The Empty Nesters Magical Mystery Tour *1/28* Link to New Girl's TR p141

[MEK]

Sooo many trips coming up! Very jealous about your Christmas vacation. A WDW vacation and a cruise sounds amazing Do you have an idea of where you're going to be staying at WDW? Not sure if you said or not..

For Feb we are staying at BCV and BWV. For June - BWV. For December - either VWL or VGF or a split. Denny LOVED VGF. Like really LOVED it! Wanted to know why we didn't buy more points.

Wow that saying on the sign really hit home.

It does, doesn't it!

Oh my gosh, I would be terrified to swim through that cave! No thank you.

Terrified is the exact right word. When I googled information about it I read about a young college student dying while swimming through a cave because her bathing suit got stuck on something. OMG!!!!!! That completely freaked me out!

Aw manatees are so cute. Very cool that there were so many.

They were everywhere. It really was very cool! Such a great experience.

Welcome back! Glad you had a great trip, looking forward to hearing all about it.

Thanks! We had a wonderful time. It was really a great trip with a ton of variety. JJust what I like!

Sounds like you have some great trips planned for next year.

I really do feel a little spoiled over my 2015 itinerary! I feel so fortunate that I have so much to look forward to!

That Kayak tour looked fun, I went to that FB page and it's cool that the first pic in that album is of you and Denny! Glad you got to see lots of Manatees!

I'm so glad you checked out the FB link. I loved those pictures and I should have taken the time to copy and upload a few to my photo bucket account. Hmmm- maybe I still will!

That sounds absolutely gorgeous! I will have to do one of these tours some day.

It was wonderful! I would highly recommend them for kayak tours. They go all over, but mostly in the Tampa Bay region because there are SO many places to kayak there. I want to try Merritt Island over near Cape Canaveral next.

You'll have great fun. I imagine the transition of your kids to 'adults' is weird but getting them back to Disney will be great

It is funny that Brian can now drink around the world and Nick will only be 6 months away. I have a feeling he will partake as well. They just better use their park ticket, that's all I can say. I don't just mean on drinking around the world.

I'm totally jealous you're getting a Christmas cruise, it's still on my list.

I wasn't really planning on Christmas, but when my dummy cruise turned into a Christmas cruise and the price was so outstanding. Well, it just made sense.

I've cruised out of Miami twice, if you need any info let me know. Yes, doesn't make sense to drive all the way back to Orlando.

That's what I figured.

So - when you have cruised from there did you fly in and out the same day or did you stay near the port somewhere? I am thinking we should probably drive to Miami the day before the cruise. We had a hard enough time finding a bank and then Cape Canaveral on our departure day. Totally missed the whole DVC owner presentation, but we got on the ship in a flash, so that was a plus.

As I was reading about him being caught I know I would have been tempted to jump in and try to rescue him. That is such an irrational thought but I know I would have been tempted.

That's how I felt, too! It just seemed so wrong to watch him flail around not being able to move and the water wasn't very deep. I was so relieved he somehow managed to get free.

 

[MEK]

I often just carried a small bottle of water rather than wear a belt for my runs. I also had a belt that held a small bottle. When strapped to fit in the small of the back, it didn't bounce. Since most of the long runs for my half marathons were in the winter months, training during cold weather didn't require a lot of water. What seemed to be more important during those long runs was a convenient bathroom. One Sunday morning I was desperate enough to find a nice church open at the right time.

They do have water bottles that you can carry, but I think I'm going with the belt. A friend lent me one.

I know what you mean about not needing it as much during the winter. I get really thirsty when its the least bit warm. Even last week I got so thirsty on my run I had to call Denny to bring me water. I can't do that again.

Even I would be tempted to go on a cruise that stopped at Key West. I'm glad that you enjoyed your cruise enough to take another one. Disney seems to do a great job with their cruises.

It was a lot of fun. We didn't really use the adult or main pool because of the crowds, but we did enjoy all the other aspects of the cruise. I'm looking forward to seeing Key West. I'm going to be the first one off and the last one on.

This looks like it was fun.

It was a really awesome kayak tour. We loved it! I would not hesitate to recommend them. They did a great job!

All caught up and how great you found a kayak trip so wonderful.

It was awesome! We really enjoy it! I definitely recommend them to all interested parties. They did a fab job.

I would have been nervous about a "mom and pop" thinking they would leave us out in the wilderness or something.

Don't say that. Now you'll put that idea in my head.

You got some great pictures and some great experiences with the Manatees.

Thanks! Kayaking with the manatees was the absolute best part. I loved it and would do it again in a heart beat.

As for a cruise - My friends from my girls trip years ago said the words " Crisney Dooze" ( no alcohol on their part was involved either ) So I guess Cruise planning is moving up on my radar.

Are you SURE there was no alcohol involved?????

I definitely recommend moving the cruise up on your radar. They did a fabulous job and I think you will be fine with your allergies. Those servers bend over backwards to make everything right!

