“Come on over here!” calls a young man to us. “Look at me! I am going to do something.” He holds up the frame of a tennis racquet, and by contortion squeezes himself through this hoop from head to toe. Will he make it? Just barely.
So many handmade crafts for sale…what about the sun? Oh yes, the sun! We almost forgot. There she is going down in glory. A tourist ship arrives to watch the show. At the last minute the sun drops behind a cloud and is lost to us. We cannot see the sun touch down! But we see the steaks of pink and blue…God is in control and all is well. Back in our red Corolla, Al twists and turns down one street after another until he finds the main road leading East out of the downtown area.
Friday, March 11th - Key West
“They be good! Taste like iguana!”
This morning we spend at our resort by the pool, just taking in the beauty of our natural surroundings. We have made arrangements to have lunch with our friends from Gales Ferry, Hap and Diane. Both of them are from our home church and they are vacationing in Key West the same time as us. We look forward to spending time with them. Hap picks us up at 11:30 a.m. and we are off to the “Hogfish” Restaurant on Stock Island.
Bumping along rutted dirt roads in an area that looks uninviting and unsafe to walk in, we come upon the popular “Hogfish” restaurant. It is filled with diners but fortunately a table is found for us. “A hog fish, in case you don’t know, is a white fish that is common to this area,” our waitress explains. I order a Caesar salad and it is delicious.
After lunch we invite Hap and Diane to see our room at the motel. We stand on the upper walkway and look out over the palm trees and low lying shrubbery. I spot a large unusual shaped leaf on the ground. “How strange,” I think to myself. “That leaf looks exactly in the shape of a lizard!” And then the leaf moved. It actually slid along the sidewalk below and soon it was obvious we were looking at an iguana! Now it had our full attention and Al regaled us with his iguana story.
“When Maren and I were in the Caribbean on a cruise and visiting on Antigua,”, Al says, “I saw some strange looking birds in a man’s yard. I couldn’t figure out what kind of birds they were. I saw the man and said to him, “Excuse me, sir. What kind of birds are they?”
“Oh, they be chickens, mon. They be good! Taste like iguana!”
Hens and roosters and chicks roam the streets and motel grounds in Key West and you just get used to seeing them. They are wild and part of the landscape.
Saturday March 12th - Key West to Ft. Lauderdale
“Best Little Hair House In Town!”
Today we leave Key West and drive to Ft. Lauderdale. We stop at Summerland Key where our friend Kathy has a house. Unfortunately Kathy is not at home today but we do drive by her home on the water. Again we are concerned when we see the ocean waters lapping onto her front yard. She is in a beautiful location, BUT… how secure is the house from flood waters? The house is NOT on stilts.
We drive over one key after another…one bridge after another. We see men fishing all the time from these bridges and the fishing communities along the shores. One bridge is seven miles long! Driving along I spot some comical road signs. Over a beauty shop hangs a sign, “Best Little Hair House In Town”. Then there was the barbershop sign, “Get Buzzed Barbershop”. Closer to the Everglades area we came across “Crocodile Crossing” signs and “Panther Crossing” signs…
We stop at Long Key State Park for a break from the driving, etc. We walk south on a boardwalk through the mangrove swamp to the water, then along the waterfront where there are platforms for campers to set up their tents. Seeing the mangrove swamps close up is interesting, as they seem to be worse than a wall as far as preventing passage. Water, roots, and branches make walking through a mangrove swamp impossible.
We made a stop in Homestead, FL to see the famous “Coral Castle”. Rob told us about this place and we wanted to see this for ourselves. The Coral Castle was built mysteriously by a man Edward Leedskalnin who was born in Russia in 1887. Even though Edward was jilted by his 16 yr. old girlfriend named Agnes Scuffs, he became obsessed with building this castle for Agnes made out of coral rock in Florida. Single handedly and working only at night, Edward moved these massive coral carvings into place and builds his palace. He shaped the coral rocks into a gate, bell, rocking chairs, reading chairs, table, moon fountain, sun dial, north wall, throne room, sun couch, bathroom, bedroom, repentance corner, BBQ cooker, grotto of the Three Bears, tower, living quarters, tool room…How did he do this?! This is what no one knows. It is a mystery.
In Ft. Lauderdale we are welcomed by our good friends from church, George and Betty. They welcome us into their condo and make us feel right at home. A chicken dinner is waiting for us cooked by Betty with carrot cake for dessert. Yum. We move into their guest room and stay two nights with them. It is good to be with them and chat with them.
Sunday, March 13th - Ft. Lauderdale
“There are bikini contests here!”
