On December 12th, we dropped our home off in South Carolina for warranty work, inverter repair & body damage work (from our Jersey incident) to be done while we headed home for Christmas. We figured the 2 1/2 weeks home would be more than enough time for our list of fixes to be completed. But when we arrived at the end of December, were told it could be anywhere from 1-3 more weeks! We had plans to meet up with Kansas friends in St. Augustine that evening, so sadly unpacked our Christmas bags & repacked for who-knew-how-long in Florida as quickly as possible. We loaded the jeep & started our Florida adventure, later realizing that in the rush we left essentials behind like scuba gear & license, passports (could've taken a cruise!), tennis racquets... Frustrated to be living out of suitcases, unexpectedly hotel hopping, & wondering for an unknown amount of time, we quickly stopped to remind ourselves that of all places to be "stuck"... Florida wasn't so bad:) We ended up with nearly 3 1/2 weeks in the Sunshine State & though it put us WAY behind on our schedule, we loved traversing such a large portion of Florida and truly fell in love with the state the girls thought only contained Disney:)
St. Augustine
Though we're loving so many aspects about this adventure, being away from friends & family can feel quite lonely. We LOVE the opportunity to meet up with people along the way & were especially excited to see some of our favorite people in St. Augustine. Dave, Jennifer & Sydney were visiting Dave's family over the Christmas break, so we were able to join them on the tail end of their trip. When we left our Kansas home back in June, Natalie declared that her top goal for the year was to learn how to surf. She was thrilled to find out that our friend Jen used to be a competitive surfer and Jen was super gracious to take her out for the day (despite the chilly water) and give her some tips. The boys spent the morning catching dinner. They had a blast bay fishing for red fish, catching at least a dozen.
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| Renting our gear at the surf shop |
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| Natalie & Jen |
Jen taught her everything from waxing the board,
to catching the waves.
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| Sydney & Alayna having their own fun in the waves |
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| Happy, happy girl! |
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| Jim & Dave coming to watch after a fun morning of fishing |
Though sadly the Sneider's couldn't join us for dinner, we brought the fresh-caught fish to a local restaurant which prepared it grilled, fried & blackened to delicious perfection.
Our friends had to leave, but we'd already fallen in love with St. Augustine, so decided to stay a couple extra days. We loved our little hotel (no sky-rises here!) & the walkway right to the beach.
The sand here was beautiful, but hard... perfect for bike rides!
We found these shells everywhere & thought they looked like super long fingernails! Actually, we found they're Jackknife Clams, or sometimes called Razor Clams since they resemble old fashioned straight razors.
On New Year's Eve we took a walk down the beach as the sun set to St. Augustine's New Year's Eve Beach Blast Off Party. It was a fun night with live bands, lots of food vendors, kid's activities & spectacular fireworks.
While in the area, we enjoyed scrumptious food. Our favorite, of course, was the fresh caught fish, but the next contenders were Mango Mangos (which we visited more than once!)- right by the surf shop & beach, and Burrito Works Taco Shop in the historic area.
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| Mango Mangoes incredible fish & shrimp tacos and blackened chicken nachos- mmmm! |
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| It was the "World Famous Tacos" claim that pulled us in... works every time:) |
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| The Mexican UFO... if I could only re-create this one at home... |
We could've continued enjoying the beach life here, but knew we had to explore the rich history of the area. We spent a full day in Old Town, deciding it would be added to our "must return" list... at least for Jim & I.
Though Jamestown is the oldest English settlement in our nation, St. Augustine is the oldest, continuously occupied European settlement in the United States. Juan Ponce de Leon landed here in 1513 in search of the legendary Fountain of Youth, taking possession of the area for Spain. In 1565 Spaniard Pedro Menendez de Aviles & his expedition of 500 soldiers, 200 sailors, and 100 farmers & craftsmen settled, establishing a military base.
