Merry Christmas from Tampa!

Merry Christmas everyone!

We hope you enjoy your holidays, family, friends, the turkey, the gifts, the cheer, the snow (if you happen to get any!), and maybe even the mistletoe!

We are enjoying a thoroughly non traditional day. the boys got up and went fishing at the bridge. We ate a late, low key breakfast and Todd and I set off on a drive to the beach at Indian Rocks. We have been calling our families, consistently having difficulty getting through. We have stopped at a Starbucks in Tampa to spend a few minutes catching up on email. We plan to attend the RV park's Christmas dinner at 5pm. It is potluck style with turkey and ham provided, and everyones brings a dish to share, I am bringing stuffing and a cake. This park has been one of the friendliest and they seem to like to have fun, the boys find it amusing as they don't think 'old people' which we are in that category, actually have fun! They had carolling (beer in hand), a parade of sorts with their golf carts totally decked out, and everybody stops to chat, we are enjoying it!
I hope you all get to enjoy some time out from your busy schedule and relax with friends and family. We miss you all especially today! Take care!

Tabitha

Miami Beach, Florida Everglades, Fort Myers

Merry Christmas!

We stayed in the canpground in Fort Lauderdale and extra day as the weather improved and we really wanted to see Miami Beach during the day (we had visited and eaten dinner along the beach on Friday night). We went back to the beach on Saturday and it was a beautiful day, the beach was absolutely the best we have been to in terms of water and sand. We went out in the mellow waves and the bottom was beautiful sand and I did the stingray shuffle although not a ray or fish was seen near the shore. The tow took us out a way and we found ourselves with quite a swim back to shore. The water was warm and a gorgeous turquoise colour. It was a fantastic day and we stopped at the Starbucks located right at the beach and needless to say it was very busy and with only 3 people working, I saw how hard they were working, and appreciated their upbeat attitude!

We left Fort Lauderdale on Sunday and drove to highway 41 west through the Everglades. We stopped at the National Park at Shark Valley, and don't let the name fool you as there are not really any valleys anywhere in Florida! (When we drove through Miami, we noticed several large hills and came to realize they were landfills.) We rode our bicycles the 24 km loop around the park in 2 hours, only stopping to take pictures of the alligators, and to walk up the lookout tower. There are many airboat tours operating around the Everglades and those are the ones we think of when we see the glades on TV, however, the park offers tram tours of the same loop we cycled. We were glad we biked, one for exercise and two for the up close feeling we had with the great birds and of course the gators, of which we saw many, even one coming onto the road with a turtle in its jaw, still alive, awaiting its fate. We actually watched a foolish young man, go up and touch a gator, the gator did not move, luckily, as the rule of thumb is stay back 15 feet from wildlife.
Yesterday, we visited Sanibel Island near Fort Myers where we heard the sea shells were amazing, there is a museum, but we chose to simply go collecting. We were not disappointed! I have never seen so many shells washed up on the beach! We collected until we could not carry anymore. This was our first beach on the gulf coast and although it was chilly and not swimming weather, we enjoyed our time there, the boys did also.
Today, we are waiting on North Trail RV center to look at our slide out and see what the job entails as it has been giving us trouble moving out at times. We are then heading to Palmetto, just south of Tampa, where we will stay until the 28th, when we head to Orlando.
Take care for now!

Fort Lauderdale

This picture is Todd and I in Key West at the Southernmost Point in the Continental USA.

We drove to Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday and went to the beach yesterday morning and managed to spend a few hours in the sun before the rain started. Although it has been hotter than average, it has now rained more than usual, with floods in the streets and a tornado watch as I sit and write this. We planned to spend the day in Miami and here in Aventura, we have decided to turn around and go back, simply too rainy and horrible driving conditions.

Key West was a great day - lots of shops and walking, a beautiful day! We ended our day in the town at Mallory Square where many go to watch the famous Key West sunset. Of course we stopped by Margaritaville on Duval Street for a few frozen concoctions and a plate of volcano nachos...mmm! We stopped at the Cracked Conch Cafe in Marathon again for the boys to get a snack for the boys - conch fingers and key lime pie - I only had the pie as some of you know I am chicken about shellfish and won't try it. The boys found it tasted like calamari.

Almost time to head out and drive through the rain some more. Take care!

Tabitha

Key Largo, Florida

Hi there - we have been staying in Key Largo and have explored the keys a little, driving south to Marathon one day and Islamorada another, tomorrow we are off to Key West.

Today we spent a great afternoon out on a boat where we got to snorkel and the boys all fished of course. We met Egon when we first arrived and were choosing a site, he lives in PEI and was from Ontario prior to that. He offered to take us out on his boat and today turned out to be the best day to go since we have been here. Great gut, funny and has been coming to Florida since 1963 with his parents. The waters were a bit murky with all the wind, but the water was warm and that gorgeous turquoise colour I love! Despite multiple layers of sunsreen and warnings to the same effect from Egon, we all got a bit too much sun and have various degrees of redness in spots. Yesterday, we went to the Theatre of the Sea in Islamorada. It is mostly rescued marine life there and they do a fantastic job of showing them off! You start at the tropical fish and get a tour with the turtles, then onto the crocs and gators, then a fun parrot show, I did not know parrots have the intellectual capability of a toddler, and can even add and subtract numbers!

