We had a wonderful time with Jon's friend Dick and his wife Carol. They live part of the year on Amelia Island in the far northeast corner of Florida. It is a beautiful island with an easy going pace of life. We enjoyed a lovely dinner at one of their favorite restaurants and a tour of the island with them. They were actually leaving for their home in New York state the next day, so we spent the evening together and then parted company.
Following that visit, we went to Summerfield, near Ocala, to see Eileen and Dennis Jones who are great friends that we met on our month long European river cruise in June of 2010. They have a gorgeous home in a community with numerous pools, athletic options, class offerings etc. We were toured through their neighborhood and then to the larger area called "The Villages". That is a senior housing area that has about 70,000 residents and several "town squares" well situated to provide services - shops, businesses and restaurants - as well as entertainment. We had a great dinner at a Greek restaurant and then went to the bandstand where live music was played and people were having a ball dancing, all out of doors of course! We also got in a good visit - I don't think Eileen and I stopped talking the whole time. We saw their pictures of their recent trip to several countries in south Africa and talked with them about their upcoming trip to Norway. We were sorry to say goodbye!
And then it was south on the Florida Turnpike to the Everglades. We stayed in Florida City, just south and west of Miami, for a night and then spent 5 hours in the Everglades. It was fascinating - an area that looks sort of like prairie, with lots of grasses and bunches of trees, but is really a moving river only inches deep. We saw exotic trees and other plant life and on one boardwalk saw turtles, alligators, several kinds of birds and fish. A truly unique place!
Later that afternoon we drove down the Keys to Key West. It took a while since most of the way it is only two lanes. When we reached our hotel and settled in a bit, we made reservations for dinner and booked the hotel shuttle, since our place was not right downtown. It worked wonderfully since parking can be a nightmare. We had just enough time for a leisurely outdoor dinner accented with people watching (and there are some unusual types there) and a stroll back to the pickup spot, with a quick shopping stop thrown in. The next morning we drove to the edge of downtown and walked to Ernest Hemmingway's house. We were just in time for a good tour - he was quite a character - four wives, many lovers, first hand observer in two wars, and a enthusiastic liver of life.
Around 1:00 we started the drive back up the Keys, stopping for lunch at the "Crab Shack" and stopping again at Bahia Honda state park, supposedly one of the most beautiful beaches in America. We would agree! We wished we had more time to spend there, but we only waded a bit - I love warm salt water for swimming! - and then got back in the car. We ended our day in Tamarac, just off the Turnpike near Fort Lauderdale.
Today we are going to the Space Center area to spend two nights. We plan to tour the center and to spend lots of visiting time with our dear friend from St. Charles, Poulsbo, Alice Black.
Photos: our friends Carol and Dick Peterson, our friends Eileen and Dennis Jones, Everglades alligator, the way the Everglades look - a sea of grass, Jon and a huge tree on a trail in the Everglades, Hemingway's home in Key West and me on the beach at Bahia Honda St. park.
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