Monday February 2, 2015 8:30 AM 30 + miles
The first official ride will start from Steven's Landing in Marco Island. Meet at Bob Smith's condo development in the parking lot. If you need entry directions to get into Steven's Landing contact me off of this blog at xsnrg50@gmail.com or 609-658-0887 for more specific information. We will visit the Fakahatchee Preserve, which is on the Tamiami
Trail (Rte 41), approximately 9 miles past the intersection of San Marco
Rd (Rte 92). We will be on Rt 41 for a short while but it has a big shoulder. We will be going through Everglades City and
then to Chokoloskee Island. A really interesting ride, and little
traffic except for Rte 41. Bob will be co-leader for this ride.
Saturday, January 31, 2015
Thursday, January 29, 2015
The Visit to South Beach
Tuesday January 27th
Al Porter and his wife Marion graciously invited the PFW contingent ....and their wives.....for a day of cycling and/or sightseeing in South Beach. You don't have to ask me twice! Bob Smith and his wife Meg decided to go as well.
Tuesday morning came early at 5 AM and I had to get the bike on the bike rack and drink enough up to make the drive to South Beach ( a section of Miami). My neighbors....Marci and Angela.... were great and offered to watched my two girls ( dogs) for me until my return late that night.
I met Bob and Meg at the Cracker Barrel off Exit 101 of Interstate 75 at 8 AM. The bike rack is not the easiest to work with but Bob figured out how to secure his bike in record time. The drive was easy and required only one stop along the way to stretch our legs at the rest area. We crossed Alligator Alley which connects the west coast to the east coast of Florida. I have to think it is named that because the road goes through the Everglades.
The Everglades rest stop.
We cut across to Rt 95 on the Florida turnpike. There are tolls along this road but no toll takers. How do they charge you? They take a picture of your license plate and send you the bill. Guess it saves money but certainly does not add to jobs in the economy!
We arrived at Al's and Marion's place at 10:15 AM. Al had a parking spot for the car on the street and we fed the meter all day long. Hard to find parking in South Beach but Al assured me he would find a spot for the car. Thanks Al for a job well done.
We had some snacks to get ready for the ride. The apartment that Al and Marion rented until the end of February was beautiful and had a European flair. After all their landord lives in Milan.
Al and Marion and their temporary winter home. Beautiful!!!
Al, Bob and I suited up and we were ready to ride about 11:30. Al, our tour guide, took us along Ocean Avenue to see the South Beach night clubs and the hotels with their varying architecture.
There is a Holocaust museum in Miami as well. We only went past it but I asked Al to stop sot that I was able to take a photo of the fountain in front of the building.
Here is a link for more information on the museum
http://holocaustmemorialmiamibeach.org/visit/info/
We continued to ride through Miami as our destination for the day was Key Biscayne. Cycling through the center of Miami was a white knuckle pedal for me although it didn't seem to both Bob or Al. Too many cars on streets with very little room for bikes. Once out of the main part of the city we cycled over several bridges called the Venetian Bridges. The traffic was gone and it was a pleasant ride to the entrance of the roadway to the bridge over to Key Biscayne.
Once past this sign the bridge awaited us. It wasn't as tough as the Sanibel Causeway but it was windy which made the climb a little harder. There was a paved path which we took to get off away from the roadway...and traffic...to the other side.
Our rest stop was a few miles after the bridge. It was called the (Oa) Sis Cafe. There Al treated me to a cafe con leche. ( coffee with milk) Bob and I rested while Al placed the order.
The cafe
Yummy....the pastries not the guy
It felt good to relax. Can't you tell by our smiles??
Once caffeinated we headed out towards the end of the key which is a state park. Here is the link with more information on the park.
http://www.floridastateparks.org/capeflorida/
I had to get a photo of the guys!
We headed into the park on a paved path and headed to an overlook. Here is what we saw.
Al Porter and his wife Marion graciously invited the PFW contingent ....and their wives.....for a day of cycling and/or sightseeing in South Beach. You don't have to ask me twice! Bob Smith and his wife Meg decided to go as well.
Tuesday morning came early at 5 AM and I had to get the bike on the bike rack and drink enough up to make the drive to South Beach ( a section of Miami). My neighbors....Marci and Angela.... were great and offered to watched my two girls ( dogs) for me until my return late that night.
