Exploring Florida - part 1

January 8, 2019 - January 22, 2019

We traveled quickly down the east coast of Florida From Yulee in the north to Florida City in the south - putting us in a good position to visit the Everglades and the Florida Keys.

Stopped in Jacksonville to see our friends Alice and Bill.  Alice, Laura and I went for a walk on a trail near a beach.

Alice and Laura on the trail.

Short break before we head back to the car.

Jacksonville at night.

We drove all the way downtown one evening to see this fountain which was supposed to be all lit up in multiple colors!
Very disappointing!

Alice made these little Alligators for us - completely by hand!
Aren't they wonderful!!! We just love them!

 On to the Everglades

Marina at the end of the road into the Everglades (i.e. Flamingo, FL)

Manatees playing in the waters off the marina.

Above and below: Hurricane damage to walkways in the Everglades.

Much of the area is grass with bumps of land which support trees and bushes.
They call them Hammocks (Hummocks would seem a better word to me.)
Depending on the rainfall the grass stands in 0-3 inches of water which flows from Lake Okeechobee to the Gulf.

Typical vegetation on a Hammock.

 Enjoyed our drive and our time in the Florida Keys.

Our campground at Marathon Key.
We paid the most we've ever paid to stay here.  It was even more expensive than the campground across from Manhattan!

Key West
Everything grows to unbelievable sizes here.

Beautiful orchids in pots tied to palm trees.

Ever so beautiful Royal Palms

There are chickens and roosters running everywhere in Key West.

Cruise ship leaving port in Key West.

Ernest Hemingway's House in Key West

Front Entrance

The house is surrounded by beautiful gardens.

This pool was built by one of Hemingway's wives.
The area originally was the site of a boxing ring which she hated.

The famous cats living at the Hemingway House.
Many, but not all, have 6 toes on their front paws.
Two of them have 6 toes on all four paws.

Harry Truman "Little White House"

Rear of the "Little White House."
We were not allowed to take pictures of the interior!

The gardens surrounding the house are really beautiful.

The most southern route across Florida passes through the Big Cypress Natural Preserve where there are lots of Alligators.

Williamsburg to Florida

December 21, 2018 - January 7, 2018

Although we've had an amazing number of beautiful days this December, it was definitely getting colder in Virginia.  We decided it was time to get serious about moving south.

Williamsburg, VA to Yulee, FL.

Norfolk, VA

The Chrysler Museum - Perry Glass Studio

Glass gets it's color from specific elements on the periodic table.

Naturally occurring glass.

For those of you who find this as fascinating as I do.  You'll have to magnify these to read them.

Saw a terrific demonstration of glass blowing:  The two women worked together to make a Christmas wreath.

The bubble of glass is pressed together to make it like a flat bottle then they heat the center of the glass.

Pushing the hot centers from each side until they can make a hole through it.

Smoothing the hole.

Adding leaves and berries for decoration.

A few final touches and it's done.

The Chrysler Museum of Art

This cow is made from tini-tiny glass beads!

Kill Devil Hills, NC (On the Outer Banks)

Looking toward the dock from our campsite.

Small canal off the main area of water.

Looking back at our motorhome from the dock.

Fabulous old live oak tree.

Getting toward sunset on the beach at Kill Devil Hills.

Bayboro, NC - home of a college friend.  JoAnn and I did our Medical Technology internship together at Wayne County General Hospital in Wayne, Michigan.

JoAnn and her husband Lou created this beautiful spot from a very rough thicket of land.
Talk about sweat equity!
The house is raised to avoid flooding during hurricanes.

Their dock and sailboat.  They are situated on the Bay River.

Their neighbor's dock.

Their house from the dock with our motorhome parked in the background.

The hardworking couple and our host and hostess.

Lou let me do a little work using his John Deere tractor!  So much fun!
Would love to have one of my own!