Week in Florida

We left home Wednesday morning December 14th and drove all day. An interstate accident re-routed us to a state highway for two hours as a chemical fire burned for about 12 hours. Yikes. We went about 20 miles in that two hours. Got kind of long but we saw some beautiful Tennessee countryside that we wouldn’t have seen from interstate…

Eventually got to Cordele, GA and spent the night at a Comfort Inn (I think. No one can really remember…).

Landed at Hallandale Beach about 3 pm on Thursday. After a quick run to the beach, we did supper at Five Guys and then some grocery shopping. Beautiful warm evening.

Friday morning – the breakers were huge! And it was 80+ degrees.

Friday night we had ice cream on the Broadwalk at Hollywood Beach.

View of Broadwalk from the beach.

Saturday – trip to the Everglades. Saw a few gators and crocodiles and lots of birds and fish.

And the straightest smoothest emptiest roads we’d seen in a long time.

80s and beautiful again.

Josh caught some butterflies that we don’t have back home.

Climbing in the mangroves.

With the millions of mosquitos.

Saltwater crocodile.

Next stop -

Airboat ride was a hit for everyone I think.

Josh is excited for…

THIS!

The front row people got the wettest when the driver did a 360. Which was super fun and REALLY wet!

Pens of alligators at different stages of growth. Alligators were raised for zoos and other alligator farms.

Sunday – church in Fort Lauderdale,

then pool, naps, and supper at Uncle Dan and Aunt Shirley’s condo. Fun to get to know second cousin Natalie and her roommate Karlie.

Monday - another beach day. Still 80s and sunny.

Tuesday – trip to the Florida Keys. Five older kids ready to go snorkeling at John Pennecamp Coral Reef State Park.

Everyone else went on a glass bottom boat.

Older kids’ boat racing our slower catamaran back to the state park dock.

Iguanas were as plentiful as squirrels back here – once we just about hit one that crossed the road in front of us!

Watching the fishermen at the Seven Mile Bridge. Pretty cool to see a stingray at one point.

Third try landed us at this great pizza/spaghetti place for supper.

Wednesday – last day on the beach.

Our sand creations got lots of comments from beach walkers.

Once again 80s and sunny. They don’t call it The Sunshine State for nothing.

Wednesday night supper on the Broadwalk at Hollywood Beach. Really expanded our horizons with grouper, cod, squid, shrimp, and mahi.

Thursday – homeward bound.

Stopped at University of Florida in Gainesville where there is a butterfly house and a museum of natural history.

Drove all night, got home at 6:00 Friday morning. We all crawled into bed til 10 or 11 that morning before we tackled unloading the van and cleaning everything up (except Dad who went into work at 9:00 for meetings!).

Great trip - - - as usual, great to go but great to be home again.