Florida
Land of palm trees, clouds, humidity, bugs and thunderstorms if you are
there in September!
there in September!
Kennedy Space Center
actual space capsule
actual space capsule
At the Kennedy Space Center we saw the launchpad with the flame trench underneath (it diverts the flame from the shuttle).
The launch pad. The piece on the left closes around the rockets and shuttle.
We then went to Kissemmee St. Pk in the middle of Florida. Here we saw an unusual forest of palms, oak, pine and Spanish moss.
We travelled to the east coast through Miami Beach, South Beach and downtown Miami (in the RV)!
One can park their boat along the street, hop off and go shopping.
One of the beautiful homes along the many canals.
Miami
Then we stayed in Key Largo. The next day we drove down The Keys part way. The Keys are on long chain of islands connected with one long road and many bridges.
After a very hot, buggy night in the Everglades we found a beautifully landscaped RV park in Ft. Meyers Beach.(the sign warns of an aligator in the pond)
We saw one of the largest buildings in the US (by volume) which is the assembly building for rockets, shuttles, etc. The 2 large doors on the left are 456' tall and take 45 min. to open. One star on the flag is 6' across.
Dripping forest with Spanish Moss and Ivy at our campground south of St. Petersburg (Florida has much more than palm trees)
The waterfront in Sarasota FL
Sarasota FL with so many boats
There are lots of long bridges with all the water that surrounds Florida. This one is the Sunshine Skyway Bridge south of St. Petersburg/Tampa. We continue to be amazed how often we still cross over the intracoastal canal. We have discovered that the canal was originally built to protect US ships from the Germans.
Our 1st glimpse of white sand, blue water and warm sunshine as we hit
the Florida Panhandle.
the Florida Panhandle.
On the inside corner of the Gulf of Mexico is a little place called Cedar Key. It was a funky place, like the old Florida we were told. We stayed at a motel/tiki bar/RV park called LowKey Hideaway. It was magical.
View from our RV of the dock and keys (many tiny islands)
Cedar Key at sunset where you can sit on the dock and relax in the swinging chairs.
LowKey Hideaway Motel
The open air Tiki Bar at night, only steps from our RV
We then returned to Panama City Beach. This is the 1st time since we left AZ to see the same place twice! There my sisters and hubbies surprised me with a visit from Vancouver BC for my 60th birthday. It was an awesome visit and SO much fun.
My sisters Shelley and Lesley
and Peter and Doug at
Schooners Restaurant
on the beach.
and Peter and Doug at
Schooners Restaurant
on the beach.
Lesley and Doug at our RV site at Emerald Coast RV Park
Sunset view from our table at the restaurant. A very special evening in so many ways.
Then we went to an aligator farm and on a swampboat ride just north of Panama City Beach with Shelley and Peter.
Our sons sent us this 22' flagpole with a 49er flag. No one will have any problem finding us now!