Next was a dolphin show, which was amazing! The picture you see is me receiving a juicy, and might I add fishy kiss from the star of the show! Not many were volunteering for the kisses, so I surprised myself and went up, once ion a lifetime, that's what we keep saying! We also enjoyed the sea lion and were surprised by their agility both in and out of the water. You could swim with the rays and dolphins for an additional fee, and we weren't dressed in our suits for that, although the dolphin swim would have been great!

Last night, we got a taste of Key Largo at Christmas with a parade of boats all decked out with lights, music and even some entertainment. Each year has a theme and this year was Hollywood. Very interesting to see how Christmas happens without cold and snow! A bit about the keys, you know where everything is by the mile marker, for example we are at MM101.5, and in Key West is MM0, so we are you guessed it just over 100 miles from Key West. Then you are either O for oceanside or south of the land on the Atlantic, or you are B for bayside, on the Florida Bay, which is the Gulf of Mexico side. We are on the Oceanside. It is very relaxed here, with flip flops the main shoes you need for most occasions. It is noticeably hotter than Melbourne Beach, and the temp was 91 the other day and 87 today, we run the AC most of the time! It is beautiful with the mangroves and iguanas and little geckos everywhere.

Take care

Tabitha

Florida City, FL

We drove to West Palm Beach from Melbourne Beach on Monday evening along the A1A and US Hwy 1 and camped overnight. We left this morning and drove along the Florida Turnpike south past Miami to Florida City, the last stop before the highway continues as US 1 to the Keys. We have a reservation for tomorrow at Key Largo Kampground, just 1 mile south of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, where the snorkeling is supposed to be great! From there we will explore the Florida Keys.
It was hot today 31 degrees celcius with some humidity and we actually searched for some air conditioning, sorry to say! Now do not think for a minute we are complaining! If we think to complain, we remind ourselves about the chilly winter back home and how we need to appreciate the heat! Speaking of back home, Jordan sent us some pictures of the flooding in Duncan, on Beverly Street and Lakes Road, along what would be our way home on Davis Crescent. Now I can understand why it was on the national news, and see the impact. Thanks Jordan for the pictures!
After dinner, we all came to a Starbucks, to get online and enjoy a decaf americano (with pumpkin spice), dessert too! The boys have had alot of school focused time online, so they are enjoying some Facebook time, along with YouTube if I know Dillon at all!
Take care!
Tabitha

Space Coast, Florida (Melbourne Beach)

Hi! We have been in Melbourne Beach for a week and plan to check out next Monday and head south to the Miami area and Key Largo. We have heard the keys are disappointing, expensive which we knew, run down and not RV friendly. So the plan is to stay near Key Largo and drive the car only down the rest of the way to Key West. The things to do are exciting, we met a lady in St. Augustine who used to live in Key West and she told us the best snorkeling is in Looe State Park. You can do kayak tours as well which sounds like fun.
We have enjoyed staying in one spot for the past week! The nomadic lifestyle has been fun, and this stop is a nice rest for us. The RV resort where we are staying is almost perfect, 3 pools (only 1 heated until January when they heat all 3), lots of great washrooms and the best showers we have had yet, one side of the park borders the Indian River and the other, just a short walk across the A1A highway is the beach with a pool there also. We prefer the beach pool as you can hear the waves and pop down to the beach whenever you want to. There are 3 sets of tennis courts and we bought rackets, the boys have played several times (even though my racket is pink!) We also have a friendly cat named Jack who comes by for some petting and a little food when he feels like it. The boys go fishing every day, either surf or on the river off the long dock. The Brevard County library for school is a 5 minute drive from the park, and the bait & tackle shop is across from the library and the boys bike there when they need more bait.
The weather has been quite wonderful, sorry to say, high 70's to low 80's and less humidity than when we first arrived in Florida. However, tonight we have a chance of high winds, it will rain and even a tornado possibility although the TV looked as though it would mostly pass north of us. It is still over 80 degrees tonight, so plenty warm despite the clouds. The boys have had the warm, sunny days off from scholl and will work on the not so nice days, that seems to work out best.
The other part I did not mention about the almost perfect RV resort is that most of the residents are part time, elders, living in park model homes, nicely landscaped, and apart from a few younger souls, and only one family I have seen with toddlers, we are among the youngest, it is all relative! All the people we meet are very friendly and the boys also have met many nice gentlemen who coach them on the fishing and help identify the latest victim from the water. They catch all kinds of fish and of course release most except for a whiting Dillon kept today as apparently they are tasty. Even Damian catches fish and when you know how much he talks, you know the fish are plentiful! His specialty is puffer fish although he has caught a few stingrays. I actually hear so much fishing talk, it becomes almost unbearable! And now you get to hear about it too! They get up early (6:30am, which for Damian in particular is difficult) and fish, then fish after dinner if doing school, or basically all day when there is no school. They love it and it keeps them busy so it is really great for them, and they actually agree and like to do it together, although I am sure they would not admit it!
Take care - until next time! Tabitha