Within steps of the Old Town was the Castillo De San Marcos. The Spanish constructed this fort (the oldest masonry fortification in the continental U.S.) of stone coquina between 1672 and 1696 to protect the city.
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| We were able to watch a cannon-firing demonstration |
With 36 of St. Augustine's buildings dating back to Colonial times and another 40 reconstructed, walking through the narrow streets had the feel of visiting an authentic Old World Spanish town. Sprinkled among the quaint (yet modern) shops were some of those original structures...
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| Built in 1762, Casa Rodriguez (now a jewelry store) is one of the oldest structures in St. Augustine. |
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"The Oldest Wood School House in the USA"
The home was built in the 1780's and used as a school in the early 19th century.
The chains shown, also wrapped around the chimney, were used to hold down the building in high winds. |
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| We learned that dunce caps weren't placed on the heads of unruly children, but on the heads of slow learners:( - the naughty students were sent into a small cellar in the back of the room! |
The Authentic Old Drugstore is said to be the oldest drugstore in the country, built in 1739.
Opening in 1739 this gate provided the only access through the defense line on the North side of Spanish St. Augustine.
By 1763, St. Augustine was ceded to England, then returned to Spain in 1783, and became U.S. possession in 1821.
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| Under British Rule, this covered platform in the center of town became the market & place of public auction... called the Slave Market. |
In 1888, Henry Flagler built 3 luxury hotels, hoping to turn the city into an exclusive winter retreat.
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| This is the former Ponce de Leon Hotel which is now part of Flagler College. We were disappointed it was closed on the day of our visit, for tours give a look into the posh interior with Tiffany stained glass, imported marble and carved oak, and beautiful courtyard... lucky students! |
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| The former Alcazar Hotel now holds St. Augustine City Hall, Lightner Museum, shops and a cafe. |
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| The area inside the former Alcazar Hotel that now holds shops & a cafe used to be the world's largest indoor swimming pool! |
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| This old photo shows hotel guest enjoying the pool in the early 1900's... notice the trapeze ropes! |
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This memorial in Old Town honors the men from St. Augustine who died fighting for their beliefs.
"In Memoriam
Our Loved Ones
Who Gave Up Their Lives
In The Service Of
The Confederate States" |
Even after touring all of Florida, we agreed St. Augustine was one of its greatest treasures... we will definitely be back.
Lauderdale By The Seas
Just 10 minutes north of the glamorous Ft. Lauderdale, we found Lauderdale By The Seas to be less pretentious and more charming- with the whole town only 1.5 square miles in size, it is tucked in between the high-rise condos that surround it.
We found the perfect place for our stay- an apartment-style resort that gave us plenty of room to stretch out... especially since we were cooped up inside for a few days while the temps dropped to the 50's:( Jim was thrilled to set up office at an actual desk, and the girls & I utilized the kitchen as our schoolroom.
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| Alayna's math doodles:) |
When the weather cooperated, we took advantage of the nice pool, short walk to tennis courts & beach.
And we spent one morning checking out Ft. Lauderdale, walking along the lovely boardwalk- gawking at the impressive (& decorated) boats and city scenery.
Lauderdale By the Seas was loaded with great restaurants. Our resort offered a complimentary breakfast at a diner just a short walk down the street. We loved feeling like "regulars" by the end of our stay:) Our favorite dessert was at Athena By the Sea... baklava sundae!
But our most favorite (we had to go twice) was BurgerFi (short for Burgerfication of the Nation). A hip, urban style burger joint with "all natural" ingredients. Delish burgers, dogs, fries, custard, beer & wine... but the girl's favorite was the touch-screen Coke machine offering over 100 varieties & flavors of soda! Just imagine... raspberry Coke, peach Sprite, orange Minute Maid lemonade, cherry carbonated Dasani, vanilla Barq's root beer... the girls loved the seemingly endless options & touch screen technology.
