To be honest, I thought Gatorland would be another of those theme parks with fiberglassed, high-tech, imitation reality. Oh, I thought there would probably be an overfed gator or two lounging in the sunlight, but I expected little more. I was utterly and pleasantly surprised.

First of all, Gatorland predates some of the other more famous parks – by quite a bit. Gatorland appeared in the Orlando area in 1948, and since that time it has expanded from 16 acres to more than 100 acres. Patty and I came mostly to see if we could get some photos of gators that we could use in a video for our song “Gators for Sale or The Ballad of Lord Chesterfield.” We weren’t disappointed in that quest. There were gators ranging from six inches long to massive gators that weighed in at over a thousand pounds. But there was so much more.

There were snakes, there were turtles, there was a protected wetland, and there was a rookery of world-class caliber. Some nesting herons and egrets were almost close enough to touch, and the birds were everywhere. I have been to zoos where the animals have appropriate habitats, and sometimes you’re lucky to even see the animal you’re looking for. At Gatorland the animals seem perfectly content and well-cared for, and they are very easily viewed. And the waterfowl appear to have no constraints whatsoever on their comings and goings. This is no screened-in aviary. But for the birds, Gatorland seems to be their Eden of choice.

While we had planned to take some gator pictures, in memory of our one-time “pet” gator named Chester, we never expected to see Chester himself. As it turns out, in a room of honor in Gatorland, there is a 14 foot long, 1000 pound gator by the name of – you guessed it – Chester! Now, I can’t say for sure that this is the one-and-the-same gator of family legend. But, gators have a long life-span, and who is to say this is not the same gator we once cherished. After all, this guy was found in a swamp and brought to Gatorland.

We had planned to stay maybe an hour or two at Gatorland, but we wound up spending about five hours, and we will be back. Maybe one day the park will hire Sound Traveler to sing its hit song “Gators for Sale or The Ballad of Lord Chesterfield,” and we will sing it in honor of Chester – the one from our memory and the one at Gatorland. Could they be one and the same?

Sound Traveler is looking forward to Easter. We will attend services on Good Friday and on Easter morning. We will celebrate the season and all it represents in our lives. On Holy Saturday, we are honored to be sharing in the wedding of Patti and Scott in Melbourne Beach.

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5 Comments to “SongTravelin’: 04.21.11 – The Mystery of Lord Chesterfield Solved?”

• April 21, 2011 at 9:32 am
  Art says:

  See, you just never know what you will find in Florida. And where can I get a copy of “Gators for Sale or The Ballad of Lord Chesterfield”???
• April 21, 2011 at 9:42 am
  Laurence says:

  You don’t really think that was the same gator, do you? Still, that is kind of interesting.
• April 21, 2011 at 9:58 am
  Bob says:

  Hi Art. We are currently working on our original CD. “The Ballad of Lord Chesterfield” is included. The CD will probably be out this summer. We might get the song posted on Youtube before that.
• April 21, 2011 at 1:55 pm
  Patty says:

  I was so happy to have a chance to go back to Gatorland, because I remember going there “pre-Disney,” back when I was three. They had this huge gator mouth that you walked through as an entrance door, and they still have one today! It’s not an entrance anymore; instead, it’s a backdrop for photos. And although the train has changed since my granddaddy and I rode on it, it’s fun just the same. However, being so close to baby egrets of all stages of development and seeing them in their nests close enough to touch was an incredible experience.

  Do yourself a favor. Enjoy a day at Gatorland. And be sure to say hey to Chester for us.
• April 23, 2011 at 11:29 am
  Jean Anne says:

  Patty, I moved from the Bronx (NY), to St. Cloud, Florida, when I was about 10 years old. The huge gator mouth is what I remember about Gatorland. It’s not so surprising to me that Lord Chesterfield might be spending his golden years in Kissimmee, Fla. I just love all the connections that life hands us. Give Bob a huge AMS hug for me. Talk about connections!!!!!!!