Golf Cars

Your Standard Golf Cart

Our Snowbird tour of Florida has brought us to “The Villages” a community north of Orlando. The Villages occupies an area of close to 32 square miles and has a population on 80,000, and is always growing. The concept is a series of small “villages” offering a Florida lifestyle all in one location. There are golf courses all through the communities, and although all the houses are modern the Villages each have a central area with services, stores and restaurants that has almost a  a historical feel.

Everyone in the Villages has a golf cart. These carts however are not just for getting around the many golf courses, they have become one of the primary means of transportation within the community. People may bring their cars down from the cold snowy north, but they get stored in the garage waiting to be packed back up for the return trip once the snow is gone. Some people don’t even have cars, they fly down and use their golf carts when they are here. This phenomena is not unique to the Villages, it is common in many retirement/lifestyle communities all over the south.

Golf Cadillac

Classic?

In the Villages it has been taken to the next level however. I noted that the shops selling and servicing the golf “carts” no longer call them “carts”, they now refer to them as “Golf Cars”, and they have become serious business. There are of course hundreds of your standard beige golf carts around, but slowly many are morphing into Golf Cars. You can purchase deluxe models in many colors with all the options; turn signals, custom upholstery, stereos, side curtains, mag wheels and even completely enclosed bodies. The prices raise from the standard few thousand, to well over $10,000.00.

Got some Freight you need moved?

Then there is the customizing of the carts, into not just “cars”, but luxury cars, hot rods, 18 wheelers, or pick-up trucks. You can buy custom bodies to turn your golf car into your dream machine of choice. I saw Cadillac, 57 Chevy, Rolls Royce, or Freightliner bodies. You can also add more powerful batteries or speedier electric motors, if you want, but many people use them so much that they have had to go to the gas powered option because the charges do not last as long as the owners trips do. I spoke to one fellow who said that he often put 200 miles on some days, and noted almost 8,000 miles in the first year.

City Car

There is even some movement from the Golf “Cars” towards actual “City Cars”, the tiny two passengers vehicles seen in the orient and Europe, smaller that the “Smarts”, but with all the Automobile amenities. The golf “carts” do not need any licensing and are limited to special lanes on the roads and to limited speeds, but the Cars must be licensed for road use and carry much more insurance.

I’m thinking a pale blue 1960’s Cadillac with those huge rear fins would be pretty cool conversion . . . . .   

A Sea Day

The "Crew"

Today we decided to rent a boat and tour the area around Sebastian FL from the inter-coastal waterway. After some internet research a couple of rental spots were found and some phone calls narrowed it down to one called ‘Held’s Indian River Island Adventures’. We called and reserved an 18 ft Pontoon boat with a 50 hp 4 stroke engine.

At the Wheel

Deck Fluff

Our ‘adventure’ however did not start well. We pulled into the address to see lots of boats, all complete wrecks, in very bad states of repair. A hand painted ‘OFFICE’ sign directed us to a door sorely in need of alignment and a coat of paint, and it took three tries knocking on the door to bring a weary yawning man to the door. He ushered us into the messiest office I have ever seen. A bag of cat food leaned against the wall by the door, a child’s drawing sat on a make-shift table, boat parts occupied most corners, and a bare mattress with a blanket was on the floor behind the desk. After signing an 8 page ‘waiver’ and turning over credit cards, we were directed down the road to the dock while he “Went to get gas”. Was it gas for the boat, or could he finally afford gas for his truck now that some tourists were renting his boat?

Beer Stop

Down the road, we did indeed find a dock with a pontoon boat with “HELD’S RENTALS” on the side. Not new, not shiny, seats a bit worn, but it looked mostly sea-worthy. Gary one of our friends and the ‘Captain’ for the day (also always an optimist), suggested “This is perfect; we don’t have to worry about how we treat this boat, no one will notice a few more scrapes and bangs.” No Bill, the ropes were not coiled – in fact they were so short we had to tie three together to tie the boat up at one of the islands . . . .

