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Lake X Front Gate This Evening
Nostalgia - On my way to Kissimmee today, I drove by the Lake X gate. US 192/441 is being widened as you approach the Old Melbourne Highway. But you can still access it. The "Lake X road" to all the old farts, is still open all the way to the old gate. Several deer ran along side the road as I approached. The gate itself has protective covering over it so you cannot see in very well. You can see the flagpole sticking up behind the gate. It was just getting dark and a security guard was parked just outside the gate. I talked briefly with him and told him he was standing at a historical site....He didn't have a clue what had gone on there years ago. Nice chap though. As for Me.......The old memories came flooding back. I have attached a picture of the gate taken only 3 hours ago. I have also attached a picture of the "Brass Rail" in Narcoossee where I celebrated my 21st birthday on the evening of June 22, 1964 (and well into the wee hours) . I have also attached a picture of "Big D's Bar" in St Cloud. You old farts will remember it as the "J&A Bar". As Always, Best Regards - Steve Sirois
50,000 Mile Endurance Run
I have not seen them, but a friend who works at Mercury says there are 2 of the original endurance motors in the Exhibits storage area - and they have the identical serial number. This certainly would have been the easiest thing to do - just swap the whole engine while the inspector(s) were away.
3 Attachment(s)
Siesta Key Saltwater Test Station
Picture #1(map) still shows Midnight Pass</ST1:p open, as it was in the 60’s and prior times. I think it closed up sometime in the 70’s or 80’s. By the way, we knew <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comhttp://forums.screamandfly.com/forum...laceName w:st=Midnight</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st=" /><st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Blind Pass Road</st1:address></st1:Street> as “<st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">Roller Coaster Road</st1:address></st1:Street>”. It was sand and had big humps. If you drove it fast enough, it was like riding a roller coaster. Picture #2 shows the area as it is now. I have placed an arrow where I think the actual pass was. Picture #3 shows the site where the Kiekhaefer Siesta Key Salt Water Test Station was located. The endurance shop was actually built over the channel. We could pull the boats into the channel, into the building and close garage type doors at each end. There was a wooden bridge inside the building and over the channel where the bridge in the picture is. During “cold” weather, huge snook would come into the channel and you could see them laying lethargically on the bottom. Depending on the tide, the water in the channel was only a few feet deep. Mr Kiekhaefer had a house on the property and the <st1:City w:st="on">Anderson</st1:City> family (Joe, Red[Joe's wife], Jake, and Pete) lived in a house at the gate. Just outside of the gate was the fish camp that Richie Powers referred to in an earlier post. A short distance up the road was the “Happyland Restaurant”. Sometimes we would do lunch at the fish camp or Happyland. Then, after work, we would stop and tip a few brews. When I was younger, my family would occasionally eat at Happyland when they had “all the lobster you can eat” nights. We even celebrated my parents 25<SUP>th</SUP> anniversary at Happyland. - Steve Sirois
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