Ready to Roll

Ready to Roll

Our History

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Ohio, United States
Having recently retired we are fulfilling our long time dream. We began our camping life with a tent in 1969 adjusting as each of our three sons arrived over the years and gradually progressed to a 32' Class A in 2007. Even after our sons became too busy with their own interests, we continued dreaming over the years. The Louisville, KY 2003 Great North American RV Rally and the book "Movin' On" convinced us that a motorhome after retirement was really for us! In 2007 we sold our home and disposed of most of our belongings and awaited the wife's retirement on February 1, 2008. We were out in our first motorhome ten times in our first summer in 2007, with our grandson joining us eight of those ten times. Since he must stay behind with his mom and dad to continue school, we told him he can join us on vacations (by car or plane) anywhere we are as we travel the US. Imagine the history lessons he could acquire! However, Mom and Dad don't look at it that way, especially the flying. Fortunately we don't miss work one bit!! We just miss the friends there. We have many hobbies to keep us busy when we decide to sit still for a day. Hope to see you on the road.

Wednesday, March 11, 2020

SOLOMON'S CASTLE near Wauchula FL





We had heard about Solomon's Castle near Ona, FL and how interesting it is.  There was a good restaurant on the boat in the moat also!!  So we waited for our South Carolina friends, Mike and Sandy to arrive here in the park to go see it.
Tuesday, March 10th turned out to be a perfect day weather wise for it!!  It was amazing!!
Entry gates, the beginning of his works of art!


The Castle as it first appears!!
Mike must think he's a suit
of Armour!!
Everything that Howard Solomon built and displayed is made from trash that people gave him to recycle.  He was in his glory creating and it is said that he only got 3 or 4 hours of sleep a night!!
It is decorated with more than 80 stained glass windows that he created and many, many metal sculptures.  The stories the tour guides tell during the tour is an example of Mr. Solomon's wit!!
There is a unique 500 sq ft efficiency apartment that sleeps two and can be rented for a night with an advance reservation.  And the tower on the left houses their home.  He had five wives over his lifetime, so maybe they could not all live with his eccentricity!!  He died August 23, 2016  at the age of 81, but the family still shares his work and humor.  The tour guides are very good.
The exterior siding is aluminum templates from the local newspapers!!
Because of hurricane, Irma, it had 36 inches of water on the ground floor and had to be repaired.  Other than that, it is all original.


This section of the castle was his home,
with the top floor being his living and
dining room, kitchen and bedroom.
After the tour we went to the tables behind the boat for lunch.  They had some awesome and tasty food!  Thank you Mike for treating us!!
Sandy and Mike
Very good lunch!!  Yum!!
Rita, our entertainer.
Oldies, but Goodies!!!!


Sandy and I had a good look through the gift shop!!

 
I love the tables made from Cypress Knees!!!
These were made from plastic, but
next year here I will get some
ceramic pots and paint my own!!


Beautiful, but out of our trice range for now!!
Of course, they would not fit in the motorhome!!
Thought I could make flags also???

Guess who!!
Mike, Sandy and Gary 
This was a great day and we hope to have a few more before Sandy and Mike leave us this coming weekend.  This is their first trip in their new-to-them motorhome.  A very new experience.  They pick our brains on how to do, especially Gary's!!  And Mike is trying to get all his bugs worked out in their rig.
Hopefully, they will visit us again sometime.  We first met them in 2008 on our first year out and our first trip south through SC after we left New England before winter.  
They sure are sold on this park!!  And like our New Hope Baptist Church up the road a mile or so. 
Today we will be going out to lunch at Fairmount's Ale House in Sebring, FL with the LEOs group  here in the park.  LEO being the Let's Eat Out group which  usually shares a meal once a month.
Check back with us and I will share more time with Mike and Sandy.
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