George makes eggs and bacon for breakfast and later we drive to their church for the morning worship service. St. Mark’s Episcopal Church is a lovely church. They have a good sized and good sounding choir which sings from the back balcony of the sanctuary. The choir processes in downstairs at first and then climbs the stairs to the balcony. At the time of Communion the choir members walk down the stairs for communion and back up again. Finally at the end of the service the choir processes around the church and then out. Episcopalians love to process!
At lunch time we walk from the condo with George and Betty over to “Shooters Restaurant” which is on the waterway. The restaurant is very popular and filled with people. We are seated right near the waterway and during lunch I notice George and Al are preoccupied watching the boaters come in and out at the wharf. “Look over there, George!” says Al. George just smiles as a good looking lady clad in a bikini works the lines of the boat. “There are bikini contests here. There was a bikini contest here some years ago and Mike was here taking pictures,” George allows.
Later that afternoon Al and I drive over to visit with Karin. Karin is the sister of my good friend Gudrun who lives in Germany. She welcomes us into her apartment and shows us the garden walkways in her courtyard complete with water falls, picturesque bridges and a common swim club. From the outside of the apartment you do not expect to see this – it looks like a large warehouse. But all the apartments open on the inside to an area with walks and plantings – like a Secret Garden. March 13th is Gudrun’s birthday and Karin and I have a nice chat with Gudrun on the telephone. I am glad we can visit with Karin if only for an hour.
Back with George and Betty we enjoy a turkey and ham sandwich supper. George asks if we would like to use their washing machine to wash our clothes and I gratefully say yes! However, someone else on the floor is using the machine - all night. When I wake up Monday morning I find that George has taken care of our laundry for us early in the morning! How happy we are to have clean laundry again. We are sorry to have to leave these good friends.
Monday, March 14th - Naples
“We have a high respect for alligators!”
Today we leave Ft. Lauderdale and drive to Naples, to stay with my sister Kris and Mike. Along the way we stop at Shark Valley in the Everglades where we take a nice nature walk along board walks and walkways past the swamps and alligators! We have high respect for alligators and keep our distance!
Kris and Mike have lived in Moorings Park in Naples for four years now. This is the first time we are visiting them in their new home and senior community. Kris shows me from room to room where I recognize framed pictures and object from her past home. It is very beautiful and comfortable here. Their windows overlook palm trees and the golf course. After delicious spinach lasagna that Kris cooks for us, we head for bed.
Tuesday, March 15th - Naples
“No problem. He just dials a car.”
This morning Kris and I go on a boat ride on the river in Naples while Mike takes Al off for a radio controlled sailboat race. The boat tour is wonderful. From the upper deck we view the harbor and then the huge homes lining both sides of the river built by millionaires. Stories are told about these millionaires…do you know there is something called “Dial A Car?” One millionaire owned seven cars and had them all in one garage. This would be problematic to the ordinary person, but this car owner had all of his cars on a kind of revolving turn table! He would enter his garage and “dial a car.” He would decide which car he wanted to use and press the corresponding button. The turn table would turn around and deliver the car to him. Now that is luxury!
Another millionaire had thirteen children. Not a problem. He simply bought up all the houses on the point of land and gave one to each child. Our boat took us a little way into the Gulf of Mexico and turned around for the trip back. We spotted dolphins jumping in the water…I love that.
After the boat ride Mike and Al joined us at the Riverwalk Restaurant on the dock and we had a very pleasant lunch. Later on in the afternoon after a rest period, Kris and I were driven in a golf cart around the grounds of their senior community. I saw the common areas for dining and swimming as well as a stop at the chapel. That night we all went for dinner at “Michaelbob’s” which was a step back in time to the Coca Cola glass bottle era. The barbeque pork was delicious.
Wednesday March 16th - Palmetto and Cortez
“Is there any other place we can go to for lunch?!”
Today we drive up the coast to Palmetto to visit with our longtime friend, Linda. We take Linda out to lunch and Linda climbs into the front seat of the Corolla so she can tell Al where to go. We drive through Bradenton and then get in a long line of traffic. After about 45 min. Al says to Linda, “Do you think we will be at the restaurant before another 45 minutes goes by?” “Maybe,” answers Linda. Al turns the car around. “Is there any other place we can go for lunch?” he asks. We wind up at the Irish Pub in the old part of Bradenton - it is perfect. The room is so dark your eyes have to adjust to the darkness. The waitress takes our order and then tells us the food is cooked in the restaurant across the street and they will bring it over to us. Whatever! Linda spots a pool table at the end of the room. “I love to play pool,” she states. I challenge her to a game and we are off playing 8-ball. It takes us 30 minutes at least to clear the table of balls. No matter. We have fun and lots of laughs.
