Cleaning up our act

Walt is busy scrubbing the exterior of everything. He cleaned the Buick and we filled it with gas and added stabilizer. Put it in the storage lot this morning and secured the car cover.

Yesterday, he washed the Peterbilt and polished it up. I have the maps, mints, wipes & GPS ready for the inside.

Today Walt is washing the Teton. He scrubbed the roof well because we have had lots of pollen and residue from the Norfolk Pines and Palms. Now he is washing the sidewalls while I finish the last of the laundry and pack away all the loose items.

Look at that beautiful blue sky. It is currently 85 degrees with a light breeze. It will be hard to leave this weather but it is warm & humid enough that we turned the air conditioner on yesterday.

We plan to head north tomorrow, taking 6-10 days to get home.

Sharing our Space

I have tried all winter to catch a photo of our illusive camping buddy. I think he knows we are leaving soon so he graciously posed for me this morning. I had been calling him George the Gecko but found out he is an Anole. So, I changed his name to Albert.

Update

I just added the airboat tour photos to 3/15/06

Sanibel & Captiva Islands

We finally made it to The Mucky Duck Restaurant today.

Still many on spring break so it was busy and heavy traffic.

Had a good meal and enjoyed the sights of Sanibel & Captiva. Beautiful white beaches and clear blue water.

Gotta go -- it's Margarita Time!!

Sittin' in the Sand

Sunday afternoon we were on Key Biscayne for the wedding of Breann's brother.

Caden was content to sit in the sand and sift it through his fingers & toes.

Caden's first trip to the beach

Here are some photos of Caden's first trip to the beach. Last Sunday morning we went to Miami Beach. He loved standing in the warm sand. Then Grandpa let the wave rush over Caden's feet. The water was cold and Caden didn't like it very well.

Back 'Home'

We returned back to Bonita Springs today. We enjoyed spending several days in Bradenton with Jerry & Pat. We went to St. Petersburg and enjoyed Fort Desoto, St Pete beach & the Pier and Aquarium.

Road Trip

We drove to Miami (actually Coral Gables) on Saturday. There we got to meet up with Tim, Breann and Caden. It was fun to see how much Caden has grown.
We went to Miami Beach on Sunday morning. Caden got to stand in the sand but didn't like it when the chilly wave suddenly covered his feet.
Sunday afternoon we attended the wedding of Bre's brother, Beau to Andrea. The ceremony was on Key Biscayne. By that time Caden was acclimated to the beach. He loved sitting in the sand and digging through it with hands and feet. Later, Tim & Bre walked him down to the waters edge but I don't think he got wet. Walt got some great photos but we forgot to bring the cable to load them to the laptop. I'll post them later.

We were able to be together until we went our separate ways on Monday. They went on a cruise and will return to Miami on Friday morning. They will fly home later that day.

We started up the eastern coast with plans to see some sights but concentrate on visiting friends. We were able to visit former neighbors on Monday & Tuesday in Juno Beach. Tuesday we went a few miles up the road and visited the sister of a former neighbor. We had great visits with everyone.
We took the scenic route from Jupiter to Okeechobee to Sebring. We enjoyed the countryside and all the lakes we saw along the way.

We arrived in Winter Haven last night. We called friends from last summer's "Tracks to Adventure" tour. We made arrangements to spend Wednesday with them.

Leon & Janet gave us a great tour of the area today. We enjoyed the tour and visiting their new home. They will meet us later tonight for dinner at Carrabba's. We're looking forward to ordering Prince Edward Island mussels -- we all agreed that the mussel farm in Prince Edward Island was one of the highlights of our trip last summer.

Tomorrow we will head toward Tampa. We plan to be back in Bonita Springs by Sunday.
Yes, I realize it is only a few hundred miles but we've gotten good at taking our time!

Everglades Airboat Tour

Today we drove Highway 41 south & west toward Miami. We were with another couple from the park. We wanted to take an airboat tour but the one we wanted was temporarily closed. We drove further east and came to Buffalo Tiger's Airbout Tours. (It was only another 24 miles to Miami.)
We didn't take the camera on the airboat and wish we had. It was a good tour and would highly recommend it to others.
Our guide was 19 and had been driving airboats since he was 6. He knew a lot about the Everglades and the Indian lore. He coaxed several alligators over to the edge of the boat by giving them chunks off a large bun. Then he let me hold the bun into the air and the birds flocked to get their share. It was great to have the birds dive and take turns eating their fill! Then we went to an island where we could get out and stretch our legs. There were four raccoons who ambled along the dock as soon as they sighted the boat. The were also beggars! I got to feed one of them by holding out a chunk of bread on my flat palm. It was fun.

The Smallest US Post Office

Ochopee Florida boasts the smallest Post Office.

Cabbage Key & Cayo Costa

Today we went to Pine Island to take a boat trip. We first ferried to Cabbage Key and ate lunch. The weather could not have been better. We went with Paul & Maggie and our favorite Park Ranger Bunnie and her mother. We had a very fun day.

Then we ferried to Cayo Costa State Park. We walked the beach looking for shells and just sat in the sand soaking up the sun.

Setting Sun

We went to Bonita Beach to watch the sunset (and finally remembered the camera). I timed from when the sun 'touched' the water until it disappeared. It took less than 3 minutes.

I love it when the sun is completely gone and everyone on the beach stands to cheer and clap in appreciation of another magnificent sunset.

Naples Beach

Isn't this colorful? Spring Break season has truly started. The beaches are now crowded every day.

Memory Loss

No I haven't lost my memory -- but the computer did! We're back on-line again and hope this continues for the rest of our travels.

We have been to so many interesting places. Have not been good about packing the camera so I don't have any photos to post. I'll post some web links so you can get an idea of the beauty. Here are some of the places we have been:

• Bonita Beach -- just 1 1/2 miles west of the trailer park. It's a nice drive, bike ride or walk. The sunsets are gorgeous!
• Delnor-Wiggins Pass State Park. The beach is nice with lots of parking areas. It is only $5 for the day so know we will return before leaving Florida this spring. Some nice picnic sites.
• Koreshan State Historic Site. We had a very interesting guide. He knew the park history well but really excelled as a botanist. What strange & interesting plants and trees in this park. My favorite was a 'red pineapple'.
• Lover's Key State Park. This is a nice place to go for wildlife viewing and shelling.
• Many malls and shopping areas.
• Unique local restaurants. Great seafood.
• Toured Open Houses & Model homes in the Bonita Springs area. Most are in gated communities and each community has its own style and ammenities. Made us appreciate the Bonita Beach Trailer Park even more.

We are really enjoying our time here and all the friendly people. February is the busiest month and many renters have already left the park. Some of the shareholders (our park is resident owned) have already left for the season and many others will be leaving between now and the middle of April. All the farewells give a reason for impromptu parties all the time.

Having much fun. Hope you too are having a good winter.