Now, the boat actually worked like a top, ran perfectly, was nicely set up, comfortable, and perfect for our day on the waterway. The owner was a great help, giving us a brief operating course and lots of helpful advice about attractions in the area. 

Drinks on the Island

Relaxing On Board

Dolphin Entertainment

We spent a wonderful day on the water. We visited a couple of islands and explored them, stopped at a local “Bar & Grill” where we could motor right up to the wharf to tie up, and get a nice cold beer. We visited a Manatee preserve (Didn’t see any however), and were entertained by a pod of dolphins who circled our boat playfully for fifteen minutes, jumping out of the water right beside the boat.

Although the boat was slightly less than perfect, the day was. Everyone had a great time, got way to much sun, and came home happy and tired from a wonderful day at sea.

It's a Dog's Life

I don’t own a dog, but have always been a ‘dog’ person; I like dogs and they generally like me. When I was younger the family always had a dog, and often the family dog was sometimes mostly ‘my dog’. As I result I tend to notice the dogs around me, and I have written a number of blog entries about the dogs in the countries we visit.

Come on in - buy a house

Here in Florida the dogs lead pretty good lives. I have not seen as many out for walks as I did in Spain or Portugal, but the other day walking around the neighborhood a couple of the local dogs stopped to fill me in on the “Doggie Scene” here in Naples.

Although I have not seen so many dogs, I have certainly seen the extensive infrastructure in place to serve their needs. The first thing you notice is how many pet supply shops there are. There seemed to be one in every shopping area, and these are not just places to go get pet food and flea collars. Just check out some of the names, “Fergie’s Closet Doggie Boutique”, “Pucci & Catana Luxury Pet Boutique”, “Daisy Collars” (Can you say diamond studded dog collars?), and “Topcoat’n Tails Inc”. You can get entire designer outfits for you pet from these shops.

Need to find some place to leave your pet while you go on vacation? You can take them to “The Pet Nanny TLC”, “Love My Dog Resort & Spa”, or perhaps “A Dog’s Dream Daycare, LLC”, where the testimonials speaks volumes . . .

"If Bogey could speak, he would tell you that Jill's daycare is his favorite thing on this planet. Check out his videos and you will see why. It is an experience I cannot offer him at home." 

"Bailey loves going to daycare! Every morning when we drive up she gets all excited to be there and runs to the front door. When I pick her up after work she is happy and tired (but still happy to see mommy). Going to daycare has also made her very social with other dogs. It's nice to have a place to leave my 'baby' during the day so she is not alone all the time, and everyone at A Dog's Dream Daycare takes good care of her!" 

Somehow this sounds like a bit more then a dog kennel & kibbles . . . .

A memorial to "Peanut"

Hey, wait a minute, all these doggie daycares and pet resorts, I thought everyone down here are already on vacation . . . these pets are getting a vacation from their vacations.

The pet grooming places are just as elaborate, and they look as fancy as the ones dedicated to the pet’s owners.

Strolling the downtown area one day I found a real estate office with dishes of fresh water and bowls full of doggie treats on the steps outside and just down the road was a city fire hydrant painted and decorated to honor a fallen pet. Even the local SPCA is upscale, with a Pet Adoption center in one of the big shopping malls.

Jim, keep this Blog Post away from Jude, he will want to go on vacation with you next time instead of going to the “kennel”.

Naples Beach Sunset

Naples Beach

Naples is a very pleasant place to visit. Our friends love it here, and have built a lovely house here to come down to the warmth and chill-out from the day to day hustle-bustle of their busy lives back home. They are here to relax, so they do not put pressure on us to “Do stuff”. If sitting by the pool all day is all we manage to accomplish, that is just fine with everyone.