 

[MEK]

No problem. Who are you again?

Sometimes even I forget the answer to that!

I know a route where there's a squishy baby waiting along the way...

Awwwwwww! You may be on my bike route, but don't think you'll make it on my running route. You're a little too far! However, if I ever train for a full marathon I'll keep that in mind!

Definitely! We're still trying to figure out if we can even afford one!

What? Don't even tell me there's a possibility of no summer vacation this year. I love your summer vacations. They are the best!

Because of course you did.

Want to know a secret? No road is ever completely flat. You have to drain it somehow.

Spoken like a true civil engineer!

Are you allowed to show that here?

Probably not, given the family friendly nature of the boards. g

I have a lot of comments here, but I'm having trouble coming up with one I can use on a family message board.

I knew you would stubble with this!

A snack in the crack?

That would work except the snack came AFTER the crack! Good try though!

That sounds awesome!!

It was really cool to see him do that and then watch his video. I really wish I was brave enough, but I'm not even close to that brave. Still, very cool for people who can muster up the courage.

So cool!

It really was, considering she had trouble just getting down to the entrance.

Also really cool! It's so neat to see them in the wild.

It really was. The sheer number was just amazing. I highly recommend this tour to anyone wanting to try something new.

Sounds like a quality establishment.

I bet they have a really good burger there Mark! I wish I could remember what I tried, but all I remember was the yummy beer!

That Kayak tour sounded wonderful although maybe a little too ambitious for me. Jim and I are going to do an airboat tour in February which is a little more my speed. I hope we get to see a lot of wildlife.

The kayak tour really was wonderful and it really is NOT a lot of exertion. It was a gentle, slow paddle. Especially when you are sharing a boat with another person because they do half the work. I highly recommend it.

An airboat tour sounds fun, too. That's on my bucket list, but I just love kayaking so it will probably almost always win out.

Wow, that kayaking tour sounds like it was a blast! You had some great guides and a beautiful place to explore.

It was a wonderful tour. I highly recommend it. I wish I had a water proof camera to take. That would have been so cool.

 

[eandesmom]

I always do a different variation of the same route because I found an over 55 place not far from home with great trails. But the last 2 miles getting back are just so torturous because I have ran there SO many times. I try to vary the way out and take the shortest route back. I'll be doing it again tomorrow and then after that I think I need to switch my route.

I varied mine a bit for the longer runs but it was more of a drive to a different starting point, and then go out and back, than anything else.

I tried one of my friend's hand held bottles and I also borrowed a belt. I am going to order a belt. I don't pass any water anywhere and I got really thirsty last Saturday, despite trying to pre hydrate.

It's a tough balance to be sure. I just relooked at my plan and actually think I may be ok except for one training run. Right now I have 3 10 milers planned, which is usually the edge for me on wanting water. The 8 milers should be ok. But with it being winter I am hoping it's a non issue. I am considering a half in Jan which would just replace the 6 and 8 mile runs planned for Fri/Sun that week. They will have water. So that just leaves one 12.

Then again, there is one 8 mile tempo run in there and that could make me thirsty for sure. Right now my plan is to go out with nothing and just see. I do know I drank WAY too much on the course at the DL half. Because it was there and I had really hydrated well the day before. I need to learn from that. I also think the more fuel you take, the more water you may need as that stuff makes you thirsty!

I use gel. I am trying an Espresso flavor now recommended by one of my running friends. I lover the taste but I'm not sure if it works quite as well as the gatorade gel formula I had originally. That stuff saved my @$$ for bike to the bay.

I LOVE the clif mocha gel. But I love it for before, or after. Especially after, it's like nirvana. During it's way too much sugar for me. Unless I am hiking. That stuff saved our bacon on the Gros Piton hike! Ultimate hiking fuel for me for sure.

I found a green apple one with caffeine that sounds perfect so I am going to try that. I love my margarita shot blocks and think I need them for the sodium but I like the idea of mixing it with one that has caffeine. I'll have to try it on a 10 miler I guess.

I know most people don't love Nassau, but I would like to see a bit more of the city. I'd at least like to see it NOT in the rain. There is a distillery there that our food guide told us about. I'd like to sample some island rum.

It might be ok to do one of the rum tours, the city itself is really nasty.

Sorry.

It will be strange, that's for sure. For some reason Brian's GF hasn't committed to going. I have no idea why. I have to wait until the next time I see her to kind of feel it out.

Has she traveled with all of you before? Maybe it's a comfort level thing. Hopefully NOT a Disney thing. Same GF?

I LOVED that kayak tour. It was perfect for us. I am so glad my obsessive searching paid off in such a big way. It was really an awesome tour.

That was such a YOU tour it made me smile.

That place was awesome! Loved the beer, the food, and the company. Very fun!

 

[Pinkocto]

I wasn't really planning on Christmas, but when my dummy cruise turned into a Christmas cruise and the price was so outstanding. Well, it just made sense.

