Morning Cup Of Coffee And Weather

We just got back from Florida. We planned a quiet week of not doing much - resting, sticking around the campsite, and just enjoying the weather into a non-stop credit card and eating festival.

We stayed at Silver Springs Springs near Ocala. The camp site was on the outside of the perimeter loop, most of those were sites are pull-through. These are very wide to accommodate the large rigs --- but there was little privacy. Look for a back in, or, a "center" pull-through --- those are better. But beggers can't be choosers.

The showers/bathrooms in Florida Parks are amazing. Heat lights in the showers, a vent fan running, keeping it dry inside, and nice tile. My beloved Indiana sites are cinder block buildings. We need to demand our parks to step up their game....just a vent fan, please, especially in the warmer/humid months.

Ocala -- not a fan of the city. There are some better parts of town, but most is pretty run down. I never felt unsafe, but places of business needed some TLC. We ate mainly at the campsite, except for breakfast and lunch on two days. "Mojo's-Food. Music. Soul." was good, but not great. We went there in 2016 and loved it. This time, shrinkflation has made the portions delicious but very small. I wouldn't go back -- 60 for lunch and getting a 1/4 lb of saucy brisket and a cuban. Sorry. Then there's Darryl's Dog On Good Diner --- yup. A genuine DIVE. But at least it was simple, honest food and a good price. 2 full breakfasts for under $25 -- no fancy. There are no place settings here, just diner seating in well usec chairs

We made it to Rainbow Springs Park. First, we saw Van of @Van_and_Terri. It was great to visit, and now we need to get them up here to Indiana

Van suggested "Swampys" a restaurant right around the corner from the springs. We liked it enough that we went back again a second time. This is a legit cajun dive that would have been at home on the bayu. Simply put, I had the best Red Beans and Rice with Sausage I've ever had. On my second trip, I discovered the first time wasn't an accident. I also tried Alligator for the first time --- wow --- I'm a convert. If you wonder, it's a lot like a meatier but reminded me a lot of calamari. Some connective tissue in the chunks, but nothing 'too tough'. We've got a place here (Zydeco's in Moorsville Indiana) which will have to be our gator provider --- its just an hour and 20 away.

Also, we went up to St Augustine --- we had our canine friend with us, severely limiting where we could go. I need to plan a little better.

The last tourist trap we visited was Deserland in Orlando. It's the toy collection of a billionaire who has figured out how to turn his toy collection into a profit center. $200,000,000 car collection. Some of the displays were impressive. Mostly, its a collection of medocre restoration of cars of all types. Some, TV Show relics or replicas --- 2 60's era batmobiles, as well as the new movies (1990's/2000's) --- no Tumbler. The Munsters, KITT (Knight Rider) and the cartoon "Speed Racer" and the "powerful Mach 5". The real problem is --- I'm 99.44% sure these were replicas. Cool to see, but art pieces not historical ones. I wish they were marked better. Was that really the 'breaking bad' astec? I don't know.

The other thing about the collection is that many of the cars were restored by hacks. They could have been purchased that way, and will soon be done right --- or, his body techs do shoddy work. For example, rather than remove the badges and then blocking and paint, they were just pained over. The badges had overspray, and the undulations in the metal/bondo were clearly visible. I've got some body experience doing the level of restoration that was on display, as well as learning Paintless Dent Repair. I see things most people would miss.

In General, traffic in Florida was insane if you are in a city you'd know the name. Ocala, Gainsville, St. Augustine, and Orlando. Orlando was Chicago traffic levels of congestion. No kidding.

I love Natural Florida -- but the shine is off the apple on tourist spots.

Just a quick trip. 8 nights and a couple thousand miles.

Oh BTW --- if you want a roadside spectacle --- find Buc-ee's. WOW! LOL!!!!! Thats all I'm going to say about that.

 

I’ve seen a couple General Lee’s and they were painted very cheap because many were wrecked during the show. In the early 70’s I saw the TV show Batmobile and it was done very cheap also. They do it good enough to film and they were never meant to be show cars.

 

He had a general lee there --- again, screen used, I don't know. The resolution of 480p TV wasn't good enough to warrant the effort to make them too pretty.

The best I've ever seen (on film) ironically, I just saw a few days before we left. I was owned by John Schneider (Bo Duke) and he was doing a "look for these 11 things..." if you're going to buy a replica. Where there will be rust, visible body line welds. His is amazing as you would expect.

The 2 batmobiles on display were well done. I doubt they were screen used, but I am not sure. I'm not a bat-head enough to look at them and say. I'm thinking of "Knight Rider Historians" youtube channel....they own a KITT, as well as the truck and trailer they used to transport it in the show.

Theres a company north of Indianapolis (Fiberglass Freaks | Batmobile® Replicas – Officially Licensed 1966 Batmobile Replicas) that makes replicas.

