03/01 to 03/31 - Elite Resorts at Citrus Valley - Part 2

Elite Resorts at Citrus Valley,

Clermont, FL

March 2024 

Welcome back. Thanks to KM's comment in my last blog, my theme for Part 2 (the month of March) here at Elite Resorts at Citrus Valley will be "Food, Friends, & Fires." My AI program sums it up quite nicely: "Underneath the stars, amidst the crackling flames, there's a primal bond forged between food, friends, and fires, where stories are shared, laughter echoes, and memories are kindled."

March also brings with it the realization that at the end of the month I will be traveling back home. I plan a detour to Paducah, Kentucky to experience my second total solar eclipse. If you're interested, I wrote eight blogs in 2017 leading up to that event, the first of which can be read HERE. You can continue reading the rest simply by clicking on "NEWER POSTS" at the end of the first blog. Day 5 is when the action begins. I hope to be back in CPP by April 12th.

Meanwhile, right off the bat, Friday, March 1st, Roberta made reservations at Trattoria al Forno located on the Boardwalk at Disney. It was a dinner treat for friend, Janet and her belated birthday. Tony, Doreen, Johnny and I joined them. Janet flew down for a week. No stranger to this terrific restaurant, I looked forward to my usual, go-to meal, Truffle Gnocchi. You can view the menu HERE. And from their website, some photos to give you an appreciation of the ambiance that enhances the food, the company and the wine.

Truffle Gnocchi: Parmesan, Fontina, Truffle Cream. Not quite the way I remember it from the past, but sitll...an outstanding taste treat.

Plant-based Olive Oil Cake: Olive Oil-Pistachio Cake, Blueberry Compote, Candied Pistachio, Blackberry Gelato. "Plant-based?" "Olive Oil Cake?" Yes, different but tasty.

Happy Belated Birthday, Janet.

Janet & Roberta

Charlie & Johnny (Happy Retirement Johnny)

Doreen & Tony

Upon leaving the restaurant and before boarding a water taxi for a quick round-trip to Epcot, we stopped to enjoy one of the ever present, evening street entertainers.

Once again friends, Mya and Mark, made the trip from Port Orange to spend the afternoon and evening here at Elite. After dinner they stayed to enjoy a campfire and the company of some of my fellow campers. For dinner we opted for Thai cuisine in Celebration. Thai Thani restaurant was established by a retired Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Thai Ministry of Commerce. The restaurant was opened to enhance the Thai Government policy to promote Thai food as a leading cuisine of the world. I looked forward to this culinary treat and to experience the temporary immersion into a different culture. In addition to an extensive menu containing many Vegan choices, the restaurant is full of art depicting the culture.

This hanging wood relief carving was incredible and forced the viewer to study and appreciate its detail.

Chairs were an eye catcher.

The Thai Thani Sampler: Spring rolls, Crab Rangoon, and Vegan Curry Puffs (veggie gyoza); The peeled tomato skin ("rose") added color.

I chose the Pineapple Fried Rice: Stir-fried jasmine rice with pineapples, onions, scallions, tomatoes and carrots garnished with roasted cashew nuts.

On a Tuesday Boy's Night Out, Walter, Tony, Johnny and I dined at Outback in Clermont.

The table shared a Bloomin' Onion: their "special hand-crafted onion cooked until golden and ready to dip in their spicy signature bloom sauce."

A more appealing photo of the delicious Bloomin' Onion from their website.

our special onion is hand-crafted,

cooked until golden and ready to dip

into our spicy signature bloom sauce

I opted for the 6 oz. "Victoria's Barrel Cut Filet Mignon" and the Homestyle Mashed Potatoes.

At The Friar Tucks restaurant, Roberta, Tony/Doreen and I enjoyed British fare.

Cottage Pie: A classic meal made with slow cooked ground beef and vegetables, baked with a mashed potato topping.

And for dessert, their famous Biscoff Bomb: "Invented here at The Friar Tuck and Our very best seller, with good reason. Buttery pastry fried with Biscoff filling Topped with vanilla ice cream, drizzled with chocolate sauce."

Cheers: To good health, RVing and embracing the joys of a well-poured pint!

