First, the balloon is back!
New characters, color scheme and what a difference!
You all know that Disney is well into the Halloween mode and you can have your photo with the main two characters of the latest Tim Burton Movie "Frankenweenie" Jack and Sally.
The lines were huge!
(A note to all you Disney Cast Members, Disney is offering a Cast Member exclusive preview of the "New" Fantasyland here in the Magic Kingdom. This will be offered (on the HUB) for a limited time. You will be able to take with you the number of guests on your Main Gate Pass. The tour will last about two hours and you can stay in the Magic Kingdom for the entire day and will NOT be charged one of your passes for that day.)
Pat returned after visiting with Darlene, Buzz and Winston for just over two weeks and her flights went very well. There's something to say for traveling over 900 miles in two hours.
I got to spent some quiet time at the "Cell Parking Lot" just south of the Orlando Airport and was treated to a gorgeous evening sky.
You can just make out the "fingers of God" piercing through the cloud openings.
Pat's flight arrived ahead of schedule and we headed straight to the Earl of Sandwich.... what do you expect?
But, the best is yet to come. Our next story is from our good friends Chuck and Laura. Chuck and Laura are Blog Friends but they are also the owners of Granite Village where Pat and I resided for five years after we retired. Chuck and Laura are sorta semi-retired and are beginning to enjoy monthly excursions in all directions of the compass around these United States.
Chuck and Laura have been around heavy equipment all their lives and recently headed to the mid-west to check out a few genuine American "treasures."
At first, we were told the trip was to see the John Deere factory tour in Moline, IL. But, I think the real
reason they went was to see "Danielle." If you enjoy following along with "American Pickers" Mike and Frank you probably enjoy their interaction with "Danielle." Laura made more than one or two phone calls to get to see their shop and meet "Danielle." They found out that "Danielle" is only at the store for filming, but that wasn't going to stop them from making their way to the store.... Which Laura says is "tiny!"
They were determined to see "Danielle." They also found out a few interesting things about "Danielle." First, "Danielle" (according to our travellers) is much prettier in person. Second, (we all know) she really does have a lot of tattoos. Third, she owns her own shop (just across the street where they caught up with her) called "4 Miles 2 Memphis," and fourth, she is into Burlesque in a really big way!
Left to right, Laura, Danielle and Chuck. It's safe to say, "American Pickers" is their favorite show!
Next stop, Moline, IL to see the John Deere factory tour... and they were in awe!
The piece of equipment below is a fascinating concept machine to debark trees
Laura says it looked like a spider with six legs with pads for feet to walk in the woods.
According to Laura they got the most comprehensive tour of the plant you can imagine.
They started with the raw sheet metal and followed the process to the finished Combine. Chuck was in his glory! The John Deer Pavilion had all kinds of machines and interactive pieces you can climb in and on.
From there they just had to see the I-80 Truck Stop and Truck Museum. They even got to dine with the truckers that evening!
That's Chuck standing to the right of the vintage truck.
Even though meeting "Danielle" was awesome, Laura writes that the highlight of the trip was their visit to Rock Island Lock and Dam 15. I'll let Laura's photos speak for themselves.
Laura writes that "the locks come under the jurisdiction of the U.S Army Corps. of Engineers.
Chuck and Laura spent but a few days taking in some true American history. They got to see one of their favorite TV show's stars and returned with a great story and many wonderful memories.
I'd like to thank Laura for sending us their story and allowing us to pass it on to all of you.
Laura and Chuck are two very special people. They beam the "New England can do" ethic and are like kids around anything with a motor! They're NASCAR and Super Modified racing fans and just can't get enough of every kind of huge equipment.
Thanks Laura and Chuck! We'll be looking forward to hearing about your next "American Adventure!"
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