2025 March - Elite Resort at Citrus Valley - A Final Chapter

Elite Resort at Citrus Valley, Clermont, FL

March, 2025 - A Final Chapter 

Well, I thought my last blog post here at Elite had enough to add to my memories and share with friends but there was more and more.

As a kid, have you ever had a potato wrapped in foil and thrown into a fire?

Meh; better to lay them on the bed of hot coals. Still, with butter and/or sour cream added, the crusty (somewhat burnt) delicious result is enhanced by eating it outdoors while "camping."

Another Thursday Boy's Night Out at Outback. A "Bloomin' Onion" for the table. An Outback Original! Their special onion is hand-carved, cooked until golden and ready to dip into a spicy signature bloom sauce.

A crock of French Onion Soup. Delicious, full bodied and thick with onions and broth.

Victoria's 6 oz. filet mignon did not live up to my expectations and for what I think was the first time ever, I sent it back. The concerned manager comped me for the second full meal...with a better cut of filet. That meal came home with me and enjoyed the next day.

Ever hear of The McGinney?

The McGinney is a beer cocktail created in 2024 by Dave and Craig (son of Tony/Doreen). While traveling through Newark Airport and visiting the Polaris Lounge, they combined a Peroni (an Italian lager) and a Guinness (an Irish stout), reflecting their respective heritages—Craig being Italian and Dave being Irish. The drink is a variation of a classic Black and Tan, but with a unique twist due to the crispness of Peroni and the creamy depth of Guinness. To make a McGinney:

1. Fill a pint glass halfway with Peroni.
2. Slowly pour Guinness over the back of a spoon that allows it to float on top.

Enjoy the layered look and the smooth blend of flavors.

So Tony decided to try it.

Success, Sampled and Enjoyed

From Miami, before sunrise, granddaughter, Sara, spotted and staked out the first Leatherback sea turtle nest of the season.

From 2023, this gives an idea of the size of the turtle that makes it way from and back to the ocean. Flipper tracks can be seen at the right.

Another Thursday Boy's Night Out brought us back to the Crooked Spoon.

That night's special, Truffle Mac & Cheese had diced mushrooms. Outstanding.

Another trip to "I Love NY Pizza" and this time a Calzone...three lunches.

One last visit to The Friar Tuck, Jack enjoyed Fish & Chips while I again enjoyed their Cottage Pie and...

...for dessert we shared Roberta's favorite, Biscoff Bomb: Biscoff cookie butter melted inside deep fried puff pastry accompanied by vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and chocolate sauce.

At the clubhouse, for one last visit, we enjoyed their Spaghetti Dinner Night. Spaghetti with a choice of meat sauce, meat sauce with sausage or plain marinara, a salad, slice of Texas Toast and choice of soda. Tony and Liz brought their own bottles of wine. I had Tony's Arboretto. 

"A noble red wine from the crest of a number of extraordinary fertile hills in the Abruzzo region. Dry, harmonic, full-bodied with an almond finish."

And finally, for our "Last Supper," we traveled north to Carrabba's Italian Grill.  Tonight's meal was a perfect reminder of George Bernard Shaw's words: "There is no love more sincere than the love of food."

L. to R. Tony, Doreen, Fran, Jack, Walter, Johnny, Liz, Jim, Charlie

The Caesar's Salad: cold, crisp and delicious.

Photo from the website: Roasted Vegetable Ravioli. 

On the presented plate: Ravioli filled with roasted red and yellow peppers, asparagus, Portobello mushrooms, ricotta, and parmesan (generously) tossed in a tomato cream-goat cheese sauce and topped with shaved parmesan. Half came home.

For dessert, Limoncello Bread Pudding with a dollop of vanilla ice cream. None came home.

As you may know, Carrabba's has a "$10 Take Home" policy. Have an entree and take another home of equal or lesser value for $10. My choice, for future meal(S) was lasagna.

 

From the website: Fresh pasta layered with pomodoro sauce, meat sauce, ricotta, romano and mozzarella cheese.

And to conclude the season, an annual treat for Winnie: A $13/foot Wash/Dry/Wax and Buff from Five Star Detailing.

Jose and Abi

Five Star Detailing. Visit the website.

Tires pre-cleaned, scrubbed and Armor All applied

Pre-cleaning solution applied on entire coach including roof and awning.

A sudsy wash

Awning pre-cleaned then power washed top and underside.

Before

After

Next, entire vehicle is rinsed with de-ionized water to prevent spotting and blown dry prior to waxing.

All windows washed, dried and buffed.

Wax then applied and buffed

After waxing and buffing, a final wipe down to rid any streaks from buffing.

Like brand new. Running you hand over any surface feels like a mirror.

