Sanaa, Disney Animal Kingdom, Kidani Village. /  by Dave Hileman

by Cadillac Moose, PhD, BBC

OK, I did not know what to expect of a place serving African inspired food. Seems like it might not be Moose friendly, I mean, lions and tigers and elephants, oh my. But I ought not to have worried because I was able to adapt instantly with my charm, one of my best qualities, and magnificent antlers that stunned the waitstaff. Clearly my ability to fit into any environment is a step ahead of Paul Hollywood, who rumors say does not even know where Africa is located.   

Oh, right, the review. Well, it was a beautiful setting with a window view of great, tall, spotted (but sans antlers) creatures, small buffalo that needed a shave and some birds. You can ask PhotoFellow abut the birds; he will drone on for hours. Loved the place. Lovely colors, large comfortable seats, and excellent service. We started with an assortment of flat bread and 9 little pots of stuff you could dunk the bread into. This was really good, especially the green pot which I suspect was ground up Swamp Lilies. Then to main dishes that were both good to look at and excellent to eat. One was mostly vegetables including something called parsnip - I think the waiter was teasing us cause that sounds made up. PhotoMan had chicken, how predictable. The chicken was actually very good and came with more bread. We had dessert! Yes! It was butterscotch pudding with almond streusel and a shortbread cookie. Butterscotch is my new favorite. And, again, I ate it all. Plus this was real pudding not British pudding which I still don’t understand.

Overall Rating 4.5 antlers

EPCOT /  by Dave Hileman

There are four Disney parks here in Orlando. Animal Kingdom, Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios and EPCOT. EPCOT is my favorite. I really enjoy the countries especially early in the morning as most of the attractions do not open here until 11, so it is usually quiet or relatively quiet from early morning until nearer 10:30. Except for France that houses Ratatouille and Norway that has princesses. EPCOT also has three great rides for me, Ratatouille, Test Track and Soaring. And Cindy likes Guardians of the Galaxy, too much spinning, going backwards and dark for me. Lots of other things to do here and some of the best food in all of Disney. The French Bakery, Chefs de France, Germany’s banquet hall, Italy’s pizza and Canada’s everything. And a lot more with lots of walk up options. Me, I would go just for the eclairs. Really.

Minnie Review (Third Post Today) /  by Dave Hileman

by Cadillac Moose, PhD, NbC

I hope you are amused by the mini/minnie substitution. That kind of humor sets me apart from the stoic Paul Hollywood. GBBS will soon be calling! Anyway in the meantime, until the phone rings, I thought I would also do some short reviews. EPCOT was holding the Festival of the Arts and that included arty food. The KindOne ordered this small plate that had two scallops, parsnip puree (sure:), lime foam and little squares of an unknown substance. Despite that, she loved it. She said, “perfectly grilled fresh scallops.”

Camping Recap Fourth Week - Bonus Post /  by Dave Hileman

We were in three camping locations this past week. Fort Wilderness, always a lovely place to stay but uber expensive. Getting out of our range for even special days. One night at Johnson University, Florida. This campus is a bit East of Disney in Kissimmee. We had a quiet night in the parking lot by the library. There were very few people around. We saw no-one the night we parked and just a few people the next morning. We did get a decent coffee from the Snack Shop on campus. And, finally, three nights at our friend’s driveway. We appreciate the place to stay and relax, pick up packages, do laundry and enjoy their company. So great to have good friends like Rusty and Janet - makes traveling feel a bit more comforting.

On the Johnson campus. Very nicely kept and a good nights sleep.

KaBoom /  by Dave Hileman

This is the photo or one of the many photos i took before the bus ride that I wrote about on Saturday. It was interesting seeing the fireworks from a distance. Up close they looked to be barely above the castle, from the opposite site of the lake they dwarfed the castle. Look carefully and you can see it just to the right of center.

"The wheels on the bus go round and round, round and round, round and round...." Bonus Post /  by Dave Hileman

This is a quick post about when the magic stops. I had a plan to take a photo across the lake from the Magic Kingdom of the fireworks so that I would get great reflections on the lake. The first part, getting to the Polynesian, requires some effort. We took the bus to the Pioneer Hall Landing at Wilderness Campground, then the boat to the Magic Kingdom landing, then the monorail to the Poly. Set up took photos, some issues but I will edit today and post first of the week. Anyway we are done, back on the monorail to MK, it has just let out and the boat is a long wait in the cold 48 Florida evening. So we choose to walk a bit to the buses and got on the bus to Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness. About 1/2 mile out of the bus depot a young man had a seizure, bus stops, a passenger nurse assists, others pray or wait - everyone is concerned and patient. Police arrive, then EMT and the decision is made to change us to a new bus. We also had a lady on board in a scooter who did not know how to use it and it took 10 minutes to get her off and 10 more to get her back on the new bus. We all board. The driver passes our turn and goes a few miles in a different direction. Most don’t notice but I wonder what is going on, then he turns into a different park, Hollywood Studios. What? There is confusion and now people are telling the driver that he is at the wrong place. He says the dispatcher sent him here. We doubt it because four men in the back of the bus said this is their stop. They were not on the original bus, but got on during the change over. Anyway, he then says he will take us back. I’ll skip the traffic mess we got into. He passes the campground stop to go to the lodge, lets off most of the people, then tells us he is going to let us off at Pioneer Hall, this is a long way from where anyone wanted to go. But he says he was off when they called him and this was his way to get back a bit sooner. At Pioneer Hall we need another bus, but MK is still emptying and the buses are more full so I approach a bus driver who had room, asked if he went to 2100, “I don’t know” is not what I expected to hear but he said we can get off close. OK, when we are close, I ask to get off and am told “This is not a stop.” So we end up 1 mile away and instead of waiting for another bus, walk the mile back to the trailer. We are two hours later than expected and walked more than six miles that day. And we were not in a park!