They did insist on showing us the Naples Beach Sunset. This involved a drive downtown with beach chairs. Normally a lot more equipment is needed, including I was let to believe a few bottles of wine, and getting to the beach well before sunset is the normal procedure to get the best viewing location, but since our day was busy with relaxing by the pool, we did arrive a bit late, and left the wine back at the house for later.

Sailing into the Sunset

Really . . . a nice sunset

Now Naples Beach is a beautiful beach, but we quickly discovered that arriving early had nothing to do with getting a good spot, it was all about socializing, meeting friends and chatting (Discussing the sunset I am sure) over a good glass of Chardonnay. In fact the beach was in no way crowded, there was lots of room and not many people.

Fishing

As the sun was still quite high in the sky, we left our friends, with their friends, discussing sunsets and other important subjects, and we set off for a walk down the beach. We discovered that this “Naples Beach Sunset” was a serious event. There were people all down the beach, and some were obviously there to see the sun sink into the Gulf Of Mexico. There were many people with cameras, and some were setting up tripods and elaborate stop action set-ups, serious about getting that perfect sunset snap.

Sunset, what sunset?

There were also people there exercising; people more interested in each other than the sunset; people trying to catch fish; children playing in the sand; people sailing off into the sunset, but mostly people socializing with their friends as the sun announced the end to another lovely day in South Florida.

Oh . . . . the sunset really was pretty nice.

Speedbumps in Life

As our sojourn in Florida continues, we are now spending time in Naples with old friends from high school who have built a lovely winter retreat here. We picked them up at the airport and will spend a week visiting them. Since they are living here for a portion of the year, they have to arrange services, including water, power, cable, internet, phone etc. . . . .

I don't think I will swim here

When we arrived at their house he discovered that the TV was not working, and he decided that a trip to the local TV/Internet/Phone provider was in order. He warned me that it would probably be a zoo there. The provider was notorious for providing slightly less than exemplary service. In fact as we drove up to their storefront service center, he expressed relief that the line-up did not extend outside down the sidewalk.

He did warn me that I might be in for a bit of a wait, but I went along anyway, and as he waited inside eagerly anticipating his number being called, I stood around outside chatting with people as they came in for service.

This being the end of the season here in Naples and many of the “Snowbirds” were headed back north hoping for the arrival of spring in New Jersey, Chicago, Ontario, Nova Scotia, and had to return their Internet routers, TV Receivers, DVR recorders, and assorted other IT bits and pieces. I actually had a good time standing out making new friends in Naples Florida. 

First person I met was a gentleman from Ireland who had seen a condo advertised for sale in Naples on E-Bay. It looked interesting, and on a lark, he put in a couple of bids before going to bed for the night. He woke the next morning to an e-mail announcing that he was the successful bidder and now owned a condo in Naples. Our spirited conversations about visiting Ireland and Nova Scotia drew other people in and the cranky people waiting to complain and bitch about their TV, their Internet or their Phones suddenly started smiling and chatting.

One girl said she had already gone and enjoyed a starbucks coffee, but her number in line was still far enough in the future that the neighboring shop offering pedicures was starting to appeal as a way to pass the time.

Yup . . .  Southern Eatin

Then we all stopped to watch the newest arrival. A man and woman approached from the parking lot. He was clutching a red bag containing his TV receiver and Internet router, and she was clutching his arm. These were serious ‘snowbirders’ determined to spend as much of their golden years down here in the Naples warm sunshine. They slowly inched across the road in front of the office. But between them and their destination someone had installed a speed bump. He hit the bump, but his shuffling gait only got him half way up before he was bounced back. Determined to return his IT gear so it would be here for him next year he made another shuffle at the speedbump, but again was unable to make it up and over. He turned to his wife holding his arm, and she gave him a bit more push on the next attempt and with a satisfied smile he made it over and continues his journey to the shop.

Ask me if I'm relaxed yet?