I met Bob and Meg at the Cracker Barrel off Exit 101 of Interstate 75 at 8 AM. The bike rack is not the easiest to work with but Bob figured out how to secure his bike in record time. The drive was easy and required only one stop along the way to stretch our legs at the rest area. We crossed Alligator Alley which connects the west coast to the east coast of Florida. I have to think it is named that because the road goes through the Everglades.
We cut across to Rt 95 on the Florida turnpike. There are tolls along this road but no toll takers. How do they charge you? They take a picture of your license plate and send you the bill. Guess it saves money but certainly does not add to jobs in the economy!
We arrived at Al's and Marion's place at 10:15 AM. Al had a parking spot for the car on the street and we fed the meter all day long. Hard to find parking in South Beach but Al assured me he would find a spot for the car. Thanks Al for a job well done.
We had some snacks to get ready for the ride. The apartment that Al and Marion rented until the end of February was beautiful and had a European flair. After all their landord lives in Milan.
Al and Marion and their temporary winter home. Beautiful!!!
Al, Bob and I suited up and we were ready to ride about 11:30. Al, our tour guide, took us along Ocean Avenue to see the South Beach night clubs and the hotels with their varying architecture.
There is a Holocaust museum in Miami as well. We only went past it but I asked Al to stop sot that I was able to take a photo of the fountain in front of the building.
Here is a link for more information on the museum
http://holocaustmemorialmiamibeach.org/visit/info/
We continued to ride through Miami as our destination for the day was Key Biscayne. Cycling through the center of Miami was a white knuckle pedal for me although it didn't seem to both Bob or Al. Too many cars on streets with very little room for bikes. Once out of the main part of the city we cycled over several bridges called the Venetian Bridges. The traffic was gone and it was a pleasant ride to the entrance of the roadway to the bridge over to Key Biscayne.
Once past this sign the bridge awaited us. It wasn't as tough as the Sanibel Causeway but it was windy which made the climb a little harder. There was a paved path which we took to get off away from the roadway...and traffic...to the other side.
Our rest stop was a few miles after the bridge. It was called the (Oa) Sis Cafe. There Al treated me to a cafe con leche. ( coffee with milk) Bob and I rested while Al placed the order.
Once caffeinated we headed out towards the end of the key which is a state park. Here is the link with more information on the park.
http://www.floridastateparks.org/capeflorida/
We headed into the park on a paved path and headed to an overlook. Here is what we saw.
There are homes on stilts in the water. Yep that's right. People live in these homes. There used to be 50 of them but there are only 7 remaining. It's actually a national park. I can actually say I visited another national park!
We had one more stop in the park before heading back to the apartment.
We returned back to the apartment again over the Venetian bridges and through the center of Miami. Traffic didn't seem so busy going home. 37 miles and another scenic ride. Thank you Al!!!
We arrived back at the apartment and learned that Marion and Meg had walked a good distance around the town of South Beach and too the $.25 bus back as they were tired. It was not a "walk on the beach day" as it was a bit chilly. They also fed the meter so I wouldn't get ticketed. $.25 gets you about 15 minutes on the meter so there was a lot of feeding going on.
Marion and Al graciously put out some snacks....of course which we devoured......accompanied by wine....which Bob and Meg brought as a gift. Marion and Al were happy to share it with all of us. We cleaned up and started talking about dinner. It was about 5:30 and we had decided to go to The Big Pink Restaurant which was about a three block walk.
I tried to get a photo of the place....it has a pretty unusual delivery car.....but I was not able to do so. Google The Big Pink and you will see some photos.
We all ordered Ahi Tuna sandwiches with house chips. Funny....five orders of tuna. We were not a hard bunch for the waiter to serve. We sat outside and by the time we finished Meg and I were quite chilled. We walked back and were glad to be going back to an indoor apartment. Bob and Al loaded the bikes on the car and we were on our way back to the west coast.
Bob and Meg kept me very alert by chatting with me for the two hour drive back. I dropped Bob and Meg off at their car.
Another great day with PFW cycling friends and their spouses. Thanks go to Al and Marion for being such gracious hosts to feed us and allow us to share their day with them!
Saturday, January 24, 2015
Ode to the Windy Ride
Friday January 23, 2015
I knew that the weather folks were predicting rain for Saturday so I decided to venture out on my own despite the wind gusts of 25 mph.