For all of the TV cars...they were never intended to be static pieces. All would be moving on a 480p TV screen. Quality work was just not needed. There was a well-represented number of George Barris cars there....the 2 munster cars (coach and dragster), Monkee mobile, batmobile, and I'm forgetting what else....but those all were built on a budget with a tight deadline.

I think I was a little more negative that I intended --- the collection was fun to see. But the quality of many of the cars was pretty low. I think I've spent too much time at the Studebaker Museum, and the Duesenberg/Auburn/Cord museum...where all of them were TRUE show cars....

 

He had a General Lee there --- again, screen used, I don't know. The resolution of the 480p TV wasn't good enough to warrant the effort to make them too pretty; they didn't have to. The only other Lee's I've seen were labor of love by owners. If I could own 1 collector car, this would probably by in my top 5.

The two 1966 batmobiles on display were well done. I doubt they were screen-used, but I am not sure. I'm not a bat-head enough to look at them and say with certainty. There are people who take 'screen car' to crazy limits. I'm thinking of YouTubers like "Knight Rider Historians"...they own a KITT which I believe was screen-used, as well as the truck and trailer.

As for Batmobiles, theres a company north of Indianapolis (Fiberglass Freaks | Batmobile® Replicas – Officially Licensed 1966 Batmobile Replicas) that makes replicas and I know a Michael Keaton version is around my town, I've seen it now twice in 8 years.

I think I was a little more negative towards the museum than I intended. The collection was fun to see. But the quality of many of the cars was pretty low. I think I've spent too much time at the Studebaker Museum and the Duesenberg/Auburn/Cord museum...where all of them were TRUE show cars....

My top dream "collectable" would be - in no order:

1] Delorean from Back to the Future
2] PPG Racer - the Wraith
3] General Lee
4] Ecto 1
5] F4u Corsair -- it counts, it was s a TV "vehicle" (black sheep squadron)


What would YOUR top 5 be?

 

1. Any of the three Corvettes on the TV show Route 66

2. The hot rod Lincoln in the song

3. The moonshine Ford in the 1958 movie Thunder Road

4. The T-bird in America Graffiti

5. Since we are dreaming the GT40 in Ford vs Ferrari

 

Great review Sweeney.
Especially appreciate the frank assessments on Ocala, St Augustine area.
We'll need to talk more in a couple weeks...

 

1. Magnump PI 1978 Ferrari 308 GTS

2. Miami Vice 1985 Ferrari Testarosa

3. Bullitt 1968 Ford Mustang GT

4. Knight Rider 1982 Pontica Trans Am

5. Green Hornet 1966 Black Beauty Imperial

whew there are alot of them
Pick any one from gone in 60 seconds...
Starsky & Hutch 1975 Gran Torino
& list could go on ....

 

1. Top Gun Maverick - P51 Mustang
2. Black Sheep Squadron - F4U Corsair
3. Ford vs Ferrari - 427 Shelby American Cobra
4 Ford vs Ferrari - Ford GT-40
5. ConAir - '67 427 Corvette (before it was destroyed)

 

Not a movie car in itself but this was owned by Steve McQueen.
Steve McQueen's vintage pickup camper is for sale - Autoblog

 

Might make kind of a fun TV for your CI.... for short hauls anyway....in the spring or fall.

 

I was surprised actually, not to mention how pricy real estate was. $200,000 would get you a rotted out manufactured home, unless you want to live on a postage stamp. I'm reconsidering Florida as a retirement location.

Deazerland had 1, 4, 5 above, as well as the Gran Torino... I didn't see the 68 GT but I'd be surprised if he doesn't...that is truly iconic.

P51 is also a beauty. When I was a kid, I built just about every airplane plastic model in the hobby shop -- The P51 was the first airplane I built. I was fairly advanced by the time I built this one, though the photo is obviously not mine...

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/288934132343851412/

 

C'mon rubber ducky!

https://x.com/ontwtf/status/1723040498544247108?s=46

 

H/t AoS

https://x.com/ontwtf/status/1722745379601383542?s=46

 

+1 on #5
That was a great movie.

 

It’s currently snowing!

 

Sitting in the house with the slider open enjoying the sound of the ocean waves here.

 

We ended up getting about three inches. I was up late playing cards with the neighbors and watching it snow.

 

After snowing half the night we ended up with about three inches of very wet snow which is melting fast. Here is a slight telephoto view looking east towards the old Ring School and the Timms Hill Tower.

65BFEC3B-773A-4B25-ACBC-827A5252720F by Tour 931 posted Nov 12, 2023 at 6:17 AM

 

I like the composition and lighting/colrs on this one...
Like an old timey XMAS card or
French Impressionism inspired