Tri-Circle-D

So glad to have you here TCD.. your TR are so entertaining... but how long are you going to leave us hanging?

Not too much longer!

Ah that is the beauty of TCD... he's a master of building suspense in his TR. I think he likes to keep us on the edge of our seats...

:suspense:

Thanks, Monique.

I think y'all have waiting long enough.

So, more is on the way.

who is Andrew?? Doesnt fit my vision.. :rofl2:

I don't know?

It's like trip report foreplay... :rofl2:

No comment.

Never seen Andrew post on a weekend. Nothing after 5 on Friday until Monday morning but you never know.

True.

(About the you never know part!)

TCD

Ta Da!!! Anything for you TCD! I'll even give you three!

Thank you!

Thank you!

Thank you!

That's three thankyou's for three moonwalking bananas.

I love it!

Andrew, so happy to see you, and as usual, enjoying your trip report!!!

Oh yeah, I changed my user name, I am the camper formerly known as RvUsa, and EjmBibb before that LOL

Hey John!

I am happy to see you here, too.

It has been a while!

I know you had some medical issues a while back.

I hope all is well with you and your family.

You left us hanging. Help. Will TCD make it out alive , will we be able to wait until Monday for another post. Tune back in at the same Fort time same Fort channel.

P.S. I need a beer. That is all.

I need a beer, too.

But, first I'm going to give you a special treat.

A Saturday installment!

That doesn't happen very often.

But, I am going to reward all the loyal readers.

It is great to be back.

w00t....a TCD report. This man needs a memory card and battery sponsor.

True.

I also need a new camera.

But that is a story for another day.

Great to have you on board Andrew! True to your word, your first trip report is not even finished yet and is already the most viewed and replied too thread on the trip report board.

Hey, Harold!

My old buddy from down the street (although I have only met you and the family at the Fort).

I am glad to see that you are part of the gang here, and reading along.

When do you plan on being back at the Fort?

TCD

p.s. As far as I can tell, I can only include 5 quotes in each post. So, please stand by for more responses, and then an update to the report.

WOW!

Just, Wow.

I said when I started this trip report that I wanted to see it have at least a thousand views.

We are now closing in on two thousand, and we are not even close to the half-way point in this report.

Awesome!

As is my practice, I will be responding to your comments, but before I do that, I wanted to say that while some of you may have missed me, I didn't realize how much I missed all of you until I started reading your comments.

What a great group of folk this is!

And think about it for a minute.

We have a guy reading along in Russia.

And another in Texas.

And a lady in Minnesota.

And another couple in South Carolina.

And, then there's a lady in New Hampshire.

Plus a bunch of Florida folks.

And, folks everywhere.

All sharing a couple of laughs and enjoying a story about some guy's trip to Fort Wilderness.

What a great site this is.

To those lurkers reading along.

Welcome!

Why don't you join and let us know you are reading along.

You will not find a funner or friendlier group anywhere!

So sign up!

It's free!

And, you can join in the fun!

Now, back to the report . . .

TCD

Hey this is a great trip report.

I have a photo request.

Do you know where bear rock is?

Just go out the back of the Meadow Trading Post, and head toward the little dock behind it.

Look to the left, and you will see a group of rocks.

Please see if you can get a photo.

I was actually at the Fort earlier this week, and noticed that the water level was very low.

Bear Rock was high and dry!

This is what it looks like normally:

That would make a good photo.

Enjoy the rest of your stay!

It looks like the weather should be nice this weekend!

TCD

OK, it's time.

To tell you about my little adventure.

But first, we will take a look at the 1500 loop.

That is where I wanted to be.

But, they said it was full.

But on Saturday, it wasn't.

A lot of the campers who had been there were packing up to leave.

But, the FW crew was setting up a bunch of rental tents.

A bunch.

Here's one:

And this is where we meet this trip's real man of genius.

Right here on 1500.

As we entered the loop, we heard a dog barking.

Loudly!

Here he is:

He's chained to the picnic table.

The real man of genius had packed up his tent, and went somewhere.

Leaving Fido chained to the table.

This guy was breaking every rule in the book.

And his poor dog was barking his head off.

So, Mr. dog in a tent and chained to the picnic table man, we salute you!

You are the TCDRMOG award winner for February, 2011.

Here's another rental tent on 1500:

So, what was the deal?

What happened was a big group showed up on Saturday.

They filled up the loop.

Most of them had rental tents.

And then they left on Sunday.

I guess they had fun?

So, it was now getting to be late morning.

The plan was for the girls to hit the showers and get ready to head to a park.

And, I would be doing a bit of exploring.

I have been to most places in the Fort.

