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For the second year in a row, we were able to attend Sun N Fun, the second largest fly-in/airshow in the world.  Held in Lakeland, Florida, this annual rite of spring attracts thousands of pilots from all over the world -- and is a perfect forum for the promotion of our aviation themed hotel!

To that end we spent many hours at the "Flying Colors Glass" booth, working with Gary Elshoff to jointly promote his wonderful stained glass windows (examples of which grace our lobby -- see them here.) and our hotel. 

But it wasn't all work and no play!  Below are some of the many photos I took during our four days in the sun...

Getting There

It took us three days to get to Lakeland this year, although only 5.5 hours in the air.  We ended up sitting in Lewisburg, TN for three days, waiting out a SNOW STORM, after low ceilings and freezing rain forced us to land. 

After 24 hours we discovered that there wasn't much to do in Lewisburg, so we rented a car and spent our time in nearby Nashville, visiting the many sights to see there for the next few days. 

A fuel stop in Paris, TN -- the weather was going down hill...	The only friendly thing in sight in Paris, TN on Easter Sunday...	The kids had to pose in "Paris"...	We made it...to Lewisburg, Tennessee? Our forgettable hotel room...
Three days of snow later, I'm READY to leave Lewisburg...	Another view. A very nice bunch of people in Lewisburg, but we sure didn't want to be there.

ARRIVING AT LAKELAND

When Wednesday dawned clear and cool, we were READY to get to some Florida sunshine!   We expected to stop for fuel and lunch somewhere in between Lewisburg and Lakeland, but we soon hooked up to a howling 48 knot tailwind at 5500 feet!   Watching as our GPS ticked down the minutes, it soon became obvious that we could make the flight in just a touch over three hours -- so we skipped lunch and headed straight to Lakeland!  

But the heat took a few days to materialize -- it got down to 28 degrees our first night there!

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We made it! Getting unloaded...	First order of business -- getting our mascot, Baron, set up to keep watch...	The tent we bought at OSH last year, after ours was destroyed in a storm	Florida sunshine at last!
Another shot of the campsite	Early morning at the campsite -- it was 28 degrees!	Mary peeking over the top of the plane	The campground is a peaceful place at sunrise...
Another sunrise shot

 

The Show

We were able to spend Wednesday through Saturday at the show -- enough to see everything we wanted to see.  That's the nice part about Sun N Fun -- unlike Oshkosh, it's still "doable" in a few days.

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They were landing a biplane on the grass strip -- right over the crowd!	Up and coming airshow performer, Skip Stewart, taxies past after his show	Warbirds were there aplenty!	A high point of the show -- finally meeting the Memphis Belle pilot, Bob Morgan!
Becca fell in love with this plane!	Joe is now officially taller than Mary...	This Spitfire replica landed right over our campsite, as hundreds of other planes....	SNF wisely set up a playground for kids to unwind in...
A rope swing on a nice day, in the shade!	The best food at SNF was the corn roast, served in the campground by local hosts.	It tasted just like Iowa, only four months early.	Working at the Flying Colors Glass booth.
SNF even has a cool nature trail for kids!	What a ride!	T-28s landing overhead

 

The Trip Home

After our too-exciting trip down, our trip home was positively dull -- and we enjoyed every minute of it.  With a fuel and lunch stop in Huntsville, AL as our only break, we were totally fried by the time we landed -- seven hours in a small plane is a LONG time! 

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Waiting in line to get gas before departure - yes, Mary IS wearing a parrot on her head...	No radios to depart -- just flagmen!	SNF as we depart for another year.	Lunch stop in Huntsville, Alabama
The kids pose with the Huntsville FBO sign	Joe, with the hotel in the background, as Mary lands back in Iowa City	Do we look cooked, or what?	Hard to believe we fit all that in a Cherokee!