WBI’s Return to the Fort!

[WannaBeImagineer 98]

Simple Dave they don't have kids yet.

I think your on to something.

:bellringer:

haha

I am still enjoying this report. I love your pictures of EWP. You didn't happen to get a video did you? I hear Lou likes that more than the pictures. :rofl3:

haha no video to torture Lou with.

That is funny right there! Well and true!

haha

Nick, was the gator near the flipping canoe? I hate gators. I kayak fish and I carry a gun because the pesky jokers like to check me out. Shooooooot Heeeem Shooooot Heeeeeem in my best Troy voice.

If you don't know Troy you need to watch Swamp People on History Channel.

No he wasn't too close.

I've never had a problem with gators and I grew up in Louisiana, they never botherd us.

By the way I think Troy is the best one on that show. Choot em!

Wow, Donnie with a gun. Think about that for a minute.

hmm I did and I think i follow you. :)

These last updates made me giggle. ;D I love the canoes. It's is one of FW's best keep secrets with the most bang for your buck! :yay:

Love the MEP photos too! I hope it never ever ever changes. good memories....

It's more like.... Choot 'em Lizbeth! Choot 'em! Choot 'em!!! :rofl2: Love that show and that line is my fave evaaah!

haha exactly!

Liz got her own gig now with a little stick of dynamite named Christy. Last night was great.

I saw that Lizabeth has her own boat now. Talks about her diddy a lot.

OK, Nick-

I was away from internet access for a couple of days, but I'm now all caught up on your report.

You had some great updates and great photos, there.

Good job on all the River Country photos.

Good job on the gator photo.

And good for you for helping those young ladies with their canoe.

I also like the photo of the CP and the caliope button. Very funny!

TCD

Thanks TCD.

I've got some more updates coming up. I'm also trying to keep up with your 24 hour Leap trip.

Lou IS Walter. Where do you think Jeff gets his material?

haha

[WannaBeImagineer 98]

Glad you guys had a great time!!!!!!

hmmmm, maybe I can get a Fiend to go canooing with me...Oh Stef!!!!!! :clint: :rofl2: :flush2:

Thanks we had a great time!

Hell yeah!! I'll go! Maybe we can be lucky enough to be rescued by a nice looking young man......Oh Nick! :rofl2:

haha I'll defintely come to the rescue! Just holla!

Oh Nick!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :wave1:

haha

OH.MY.GAWRSH.

LMAO!

lol

Nick, I'm 99.743987% certain that the Whispering Canyon Cafe menus have the compass on them as well!!!

:)

I think your right, I'm pretty sure I've seen that compass at other Disney bars too.

I dunno if that's quite close enough

haha she just couldn't 100% commit.

LOVING your tr! I was part of the www, but I stayed behind at the site that evening and, unfortunately, didn't get to meet you and your wife. Kim is correct...you two are unbelievably adorable!!

Thanks! Sorry we didn't get to meet you, we really meant to swing by for a visit but our early mornings left us worn out at night.

A few years ago Jeff called me asking if I could be the model for Walter. I said yes, as long as there was money involved, but I said that he'd have to use a different name.

(PS, Ms Smarty Pants, you promised me some info. So get your non butt off the board and start doing some calculating.)

That's pretty cool Lou, and almost sound believable, not really.

Darn. I don't seem to be able to catch it when it's on. Boo me. Fail.

Catch what?

[WannaBeImagineer 98]

Wow sorry I’ve been gone so long!

The week has been crazy!

Picking up where I left off, it’s now Sunday morning and I wanted to do some exploring!

On a typical day CP is an early riser, usually around 4:45am so waking up early is easy for her, not so much for me. But when I’m on vacation I have no problem starting early. So this morning we both got up and headed out! CP went for a run and I hopped on my bike on a mission.

Here’s some early morning shots:

The dog park:

Then I cut through the 300 loop to the canal:

I was here before any of the fishermen.

I actually scared up two gators I tried for a picture but didn’t get the closest one:

Here’s the other:

Then I headed over to TCD’s favorite spot:

Too bad it was a little cloudy no real sunrise:

More Bay Lake pictures:

Then I headed down the trail to the Trading Post:

I notice you could see campsites through the trees, I wonder how this view will be when the new Pavilion is built.

I peaked behind the Trading Post but nothing good to see there:

Feisty’s site just doesn’t look right without her there:

Moving towards Pioneer Hall:

It was very empty around here. I have to agree with everyone I like the early morning hours at the Fort!

Then I headed over to the TCD Barn:

I tried to get a picture of something pretty cool but I wasn’t fastest enough.

I saw one of the Trails End waitress in her full old timey cloths petting one of the Belgium’s out behind the barn, it looked like a scene straight out of the late 1800s!