But, there was one place that I had yet to visit.

The Horseshoe Bend Recreation Area!

What, you haven't heard of it?

Well, neither had I.

Until I looked at this old map (circa 1978):

Look at the 300 loop.

Now look just below it.

Notice that the Bike Barn used to be over here.

Also, notice that the map shows the route of the Fort Wilderness Rail Road.

Look where the tracks go though what is now the dog park, and then cross the creek, and travel over to the canal, and then curve toward the 1500 loop.

In this close-up of the map, you can see that this area used to be called the Horseshoe Bend Recreation Area:

I have mentioned my desire to explore this area before.

The Otterspotter told me that she remembered it as being open fields for recreation.

And, of course, the train went through there.

As you know, the tracks and the ties have been pulled up in most places.

In some places, the old rail beds are now sidewalks.

Or, they are just covered over, and no body would even know that there had once been a train that ran through Fort Wilderness.

But what about back here?

I wonder if there is any evidence of the tracks back here?

There is only one way to find out.

I knew that this would be no easy feat.

This area is very overgrown.

If you ever look to your right as you travel from the 1500 loop to the 1400 loop, this is what you see:

It's a big, overgrown, swamp:

Notice that a lot of stuff in there is brown.

I have been waiting a long time to visit on a day like today.

Winter has helped tame some of the brush.

And the cold weather has taken care of the bugs.

It is likely that the snakes that surely live here would be hibernating, or at least sluggish.

So, this is my chance.

I'm going in.

I'm going to try to find and follow the path of the old Fort Wilderness Railroad through here- all the way from when the rails crossed the creek, and out toward the 1500 loop.

Here is where I started:

That's the bridge that you cross when heading from the 1400 loop to the Settlement. That canal leads from the fishin' hole behind the Meadow Trading Post, traveling between the 600 and 500 loops and the 1400 loop.

If you look on the map, you will see that it is possible to walk along the bank of the creek here, and end up at the point where the tracks crossed the creek. But we have a problem. This is what the creek bank looks like:

There will be no walking along the creek bank today.

We will enter over here, just a bit off to the side, where it looks like things are a bit clearer:

Before we begin our journey, let's take a look back toward the 1400 loop. That's the 1400 loop bus stop off in the distance in this photo:

To enter here, I have to push away the dead vines. At least they are dead, and give little resistance:

Even after several weeks of cold weather (December was another record cold month in Florida this year), you can see how thick the undergrowth is here:

I pushed through to a bit of a clear spot. I could see across the creek here. It is much clearer over on the other bank:

Here we are looking across the creek again. You can see the dog park fence to the left in this photo:

You can see the fence again here:

Here we are turned and looking up the canal in the direction we need to go:

Here's one last look across the creek here. It looks like there would be a nice place to sit and fish right over there:

From here, I press on into the brush:

An old beer can tells me that I am not the only person who has visited this area. But, the condition of the beer can tells me it has been a while:

There are a lot of fallen and rotting trees back here. They make it difficult to get through:

After a lot of pushing and back-tracking, I make it to my first landmark!

It's the support for the old trestle that used to cross the creek here:

Here we are looking across the creek toward the dog park. You can see the matching concrete support on the other side:

From here, I intend to try to follow the path of the railroad all the way out to the road again by the 1500 loop.

Based on what I just had to walk through, I did not expect this to be easy.

i also had no idea whether there would be any evidence of the old tracks to see.

But, for now, we have reached our 30 photo limit.

You will find out in my next post what I found here, and whether I was able to make it through!

TCD

I could never expect to compete with the TR master! :worship:

Just a second there, missy.

Your most recent trip report rocked!

And there are some other good ones on here, too.

If any of you reading this one have not read S70's, it just a few below this one on the trip report page.

Read it!

I can't believe I almost missed your report. I now will be staying tuned in. Oh and everything is good in Texas just wish we were in Florida.

Well, maybe if you had started this trip report for me, I would have shown up here sooner.

Oh well, better late than never.

You, sir, are a gentleman. Just another reason I am glad to find the great TCD at our new internet home. ;D

Thanks, but I suggest you reserve judgment until you meet me.

I am not really a gentleman.

But I (usually) know when to keep my mouth shut.

For what it's worth, I really liked where I used to post, and I'm sad about what happened. I don't have any ill will toward that place, but this is my new home.

укусить меня

:rofl2:

Wow!

Russian letters and everything.

How in the world do those folks understand that writing?

And, stop being so sensitive. Why did you assume I was talking about you?

Nope that's Russian for "BITE ME" I have been translating Russian part numbers to English all day, pretty much knew that one :rofl2:

OK, now, that is impressive!