Now this was extremely funny to watch, but stop and think for a minute. This guy was probably over 90, and had a very difficult time getting around, but he arrived in a car, was returning IT gear from his visit to Florida so was probably returning to someplace colder in the north, and he and his wife were doing it on their own. I say good for them!

I hope I have to tenacity to make three attempts at speedbump ascent when I am their age. Live life to the fullest while you can. 

*** Please note the pictures in the post are just general pictures from Florida - I did not take shots of the Speedbump attempts . . . .  ***

Rolling South

I don’t really like winter. I like it HOT – there is no such thing as “too hot”. I quickly get used to the heat. I also enjoy driving, so driving south to Florida is a very pleasant experience, and I enjoy each kilometer that brings me closer to warm sunny weather. Or at least that is how it is supposed to be . . . . .

Rolling South

This trip it took much longer for the “South” to make its presence known. It was bitter cold when we left, and even though it was officially spring, the temperature was -10° as we left home, and dropped to -15° as we made our way through New Brunswick. There was still snow on the ground at home, and it seemed to take forever to get rid of it. Of course it didn’t help that we were fleeing a huge storm that was coming up the coast against us. We avoided it by going in-land, but it spread snow all the way south to Virginia.

Trees in Bloom

Rolling south brings temperature changes as you progress down through the states. Normally the temperatures gradually increase, but this time it took much longer. Leaving Connecticut it was -7°, and although it did get up to 0° as the sun came up, it remained at 0° way down to West Virginia. From there it slowly came up a bit to +4°, but when we stopped in Virginia for the night Regis had to scrape not only our windshield but also the lady’s car parked next to us. She was not prepared for the -5 that morning and didn’t even own a scraper. It didn’t actually warm up until we reached South Carolina when it got up to 10°, but the real warmth did not arrive until we got to Georgia when things finally started climbing, and by the time we hit Florida it was finally up to 20°.

The other thing you look for as you roll south is the changes in the vegetation. At home everything is dull boring, brown, but as you roll south things slowly start to green. First come the farmer’s fields fertilized and prepped for the year to come. This appeared first in West Virginia, but as you got to southern Virginia even the highway mediums were starting to green up. Finally in the Carolinas the trees start to bloom and green buds appear. As we got to South Carolina even the trees started to leaf out, and finally in Florida things are actually green.

Florida at Last

Of course the other change that occurs as you roll south is the clothing. Before Virginia it was all winter clothes and boots. The first T-Shirt did not appear until Virginia, and he was pushing it in my opinion. The first pair of shorts appeared in South Carolina, and the flip-flops did not arrive until we hit Florida, where the bikinis and pink surfer shorts also made an appearance.

I’m hoping that I stay here in the warmth long enough that I do not have to roll north into freezing weather again . . . .

Doing the Snowbird Thing

We have had a pretty bad winter this year, cold, snowy, and generally miserable. Spring has arrived, but there is still more winter type weather to come. We just got word that the “storm of the year” was headed up the coast to dump more snow on Nova Scotia than we have gotten all winter. I think it is time to escape to someplace warm. Last year we went to Portugal, and spent a month is Spain the year before, but this year we thought we would stay on this side of the pond and give Florida a try. You know, do that Canadian Snowbird thing.

We discovered that we have a lot of friends who have “places” in Florida and they all seemed very keen to have us come to visit. In fact, as we started looking into this option, we discovered an excess of places we could stay – we had too many people wanting us to come south. We had friends who bought a house during the real estate crisis in the US, we had friends who had timeshares, we had friends who built their own southern retreats, we had relatives who lived in Florida, and we had friends who were renting places in the warmth. Why get our own place when we had lots of people to visit?

Regis found that she had over 20 % of her pickleball partners living down in one resort in Florida, and as one of the EDCC Pickleball ambassador  she felt it was her duty to go and see how they were doing.  Me, I am just going to sit in the sun and see if I can find some decent beer down there to sample. So my travel blog this time will follow our trip south to Florida.