Leaving Linda back at her home, we drive on to Cortez where we are greeted by my cousin Anne and George. They live in a lovely condo with front and back views of the water. They take us to the Bradenton Yacht Club for dinner and it is a memorable experience. A truly great dinner and a surprisingly large menu. We wish we had more time to visit with Anne and George and see more of Cortez which is a charming fishing village.
Thursday March 17th - West Palm Beach via Lake Placid
“It must be something the air conditioning is blowing about.”
Today we spend the day driving from West Coast to East Coast Florida stopping for lunch and a visit with my high school classmate, Cathy, in Lake Placid. This is a long drive through the countryside passing groves of orange trees and cattle grazing in the fields. Cathy is waiting for us and graciously shows us her home and back yard which slopes down to a lake. It is lovely and peaceful there. For lunch she surprises us with homemade Quiche and strawberry shortcake for dessert. Have you ever had Florida strawberries to eat? They are large and very red, juicy and delicious. Thank you, Cathy! Then she drives us to her town Lake Placid and shows us many of the hand painted murals that adorn the sides of stores and buildings all over town! These murals depict everyday life in her area. One huge mural depicts a cowboy scene of a cattle round up and another shows the town library and school. “This area is known for its bears. Sometimes I see bears in the country.”
Driving on we continue our trip to the East Coast and check into the “Economy Inn” in West Palm Beach. We are trying to save money at the motel but in the bargain we get a bare bones room that is….questionable. I don’t know how else to describe it. Not a good feeling about anything and a hunch to be sure to lock the door at night.
While in the bathroom I notice something wiggling in the corner by the shower stall. I think, “it must be something the air conditioning is blowing about.” Then I follow that wiggling with my eyes and discover that it is attached to a small lizard. The lizard is perfectly still and not about to move an inch from the shower. Although I want to take a shower, I cannot conceive of doing this so close to the lizard!
We are here to visit with my childhood friend, Jane, who was also a bridesmaid in our wedding. Jane lives in North Palm Beach and she shows us around her home. It is a lovely area and Jane takes us to the Seasons 52 restaurant for a great dinner. After dinner Jane shows us Juno Beach in the moonlight. When she hears where we are staying the night she looks worried. “I worry about your safety,” she says. “It is a heavy crime area.”
During the night I visit the bathroom and see the lizard is still in its corner. Then the lizard runs out of the bathroom into the bedroom. Yuck! I know they are harmless but…yuck! I walk carefully in my shoes back to bed and try to forget it.
Friday March 18th - Clermont via Titusville
Catching the big one…SPLASH!
This morning on our way to Titusville I want to stop and see Juno Beach in the daylight. I am so glad we make a stop at the ocean. It is a breezy day and young people are arriving in droves shouldering their surf boards to “catch the big one.” At Juno Beach you can walk out on a long dock and see the surfers up close. It is very exciting for me to watch them feeling the thrill of it all. You can see it all on their faces. First is the look of exultation as they catch the wave and start their glide to the shore. Then comes a look of doubt as their surfboard becomes wobbly. There there is the look of shock as they realize they will fall, and finally the look of frustration as they are overcome by the wave and SPLASH! They are gone from sight tumbling through the waves. I could have watched this all day but we have to drive on.
We drive on up the coast through the towns of Jupiter Point, Tequesta, Stuart, Fort Pierce, Vero Beach, Sebastion, Melbourne and Titusville. We stop for lunch at Vero Beach and once again admire the ocean view from the boardwalk. It is stunning. How can you go to Florida and not be awestruck by the ocean views and scenes? Sights and smells? We have lunch at Vero Beach by the ocean and I have the special which is a tuna fish croissant with chips.
In Titusville we stop and visit with Ken and Sandy who are good neighbors of ours wintering in Florida at Manatee Hammock RV Park in their camper. This campsite is shaded by many trees and very peaceful. It is on the water and across the water is the Cape Canaveral Shuttle station. They can view a shuttle lift off from this lake! Ken and Sandy show us their camper and then Sandy brings out these homemade chocolate chip cookies! I had one…who can resist? It was so nice chatting with them.
Saying goodbye we drive on through Orlando to Clermont. This is not easy. Have you ever driven through Orlando during rush hour? Not a pretty sight. It was bumper to bumper traffic…but it did keep moving inch by inch. We finally get to Clermont where Pete and Janet are waiting for us. They used to be members of St. David’s Episcopal Church when they lived in Conn. They live in a lovely Spanish style contemporary one level home overlooking a golf course in the back. You enter an inner courtyard surrounded by a large screened area from top to bottom. That night Pete brings in a fish and chips dinner for all of us and we eat at home. There are no lizards in the shower!
Saturday March 19th - The Villages
“I can’t let him see how much I like this!”