This board really rocks, doesn't it?

I'll bet the only reason Dave knows how to say that is that he has heard it plenty himself.

I don't know why, but I literally was laughing out loud looking at all the turkey photos. I scrolled as fast as I could to see if I could see them moving. Was the camera set to burst mode?

I have never seen a turkey at the Fort so I thank you for posting them.

Carry on...

What?

You've never seen a turkey?

I can't believe it.

But, if I remember right, you did get a sweet hawk photo!

By the way, I forgot to ask, the last time I posted a turkey photo, someone posted a great video of an arrow that removed the turkey's head. That was a great video. Does anyone remember it? This is not a question directed at anolefan, but to everyone.

I didn't realize how much I missed reading the TCD trip reports until I read through these 4 pages :banana:

Here's hoping this is an extra long report and it sounds like there will be another one following it.. :dance: Woo Hoo :dance:

Thanks.

And, you are right, this one is going to be plenty long, and then I do have another one in the hopper.

Plus, I have had a couple of short visits to the Fort as well, with some photos from those trips, too.

I've got a lot of posting to do!

There's plenty of turkeys at the Fort, esp on holiday weekends....

True. And other "wildlife" as well!

TCD

TCD & turkey butts................LIFE IS GOOD! :suspense:

Thanks, Stephanie.

Well put.

So, this trip report was started just 24 hours ago.

And, currently the stats show 796 views.

Which makes it the second-most read trip report in the short history of this board.

And gaining on the most-read trip report.

Which is yours!

I've got you in my sights!

This baby is going way past the thousand view mark!

Way to go Fiends!

And, this report is just getting started!

TCD

OK - I admit it! I've never read a TCD TR before! :o I claim extenuating circumstances.

1. I was flushed from the DISrespectful Board in 2006 - long before the FortFiend Flush;

2. This year was the first time I actually stayed at The Fort

3. The first place I went for information about The Fort was FortFiends.net ... and there was no TCD.

With that said, I am really enjoying the TR :banana: - especially the wildlife!

Well, then, you get a special welcome!

And a tip . . .

Don't just look at the pictures.

There is some good stuff buried in the text.

Hopefully, I'll meet up with you one of these days at the Fort.

Until then, enjoy the report.

TCD

:bravo: Good call TCD - agreed we don't need any negative, we are all happy campers

Thanks, Lorna.

It is good to see you here.

And it will be even better to see you one of these days at the Fort.

I see your husband was re-named somewhere along the line.

What's the story there?

(if you can tell it in public)

TCD

I am The Dude that goes with KFK. Welcome my Fort Fiend. H

OK, good.

Got it.

Got to keep the Fiends straight.

. . . and who doesn't love a picture of a turkey butt :banana:

True.

Suddenly I'm in the mood for Turkey and Dressing. I can't expalain it. I wonder if Fort Turkeys taste better than average turkeys.

Ok I'm ready for the next helping of your report.

Yes, the Fort turkeys taste much better than store bought.

But, not enough to make it worth the effort.

Trust me on that.

TCD

TCD I would love to read your farewell post. Can you post it here?

Todd- I was very disappointed and a bit angry when I made that post. That is in the past, and I see no reason to discuss it. As far as I am concerned, nothing has changed except the address of the website where I post.

And this place has awesome owners and webmasters.

As you know, there are great folks here.

One of the reasons I stayed away for a while is that I do not want to be a part of anything negative.

So, i am not going to go there.

The past is in the past.

When I see all your pictures it makes me realize just how much of the Fort I haven't seen. When I get there in July I will be doing a lot more exploring :dance:

You ain't seen nothing yet.

As I mentioned earlier, on this trip I ventured into a part of the Fort which even I have never visited.

And found something pretty cool.

Read on.

Read on.

I would like to read it as well

See my response to Discamper, above.

The past will stay in the past.

TCD

Well, it seems that most of you have read a TCD trip report before.

And, even if you haven't, you may have noticed that there are plenty of photos.

That's my thing.

Quantity.

Not quality.

And this post will be provide a perfect illustration.

I mentioned an animal encounter on our first looping excursion of Saturday morning.

More specifically we had a bird encounter.

And, even more specifically we had a turkey encounter.

As we entered the 1700 loop, we noticed a turkey herd.

Or is it gaggle?

Or flock?

Or posse?

I don't know.

Let's just say there was a group of turkeys.

Naturally, I needed a photo.

So, I took a few.

OK, more than a few.

Actually, more than a dozen.

I thought maybe one would be a great shot.

But, it ends up that I was wrong about that.

Instead of me choosing, I will just let you see them all.