Moving on:

Whoops too many pictures, I'm going to split up this post.

WBI

[WannaBeImagineer 98]

Man two pictures in that last post got messed up so here they are, out of order:

Looking towards the pump:

Towards the cabin:

[WannaBeImagineer 98]

Ok picking back up:

Heading back up to Pioneer Hall:

I like this view:

Then I noticed something.

Something that might help out ole TCD achieve one of his goals.

Do you know which one?

The one where TCD wants to get to the rooftop observation deck.

I saw this:

It’s a ladder propped up to get on the roof.

Its in the back, you’d have to go through the castmember area.

No.

I did not try to climb up there.

This trip.

But maybe one day, you’d have to be extra sneaky to pull that one off.

Back over at Trails End:

Crockett’s:

And the Trading Post:

Then I decided to head out in search of something I saw once about 5 years ago.

Something everyone thinks is gone.

Just so I don’t build it up too much, it basically is gone, but I found part of it.

I’ll show you where coming up in my next post.

WBI

[kampfirekim 260]

Catch what?

:facepalm: Swamp People episode. Focus Nick. :rofl2: :heart: Just kiddin'.

Love all the FW photos... although I would not be a fan of seeing gators on the loose. I like them on Swamp People but not at the Fort.

[WannaBeImagineer 98]

:facepalm: Swamp People episode. Focus Nick. :rofl2: :heart: Just kiddin'.

Love all the FW photos... although I would not be a fan of seeing gators on the loose. I like them on Swamp People but not at the Fort.

oh duh...haha

I always miss the new ones too! But I usually catch the reruns.

Don't worry about those little Fort gators, they won't bother you.

By the way you know how the gators on Swamp People always put up a fight?

I'm going to let you on a little secret.

They make them do that.

Yup. In real life most of the time you hook a gator, you slowly pull him to the surface and he just comes up and bam, your done. But that doesn't make good tv so they shake hime around and get him rowled up, lol. Makes it much cooler to watch.

WBI

[DaveInTN 3,247]

LOVE the early morning shots....always my favorite time of day at the Fort. Oh how I would love to be there right now looping with Anna and my cup of coffee. Ah, pure heaven.

Thanks for the update WBI. Looking forward to more.

[Tri-Circle-D 2,059]

All right, I am officially stumped.

I followed all of the photos of your early morning mission with great interest. When you headed out of the 300 loop, I figured you were heading toward the old cabin. When you continued down to the Settlement and on to River Country, I figured you were heading back to River Country. Nope. Then the barn- maybe you were going to go down the castmember road to the lake there? Wrong again. Now you are heading back to the Settlement Trading Post, and you are looking for something that has been thought to be gone for a long time.

I am stumped.

Good job on building the suspense.

TCD

[kampfirekim 260]

oh duh...haha

I always miss the new ones too! But I usually catch the reruns.

Don't worry about those little Fort gators, they won't bother you.

By the way you know how the gators on Swamp People always put up a fight?

I'm going to let you on a little secret.

They make them do that.

Yup. In real life most of the time you hook a gator, you slowly pull him to the surface and he just comes up and bam, your done. But that doesn't make good tv so they shake hime around and get him rowled up, lol. Makes it much cooler to watch.

WBI

So you're telling me that Gator huntin' is relatively safe then? And Fort gators won't bother me? Now I won't be afraid. Maybe a new career move for me.. "choot em Kimmie... choot em!!!" LOL!

You're right... a gator being hauled in peacefully would not be very exciting.

Ok. Now that gator huntin' is out of my system, I am ready for another update! :banana:

[wak648...Bill 94]

So you're telling me that Gator huntin' is relatively safe then? And Fort gators won't bother me? Now I won't be afraid. Maybe a new career move for me.. "choot em Kimmie... choot em!!!" LOL!

You'd shot your tongue off! :raspberry:

[kampfirekim 260]

You'd shot your tongue off! :raspberry:

NO.. I'd "choot" my tongue off. :raspberry2:

[wak648...Bill 94]

NO.. I'd "choot" my tongue off. :raspberry2:

Sorry, I live north of the Mason Dixon Line, so I use my whole mouth when I talk. Have all my teeth and enunciate my words, unless I am drunk.

[kampfirekim 260]

Sorry, I live north of the Mason Dixon Line, so I use my whole mouth when I talk. Have all my teeth and enunciate my words, unless I am drunk.

Don't hand me that line... we've MET remember? :rofl2: :raspberry2: :heart:

or were you drunk then? ;D

[PureTcrazy...rita 380]

Love all the pics! I'm almost afraid to say this, but I have never seen Swamp People.

