FLORIDA FUN!

John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park

Red Mangrove trees get their name from their red roots.

We took a glass bottom boat 3 miles offshore to view the United States first undersea park.  It was a beautiful day and we'll worth the trip!  Scott got seasick - he's okay coming and going but I can't take him anywhere when the boat stops and gently rocks back and forth, back and forth...

Scott with neighbors, Dan and Dyann Seaman.

Our view on our 2 1/2 hour tour go the coral reef.  Below are some of the fish and coral we saw... I downloaded them from the internet because I couldn't get very clear photos through the glass.

Seargent Major Fish, my favorite little fish!

Brain Coral - we got to see many large brain corals, some 60 inches in diameter.

This is a Rainbow Parrot Fish but we also saw Stoplight And Blue Parrot Fish.

Elkhorn Coral - I thought this coral was the prettiest, very showy with it's white tips.

Barracuda 

Staghorn Coral

Yellow headed Wrasse, there were several varieties of wrasses, cleaner fish.

Sea Fan and Sea Plumes

Damselfish 

Star Coral

Green Sea Turtle, we saw 3 different green sea turtles!

Cormorants

A shop just for Cambria, lots of pink frills in Miami!  Next door is a great Cuban restaurant with authentic food called Mojito Grill.  I ate fried plantains for the first time - yum!  They're like mini bananas.

We stumbled on Burr's Berry Farm and bought beautiful strawberries, a tomato, and strawberry sundaes.  Oh yes, we'll be stopping by again!  Gotta try the chocolate dipped strawberries or maybe strawberry shortcake!

Key Biscayne mailbox - I want one!

Cardsound mailbox - maybe this one is better?  Which mailbox would you choose?

Alabama Jack's

We had our first taste of conch fritters and sat right on the edge of the Everglades as we enjoyed our lunch.

Needlefish, these fish were visible from the dock while we ate lunch.

Boats headed out and returning from Crocodile Lake.

I sure hope those cyclists are watching for crocs!

St. Augustine, FLORIDA

It's a new year, Scott and I are back on the road again after spending Christmas with our family and celebrating Will's first birthday!  We flew from the TriCities to Salt Lake City to Atlanta and finally to Jacksonville, Florida. And we're off...

Fuente de Los Canos de San Fransisco

The masks on this fountain were a gift from St. Augustine's sister city in Spain.  Aviles is the birthplace of Pedro Menendez, founder of St. Augustine in 1565, making this the oldest city in America.

Gates to the City

St. Augustine city gates were built to protect the city in 1861-1865.

Crucial Coffee break!

Papaya tree outside coffee shop.

Castillo de San Marcos

Castillo de San Marcos is the oldest masonry fort in the continental United States.  The grassy area was once a watery moat surrounding the fort.

Cannons were placed in the moat area to modernize the fort's defenses.  In the background is the "Hot Shot Furnance" used for heating cannon balls to fire at wooden ships.

Ancient shell wall surrounding the Castillo.

View of Intercoastal Waterway and Bridge of Lions to Anastasia Island.

A pair of Medici lions made of marble guard the bridge.

Key Biscayne

Bill Baggs Cape Florida State Park

Cape Florida lighthouse was built in 1825 but was damaged during the Second Seminole War.  The repaired tower, completed in 1846, remains the oldest standing structure in Miami-Dade County.  It stands 95 feet tall.

The island served as a secret meeting place for runaway slaves and Black Seminoles waiting to rendezvous with sea captains for safe passage to the British Bahamas.  In 2004, Cape Florida was designated a National Underground Railroad Freedom Site.

Scott walking the boardwalk to the beach, cool and windy today.

I thought this sign was funny - we sure wouldn't see one on the Oregon coast... the umbrellas would blow away!  This state park also had 2 restaurants plus bike and kayak rentals.

Atlantic Ocean

Homes built on stilts on the harbor side of Key Biscayne.

We saw these two very friendly raccoons playing near the picnic area.  I think they're used to being fed because they didn't seem the least bit afraid of all the people taking their picture.

Roots of a white mangrove tree.

Ibis, look at their long curved beaks.

Ibis searching for food under park trees - don't know what they were finding, bugs of some kind!

Curious squirrel.