No complaining.

You get what you pay for.

So, here we go.

What you are about to see is 14 turkey photos.

Don't say I didn't warn you:

Whew!

I told you so.

But, wait there's more!

That was only 12.

It only seemed like 14.

At least these last two are different.

These last two are of a turkey butt!:

Luckily for you, this post will contain a one turkey-free photo.

And, here it is:

This is a photo taken from just inside the 1700 loop, looking toward the loop entrance. You can see that the last campsite on the loop has a covered wagon set up in front of it. This apparently was the ringleader of a group called the Northern Pioneers. From what I hear, they take over most of the full hook up loops for several weeks each winter. I would imagine at least a few of them must have computers, and maybe even one of them is reading this report. If you are a Northern Pioneer give me a shout out! I'd like to hear more about your group.

Back to the turkeys . . .

You might think you have seen enough turkey photos to last you for a while.

But, in case you haven't, here's a photo of Chip and Dale with the turkeys in the background:

And, you will be happy to hear that this is my very last turkey photo for this report:

I know what you are thinking.

You are thinking TCD has got to be the luckiest guy around.

But, things are not always as they seem.

Finding those turkeys was a bad thing.

First, they were hard to catch.

And, then there was all of the feather plucking.

What a pain that is.

And, then I had to cook them all.

Which, as you may know, takes a long time.

My turkey leg stand did pretty good business with the 2000 loop party animals.

But, gosh, we sure had a lot of leftovers.

A man can only eat so much turkey hash.

KWIM?

Next up, we continue on our morning looping excursion.

And find our Real Man of Genius in the 1500 loop.

TCD

Woo - Hoo.....with a capital WOO and a capital HOO. The man is back from a self imposed hiatus.

You probably don't remember me from the old site, but it wasn't the same without your content. As someone earlier posted, "your TRs make me feel like I'm there." While I didn't get flushed, I got my hands slapped at the old place. I missed yours and FWGuy's farewell addresses (which bums me out quite a bit - I bet they were dousy's).

Here's to the possible return of the "TCD Real Men of Genius" candidates. :banana:

Glad you're back Dude!

"Possible" return of the TCDRMOG award?

Scratch the "possible!"

If TCD is writing a trip report, there are two things you can always count on:

1. There will be photos of site 617.

and

2. There will be a TCDRMOG award.

You can take that to the bank!

Second all of that. And also looking forward to the TCD RMoG Awards. Always brings a smile to my day. :)

:) :) :) :) :)

Well, then, please keep reading.

Because this trip's winner will be announced soon.

I found him on Saturday morning.

In the 1500 loop.

I joined voldermort right before the flush happened, so this is actually my first "live as written" report. The old ones don't have the cliffhanger aspect like this one does, I can just see what happens and don't have to wait. Thanks again.

Best Regards,

Norm

OK, got ya.

These TCD trip reports are interactive.

You can ask any question, and it will be answered.

You can hijack to your hear't's content.

Welcome!

We do have a bit of a smiley obsession here :banana:

I noticed.

TCD

So far so good.

I see that we are generating a good number of views.

And, thanks for all of the comments.

Let's move along with this report!

We left off with my return trip to the 2000 loop via the 900 loop bridge.

And, here we are on the path on the 900 loop which leads to the bridge:

Here is the aforementioned bridge:

Here we are on the bridge looking at the ditch. If you followed the path you see to the right of the ditch, you would be walking in the pet walk area behind the 800 loop:

After crossing the bridge, we find ourselves in the group camping area. There are quite a few campers here this weekend:

I caught a firewood deal going down:

Just off to my left, I find the path that leads to the 2000 loop:

The path comes out here on the 2000 loop. If you look just to the left of the pop-up bunk end on the right of the second photo below, you will see the interior 2000 loop comfort station in the background:

There is a sidewalk that cuts across the loop right next to this comfort station:

Here is the 2000 loop tetherball court:

And, here we are heading back to 2009. There are my party animal friends on the right:

The girls were finally stirring when I arrived back at camp.

It is time for a little morning looping.

Which is exactly what we did next.

On that trip we had an animal encounter.

I have some interesting photos to share from that in my next post.

TCD

TCD! The Man the Myth The Legend! I am glad you made it here my friend! I have to say I truly enjoy your trip reports and admire the relationship you have with the girls! I hope to meet you in person one of these days at the Fort and treat you to a dole whip!

Dole Whip?

Treat?

You are my new BFF!

Let me know when you will be at the Fort!