Here is my ode to that windy ride
What's a windy ride you say?
Isn't like some other days?
This one was like no other
I felt like I would be smothered like a mother ( in the wind)
25 mph gusts
Would give me some thrusts
To the end of the ride
But would hinder me as well
Oh isn't that swell?
Not, I say
It isn't like any other day
Started to make up a rhyme
To pass the time
OLPH sings songs in her head
To quiet the dread
Of that nasty wind
I was starting to suffer
Since there was no buffer
For my legs
That were starting to beg
For the end of the ride
The winds were from the south
You can just imagine what was coming out of my mouth!
It's only when I turned back
That the wind cut me some slack
Heading north there was the buffer
So that I didn't have suffer
And gave me the rest
Oh that was the best!
Home at last
It did come kinda fast
36 miles....that felt good
Just need some food!
This ode dedicated to OLPH ( Our Lady of the Perpetual Headwinds)
One final comment. When I stopped at Dunkin Donuts I was treated to a joke that you might appreciate
Why can't a bike stand up on its own?
Because it's two tired!
With that more to come in the next blog post after riding with AL Porter to South Beach and Key Biscayne non Tuesday
I knew that the weather folks were predicting rain for Saturday so I decided to venture out on my own despite the wind gusts of 25 mph.
Here is my ode to that windy ride
What's a windy ride you say?
Isn't like some other days?
This one was like no other
I felt like I would be smothered like a mother ( in the wind)
25 mph gusts
Would give me some thrusts
To the end of the ride
But would hinder me as well
Oh isn't that swell?
Not, I say
It isn't like any other day
Started to make up a rhyme
To pass the time
OLPH sings songs in her head
To quiet the dread
Of that nasty wind
I was starting to suffer
Since there was no buffer
For my legs
That were starting to beg
For the end of the ride
The winds were from the south
You can just imagine what was coming out of my mouth!
It's only when I turned back
That the wind cut me some slack
Heading north there was the buffer
So that I didn't have suffer
And gave me the rest
Oh that was the best!
Home at last
It did come kinda fast
36 miles....that felt good
Just need some food!
This ode dedicated to OLPH ( Our Lady of the Perpetual Headwinds)
One final comment. When I stopped at Dunkin Donuts I was treated to a joke that you might appreciate
Why can't a bike stand up on its own?
Because it's two tired!
With that more to come in the next blog post after riding with AL Porter to South Beach and Key Biscayne non Tuesday
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Ride to Lovers Key with the NJ Contingent of PFW
Monday January 18th
The group decided to meet at Naples Cyclery at 8 AM for a ride to explore Lover's Key and Barefoot Beach. The group included Bob Smith, Bob Wood, Dennis Whitney, Bruce Kirschner and yours truly.
We headed out on Vanderbuilt Drive towards the beach. Bruce hit a hazard and ended up with a flat tire. Unfortunately Bruce pulled a muscle while doing that so he is on the injured reserve for the rest of the week although he was able to finish this ride. Feel better Bruce.
We headed up Bonita Beach Road which turns into Estero Boulevard. Not a lot of shoulder on this road and there are a few Florida hills....bridges to cross before we made it to Lovers Key. We arrived at Lovers Key and had a to pay a $2 a bike entrance fee which we gladly paid to explore the area. It is a state park and a small one. Here is the link with information.
http://www.floridastateparks.org/loverskey/
There is a lot to do here even though it's a small park. The first place we stopped was the boat launch area. You can kayak here in the brackish water ( with the alligators...no thanks) and paddleboard. There is hiking at the Black Island section of the park which was our second stop. It's a 2.6 mile flat ( surprise surprise) walk where you can see Gopher turtles burrowing their holes for protection from other predators in the area. This is where I saw my first one! Since we had cycling shoes and the surface was sandy/packed dirt we decided to pass on this and head to the beach area.
There is a concession stand where you can rent bikes for the beach.
Look at those fat tires....on the bike....not the mid sections of this fine crew!
Someone at the concession stand was nice enough to take a picture with me in it.
Bob Smith and I took the tram to the beach area. We could have walked it but the tram was faster and would get us back on our way a bit quicker. The rest of the crew stayed with the bikes. The beach was small and rather non descript so no photos of it.
