Rain, Low Clouds Turn Sun 'N Fun Grounds Into 'Mud And Scud'

by ANN Managing Editor Rob Finfrock

As is often the case when ANN staffers first steer our rental cars down West Pipkin Rd, approaching the gates of the Sun 'N Fun Fly-In in Lakeland, FL each year, several questions crossed my mind. Was I absolutely SURE Jim wasn't secretly hiding in the trunk of our car? What if this is the year event organizers decide to ban the rest of our group from the show grounds, and not just my boss? If that's the case, how far is it from here to Disney World? And could I expense the tickets?

(The answers to those questions are a) no... at least, I don't think so; b) no, and in fact -- as usual -- the Lakeland support staff has been nothing but cordial to us; c) only 50 miles! and d) NO, per Jim, now stop asking.)

As we turned into the parking lot at the south end of the show grounds early Tuesday morning, however, another question came to all our minds: "Why are they parking us in row 48??"

The answer soon became clear. Below us lay rain-soaked slop, the aftermath of a drenching storm that had dumped on the Lakeland region the night before. I could just make out the show gates, seemingly several miles distant... and between us and our destination, the Okefenokee Swamp.

"Welcome to Mud & Scud," one of us said, pointing up to the low cloud cover lying like a blanket over the field.

Of course, such foggy weather is not uncommon in the wee hours of a central Florida day. Given that this same parking lot was a tinderbox just two short years ago, however -- when a vehicle's hot emissions control ignited the drought-stricken grass, that was now a verdant green -- the difference in scenes was certainly striking.

Fortunately for show-goers, the cloud deck lifted by midmorning... and with the clearer skies came gusting winds, which helped dry the ground somewhat, while also making things interesting for pilots flying in to and out of LAL.

While the show grounds showed evidence of drying by mid-afternoon (though several soggy patches still remain as I write this Wednesday morning,) the parking lot remained a bit dicey as we slogged back to our rent-a-Dodge... and they turned decidedly ugly when we first tried to pull out of the parking lot.

Fortunately, again, three young Sun 'N Fun volunteers came to our speedy rescue -- gamely pushing our stricken Charger out of the ruts, and onto firmer ground.

ANN is forever indebted to them... or it's likely we would have been camping there for the evening. And my apologies for the extra weight in the trunk.

FMI: www.sun-n-fun.org