I won't bother introducing myself. You might remember who I am. Then again you might not. I went down in the first flush but not before I had the honor of reading your farewell speech. A masterpiece! (Only rivaled by FW Guy's farewell)

Glad to finally get a TCD TR fix! I love the Jesus Deer. Go Feisty! The Shrek decor is fab! Looking forward to the rest of the report!

Hey KFK-

I'm glad to see that there is a future trip for the KFK gang there in your ticker!

***sigh***

I am in my happy place!! ;D

Can't wait to read more!

Gee, thanks.

How about a moonwalking banana for old times sake?

Thanks for doing a TR! Looking forward to the pics and the cool "little things" that you always notice!

I assume we are going to get a Dole Whip lesson at some point?

:popcorn:

Thanks.

And, sorry, but there will be no Dole Whip lessons.

Everybody here is smart enough to figure out how to make a Dole Whip (with one notable exception).

:annce: TCD Has arrived and doing a TR! I am a Happy Happy man. :popcorn:

Thanks.

Do you go with KFK? Or are you some other dude from SC?

TCD

:mademyday:

Welcome home!

Like others I was usually a lurker at the other place. Here I mostly post pics. I do remember your farewell post before it was deleted...it was a real "masterpiece"! Looking forward to more TCD (and Yuri) trip reports.

Well, Thanks.

I am glad some folks got to see my farewell post.

And, I am looking forward to more TCD trip reports too!

Yuri, not so much.

It's about darn time you got yourself over here, sonny boy!!! :argh:

1103 are friends of ours. They aren't too keen on dogs and on rare occasions this past winter, pet people were assigned to 1100.

Or maybe they didn't admit to having a pet with them.

Nevertheless, some dogs left little presents at site 1103.

The parents of the dogs didn't bother to gift wrap them.

HOWDY!!! Welcome Home!

Hello Deb!

You will be getting a shout-out in just a bit in this report.

This is the trip where I stopped by for a little visit when you were talking to the Mayor.

:welcrowd: :yourock: :bravo:

Glad to see that you have arrived I for one missed your trip reports, we do not get to the Fort as much as I would like to so reading your trip reports with all the pictures helps to fill the void. Thanks to you and all that post reports just wish we coulod be there more.

Thanks.

Man, you got some fancy smileys there, don't ya?

TCD

Well, it seems as if we are getting off to a bit of a slow start here.

Because it is still Saturday morning.

And we are still out exploring.

It was very cold at night over this weekend. It was in the low 30’s when I woke up.

The TCD twins were still fast asleep in the warm camper when I checked back on them.

All was quiet at the campsite:

Please note that I have attempted to assualt every tree in my site with a piece of rope.

I hope that all of you clothesline fans appreciate the effort!

This mob of girls was engaged in a loud and boisterous jump-rope competition:

As a father of three daughters, I have heard my share of loud and boisterous jump-rope competitions.

For some odd reason, I wasn't really in the mood to listend to that so early in the morning.

I cancelled my plans of enjoying a moment of solitude at the campsite.

Instead, I decided to take a stroll.

I like to do that.

You can see a lot looping around the Fort on a golf cart.

But, you also miss a lot.

And, there are lots of places you just can’t go.

So, we will do some exploring by foot.

We start out here, behind our site, along the banks of the babbling brook which is the back boundary of the sites here on the 2000 loop:

OK, there is no babbling.

And no brook.

It’s just a clogged up drainage canal.

But, that doesn’t sound very nice now, does it?

Before we leave, take a look at this:

That is my genuine FW horseshoe! Given to me by the blacksmith when I last camped right here on site 2009 back on New Year’s Day in 2009. Funny, isn’t it?

OK, not really.

Let’s move on.

Here, we head out walking along the canal:

Notice that Jack Frost has taken his toll on the plant life at the Fort.

A lot of stuff is brown and dead-looking. But, that will all change come spring.

Here we are looking back toward site 2009:

And now we are looking back again. You can see the TCD pop-up camper right in the center of these photos:

In this photo, we have continued to walk along the canal as it curves just a bit. Looking back toward the TCD site, you can still see the TCD camper near the center of each of this photo:

It is here that we find a primitive bridge built by ancient visitors to this place:

It is a simple thing to cross the ditch here, and, just like that, we are now on the other side of the babbling brook- err- I mean ditch, and looking back at the 2000 loop from across the way:

In case you are disoriented, the cabins that you see in these photos are in the 2100 loop.

From here, we can walk easily between a couple of the sites on the 1100 loop:

And, just like that, we are now standing in front of site 1103:

These campers have posted a sign. Is it a friendly greeting to those walking by?:

Not so much.

I wonder what this is all about?

1100 isn’t even a pet loop.

So why the sign?