We left Lovers Key and headed to the entrance to Barefoot Beach. We rode about a mile or two on pavers. Now I know what it must feel like for the riders of the Tour to ride on cobblestones. Not fun. However the sites of the houses and Barefoot Beach itself took our minds off the bumpy ride. We stopped at the nature pavilion where Bruce picked up some information about tours, etc. We did not go on the beach here as it would have been a long boardwalk walk to the beach. Road shoes were not made for that!
We headed back towards the entrance on your bikes but stopped along the way at one of the manatee viewing areas to see if we would be lucky enough to see one. Someone let us in ( there is a locked gate at the dock where were could look for the manatees ) but we had no luck this day.
On the way back to the ride start we stopped for a quick cup of coffee at a 7-11 and after that dropped Bob Wood off at his home. We got the grand tour. Very nice Bob!
Once back at the ride start we went our separate ways knowing that the next ride would be happening very soon.
Bob Smith and his wife Meg and I are planning to visit Al Porter on the east coast in South Beach next week for a ride there and a late lunch/early dinner before heading back to the west coast. Although Meg doesn't ride she will have lots in South Beach to keep her attention. That will be the subject of the next post.
Stay warm in NJ while we ride our bikes in sunny warm Florida!
The group decided to meet at Naples Cyclery at 8 AM for a ride to explore Lover's Key and Barefoot Beach. The group included Bob Smith, Bob Wood, Dennis Whitney, Bruce Kirschner and yours truly.
We headed out on Vanderbuilt Drive towards the beach. Bruce hit a hazard and ended up with a flat tire. Unfortunately Bruce pulled a muscle while doing that so he is on the injured reserve for the rest of the week although he was able to finish this ride. Feel better Bruce.
We headed up Bonita Beach Road which turns into Estero Boulevard. Not a lot of shoulder on this road and there are a few Florida hills....bridges to cross before we made it to Lovers Key. We arrived at Lovers Key and had a to pay a $2 a bike entrance fee which we gladly paid to explore the area. It is a state park and a small one. Here is the link with information.
http://www.floridastateparks.org/loverskey/
There is a lot to do here even though it's a small park. The first place we stopped was the boat launch area. You can kayak here in the brackish water ( with the alligators...no thanks) and paddleboard. There is hiking at the Black Island section of the park which was our second stop. It's a 2.6 mile flat ( surprise surprise) walk where you can see Gopher turtles burrowing their holes for protection from other predators in the area. This is where I saw my first one! Since we had cycling shoes and the surface was sandy/packed dirt we decided to pass on this and head to the beach area.
There is a concession stand where you can rent bikes for the beach.
Bob Smith and I took the tram to the beach area. We could have walked it but the tram was faster and would get us back on our way a bit quicker. The rest of the crew stayed with the bikes. The beach was small and rather non descript so no photos of it.
We left Lovers Key and headed to the entrance to Barefoot Beach. We rode about a mile or two on pavers. Now I know what it must feel like for the riders of the Tour to ride on cobblestones. Not fun. However the sites of the houses and Barefoot Beach itself took our minds off the bumpy ride. We stopped at the nature pavilion where Bruce picked up some information about tours, etc. We did not go on the beach here as it would have been a long boardwalk walk to the beach. Road shoes were not made for that!
We headed back towards the entrance on your bikes but stopped along the way at one of the manatee viewing areas to see if we would be lucky enough to see one. Someone let us in ( there is a locked gate at the dock where were could look for the manatees ) but we had no luck this day.
On the way back to the ride start we stopped for a quick cup of coffee at a 7-11 and after that dropped Bob Wood off at his home. We got the grand tour. Very nice Bob!
Once back at the ride start we went our separate ways knowing that the next ride would be happening very soon.
Bob Smith and his wife Meg and I are planning to visit Al Porter on the east coast in South Beach next week for a ride there and a late lunch/early dinner before heading back to the west coast. Although Meg doesn't ride she will have lots in South Beach to keep her attention. That will be the subject of the next post.
Stay warm in NJ while we ride our bikes in sunny warm Florida!
Visiting in Siesta Key in Sarasota
Friday and Saturday January 16th and 17th
Dave Farnsworth and his wife Peg were in Florida and we had arranged to meet in Siesta Key for an overnight before they headed back to Saratoga Springs, FL. They graciously offered a room for the night in their condo that was right on the beach. Aren't I the lucky one!