Artistic Alayna's latest interest is creating with clay, and before leaving this week's home, she made little clay creations to leave behind for the sweet staff we had gotten to know:)
Florida Everglades
Though we didn't stay the night here, we loved our day trip before heading further south. Located on the Big Cypress Seminole Indian Reservation, Billie Swamp Safari offered a fun day discovering nature within the Everglades. And the trip there was almost the best part... a long, deserted drive through Alligator Ally, we spotted dozens of gators sunning themselves by the water on either side of the road along the swamps and mangroves.
Inside the park, swamp buggies toured us through the beautiful wetlands, cypress heads & hardwood hammocks riding by bison, wild hogs, ostriches, antelope, alligators, cranes & more along the way. And because the land is owned by the Seminole, they are free to hunt these animals as they choose (after park hours, of course!).
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| Blue Heron |
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| Osprey |
Snake & critter shows gave us an up-close look at animals like opossum, tarantula, anteater, ferret, pigmy rattlesnake, alligator and others.
Our favorite part of the day was an airboat ride through the swamp... so incredibly beautiful!
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| One of many 'gators |
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| See the beady eyes??? |
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| Turtles! |
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| Natalie practicing her driving skills:) |
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| Chillin' by the beauty |
We were super excited for our next destination. Jim & I spent part of our honeymoon in Key West almost 20 years ago, so we couldn't wait to see how/if it had changed.
Key West
The beauty of the Keys began with our drive- nearly 3 hours on a thin stretch of road completely surrounded by blue and occasional islands along the way.
We quickly settled into our hotel- a safe distance from Duval Street & with a great water view- and hustled out to explore. On our way, we were greeted by a chicken & soon another, and another, and... Key West is covered with them & they stir up quite a controversy there. There are groups that hate them & fight to rid the island of them & others who adore them... and we found ourselves on the adoring side. We loved the cackles and crows from them whether at the grocery store or the beach!
We were starving, so chose a restaurant right at the water's edge, enjoying fresh seafood & -of course- key lime pie:)
One of the best things about this most southern point is the amazing nightly sunset & the artists, performers & music that accompany it. So spectacular, that people crowd the water's edge, fighting for a view.
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| One night we watched from Sunset Pier |
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| The girl's favorite furry performer:) |
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| This guy was fun to watch jump out and startle people... and he managed to get me twice! |
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| Duvall Street |
We caught the sunset every night, but found that one time was enough to watch the odd street performers and walk through Duvall Street... which was not very kid friendly, but was great for people watching! Creepy Elvis impersonators, snake handlers, drag queens... oh my. Oh, and of course- more chickens:)
We spent a couple days playing at the beautiful beaches, trying paddle boards & practicing the girl's new Christmas skim board.
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| Paddle boards! |
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| Skim board! |
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| After throwing it along the shallow water's edge, |
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| you run after it, jump on, and skim! |
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| Alayna's new friend-for-the-day |
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| Nothing like beach-side hot dogs & italian ice! |
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| Parked right between white sand & palm trees. Happy Jeep. |
A couple of interesting menu items we tried on the island were conch fritters & hogfish. The fritters weren't much different than hushpuppies...couldn't really taste the conch... but the hogfish was fabulous. Our best meal of the week though, was the fresh caught fish we had prepared after our day deep-sea fishing!
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| Conch fritters |
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| Hogfish sandwich |
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| Fresh, blackened Snapper |
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| Grilled Snapper... swimming in the ocean just hours before:) |
The stone crab claws weren't part of our catch- we just couldn't resist them for an appetizer. Interesting fact: Though their claws are considered a delicacy, stone crab bodies are too small to bother eating. Harvesting is thus done by removing only one claw from the live animal and returning it to the ocean so it can regrow the missing claw! (Which makes them quite pricey, but oh, so scrumptious)
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Jim was itching to get out and fish & insisted we three girls join him. Alayna was worried she'd hook on to fish bigger than her, while Natalie was sure she'd be bored. But we went- reminding them that it's our year to experience new things and, needless to say, it ended up being one of our very favorite days! Our guide Steve brought us out near a reef and we caught fish after fish after fish. We quickly lost count, but had so much fun seeing the variety we were pulling in. Alayna ended up catching the most fish, Jeanne caught the largest, Natalie actually caught a smile- which remained glued on her face, while Jim... he was just fun to watch- like a kid in a candy store!