We will leave the mystery of the NO DOGS sign for another day.

Because we need to move along.

I am heading toward the Meadow Trading Post.

So I can tell y’all how short of a walk it is.

I am timing myself.

So I can let you know.

Here we are leaving the 1100 loop, looking across the street at the 1300 loop:

I love walking or biking along this sidewalk. It runs through the woods here toward the Meadow Trading Post:

Do you know why?

Because it is built right on top of the old Fort Wilderness Rail Road tracks.

Want to know how you can tell?

Look along the sides of the sidewalk here:

And here (we are now looking back toward the 1300 loop) :

Do you see all those little rocks?

Do you know what those are?

There is a name for them.

It’s called ballast.

It’s what they use to form a bed for railroad ties when they build railroad tracks.

You can see a lot of old ballast all along this sidewalk. In these photos, we are looking toward the Meadow Trading Post. You can see the bridge which crosses over to the pool area in the background:

It took me less than 10 minutes to walk from the 2000 loop to here.

And it was easy.

I got another cup of coffee, and headed back to the 2000 loop a different way.

I planned on timing the walk back, so I could tell you which way is quicker.

And I re-set the timer on my watch to do so.

But, I will tell you right now that I forgot to look at it when I got back to my site.

So much for that little experiment.

But, no big deal.

Either way works.

On the way back, I headed toward the 900 loop.

Here we are in the entrance to the 900 loop, looking back toward the Meadow Trading Post:

From here, I will be heading to the footbridge in the back of the 900 loop, and crossing in to the group camping area.

But, you will have to wait for the next post to see those photos.

TCD

Welcome TCD. Glad to have you over here. I still post some over there. They need the help. And there are some over there who were not privy to the great separation. We'll be at the Fort in July and December. Hope to see you there.

Hey, Ken! Glad to see you over here. I'm not sure why anyone would want to go over there. Here is where it is at! Maybe I will get to meet you later this year.

It's good to see you back TCD!! I'm on my way out the door to Atlanta for the weekend. Hopefully I'll have time to check in over the weekend. If not, it will be Monday. I guess if I've made it since January without a TCD TR, I can make it 'till Monday. :dance:

Hello Olivia!

How are things?

I'm glad to see you here.

Too bad you have to wait until Monday.

When you get back and caught up, we will need to discuss some Tennessee and Florida football.

TCD

So let's see if Chris really did increase the photo limit . . .

Continuing on with our report, it is still early in the morning on Saturday, February 12, 2011.

These folks were set up on the last site in the 100 loop. They have been on this site for a while. I remember their whimsical signs reminding us to Dream, Relax, Imagine, and Giggle. I appreciate the reminder. I need to do more of all four of those things:

While I was there, I tried to Dream, Relax, Imagine and Giggle all at the same time. Not an easy thing to do. As I think about it, some of these things are contradictory. These folks must be some kind of troublemakers.

Some of you may be thinking: how do I know that this report is being written by the real TCD, and not be some clever and very talented imposter.

I’ll tell you how.

Here’s a photo of something only TCD would know.

It’s my favorite campsite!

That’s right.

Good old 617!

In all of its glory!:

While I was in the area, I headed over to the footbridge for a look around.

It’s another of my favorite places in the Fort.

Here’s the famous theater under the stars:

And, a look across the lake at the Meadow Trading Post:

And now we look the other way down the canal between the 600 and 1400 loops:

As I headed back from the bridge, something about this site caught my eye.

What the heck is going on here?

What is that on the big tripod?

A communication device to reach the mother ship?

And what is this?:

And what is with all of these baskets?:

And then there is this “lady”:

What is she doing sitting out here on her porch when the sun has barely risen?

Is she real?

Is she alive?

Has anyone seen the movie Psycho?

What about the new TV show Mounted in Alaska?

That’s all I am saying about that.

I got out of there quick.

But, I got a few more shots of site 617 for your viewing pleasure:

That grill is looking sweet!

By this time it was time to refuel. So, that means a visit to the Meadow Trading Post for some more coffee.

The huge sycamore tree out back has finally succumbed to Mother Nature’s call to go dormant for the winter:

While I was out back admiring the majestic sycamore, I noticed that there was a board missing in the fence behind the Trading Post. So, I must take a look. Right?

Of course!

And, I’m sure at least a couple of you are curious about what’ s back there.

Well, it pretty much looks like this:

Ho hum.

Here we are looking at the back porch to the Meadow Trading Post:

And, this is looking toward the little dock behind the Trading Post:

There is the Bike Barn across the lake:

And, when is the last time you have seen a photo of Bear Rock?

Well, here you go:

Looking good there Bear Rock!

