The Florida Years
Americans from all states (and all states of mind) go to Florida to retire. International tourists also flock there for the beaches and amusement parks. This makes the culture in FLA a genuine... amalgamation. Each town is different in culture and diversity of population; Ocala vs Miami, Sarasota vs Daytona, Bradenton vs ?!...and then there's Key West! ☺
We enjoyed our time in Florida. We lived there 12 years. Good restaurants from a diversity of cuisines: Cuban, Indian, Japanese, Jamaican, Vegetarian, and traditional American. Native Floridians are the nicest folks you'll ever meet; humble, respectful, and proud. Being residents meant we could visit "the parks" in Orlando at a discounted rate. The children (and our pockets) appreciated that, and went to the parks until they nearly got tired of them. Nearly.
Model rocketry and space exploration was one of my hobbies; an amateur astronomer. It was a thrill to visit NASA in Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center. We took their behind-the-scenes VIP tour which took us to the launching pads of the Apollo, Mercury, and Gemini missions. Below the Apollo 1 memorial.
On one of our visits we had the chance to see the launch of Space Shuttle Atlantis, mission STS 117. Bright!
It was neat to kayak with manatees at the spring-fed Weeki Wachee Springs. Being spring-fed, the waters are crystal-clear. The best time of the year to go is in the Winter, when manatees seek shelter in the inland springs. They prefer the ocean in the Summer. They are curious and peaceful creatures and sometimes swim right up to you. We saw a young calf feeding from its mother. (pics below are clickable for HI-RES)
My wife and I are SCUBA divers. A bucket-list item of ours was to dive with our daughter when she was old enough; she got certifed in Florida. This manatee swam up to us on her first ocean dive in Siesta Key, Sarasota. We dove in Venice and Key Largo, FL.
Years later, our daughter had the opportunity to SCUBA dive at the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.
Myakka State Park was near our home. Very wide – and very flat expanses of grasses, scrub, palmettos, and pine flatwoods. For a time, my wife and I hiked there 13 miles every Saturday. When it flooded in the Spring, alligators would make their way into the woods following the water. Sometimes getting trapped when the waters receeded. It was not unusual to hear them "rumbling" as groups of them packed into the small ponds that remained. Until the next big rain or until park staff relocated them. (click pics for HI-RES and short movie clip.)
The county paved over an old railroad track and made a bicyle trail that led to the beaches of Venice, FL; about a 20 mile ride that started right behind our home. It was a blessing having that trail so near – and so flat!! ☺
A bike ride in the Everglades to celebrate our anniversary.. lookout for the attack gator!! ☺ (click for HI-RES)
The long boardwalk (below) is at the Weedon Park Reserve in Tampa. Unique place to go for a walk.
Coral Castle in Miami is shrouded in mystery. The legend goes: a man was rejected by his fiancé just one day before the wedding. Shunned and sick, he moved to the United States and built these structures single-handedly supposedly using "mysterious tools." (click for HI-RES)
Kayaking was a good way to get to secluded beaches. Below right: the plants in the foreground are "sea oats," a protected plant species.
(hover mouse over the image for a close-up of the sea oats or click for HI-RES)
(on mobile devices tap the image on left/right or long press for HI-RES)
Seaplane ride from Key West to Dry Tortugas National Park (Fort Jefferson):
(hover mouse over pic above for Southernmost Marker in Key West)
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My wife's uncle, "Uncle Sam," lived to 105. He fought in World War II and told very interesting life stories. His advice for a long life: dance often. He danced – every week! with his partner "June."
Sometimes when we visited Uncle Sam in Daytona, we would take a day to drive to St. Augustine. The oldest continuously-inhabited settlement in the United States. It's a cool place to visit. Quaint town, shops and good restaurants. The girls were crazy for the gelato at "Cafe del Hidalgo."
My wife's orchids and bi-color Christmas Cactus:
(hover the mouse over the image)
(on mobile devices tap the image below/above)