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| Natalie's first catch... seaweed! |
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| Lizard Fish |
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| Lane Snapper... dinner! |
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| Mangrove Snapper |
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| Trigger Fish |
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| Grouper |
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| Blue Runner... not good to eat, but beautiful- revealing a blue shimmer in the sunlight. |
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Spanish Mackerel
These were the feistiest to catch. We'd see a school jumping out of the water in the distance, cast toward them, quickly reel the lure along the water's surface & watch them attack, giving a good fight. |
Before long, the girls were practically pro's. So good, they were ready to bait their own hooks... which required first removing the tips of the tails on the bait (live shrimp). I couldn't believe they were up for it even after Steve showed them how it was done... by BITING off the tails!
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| Bait! |
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| Dad first! |
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| Natalie contemplating... "but he's so cute!" |
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| Such a girly-girl... dainty even when biting into a shrimp! |
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| The man was in heaven! |
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| Spanish Mackerel |
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| Grouper |
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| Lane Snapper |
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| This is why we girls never handled the fish:) |
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| More Grouper! |
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| The biggest catch of the day... 6 pound Grouper |
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| I think this was the Grunt Fish... it seriously grunted, sounding like a little pig! |
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| Our turtle friend that kept popping up around us. |
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| The girls had a double catch... |
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| Some of our keepers! |
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| While Steve filleted our dinner, the birds waited for leftovers:) |
Such an exhilarating day, but it sadly brought an end to one of our favorite locations yet this year. We fell in love with the warmth, the sunsets, and the endless outdoor activities.
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| Oh, we will! |
Sanibel Island
A 6 hour drive brought us to Sanibel, near Fort Meyers on the Gulf side of Florida. Known for its abundance of shells, Sanibel's beaches were amazing! We'd never seen so many shells... or so many people shelling. A glance down the beach revealed countless people doing the "Sanibel Stoop" (the posture made when bending down, looking for treasures in the sand).
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| So many types of shells, including the large, dark Pen Shells seen above. |
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| Our favorite finds were the starfish |
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| Horseshoe Crab |
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| Washed-up crab traps |
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| Pen Shell |
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| Leopard Crab |
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| Sea Urchin |
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| Blue Crab |
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| With over 22 miles of bike paths on the island, we found our 8ish mile ride a great way to enjoy a beautiful morning & see the area. |
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| Jim & I stole a night out for a date to Mad Hatter's- a fabulous restaurant with a great view. We made it just in time for the stunning sunset & savored every bite of the garlic-asparagus soup, spiced watermelon salad, filet, and lobster tail. |
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| We managed to leave room for espresso creme brulee, death by chocolate, & drunken ice cream. |
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| More of Alayna's sweet clay creations. |
Sarasota
Just a couple hours north was Sarasota where we were able to visit (and stay with) long-time family friends Mike & Judy. What a wonderful break from hotel-hopping- we instantly felt at home.
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| Prince... Mike & Judy's affectionate cat & the girl's new BFF:) |
Our first night in they treated us to Mike's specialty, shrimp scampi.
And his should-be-famous belgian waffles for breakfast... we felt so spoiled!
Jim & Mike spent a day visiting Mike's business & fishing off the dock while us ladies went shopping!
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| Mike & Jim's new friend, hoping for an easy fresh-caught meal |
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| Dinner in downtown Sanibel |
We SO enjoyed our visit here... a time to relax & visit with dear friends. And what a couple they are... they've raised 6 kids, enjoyed a long marriage & are now living it up in retirement, seemingly more in love than ever as seen in the adoring comments they make toward one another and the way they enjoy life together. Such a sweet example for our girls... and us!
