Life on the Road
Let’s Hang Out in Orlando
With Gators!
This week we’ve moved inland from the coast to Orlando. Of course, everyone knows that Disney World is Orlando, but we didn’t go there. We’ve been to Disney twice, and this time, we decided to see some different things.
We used Airbnb to get a one-bedroom house for $850. Sure it’s in an RV park, but there is a huge pool steps from the front door, and it’s not too far from anything including the couch where we hung out watching Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
Here’s where I announce that we love watching series in chronological order. We’ve done all of Star Wars, Marvel, Leverage, and the Great British Baking Show. It’s really cool sharing shows we love with Daxton.
But, back to Orlando. Daxton’s godmother lives just north of here, and she suggested that we go to Gatorland since Daxton loves animals, all animals. It was amazing.
Let me start out by saying that this is not only an attraction but a conservation center that actively promotes the protection and conservation of alligators and crocodiles and educates people about these amazing animals. They do it in a fun atmosphere that respects the animals and is a great experience for everyone. (No, I am not getting money from them, and they don’t sponsor me in any way.)
Daxton loved feeding the massive alligators. Life every interactive experience in the park, this cost additional to the price of admission, but it was definitely worth it. We went in and each got 3 pieces of chicken to give to the gators. You toss the meat and have to make sure that it touches the gator’s snouts when it lands, or they won’t know it’s there. Being the kind person that I am, I only fed them one piece and let Daxton feed them 5 pieces. He was so happy.
Because the center is known for having space and expertise, they get a lot of animals that people, or sometimes zoos or other conservation centers, don’t have space for or can’t take of, there are also goats, snakes, spiders, two bobcats, parakeets, and parrots there. Daxton loved feeding the goats. We bought him feed, which came in ice cream cones the animals could eat, and he spent over an hour feeding them.
Did I mention that in with the goats were 2 sheep, an emu, and a Brahman calf? Daxton was particularly fond of feeding the cow because it used its tongue to swipe the food into its mouth.
He loved the place so much, we went there twice, once with his godmother and once without. He fed a 109-year-old tortoise named Dean, and we saw shows that gave a brief overview of alligators and their interactions with both Native People and the Spaniards. There were cute signs everywhere, and lots of amazing walks shaded by canopies and trees.
We found amazing vegan ice cream at Greenery Creamery that Daxton and his godmother could enjoy without worrying about lactose. There is also a roadside orange grove with kitschy statues that was a fun place for photos.
The best thing about the RV park is the pool. We went swimming every night we could. There were some nights when the daily summer thunderstorm came in the evening when we wanted to swim, but that only happened twice.
Orlando without Disney or Universal is amazing, but the best part of being on the road is spending time together finding new things. It’s amazing how easily we refer to each place we’re at as home. I thought that I’d miss “going home” after and adventure, but it turns out that going home isn’t a place, it’s being together at the end of the day, talking about our adventures, and planning new ones.