House of the Sun where I stayed with Dave and Peg
Parking is at a premium in Siesta Key
I used to visit this area with my ex- in laws and funny enough this place was two or three doors down from Siesta Royale where I used to stay. It brought back some memories.....good ones and bad.
The first day I arrived we walked the beach and then relaxed on the beach before heading in to clean up for dinner. We were going to a place in downtown Siesta Key....The Cottage....for dinner. Peg and Dave have a friend, Shirley, who lives in neighboring Sarasota full time. She and her daughter and some other friends that were staying with Shirley, who are also NJ residents along with another of Dave's friends, Arleen, were all joining us for dinner.
Before we went to dinner Peg and I chatted on the balcony waiting for the sunset.
The sunset on Siesta Key. Too bad the condo roof got in the way but it didn't spoil the view.
On Saturday we had breakfast and headed to walk the beach. We also found chaise lounges and relaxed on the beach before heading back to Bonita Beach.
It was a great visit with lots of conversation and smiling faces. Thank you Dave and Peg for inviting me to visit with you in such a relaxing atmosphere!
Dave Farnsworth and his wife Peg were in Florida and we had arranged to meet in Siesta Key for an overnight before they headed back to Saratoga Springs, FL. They graciously offered a room for the night in their condo that was right on the beach. Aren't I the lucky one!
I used to visit this area with my ex- in laws and funny enough this place was two or three doors down from Siesta Royale where I used to stay. It brought back some memories.....good ones and bad.
The first day I arrived we walked the beach and then relaxed on the beach before heading in to clean up for dinner. We were going to a place in downtown Siesta Key....The Cottage....for dinner. Peg and Dave have a friend, Shirley, who lives in neighboring Sarasota full time. She and her daughter and some other friends that were staying with Shirley, who are also NJ residents along with another of Dave's friends, Arleen, were all joining us for dinner.
Before we went to dinner Peg and I chatted on the balcony waiting for the sunset.
On Saturday we had breakfast and headed to walk the beach. We also found chaise lounges and relaxed on the beach before heading back to Bonita Beach.
It was a great visit with lots of conversation and smiling faces. Thank you Dave and Peg for inviting me to visit with you in such a relaxing atmosphere!
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
The Marco Island Ride
Wednesday January 14th, 2015
The PFW- SW Florida contingent met in Marco Island for a exploration ride around the island. Even though the rides don't officially start until February ( the rides have to be listed in the Freewheel to be official) we decided to kick off the riding season here in Florida unofficially. Bob Smith graciously offered to lead the ride today.
It was a 50 minute car ride to the start but it was definitely worth the trip! I left my house at 6:25 AM! Dennis and Bruce wanted to start a little later than Bob and I so Bob and I met at 7:30 AM at his condo. Bruce ended up showing up just before we headed out to the main road but couldn't find us. Here is where we were.
The dock was behind the condo. Bob wanted to show me the flat bottom boat that came along with the condo rental. He offered to take us out for a boat ride after the ride but I had time constraints so hopefully next time. If he brings the bike I am not sure that there will be enough room for all of us!
Bruce didn't realize that Bob and I were on the dock ( we had to ride the boardwalk to the boat) so he took off in search of us. We did find him along the pre-ride ride route. We rode to a marina near the condo and this is what we saw
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This is a nice little park that has quiet roads and good riding
We circled back and picked up Dennis who arrived right on time and we headed onto the main road out of the condo development and into the development across the street. I needed my photo ID to get into the gate of this community so it was good that we needed to pick up Dennis since I forgot to bring it with me. The name of the development was Marco Key and had very expensive homes and a few small hills. Yes.....Florida does have hills!
We headed back on the main road ( San Marco Road) and tooled around the island. Bob had a surprise for us. Indian Hill Road
It really was a hill but you can't see it from this photo. Thought it was more important to get the NJ contingent of the PFW- SW Florida instead. I tried looking up the elevation on Map My Ride but it had to be wrong.....16 ft?? I can't be that out of hill shape already! It definitely took our breaths away riding up this hill.
We went toward Old San Marco and stopped to see the marina where the Key West Express leaves from each Tuesday and Thursday. We are planning on non-biking ride to Key West....for the day...on the Key West express before the group heads back to NJ. The wives and girlfriends will be going along with us but that will be the subject of a future blog.
The rest stop was Big Al's Deli.