[stefa70 205]

There's nothing like the Fort in the morning. It's the one place that I don't mind being an early riser.

Can't wait to see what you found a part of.......

[doodlebug....Cherie 461]

Love all the pics! I'm almost afraid to say this, but I have never seen Swamp People.

You're not alone, Rita. I've never seen it either,

I'm waiting to see what you found too!

[Gots2pitt.. Jeff 64]

I'm waiting to see what you found too!

Me too!

[WannaBeImagineer 98]

LOVE the early morning shots....always my favorite time of day at the Fort. Oh how I would love to be there right now looping with Anna and my cup of coffee. Ah, pure heaven.

Thanks for the update WBI. Looking forward to more.

Thanks Dave!

I wish I was there now!

All right, I am officially stumped.

I followed all of the photos of your early morning mission with great interest. When you headed out of the 300 loop, I figured you were heading toward the old cabin. When you continued down to the Settlement and on to River Country, I figured you were heading back to River Country. Nope. Then the barn- maybe you were going to go down the castmember road to the lake there? Wrong again. Now you are heading back to the Settlement Trading Post, and you are looking for something that has been thought to be gone for a long time.

I am stumped.

Good job on building the suspense.

TCD

Thanks TCD

Sorry for leaving you hanging for so long, but I'm about to post my next update.

So you're telling me that Gator huntin' is relatively safe then? And Fort gators won't bother me? Now I won't be afraid. Maybe a new career move for me.. "choot em Kimmie... choot em!!!" LOL!

You're right... a gator being hauled in peacefully would not be very exciting.

Ok. Now that gator huntin' is out of my system, I am ready for another update! :banana:

It may be relatively safe, but I guess that depends who you go with.

lol Choot em Kimberly!

You'd shot your tongue off! :raspberry:

Love all the pics! I'm almost afraid to say this, but I have never seen Swamp People.

Thanks!

Oh you should check out Swamp People, its pretty good!

There's nothing like the Fort in the morning. It's the one place that I don't mind being an early riser.

Can't wait to see what you found a part of.......

I agree!

You're not alone, Rita. I've never seen it either,

I'm waiting to see what you found too!

Thanks its coming up now!

Me too!

Get ready here it comes!

WBI

[Gots2pitt.. Jeff 64]

Still waiting for what happens.. :rofl2:

[WannaBeImagineer 98]

Sorry I’ve been so bad with updates lately.

I think I last left you with a bit of a cliff hanger.

Sorry about that.

It’s now time to reveal what I found.

I’m sure as I start telling this story you’ll guess it, but here we go.

By the way I’m sorry most of these pictures look blurry, I’m not sure what happened, I guess there was too much for my camera to focus on.

I passed the Trading Post and headed back down the trail to the old Cabin Area, when I got there, quite a few fishermen had shown up, I rode right by them and the cabin towards this:

The old swamp trail was actually pretty worn down, I was surprised about that.

I was here about a year ago and even though the trail was still there it didn’t go anywhere, just into the woods and stopped.

Anyway I continued on.

My goal was to find a piece of the old boardwalk that was part of the swamp trail.

I had stumbled upon it back in 2007, but last year it wasn’t there.

I think some other Fiends have looked for it before too with no luck.

I biked pretty far along the nicely worn trail.

Then I got off and started looking around.

I headed off the trail and a little north, keeping the lake on my left.

I was looking all around and then I spotted something, off to my right!

There it was. About 200 feet from the lake.

A straight section of the boardwalk, still up in the air!

I walked over to take a look!

It’s hard to see in these pictures but in person the old boardwalk was really standing out, even if it was covered up.

I even climbed up on it:

Here’s a piece of the rope that was the old railing.

Then I hopped down and picked up one of the fallen posts.

Here’s trying to look under it:

The end of the standing section:

At the end there were tons of cypress knees.

I’m guessing that during the wet season this really is a swamp.

Here’s a post they just cut off at the ground.

And the cypress knees I spoke of:

Mission Accomplished!

WBI

[mouseketab.....Carol 1,261]

Cool!!!!

[Gots2pitt.. Jeff 64]

Definitely worth the wait. :)

[WannaBeImagineer 98]

I just tried to find some info or pictures of the old swamp trail but I didn't have much luck.

Do any Fiends have any?

http://www.mainstgazette.com/2010/04/wilderness-swamp-trail.html

http://home.hiwaay.net/~jlspence/fw7.jpg

http://home.hiwaay.net/~jlspence/fw6.jpg

WBI

[stefa70 205]

Another piece of the old Fort left to rot.

Nice find though. The last time I went back there, I crashed my bike in the sand and then got eaten alive by mosquitoes.