Weeki Wachee Springs

After a week in the busy, metro area of Miami - Ft. Lauderdale, it was time to continue our tour of "Old Florida".  We drove west, over Alligator Alley, returning to the Gulf side of Florida.

Weeki Wachee Springs was on my "to see list" because it is the home of the mermaid shows, a roadside attraction since 1947.  Similar to the changes at Silver Springs, tourism at this attraction had become severely reduced and the Florida state park system has converted this tourist spot into a state park.  I was impressed to see that Florida is working to keep certain areas of "old Florida" existing for new generations.

Fairchild Tropical Botanical Gardens, Coral Gables, FL

Another day trip in the Miami area was to the Fairchild Tropical Botanical Gardens. 

Everglades National Park

With a week scheduled in the Fort Lauderdale/Miami area, we planned several activities with our good friends Nancy and Verlin, who were escaping the winter snows in PA and visiting Florida family and friends.

Merritt Island, Florida, Part 2

Leaving the high tech world of NASA and entering a wildlife refuge tends to "ground" me.  I know technological development has an important place in our world today.  However, what I love the most is "getting back to nature".  And, there is no place better to be "grounded" than at Merritt Island Wildlife Refuge. 

Merritt Island, Florida - Part 1

Actually, today's maps show 2 large barrier islands extending along the Atlantic shoreline from Titusville to Melbourne, Florida, as Merritt Island. 

Perhaps, best known worldwide as the home of NASA's space launches,

Manatees, and more manatees!

A goal for this trip was to see manatees.  What are manatees?  Not exotic sea mermaids, as some sailors may have thought (during a very, very, long voyage and, perhaps, after some rum....). Manatees are very large aquatic mammals living in several areas of the world. 

Silver Springs - a True Florida Icon

Silver Springs, located near Ocala in central Florida, has been known and used by humans for a very, long time. 

" Old Florida" - the theme for this trip

Likely there are many definitions out there to define "Old Florida".  Some might think of times before the rise of super theme parks, others the very early, pre-history human inhabitants or the visits by European explorers long before the Mayflower.

Family Holiday on the Florida Gulf Coast

Having family time between Christmas and New Year’s on the Gulf coast was great.  We had a diversity of activities to keep all three generations engaged. Jesse’s first priority was the beach (even though it was cool and windy).

Overview of our first extended RV trip from Arizona to Florida (2013)

Before we get started on our adventures to the Northwest this year, I will give a summary of our first major trip in our RV.  We left Arizona mid-December, 2012 and returned in late January, 2013.

We headed to visit friends and relatives in Florida.  After a forced march across Texas (including 2 days of unexpected driving by Leslie because my back went out after the second day on the road), we made it to Disney World's Wilderness Park for a week's stay with family ( Leslie's son, and grandkids from Atlanta, and sister-in-law from Boston).