The name of this deli reminded us of Al Lowich! Sorry Al Porter.
It was getting late but we had time for one more stop before heading back to the condo.
The public Marco Island Beach in the distance. Bruce graciously offered to watch the bikes so he didn't make this photo op.
We ended up with 38 miles ( Dennis with 31 miles because he missed the pre-ride ride) and we were back by noon. Thanks to Bob....and to Bruce....who worked on the route together by riding the island a day or two before to come up with this great route!
The PFW- SW Florida contingent met in Marco Island for a exploration ride around the island. Even though the rides don't officially start until February ( the rides have to be listed in the Freewheel to be official) we decided to kick off the riding season here in Florida unofficially. Bob Smith graciously offered to lead the ride today.
It was a 50 minute car ride to the start but it was definitely worth the trip! I left my house at 6:25 AM! Dennis and Bruce wanted to start a little later than Bob and I so Bob and I met at 7:30 AM at his condo. Bruce ended up showing up just before we headed out to the main road but couldn't find us. Here is where we were.
Bruce didn't realize that Bob and I were on the dock ( we had to ride the boardwalk to the boat) so he took off in search of us. We did find him along the pre-ride ride route. We rode to a marina near the condo and this is what we saw
We circled back and picked up Dennis who arrived right on time and we headed onto the main road out of the condo development and into the development across the street. I needed my photo ID to get into the gate of this community so it was good that we needed to pick up Dennis since I forgot to bring it with me. The name of the development was Marco Key and had very expensive homes and a few small hills. Yes.....Florida does have hills!
We headed back on the main road ( San Marco Road) and tooled around the island. Bob had a surprise for us. Indian Hill Road
We went toward Old San Marco and stopped to see the marina where the Key West Express leaves from each Tuesday and Thursday. We are planning on non-biking ride to Key West....for the day...on the Key West express before the group heads back to NJ. The wives and girlfriends will be going along with us but that will be the subject of a future blog.
The rest stop was Big Al's Deli.
The name of this deli reminded us of Al Lowich! Sorry Al Porter.
It was getting late but we had time for one more stop before heading back to the condo.
We ended up with 38 miles ( Dennis with 31 miles because he missed the pre-ride ride) and we were back by noon. Thanks to Bob....and to Bruce....who worked on the route together by riding the island a day or two before to come up with this great route!
Thursday, January 8, 2015
The Little Serotta that Could
Wednesday January 7th
Well the rides are getting faster. There are a lot of new faces on the Wednesday ride and the group is getting larger. I got miserably dropped in the last seven miles and in a headwind! My little Serotta didn't fail me and I made it back safely but way behind the group. My little Serotta helped me to finish the ride along with lots of perseverance!
On that note, I have asked the PFW board for permission to lead rides ( probably only three months out of the year when the NJ Team Social Security visits for the winter) out of SW Florida. I was only toying with the idea after Dennis, Bob Smith, Bruce Kischner and I talked about it when we rode together on Monday on our first SW Florida ride. Never thought that the board would approve it. So here we are.....a SW Florida contingent on PFW. Do I get to add -SW to my PFW jersey if I even earn one this year?
I will be leading rides on Mondays and Thursdays in February and March but am giving serious consideration to changing Thursday to Wednesday so I don't endure the pain of getting regularly dropped with the fast boys from the Wednesday TREK store group.
Well the rides are getting faster. There are a lot of new faces on the Wednesday ride and the group is getting larger. I got miserably dropped in the last seven miles and in a headwind! My little Serotta didn't fail me and I made it back safely but way behind the group. My little Serotta helped me to finish the ride along with lots of perseverance!
On that note, I have asked the PFW board for permission to lead rides ( probably only three months out of the year when the NJ Team Social Security visits for the winter) out of SW Florida. I was only toying with the idea after Dennis, Bob Smith, Bruce Kischner and I talked about it when we rode together on Monday on our first SW Florida ride. Never thought that the board would approve it. So here we are.....a SW Florida contingent on PFW. Do I get to add -SW to my PFW jersey if I even earn one this year?
I will be leading rides on Mondays and Thursdays in February and March but am giving serious consideration to changing Thursday to Wednesday so I don't endure the pain of getting regularly dropped with the fast boys from the Wednesday TREK store group.
