Chia Gators, Jacksonville & Ocala, FL

We had a great Thanksgiving with Mimi and Jon at their home in Orange Park, near Jacksonville. The next day we visited the Jacksonville Zoo where we saw the Chia Gator in the photo.  Some of the zoo’s gators were covered with a tiny aquatic plant the zoo uses to keep the water clean.

It looks just like a Chia Pet. except for the big teeth.

We had a nice visit with Penny’s sister Ann, who lives in Oxford, FL, which is a small town near Ocala that no one has heard of.

Today we spent the morning at the Florida Carriage Museum and Resort, which is a really neat place owned by Gloria Austin, a woman who competes in carriage driving competitions around the world. She drives four-in-hand, which means big carriages and coaches pulled by 4 horses. She started out with a 10 acre farm, and has bought the surrounding property over the years, so now her place is over 400 acres. The museum is said to be the largest privately owned collection of horse-drawn vehicles in the country.  The royal carriage in the photo was owned by Franz Josef of Austria and was a wreck prior to being restored. In addition to the museum, the place has lodging for visitors and their horses, and also has an area for RVs. There’s an education center and library, and many activities such as clinics, horse shows and special events are held there throughout the year.