Florida Sun and Fun

We returned last night from our Florida trip. We had a relaxing time and it was good to get away from the cold for almost a week.

• Thursday February 21st.
  • We flew to Orlando Thursday morning. Sun Country.
  • We rented a car (a brand new 2013 Toyota Highlander - only had 4000 m on odometer)
    
    
  • and drove to Inverness, Florida to spend the evening with Kathee's Brother Dan.
    
    
  • Along the way we stopped for lunch in Zellwood, Florida
  • We spent the night at a Holiday Inn in Lecanto, Florida.
• Friday February 22nd:
• We had breakfast with Dan at the Cinnamon Sticks Restaurant in Inverness and then drove down to Saint Petersburg
  
  
• We drove by Kathee's old haunts in Saint Petersburg:
  • Her old High School, Church, Elementary School, and Junior High
  • Saint Pete Junior College, where she received her associate's degree
  • And her childhood home. When her parents sold this home and we were newly-weds, we briefly considered buying it.
• We had lunch at the famous Ted Peter's smoked fish restaurant. One of our very first dates nearly 40 years ago was here. We both had smoked mullet.
  
  
• We drove south across the SunShine Skyway bridge and onto Naples where we dropped the rental car.
  
  
  
  
  
• Kathee's brother and sister in law picked us up and we spent the remainder of the time with them.
• Friday night we went to the local Knight's of Columbus for a Lenten fish fry
• Saturday February 23rd:
  • We stayed 4 nights at the Bear's Paw country club community. Kathee's Brother Dave is a resident of Edina but he and his wife spend 4-5 months at their 2 bedroom condo in Naples.
  • Saturday afternoon cousins from the Fort Meyers area visited. Good to connect with them after so many years.
  • We all had lunch in the Bear's Paw clubhouse
• Sunday February 24th:
• After worship we drove out to the Ava Maria community, home of Ava Maria University.
• My take on Ava Maria (the city) and U:
• The U is approximately the Catholic equivalent of Northland Baptist Bible College - except Tom Monaghan and mega-bucks is behind it. He has invested $ 350,000,000 in this.
• And while Northland is in the boondocks of the Wisconsin wilderness, Ava Maria is the the boondocks - wilderness of South-Central Florida.
• But while Northland has no supporting community surrounding it, Ava Maria U has Ava Maria city with shops, schools, and housing.

• Monday February 25th:
• We explored old Naples via auto (Dave's Cadillac)
• And then drove across the Tamiami Trail from Naples ¾ to Miami
  
  
• To Shark Valley in the Everglades. We did the 2 hour tram tour. 
  
• We had lunch in Everglades City, Florida. I had mystery (???) fried fish. The waitress said it was grouper but I'm sure it was not.  We were about to have lunch at the Rod and Gun Club but all of our cash was in Kathee's purse and she left it back at the condo. And the club was cash only. But we toured around the lobby and main floor and that was interesting. Everglades City seems to me to be analogous in remoteness Southern-style to a place like Boy River MN Northern-style.



• We drove back to Naples and had dinner at the Dock at Crayton Cove. We dined along side majestic yachts and dreamed! I had the grouper ... confirming that the mystery fish from lunch was definitely NOT grouper.
  
  
• Tuesday February 26th:
• Dave and Colleen served us bacon and eggs for breakfast
• Dave toured me around Bear's Paw on his golf cart. Bear's Paw is home to the first Jack Nicklaus Signature Course Community in Florida. A golfer's delight
  
  
• After lunch we were driven to the Fort Meyer's airport. We flew home on discount airline Spirit Air. (Greyhound of the skies!)
• Our flight was delayed by almost 2 hours. We left at approximately 4:45 p.m. Eastern. We were in our car at Park N Fly at 8:00 p.m. Central and to our home at 8:30.

It really felt good to be home. My king-sized bed beats any mattress I slept in on the trip. And the cool Minnesota air was a nice break from the humid heat of South Florida! Today I returned to the office! But I was glad to get away for six days!