Saturday We Rumbled and Roared

Saturday was quite a day for us. First we enjoyed having coffee and a croissant in downtown Winter Park, FLA which has tree lined shops with old fashioned brick streets. Then we went to the Harry P. Leu Home and Gardens northeast of Orlando. The gardens were gorgeous, particularly the huge rose garden. It was an outstanding rose garden with almost every rose bush in full bloom. I think it was as nice as the International Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon. And the rose garden was the scene of a late morning wedding. We got to see the bride and groom scurrying to their separate before wedding hiding places in the gardens. After this adventure we took roads to lead us to downtown Jacksonville, FLA and the Cummer Art Museum and Gardens. Little did we know that all highways leading into Jacksonville Saturday afternoon were filled with cars, vans and buses heading to the football rumble in Jacksonville. The game was called the River City Rumble and it pitted the Crimson Tide of Alabama against the Florida State Seminoles. Florida won the game and set the tide packing back to Alabama. When we reached the Cummer Art Museum and Gardens we discovered that the place was gearing up for a wedding reception. Second wedding to crash that day. Wow! This time we didn't see the bride in her gown but we did see the groom and his party checking out the preparations for the big event which would run from 5:00 P.M. to midnight. And we did get to see the wedding cake which was decorated ala Jackson Pollack in yellow and chocolate. Very unusual. Oh, and the gardens were divided into two parts: an English garden that was very formal and a tropical garden that was very Key West. From the gardens you could see the St. Johns River and downtown Jacksonville. I read that the city of Jacksonville is the blue collar working brother in a family of playboy brother cities like Miami and Orlando. So Saturday we rumbled and roared and then hit the motel where we snored!