty, serene and relaxing place to vacation.

My favorite place was the beach/it was clean; this is the only picture I took with Marco Island on it. 

The luggage carts seemed to disappear when we arrived ~ so this shopping cart came in handy transporting a weeks worth of "stuff" up to the 4th floor.  Not fancy ~ but utilitarian, for sure. 

Bill ~ Andrea ~ Nancy ~ Joe
On a dolphin cruise, off Marco Island.

Coming up to beach, on one of the 10,000 islands around Marco Island, this unusual building is seen in the distance.  It looks like it's "hanging" on - ready to topple with the next large wave. 

In the 1970's an architect built a series of round homes, on stilts, on one of the 10,000 islands, near Marco Island.  His plan was to be self-sufficient and have others of like "mind" live in his small commune.  

His plan seemed feasible.  The water proved him wrong.  His over 100 feet of beachfront eroded and some of his homes toppled into the sea.  Left were these few, which were later condemned. 

Teenagers frequent the small island, to party.  It has become a challenge to throw seashells into the roof.  The roof material is soft and thrown the right way the shells stick into it.  Seemed to me to be a very decorative part of the houses.  He did have a vision though, as many homes we saw by the water in Texas, were built with round roofs, enabling the winds and storms to pass over them. 

I would've liked to have had a chance to live on that island!  At least I had the chance to see it! 

Every island was beautiful to come upon.  Mangrove trees fill all of the islands.  Skunks, raccoons, snakes, birds, panthers, bobcats and who knows what else, call the islands home. 

Red and white mangrove trees/shrubs cover the islands.  A multitude of the seeds were on the beaches everywhere.  The seeds are long and easily stick into the sand and start growing. We saw some on Marco Island, in the more remote areas.  People, of course, keep the mangroves under control in the populated regions. 

Ospreys can be seen everywhere!

It was a dolphin cruise ~ these three dolphins swam around the boat, putting on a show for us.
Dolphins are friendly and playful.

There's Joe, in the shade, enjoying the ride. 

Chicken salad stuffed tomato ~ a yummy lunch! 

Looking down the beach that I walked for miles. 

Birds and seashells with every step!  Heaven...

Great lunches were had at Stilts!  Coconut shrimp, chicken strips, pineapple/chicken quesadillas...

Signs, signs, everywhere there're signs! 

Looking up the beach that I walked on for miles.
If I ran the world ~~ there would be a rule ~~ ABSOLUTELY NO building on the beaches!  The road along the beach would be free of buildings.  ALL people could then enjoy the sights of the beaches, not only those staying in the tall, unsightly hotels and condos.  When were the beaches and the sea declared private?  I thought they were part of nature and for every person to enjoy.
(Our accommodations were not on the beach. We had to seek out a public access to the beach and on Marco Island we could only find two.  The one we went to had parking, the other did not.)
YES, there would be a rule, if I ran the world! 

Water ~ for miles and miles and miles.  The 10,000 islands were wonderful.  They are uninhabited by people, full of wildlife and wild vegetation.  There is an ordinance that no building can take place on any of the islands, except for Marco Island.