Florida

Layne isn't much for traveling.  But our friends the Wintersteins pressed us into going with them to Florida, mostly to see the Epcot Center in Orlando.  We joined them and another couple, Fred and Linda Denison, in Orlando for a week of touring.  Larry rented a house with a pool for our week.  Florida is experiencing an unusually hot summer, we were told.  The heavy, humid air of Florida multiplies any summer heat.  We felt weighted down by it, but soon adjusted fairly well.  After all, there was a pool if we really wanted a cool-down.  Here's a view of the pool in back, surrounded by a screened enclosure.  Lots of yards in Orlando have these enclosures.  The locals say to keep the many bugs out.  Or maybe alligators?

We spent two days in Epcot.  I tried to talk our gang into making those two days week days, but was out-voted, so our first day was a Saturday.  If you like mobs and mobs of people it was a good pick.  But we didn't.  Layne just barely tolerated that first day, walking along the crowded, steamy paths in between the mobs gathered for the weekend tour.  I think we all thought that people would be involved in school and so the crowds would be thinner.  No way.  Somehow the sights dull a little when viewed in between bobbing heads.

Epcot is a lovely park, mostly built to appeal to adults I think.  But there were plenty of children there as well.  It is mostly about featuring various countries, recreated in the form of small villages, offering some films of their countrysides, occasional live performances, food and lots of overpriced souvenirs.  There are fireworks every night.  We loved seeing them on Saturday night.

Three girls in Epcot:  Linda Denison (the screamer), me, and Carol Winterstein.

We dragged Layne along for another day at Epcot on Monday.  The crowds were much thinner and so it was more enjoyable.  Larry used a wheelchair both days, which got us into various rides and shows ahead of the line.  That was pretty nice!  Our favorite ride was a 5 minute one called, "Soar!"  It offered an imaginary ride over various sights in California, putting us right up next to the screen.  With every shift of scene, Linda squealed in abandoned delight.  It made that 5 minutes quite magical.  The best of the day for sure.  Layne and I stand in front of one of the many lovely sights in Epcot.  I'm holding my one and only souvenir:  a fan, bought in "Japan".

Here's the Orlando Temple

There were other sights to see in Orlando.  The Church has a huge 290,000+ acre ranch there.  We took the time to tour it.  The ranch is one of many that the Church has and runs on a for-profit basis.  The profits go to the humanitarian arm of the Church.  I had no idea of the scope of the Church ranches!  We also saw the Orlando temple and the nearby beach.  Beaches are pretty special to me since they were the recreational place of choice when I was growing up.  The Florida beaches offer warm water and lovely, white sand.  It was a beach paradise.  Here's a scene from the LDS Ranch.  Don't the cows look happy?  They should; their job is just to do what comes naturally and bear calves each spring.

Orlando started out as a fort named for a man named Gatlin, in the mid 1800s.  It was built to protect early settlers from the Indians during the Indian wars of the mid-century.  Dr. John Gatlin was a young surgeon when he found himself involved in an Indian battle.  Sadly, he was killed in that battle, along with almost all the white men involved.  But the fort that was built soon afterwards was named for him.  There is nothing left of it now except a marker and a street named for him.  When the Indian Wars ended, the fort was abandoned.  The area was later renamed Orlando.  But it so happens that John Gatlin is a distant uncle of mine, so it was exciting to be able to talk our gang into checking out the marker for what is assumed to be the site of Fort Gatlin.  Historical sites are much more exciting when family is involved!

Our last night we ate at an all-you-can-eat lobster feed.  I think this guy would rather not.

All of us flew home on various flights last Thursday.  We were pretty tired for a couple of days but soon recovered.  Well, Layne is still dragging a bit.  We vegged out this weekend while watching General Conference.  What fun that was, and special too as three new apostles were introduced.  How wonderful it is to belong to the Church of Jesus Christ.  I feel overwhelmingly blessed on every level.

Layne turns 75 on Monday.  We plan to celebrate it all week since our good friends Bill and Trudy Ostler will be spending it with us.  So next week promises to be full of new adventures.