anita

We are back home! It is warm here ... I always heard that Florida beaches were warm. We didn't go to California because it was going to be cold. The only place we could think of to go that was warm was Florida ... without going all the way to Hawaii. We had fun ... drove ... paid about $50 in toll road charges (Jari says $150!) ... froze our tootsies off at the beach ... saw a lot of the eastern side of Florida ... drove about 1100 miles ... at times thought I was on I35 from Mpls up north ... other times I thought I was in Zim!!! My most amazing thing about Florida: palm trees growing next to pine trees. This pic is of little trees, but there were massive palms next to equally massive pines. Just looked a bit unnatural to this desert dweller!


Friday we went to Kennedy Space Center ... wow! Definately worth the entrance fees if you ever have the opportunity to go. Didn't do the IMAX films, but did the tours. The size of everything is absolutely amazing. Saw 'gators where I didn't think gators existed ... vultures (oh my gosh!) and eagle nests. Every pond, lake and swamp is full of those beautiful critters. In the evening we had dinner and visiting with Toivo and Laura Loukusa who live in Orlando.





Saturday we went south. Found places we know we would never move to and can't quite figure out how some people can! We visited Martta (Jari's aunt) in Palm Beach. If you look at a map ... I believe that the only nice place in Lake Worth/Palm Beach is the area between the Intercoastal Waterway and the ocean. Martta's house (not hers, but where she lives) is 3 houses down from Donald Trumps. If that gives you any idea of the sort of neighborhood. I used the bathroom ... then sent Jari to use the bathroom with the camera. Check out this toilet!!! The house has a room off the garage that is full of a train set. $1 million dollars worth of train set ... 2 engineers worked about a year putting the thing together. Quite the lifestyle ... just a little moth ball smelling. We were invited to spend the night ... Jari respectfully declined. So .... Martta found us a "hotel" in Lake Worth. We drove up to see a tweeker leaving a room ... decided that a 3 hour drive back to our hotel room sounded better than ever!

On the way back we stopped at Jupiter Beach (chilly!) and drove through Hobe Sound. Now that is a place I could definately live.












Sunday we went to St. Augustine ... the oldest town/settlement in the United States. Totally cool! Very European looking with narrow streets, old buildings (including the oldest school house in the country), a fort that has survived 17 out of 17 battles. I found the coolest way to stack a dozen children to sleep ... didn't get a picture though. Well worth taking a trip to see if you go. Would have enjoyed going on a ghost tour at night, but couldn't stay. There are supposedly many ghostly creatures hanging around. A stop at the gator farm, but it was closed.



A little playing on the frigid beach. Note: If you take a wrong turn on the toll road and have to turn around ... you just pay again! Couldn't quite figure out how they determine if the charge is 50 cents or $2 or $1.25. Driving is challenging ... tested Jari's patience much more than a vacation needed.

Monday night and we are home. Being as this was a honeymoon and we didn't purchase one thing for "us" as souveniers ... Jari took me home from the airport in a limo. Fun times ... next trip to Florida ... we go to the Keys .... sit on the beach ... go fishing ... read a book from cover to cover ... no driving allowed!