Walter and I visited Bahama Breeze and enjoyed dinner another evening.

Malibu Strawberry Rum, Bacardi Superior Rum, sugarcane and lime juice, topped with strawberry ice.

Jerk Chicken Pasta: Sliced jerk chicken breast, asparagus, mushrooms and bow tie pasta tossed in a parmesan cream sauce.

Each night as our fire was reduced to red, glowing embers, it beckoned a return of everyone's childhood memory...baking a potato in the hot coals of a campfire. Sue and Ray left one in the care of Doreen. That potato met its happy demise one chilly evening. I'm curious as to how many of my readers have such memories. Mention it in the comments below. 

After about 15-20 minutes of regularly turning the foil encased potato, it was tested and found to be satisfactory for human consumption...not like my first attempt in the past that resulted in what were described as charcoal briquettes.

 

Table set up with bowls and butter for sharing.

Johnny and Tony tasted, survived and gave their stamp of approval.

A delicious success but next time maybe 5 or 10 minutes more.

Some other visitors.

Local RV repairman, Mark, came by to replace the idle arm of my awning, replaced the faulty solenoid on my propane regulator and...

...troubleshot my rearview camera looking for but not finding the problem for its intermittent functioning.

A Sand Hill Crane 

A pair of Mourning Doves take temporary refuge in the vent area above in the gazebo. 

 

A March 5th sunset.

A March 12 Waxing Crescent

I just had to do this; trying to capture the bluest blue sky I've ever seen. The entire sky above from horizon to horizon...blue.

And to continue our dining get-togethers, another trip to Amore Restaurant.

L. to R. Fran, Doreen, Kathy, Roberta, Charlie, Ray, Tony, Walter

For starters, a Caesar salad.

My entree tonight was the Baked Rigatoni; al dente pasta enveloped in homemade meat sauce, layered with creamy ricotta, and crowned with melted mozzarella cheese. I found the meat sauce a tad on the dry side and disappointed that the mozzarella was sliced rather than shredded. The huge portion taken home provided two more meals.

Roberta's favorite dessert, tiramisu.

She slid the plate across to me to share. She loves chocolate (and I did get to sample a teaspoonful.)

Ray, Kathy and I met friends, Trish and Craig at nearby Mito's Sushi & Grill. 

Rocky Shrimp Appetizer with a spicy cream sauce served on the side. 

Yummy Yummy Roll: 10 pieces of lobster tempura, cream cheese, avocado, cucumber paper with mango on top with chef's special sauce. Delicious!!

To conclude this blog, a mention of my completed project. For those who remember: in December, while at John Prince Park Campground in Lake Worth, FL, I found a number of Apple Snail Shells washed up on the shoreline of Lake Osborne and began a project. A Snail Shell Windchime. For background and to refresh memories, here is the link to the Project Beginnings.

Pam, a neighbor and a craftsperson gave me a piece of driftwood from the UP Michigan where she is from and suggested I use it to hang my shells.

I strung and knotted each strand of shells with nylon fishing filament to prevent their slipping.

The constant breezes provided the expected soothing sound of the shells.

And just like that the month of March flew by and my time to prepare, pack up and say my good byes had arrived. Tony/Doreen back to Fishkill and Roberta back to Slate Hill. Ray/Kathy have sold their house here in Clermont and now off to Holley, NY to oversee the construction of their new home. I'll be making two stops in Georgia and one in Tennessee before spending a few nights in Paducah, KY viewing the April 8th total solar eclipse. A special event in that it falls on son, Chuck's birthday.

Summarizing my two-month experience proves to be quite challenging. As mention in the beginning of this blog, it's all about Food, Friends and Fires. Despite having visited this place at least four times before, the weather variations, the camaraderie with fellow campers, delightful dining experiences and the lively conversations around the frequent campfires contribute to making each stay uniquely special and remarkably memorable highlighted by morning coffee get-togethers with Walter and Ray. I can't wait to repeat the experience next year. See you in Kentucky. Have a safe and blessed Easter.

"Camping in Florida is like finding yourself in a natural paradise where every sunrise brings a new adventure."

- Unknown