Our drive today was relatively short - through Jacksonville and then south through central Florida, past Ocala and into the big community called "The Villages" where friends Ed and Betty live. (If you know my brother, Betty is Joyce's sister). Most of the area that we drove through was ummmm, wellll, to say it clearly - ugly. Lots of decrepit motels that were nice in the 50's, used car and RV lots, really crummy gas stations (so bad I wouldn't use the restroom), and liquor stores and gun shops. We looked for a park to stop at and eat our lunch, but gave up and ate our sandwiches in the car in a Walmart parking lot.
Then we got to the area outside Ocala. There was lots of green grass, rolling hills, AND horses! You could have quizzed me on the main "industry" near Ocala and I would have guessed hundreds of things before I got to breeding, training, and running race horses. The city claims to be the "horse capital of the world." In the 40's the area was found to have perfect conditions for breeding and raising race horses. Large pieces of property were purchased and turned into horse farms. Today, Marion County is a major world thoroughbred center with over 1200 horse farms.
In the 70's a large mobile home park was built near Ocala by developers who wanted to create a retirement community. Over the years some of the original horse farms were sold and the property was added to the planned community that is now called, "The Villages."
Ed and Betty are enthusiastic promoters of the area. They took us by golf cart (a standard form of transporation in the area) to one of the three big town squares. Every evening starting at 5 there is music and dancing in the square. We watched little kids and many seniors line dance and rock and roll to live music. We had some beer, then went back to Ed and Betty's house on the golf course for wine, a big dinner, desert and decaf coffee. I promised myself that I would do my blog before I fall face down on the bed.
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