Yesterday we drove out to Grand Oaks Resort & Carriage Museum. This is a huge equine facility with special events, competitions, weddings & banquets, RV park, cabins, horse stalls, riding trails, a lot more. We came to see the Grand Oaks Carriage Museum. This is one of the world’s largest private collections of carriages and equine artifacts. There are over 160 European and American Carriages here. Way more interesting than I expected it to be.

The Grand Oaks Resort & Museum

The main attraction at the museum is this beautiful 1850 Armbruster Dress Chariot once owned by Emperor of Austria Franz Joseph, and his wife, Elizabeth.

1850 Armbruster Dress Chariot from Austria

Prairie Schooner Wagon, Circa 1800

The Concord Coach and Roy Rogers!

And my favorite, a Gypsy Wagon! And many many more.

Bow-Top

After that we took a drive around “The Villages”, a fast growing active retirement community unlike any we’ve seen before. Currently there are well over 114,000 people who live here. In addition to different kinds of housing there is a lot of shopping. Cars and golf carts share the roads. This gang was at Dunkin’ Donuts:

At The Villages

Today we moved about 60 miles south, to Sumter Oaks RV Park in Bushnell, Florida. This is an Escapees RV Club Rainbow Park. We will be here for about two weeks. Then we will put the RV in storage while we take the Amtrak Auto Train up north for a short family visit.

Sumter Oaks RV Park

We were promptly greeted by a Sandhill Crane! Actually, a pair of them. They walked by our front window. Cool.

Sandhill Crane

• Admission to Carriage Museum:  $30