First Encounter

I been working for the past 7 1/2 years for the same environmental laboratory and work there in two different departments. On February 2 I started in a new department for me, after being 7 years in the micro laboratory now I am in the field department. The field department are the ones that collect the water samples for other department to analyzes and see the health of different body of water in Orlando. If you know a little bit about Florida you will know that fresh body of water almost means alligators. I knew, it will happened sooner or later. So, today I had my first encounter!

I had seen alligators on the wild before, but it was on a tour on the Everglades, on a tour that we pay to see alligators and other wild life. In this occasion I am working, they are paying me, but I don’t want to see any alligator. It’s almost impossible to ask for that. They are out there, if you go to any fresh body of water in Florida even if you don’t see them they might be around.

Well here she is…

 

My co-workers already known her because they go to collect often to that particular site and she is always there, so they told me, they know is a female because she have a nest. Also she is missing an eye, so that makes it easy to know that is her.

Next time I go to that site, I will be looking for her. Or probably she is going to be waiting for us.

Until then,

xamlinnette 🙂

 

Tavares, Florida and The Train That I Didn’t Take

 

Tavares Train Station

That same Sunday, after we saw the train arriving to Mount Dora, we went to visit the other side of the train trip. If you don’t know of what train trip I am talking about check this link The Train I Didn’t Take. Leaving Mount Dora we took Lakeshore Dr.coasting along Lake Dora. We couldn’t help drooling innocent envy because of the enormous houses by the lake, each with their own little pier and boat. Ahhh they have their own little paradise in their own home.

Well our destiny, Tavares! Tavares is the other side of the train trip.

 

 

At the moment we got there the heat was a little bit nicer to us than earlier when we were at Mount Dora. Clouds started to get together for their usual afternoon party, that brings rain and loud thunderstorms, but at the moment it was just calming down the heat.

 

We parked at Wooton Park in front of Lake Dora. Tavares didn’t look as elegant and fancy as Mount Dora. It was more sporty, outdoor, casual look, and family oriented than Mount Dora…

 

 

Children Splash Park

Tavares is definitely kids friendly! With this heat anybody will like to play here! The seasonal splash park is only $2 dollars. Any Sunday afternoon with a book in hand you can sit and relax while the kids have fun splashing some water. For more information check the link! TAVARES CHILDREN’S SPLASH PARK

 

COMMENT: (Tavares and Mount Dora two small cities that have so much to offer. You can ride in trains, seaplanes, boat tours even Segway tours! They have a little bit of everything.) 

City of Tavares, America’s Seaplane City! Thats the way it’s called, and I could see they represent their name very well. Continuing with our exploration of Tavares, the Wooton Park face the Lake Dora, where some of the seaplane tours departure.

 

 

Jorge thinking if he should…

 

It is so nice to enjoy the outdoors. With so many options that you have here, you need to make good planning and budgeting. But always be careful in Florida when close to lakes, never forget that we have some residents that are always in the look out of their property…

Yes! I am talking about alligators, this guy was close to the shore and the seaplane. They are always looking a new snack on the menu 😉
 
Taking about menu, that means food! There are few locals restaurants. Jorge was into Irish, so we ended up eating at O’Keefe’s Irish Pup and Restaurant, a local restaurant with an interesting history, check to the link. I ate something that I never tried before, and ended up been pretty good. It was an English Muffin topped with tuna and cheddar cheese. Yummy! I highly recommended.
 

Other views of Tavares…

 

After we finished eating the thunderstorm start bullying at us. Its full power force us to leave town. Seriously when we were walking to the car we felt one thunder so strong, so close to us that we ran like little kids to the car. It was pretty scary. That’s another thing that you have to be careful with Florida summers. Almost every afternoon we have storms full of powerful thunders and plenty of people die around here for that. Please take seriously a thunderstorm and take refuge.

Well, that all for Tavares and the train I didn’t take.

Until then…

xamlinnette 🙂