Orlando
Only because we had extra waiting-for-our-home time did we visit Orlando (since we've been before). We enjoyed the small crowds and the ability to zip through our favorite rides & activities.
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| Our favorite park, Epcot |
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| Our most favorite ride in the background... Tower of Terror- a Twilight Zone themed ride set inside the haunted Hollywood Hotel. The ride inside its elevator sends riders down a 13 story bouncing free fall! |
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| Magic Kingdom |
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| Animal Kingdom |
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| Another favorite ride... Everest, which zooms riders forwards & backwards in search of the scary Yeti:) |
Had to stop at a citrus stand!
The Villages
Next was our visit an hour north to The Villages to stay with our friends Bill & Sue who happen to be our neighbors in Lenexa and our neighbors at the Lake! Yet another amazing couple we love to spend time with. Bill loves photography (a man after my own heart!), always has the latest electronic gadget and lives for new adventures. Sue is the most beautiful woman- incredibly creative, the ultimate hostess, full of energy & joy, and loves giving of herself for others.
The Villages is a retirement community which spans 3 counties, has 38 golf courses, a lifelong learning college with over 450 courses offering everything from dog training to how-to-be-a-clown, town squares complete with movie theaters, shopping, restaurants & weekly live music & dancing and everything else imaginable to keep retirees active & living life to the fullest.
While touring around, one of the first things we noticed were the masses of golf carts... but not just any golf carts- these were luxury.
Our favorite was this cute, green one. Sue's sweet-talkin' got us inside for a photo:)
After lunch in Market Square, we enjoyed a walk & photos at the lake.
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| We picked up pastries to munch on. We'd never had Rugelach... chocolate or cinnamon or nuts, etc. filling inside of a bite-sized flaky dough. So yummy. |
Right out their back door they had a bocci ball court... with a lovely view of the sunset. Us girls played while the boys went for a bike ride.
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| Serious competition. |
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| Bill & Jim came to watch the final minutes. |
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| Jeanne & Natalie... winners! |
How nice it was to just relax at home...
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| Natalie challenged Bill to a game of chess |
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| Bill shared his new-found skills creating art on the tablet with the girls. |
Sue's latest passion- creating balloon creatures- (a gift she'd love to share with emotionally needy kids) was a hit with Natalie & Alayna. Balloons were everywhere and squeaks & bursts were a continuous sound as they created throughout our stay. Never a moment of boredom with Bill and Sue!
After sadly leaving our friends, it was finally time to pick up our home! We were ecstatic despite the fact that all had not been repaired- we'd still have electrical issues to deal with. But to have a central place to be, to not live out of suitcases, to be able to cook real food... we were so grateful. Though we'd been in Florida far past our allotted time, we just couldn't leave without visiting Destin- a beach many friends had talked about.
Destin
We found an RV park right on the beach (though had to park a few rows back to ensure wi-fi... so much business & schooling to catch up on!) And although hundreds of Portuguese Man-of-War were washing up onto the sand, it was one of the most beautiful beaches we've seen in the States. Yet another destination we'd revisit in a heartbeat.
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| Though they look like jellyfish, man-of-war are actually siphonophore (animals made up of a colony of organisms working together). They have an average of 30 foot tendrils (though can be up to 165 feet) which are covered in venom filled nematocysts used to paralyze & kill fish and other small prey. They have no way to propel themselves so simply drift or catch wind with their "bubble" sails. If threatened from the surface, they can briefly deflate their air bags and hide under water! |
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| Our Destin home |
Oh, how we fell in love with Florida! If we didn't have our Kansas connections, I'm pretty sure this family would find the warmth & beauty of Florida a place to call home.
A) St. Augustine
B) Lauderdale by the Sea
C) Billie Swamp Safari, Everglades
D) Key West
E) Sanibel Island
F) Sarasota
G) Orlando
H) The Villages
I) Destin
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