Sweet Roots Organic Farm /  by Dave Hileman

by Cadillac Moose, PhD, DvD

Greens, I know greens. This place, the Sweet Roots Organic Farm is like heaven. A lush, diverse, complex of celadon delight. I sampled kale in various hues, turnips, lettuce in red and green, cabbage, carrots, onions, peas, sprouts and my new favorite - French sorrel that has a grand lemon flavor. The textures, the taste, the freshness all superior and you know you won’t get this sort of detail from Paul “I never ate a green anything” Hollywood. This just shows the staff of the Great British Baking Show the depth of my knowledge. I expect them to call any day now to have me replace Mr. Hollywood.

Other than swamp lilies this is the place you want to be. Karen began this farm in 2018 when it was a field of dead pine trees to now well over an acre of beautiful soil and thriving plants, an incipit orchard of plums, pears and blueberries, a greenhouse, banana trees and lots more. Plus room to grow (snicker:)

I suggest you amble out to Sweet Roots Organic Farm next Saturday and try some delicious and healthy greens. You will love it. And, if you wish, you could write to the GBBS and mention my name.

An excellent salad, don’t really see any need for a bowl.

Here Comes the Parade - Part One (7 photos) /  by Dave Hileman

We were at Disney for a day. They gave us a one-day ticket to compensate for the day we lost in the fall because we got Covid. That was nice of them. We arrived about 8 and we left at 10:45 and no, not two hours but almost 15. But we took a long dinner at 2:40 until about 4. Otherwise go, get in line, wait, ride, go, get in line, wait, ride OR in one case stand at a great spot and wait 30 minutes for the Festival of Fantasy parade and take some photos.

Little girl next to us with a sweet hairdo. Dad OK’d the photo. Let the parade begin.

Harry’s, Ocala, Florida /  by Dave Hileman

by Cadillac Moose, PhD, A-1

Superlative comes to mind, so does wow. This restaurant is good enough to make you forget about swamp lilies. Almost.

Set in an old drug store building on the square in downtown Ocala is Harry’s - where a taste of New Orleans is not just a slogan. Well done food that is as good as you get in the Big Easy. (Mr. Hollywood would not know insider stuff like that. It’s one reason I’m a hoof in for judge on the Great British Baking Show.)

We arrived for lunch and were able to be seated quickly and that is not always the case at this very busy place. Service was excellent and the menu while not extensive offered a nice selection of dishes. In our party of four we had blackened Mahi-Mahi, Shrimp and Scallop Orleans, Gumbo, and Grouper. The Mahi was perfectly seasoned, the Shrimp dish included a unique corn cake with a tasso ham gravy, the Gumbo was apparently swoon worthy and the grouper, well it disappeared from the plate too quickly for me to snag a taste. We will assume was excellent too.

Harry’s - fair prices, great food, attentive service, nice ambiance, understated New Orleans atmosphere, happy diners, extensive drinks menu and desserts that I can only imagine because we did not get any! Ridiculous decision. I need more desserts not fewer desserts if I am to achieve my Great British Baking Show judgeship. Help me out here and send dessert coupons to me or money or leftover desserts. (ED NOTE, please don’t he needs to watch his weight.)

Overall FIVE Antlers!

Please let the PhotoBug know that I need MORE BLOG TIME. Who reads this for the photos. More Cadillac is our rally call.

On the River /  by Dave Hileman

Rusty Harman and I went out on two kayaks early one morning at Silver Springs. The sun was just up, mild temperatures and we had the water to ourselves for an hour. The river was placid with sharp reflections and lots of bird activity. We located four manatee in a small cove and watched them for quite a while as they moved slowly under our boats and surfaced often in arm’s reach to snort a breath. What a great start to the day. Rusty also got the only good shot of the manatee! And the Anhinga. Check out the last two for our guest photographer.

Anhinga- photo by Rusty Harman

Manatee, photo by Rusty Harman

Quick Visit: Rainbow Springs & Homosassa Springs /  by Dave Hileman

Both these Florida State Parks were once stand alone attractions drawing in tourists on the Gulf side of Florida. As they declined the state stepped in to secure the beautiful parks. They have a long and interesting history and you can see more than a few remnants still at the parks. Rainbow Springs is mostly a swimming and kayaking location with the paths in the gardens on the hill side losing a battle with the more native foliage. Homosassa Springs is an old zoo now a state run rehab center for injured animals and manatee.

Injured Crested Cara-Cara