Friday, January 2, 2015
The Month of December
January 2, 2015
Where has the time gone? It has been a while since I updated the blog so I will condense this entry and talk about the month of December.....primarily the visit with my buddy Jeff.
Jeff arrived on Saturday December 20th with sinusitus but he was a trooper and we did a lot while he was here. Our first adventure was to Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. Here is a link to their website.
http://corkscrew.audubon.org/
14,000 acres and 3 eco systems contained in those acres! There is a two mile boardwalk where you can view the birds and the various trees and flowering plants from a distance in each of those ecosystems. It was recommended to me by someone who lives in the neighborhood and volunteers there as a guide. Jeff also discovered this beauty when he asked AAA for some things to do in the area while he was visiting.
However, first we ran into this.....
What do you think it is? It's bobcat scat or poop!
There are many wild species in this place including alligators and water moccasins. The photos didn't come out that great but here they are.
Ochefinokee Spider. Not sure of the spelling but this little guy is venhemeous and could definitely kill you pretty quickly!. We were not allowed to get too close to it.
The swamp
If you are able to enlarge the phot you will see a 10 ft alligator on the tree trunk. His buddy was in the swamp with just two eyes peering out of the green. See if you can find him.
More wildlife.....no wait....that's my buddy Jeff!
On the Monday before Christmas Jeff had an interest in seeing the Edison Ford Museum in downtown Ft. Myers. It is an interesting place and I have blogged about it before. Here is the link for more information.
http://www.edisonfordwinterestates.org/
Here are some of the sites we saw while visiting the museum. There is a holiday lights tour in the evening that starts after Thanksgiving but we were there too early in the day to see it.
There is also Edison's Laboratory but it was too expansive for me to get any worthwhile photos. It's contained in a separate part of a building across the street from his home.
On Christmas Eve we visited Barefoot Beach Sanctuary. The entrance is off of Bonita Beach Road but you have to drive at least a mile or two before you get to the lower section which is the sanctuary. Here is one of the homes along the beachfront. Jeff and I decided to stroll the beach and see the Gulf of Mexico.
Who knows how much this one costs!
Here are some other photos from our visit.
Free life vests for the little people
A mob scene at the beach! They were cute.
It has been a humid, muggy December with temps in the high 70's and the first few days of January are about the same. Morning fog that burns off by 10 or 11 AM. I never thought I would be talking about 70 degree weather in December in my life.
Happy New Year. Wishing you all the best for a healthy and happy one!
Where has the time gone? It has been a while since I updated the blog so I will condense this entry and talk about the month of December.....primarily the visit with my buddy Jeff.
Jeff arrived on Saturday December 20th with sinusitus but he was a trooper and we did a lot while he was here. Our first adventure was to Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. Here is a link to their website.
http://corkscrew.audubon.org/
14,000 acres and 3 eco systems contained in those acres! There is a two mile boardwalk where you can view the birds and the various trees and flowering plants from a distance in each of those ecosystems. It was recommended to me by someone who lives in the neighborhood and volunteers there as a guide. Jeff also discovered this beauty when he asked AAA for some things to do in the area while he was visiting.
However, first we ran into this.....
There are many wild species in this place including alligators and water moccasins. The photos didn't come out that great but here they are.
If you are able to enlarge the phot you will see a 10 ft alligator on the tree trunk. His buddy was in the swamp with just two eyes peering out of the green. See if you can find him.
On the Monday before Christmas Jeff had an interest in seeing the Edison Ford Museum in downtown Ft. Myers. It is an interesting place and I have blogged about it before. Here is the link for more information.
http://www.edisonfordwinterestates.org/
Here are some of the sites we saw while visiting the museum. There is a holiday lights tour in the evening that starts after Thanksgiving but we were there too early in the day to see it.
On Christmas Eve we visited Barefoot Beach Sanctuary. The entrance is off of Bonita Beach Road but you have to drive at least a mile or two before you get to the lower section which is the sanctuary. Here is one of the homes along the beachfront. Jeff and I decided to stroll the beach and see the Gulf of Mexico.
Here are some other photos from our visit.
A mob scene at the beach! They were cute.
It has been a humid, muggy December with temps in the high 70's and the first few days of January are about the same. Morning fog that burns off by 10 or 11 AM. I never thought I would be talking about 70 degree weather in December in my life.
Happy New Year. Wishing you all the best for a healthy and happy one!
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