From here, we will head out to the 1700 loop, where these folks have decorated for Valentine’s Day:

These wooden critters may look familiar to you. They should. They were there at Halloween, and then again at Christmas. These folks have been on this site all that time. And, they come back year after year.

Lucky.

These folks have their own topiary:

I think that makes 25 photos.

I am working my way up to a 30 photo post.

So, what’s next?

What do you think?

More photos!

From Saturday morning.

There is still a lot more exploring to do.

So be sure to check back!

TCD

Keep it coming TCD, it's been way too long and we are all enjoying our "fix"

Yes. ma'am Lynn!

More is coming up.

And tell George to get on here.

I have some sleuthing photos coming up in a bit.

TCD

Love reading your reports and can't wait for more. :suspense: We have a weekend trip coming up in June and I am hoping to write my first report. My dad is going through some old slides looking for pics from the Fort. I am hoping he has one of the train.

If your dad finds any old Fort photos, I would love to see them!

Speaking of trains. there is something that your dad may want to see coming up in just a bit.

Glad to see you here, TCD! I've been looking forward to another one of your (in)famous trip reports!

Well, the long wait is over!

Enjoy!

Enjoy!

Enjoying the report TCD! I too never get tired of pictures taken from the porch at Trails End....or pictures OF the porch at Trails End.

Either or ok in my book. So more would be welcomed. :dance:

Thanks, Dave.

I think I have some more porch photos here somewhere.

But, we will move on to some other things first.

I am so glaad to have begun to read a TCD trip reporrt again. Alomst as good as being there myself/ Definitely better than bacon. BUT, my family wants bacon with dinner and kids arebegging for time on the laptop, so off I go. I look forward to finishing my reading later!!

What?

Who are you?

Intruder alert!

Intruder alertt!

The real MomofSix would give the kids cold beans for dinner and finish reading this report!

Just kidding.

I'm glad to see that you are here, too.

And, I see a return trip is in your future!

Awesome!

Thanks for the post. I am enjoying my first TCD report.

Best Regards,

Norm

Your first TCD report?

What rock were you hiding under?

TCD

OK, now that we have the hello's out of the way, and Chris has increased my photo limit, let's get this thing moving.

As I mentioned, my first stop on Saturday morning was at Trails’ End for some of that delicious and unique Fort coffee.

I noticed that the Ring Carver’s kiosk had swapped placed with the bike rack outside:

Maybe not a big deal to you, but I thought I ought to share that tidbit in case someone reading along was looking to have a ring carved on his or her next visit. Also notice in the photo how the plant in the foreground is blooming with pink flowers. In February. After some pretty cold winter weather. Ponce De Leon named the land we now know as Florida “La Florida”- - The Land of Flowers. And, it is a good and fitting name for this place.

Pioneer Hall looked great, as usual:

I don’t recall seeing this price list before, so I thought I ought to snap a photo of it:

I have gotten in the habit of taking a photo from this vantage point on the porch of Crockett’s Tavern on all of my visits. Mainly because this area looks different each time. And, to me, it offers a classic view of the Fort. You can see the Settlement Trading Post there in the back ground. And, further off in the distance, the beautiful shimmering water of Bay Lake. The last time I was here, there was a giant Christmas tree and poinsettia plants here. Now, we have bare trees and colorful flowers:

The next time I visit, I am sure that this scene will be a little different, and come spring and summer those trees will be full of leaves and colorful blooming flowers.

After grabbing my coffee, it is time to take a look at some of the Valentine’s Day decorations around the Fort.

Folks love to decorate their campsites.

From Halloween on, the decorations are amazing.

And, when Thanksgiving and Christmas arrive, the decorations go to an even higher level.

By the time Valentine’s Day rolls around things become a bit more subdued.

But some folks still do a great job.

This site is on the 100 loop.

I have heard the lady who camps here referred to as Tina. As far as I know, I have not yet had the pleasure of meeting her. But, she was on this site back at Christmas time, and maybe before. On this day, she had her site decorated for Valentine’s Day:

Just across the path from Tina is the site of someone whom I have met: Feisty. Or Judy. She will answer to either. And probably to a lot more. She has been here since before Halloween. Here are her decorations:

I love how Judy/Feisty puts Shrek front and center.

Stick it to the man!

I mean mouse!

I spoke to Judy/Feisty several times over the weekend. She was getting ready to head back home soon. It is always weird when she does. I get used to seeing that site full of decorations. And , then they are gone. But, she will be back. Don’t you worry.

From Feisty’s site, I headed down the trail to another one of my favorite spots at the Fort.

I’m talking about this spot here:

I love this spot.