Pete and Janet introduce us to “Flapjack Johnny’s” this morning where we have some flapjacks for breakfast. Next to the restaurant is a resale shop Janet wants to visit. She know what she wants to buy but, “ I can’t let him see how much I like this,” Janet says of the shopkeeper. She can get a better price for the 'Snow Bunny' if he doesn’t know how much she wants it. Resale stores are plentiful in Florida. Lots of people like Pete and Janet furnish their homes from these shops.
We drive to Mt. Dora to see a boat show and along the way I see a church Easter sign. It reads, “He got up. You can too.” I like that. Think about it.
It is raining today so our next stop is at Walmart’s to buy umbrellas. We enjoy seeing the boats despite the light rain.
Saying good bye to Pete and Janet, we drive to the Villages where we are staying with our friend Barbara. The Villages is a huge, I mean huge, senior living community with everything you can possibly need right in the community. The area is about 44 square miles. You just drive and drive and drive and wonder if you are still in the Villages. Barb has cooked us a complete turkey dinner and afterwards Barb and her friend Gene take us to one of the three town squares where every night of the week is a show and entertainment outdoors. Tonight is an antique auto show. There is dancing in the square and the place is mobbed with people - all very happy and sociable.
Sunday March 20th - The Villages
“Are we still in the Villages?”
Today we take a bus tour of the Villages and later Gene drives us to different locations. I am ever amazed at the distances here. “Are we still in the Villages?” I keep asking. Tunnels connect one golf course to the next. Gene shows us one of the theme recreation buildings. This one is a Caribbean theme called “Sea Breeze”. It is gorgeous inside where everything is decorated in turquoise.
We take a boat trip on the lake and then eat at a lakeside restaurant. It is so picturesque here. Huge turtles swim just below the surface of the water. Back in Barb’s house I thumb through one of her cookbooks on the coffee table. I find a recipe for cabbage shredded with bacon, onions, and mushrooms…a sautéed cabbage side dish. I copy it down. It is simple but sounds delicious. We watch “Big Shots” on TV and are captivated by the child prodigies we see interviewed on this program. Have you ever seen a three year old play classical piano? A five year old Ninja Warrior? A six year old hypnotize live animals?
Monday March 21 - Jacksonville via St. Augustine
Ouch!
Today we drive to St. Augustine on our way to Jacksonville. St. Augustine is the oldest town in America founded in the 1500’s. It is our first visit here. The trolley tour takes us through town past large Spanish style buildings and stores. I think the biggest structure is the hotel built by Henry Flagler that is now a private college. It is huge.
Driving on to Jacksonville we check into our motel. Pulling out a dresser drawer for my clothes, the dresser drawer keeps right on rolling out and crashes down onto my right foot. Ouch! The dresser drawers are not working properly and my foot is now black and blue! We have lunch at the Red Lobster restaurant and then rest in our motel.
Tuesday March 22 – More St Augustine
“If you want to see alligators…”
We drive back to St. Augustine today to walk through town and see more. We visit the Memorial Presbyterian Church built by Henry Flagler. We also visit the Catholic Church and Episcopal Church admiring the stained glass windows and rich mahogany woodwork. We walked up and down the pedestrian outside mall and stopped in for lunch at the Dolce Sandwich Shop. After lunch Al drove us across the Lion Bridge where I walked through the Alligator Farm! Man, if you want to see alligators, here is the place for you! They are everywhere in the open air exhibits. They even offer a zip line ride over the alligators! I did not do that.
Back in Jacksonville meet with our cousin Dawn and visit with our Aunt Flo in a nursing home. It is wonderful to see them. We eat with Dawn at the St Mary’s Seafood Restaurant and then say our good byes.
This is the end of our vacation trip! We fly home tomorrow. Our trip is unforgettable! We visited so many friends and family. We saw new places and things. We lived in the present moment and welcomed the unexpected each day. Thank you, God, for showing us all You did! Thank You that when times are rough I can remember that “You got up and I can too.” Thank You!
This is a large United airplane and we are soon on our way, comfortable in our seats. Ft. Lauderdale here we come! Look at the blue ocean waters off the coast. It is so beautiful. In Ft. Lauderdale we transfer one more time to a small airplane and this time we wing our way to Key West – first over the green Everglades, then over very blue waters. Look at that string of skinny islands with those long bridges connecting them. Before we know it there is touchdown. The air is warm and delightful here at the airport as the sun starts to sink. The palm trees sway in the breeze. We just need to get our rental car and we are on our way to the motel. “We are on our way,” our Alamo agent assures us. We will be with you shortly.” An hour later we are still waiting. The rental office is now closed and we are stranded. “I will get a car” Al tells me and he goes back inside the airport and makes the new arrangements with Avis. Soon we are inside our red Toyota Corolla and on our way to the “Banana Bay Resort”.