And so ends my stay in Florida. I hope you've enjoyed my memories. My next stop is Richmond Hill, Georgia, for two nights, then on to Myrtle Beach for seven. The weather is improving daily and I hope it follows as I travel back home. A big thank you to Walter for the use of his Audi that proved most useful many times. 

"Good things end so better things can start. But honestly, I was pretty happy with the good things." – Unknown

2025 March - Elite Resort at Citrus Valley

Elite Resort at Citrus Valley, Clermont, FL

March, 2025 

Welcome back. Yes, the beat goes on but in its final measure; campfires, conversations and continued appreciation of weather we're not experiencing back home. With reduced numbers, we enjoy campfires at 7:30 and, on occasion, a trip to one of many restaurants in the area. There are just five of us now to finish the month of March before leaving. I decided to post this final blog of my 3-month stay earlier than the end of month.

Weather. The weather here has fluctuated greatly day to night. Highs in the mid-80's to lows in the high 50's even mid-40's that, along with windy conditions, has caused cancellations of some evening campfires. Too cold for a campfire in Florida? What's wrong with that picture?

One such evening mid-March threatened our area. Nothing major developed but it left 44 fatalities across seven states as a result of severe thunderstorms. 52 tornadoes were reported from severe thunderstorm activity between Friday and Saturday. In addition, multiple wildfires sparked up across Oklahoma as powerful winds fanned flames. An expansive dust storm across West and central Texas, Oklahoma and portions of Kansas dropped visibility under a mile in some cases on Friday. This dust then spread into the Midwest Saturday, creating hazy skies and poor air quality. Nearly 1,100 flights were canceled across the nation between Friday and Saturday.

Yellow box indicating a tornado threat, the blue dot is my location.

Rocket Launches. We're very lucky to be a mere 80 miles (as the crow flies) due west from Cape Canaveral's launch sites and able to catch a few launches. I subscribe to https://nextspaceflight.com/ that notifies me of such events. I tried to capture one such launch. Proper equipment probably would have helped enhanced the view. Night time launches were even more dramatic.

During my stay I witnessed the launch of the 4 astronauts (Crew 10) to the ISS and the return of 4 (Crew 9) including Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams who've been 'stranded' on the ISS for approximately 286 days. If interested, the launch is at this LINK.

Screenshots of the view from the ISS as Crew 10 on Dragon Endurance approached.

The view Crew 10 had as they approached the ISS.

I took some screenshots of Crew 9's return home as well. An awesome spectacle of technology and achievement. This portion of the re-entry is at this LINK. You'll have to slide the play button to the right to the 1:04:30 mark which begins the visual coverage of the descent.

 And speaking of celestial events, the total lunar eclipse occurred on my mom's birthday, March 13-14th. I passed on viewing totality as it came at 2:31 a.m.  See it HERE.

Someday I'll learn how to take such photos with an iPhone.

Dining. A Boy's Night Out was at Giovani's in Davenport, FL. Extensive menu with portions large enough to take home; the acoustics were the only distraction to the otherwise delicious experience.

L. to R. Johnny, Jack, Walt, Tony, Charlie

Farfalle pasta and diced chicken with mushrooms and shallots in a creamy brown Marsala sauce.

Friends from Port Orange, FL, once again made the trip to visit me in March meeting son, Zane and wife, Amanda, at Muse Bar and Bistro in Clermont. A 25-year-old entrepreneur, Leddys Ynchausti from the Dominican Republic has transformed a once Mediterranean restaurant to one that offers "unique flavors that can’t be found anywhere else...with a vibrant fusion of Peruvian, Caribbean and Latin flavors."

L. to R. Zane, Amanda, Charlie, Mya, Mark. 

Tropical Surf & Turf with a Strawberry Chardonnay.

8 oz. Grilled Churrasco (skirt steak) rolled and speared with a Skewer of Grilled Shrimps on a bed of Sweet Plantain and a side of mashed potatoes.

Other Memories. Since January, I've seen three "Park Models" delivered. Parked in front of my site, they await the crew to maneuver these structures onto empty lots that once housed RVs. This further reduces the chances of a number of my RV group for finding rental sites for future stays here in Florida.

Mid-March, I drove Walt and Fran to Port Canaveral and their 8-day Royal Caribbean Adventure of the Seas cruise to the ABC islands; Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao.

Hoping the luck of the Irish was with you on this special day.

Our local Publix provided my seasonal treat, Irish Soda Bread. Warmed or toasted slathered with butter, it's an unbeatable taste treat.

Along with this little creature who decided to cling to the rear surface of Winnie, I hope you too will continue to cling to and follow the travels with Charlie as I head back home. 

"We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time." – T.S. Eliot