Look at the view!:

It’s hard to believe that all of this spacious beauty sits smack in the middle of the vacation capital of the world!

But it does.

And, I never miss a chance to sit here in the early morning and enjoy the view.

And that is exactly what I did for a brief while.

But, then it was time to move on.

And, so I did.

More photos will be right up.

This is how it's done.

TCD

Welcome back, TCD!

I'm going to see what I can do about the photo limitation for you, hopefully before your next post.

Edit: The maximum number of images in a post is now 30. I think that should be a good number for now- if you need more, let me know.

Are you frickin' kidding me?

How awesome is that!?

I ask a question, and I get an instant response!

That is awesome.

Thanks, Chris.

While you are at it, I need to be able to post more multi-quotes.

Thanks, bro.

I'm with you.. 2000 loop is where my savages belong.. Of course, they have enough sense not to run through the middle of someone's site or shine a flash light in a sleeping person face.. those offenses should be punishable by death.. :argh: ok, I'm better.. but they do enjoy the other kids.

Truth be told, I like the 2000 loop. Yes, it can be noisy. But the people-watching is unparalleled.

We've missed you!!!

Thanks, Dave.

I'm glad to have finally made it, and I am glad to see you here!

Yeah!! TCD is here!! This just made my day :parrot: . Did you happen to invite your cousin Yuri too??

No.

I did not invite my Cousin Yuri.

I never do.

But, since when had that stopped him?

Not to worry.

Yuri is never far away.

TCD

Great start. So glad you are here. I'm doodlebug and lurked elsewhere reading your tr's. Here well I am a crazed poster. You will see me a lot. I think once the new site is fully up and running there won't be any trouble posting pictures. Again welcome home. We will be seeing a lot of each other

Hey, you are the first to post on this trip report! Props to you. Thank you for your kind words. BTW- there was a camper named Doodlebug camped just a few spaces down from us on this trip. And, I have a photo to prove it. You will have to check back later for that.

Great to have you back...can't wait to read more!

Thanks, it is good to be "back." I didn't recognize your avatar because it wasn't moving. But, then I shook my computer screen back and forth, and then I knew who it was.

I'm in!! So glad to see you here sir, we havent met (yet) but I've been reading your trip reports for a while now, I always find them rather entertaining and informative!

Thanks. And don't get too excited about meeting me. Most folks find me boring in person.

TCD!! Welcome Back!

Another great trip to Fort Wilderness!

I only have one question.......

Is it worth it?

LOL!

The answer is YES!

'Thanks' for posting your first trip report here at 'fortfiends.net'! I always love reading your trip reports and viewing your pictures!

Looking forward to many more!

Thanks, Doug. I promise that this will be the first of many. In fact, right after I get this one done, I've got another one in the hopper. And, hopefully, I will be back at the Fort soon.

I'm in!!! Can't wait to read more.

Thanks, More is coming right up.

And, nice to meet you in person in March. That trip report will be following this one.

Off to a great start.

Having a loud, noisy group with lots of children in the 2000 loop? No way

We always have a blast looping in 2000 for that reason alone.

Keep it coming.

Thanks for the welcome, Tom. I know you always go premium for this very reason. But it ended up being fine.

TCD, I, like Doodle was mostly a lurker over at the DISfunctional board... at least until you and a couple others got "Flushed" in the first wave......

I think the rest of us got caught in the second wave (second "swirl" ?)

I'm glad you are back, its been way too long w/o a TCD trip report.

One more question though....

Will your cousin Yuri be back too??

Let's get one thing clear.

I was not flushed.

I quit.

I wrote a very nice farewell which explained why and gave specific instructions to the Webmaster on what she needed to do.

There must have been a computer glitch or something because my farewell post disappeared.

But, I was not banned. I left voluntarily.

And, yes, unfortunately, Yuri will be back. In fact, he already has been back. Not on this trip, but on our Spring Break trip. And I have the photos to prove it. But, first we will need to get through this one.

Wait!!! Who are you and what am I doing here??

Sorry, dude, but I am trying to figure that out myself. You are on your own on those questions.

So happy to finally see another TCD trip report. You have a way with words and a wicked sense of humor! I've been mostly a lurker of both boards for the last five years but am very familar with all the heavy posters in both places. I look forward to the rest of your trip report and pictures.

Thanks for the kind words. I will do my best not to disappoint!

TCD

Hey S70-

Just wanted to let you know that I was lurking for the past few days, and that I really enjoyed reading this great report.

I especially liked the part about when you were visited by the Spike Fairy! (Imagine that there is a thumb's up smiley here-I couldn't find one).

TCD