The price really is fabulous!

That's what I figured.

So - when you have cruised from there did you fly in and out the same day or did you stay near the port somewhere? I am thinking we should probably drive to Miami the day before the cruise. We had a hard enough time finding a bank and then Cape Canaveral on our departure day. Totally missed the whole DVC owner presentation, but we got on the ship in a flash, so that was a plus.

I've done both. Both trips I flew into Fort Lauderdale because Southwest doesn't fly out of Miami. Of course I could have used another airline and flown right into Miami but the hotels are much more expensive than Fort Lauderdale. I used a fabulous transportation company called SAS that is $15 per person. They go from Fort Lauderdale (airport and hotels) to the cruise port in Miami and then from the port back to Fort Lauderdale. Each way is $15. One cruise we flew into Fort Lauderdale the morning of the cruise, but that was stressful because of the time constraints. The next time I flew in a day before the cruise, stayed at a motel, and then got SAS to take me to the port. I also needed a car and was going to drop it off at MCO, picking it up at Fort Lauderdale was much cheaper than Miami.

Disney does a transportation charge from Miami airport and back after the cruise if you wanted to fly out of Miami. There's also taxi's but it was the same price to go to Miami airport via a taxi or go back to Fort Lauderdale with SAS. I will always fly Southwest if possible so that's why I chose Fort Lauderdale.

That's how I felt, too! It just seemed so wrong to watch him flail around not being able to move and the water wasn't very deep. I was so relieved he somehow managed to get free.

Well if the water wasn't deep I really think I would have jumped in. I'm so glad he got free!

 

[MEK]

I varied mine a bit for the longer runs but it was more of a drive to a different starting point, and then go out and back, than anything else.

Going out and back when its a different route each time isn't too bad. At least each time you run its a different route. Today's route was a new one for me. I ran a new route today and it really did help keep me occupied. I've ridden my bike on this route many times, but this was the first time I ever ran it. It was nice when I got to the 7 mile mark and knew exactly where I was.

It's a tough balance to be sure. I just relooked at my plan and actually think I may be ok except for one training run. Right now I have 3 10 milers planned, which is usually the edge for me on wanting water. The 8 milers should be ok. But with it being winter I am hoping it's a non issue. I am considering a half in Jan which would just replace the 6 and 8 mile runs planned for Fri/Sun that week. They will have water. So that just leaves one 12.

You're good. You've got it all planned out. Me? I just go week by week. I need to look at that calendar pronto.

OK - just looked. My calendar has me doing the 1/2 on Feb 7th. WTH? I wonder how I messed that up. Seriously?

But the good news is the most it has me running is 14 miles and that's in January. Then I taper back down again. I need to fix my calendar now. lol

Then again, there is one 8 mile tempo run in there and that could make me thirsty for sure. Right now my plan is to go out with nothing and just see. I do know I drank WAY too much on the course at the DL half. Because it was there and I had really hydrated well the day before. I need to learn from that. I also think the more fuel you take, the more water you may need as that stuff makes you thirsty!

Definitely on the fuel. Those gels make you super thirsty. I usually never over hydrate because I can't stand having to bio break every 30 minutes, but I get super thirsty once I start running. And whenever I see water I take it. But at least there are no bio breaks involved.

I LOVE the clif mocha gel. But I love it for before, or after. Especially after, it's like nirvana. During it's way too much sugar for me. Unless I am hiking. That stuff saved our bacon on the Gros Piton hike! Ultimate hiking fuel for me for sure.

This is the Gu espresso gel. I bought the multi pack thing so I'll use it up before I try a new kind. I went in Performance bike the other day and they have so many choice I was completely overwhelmed.

I found a green apple one with caffeine that sounds perfect so I am going to try that. I love my margarita shot blocks and think I need them for the sodium but I like the idea of mixing it with one that has caffeine. I'll have to try it on a 10 miler I guess.

Green apple sounds yummy! I haven't tried a shot block yet, just the gel. I guess I like the consistency of the gel so I've stuck with it, but I need to branch out a bit. I found I did better today with eating first then drinking gatorade and on gel. No hunger related problems at all.

It might be ok to do one of the rum tours, the city itself is really nasty.

Sorry.

No apologies necessary. I can tell you one thing - it was super nasty in the rain. No drainage whatsoever and we were walking in ankle high puddles. Many of the stores didn't have proper gutters so the rain just gushed down in spots.

I'd still like to get off the boat and look around one more time. The food tour was fun so I'd like to find something similar and then just get back on the ship.

Has she traveled with all of you before? Maybe it's a comfort level thing. Hopefully NOT a Disney thing. Same GF?

Same GF. No, she has not traveled with us but she has stayed here on numerous occasions and she is very laid back. I told Brian I just wanted $200 from each of them and I would pay for everything except their alcohol. So I would be paying for air, food, lodging (points) and tickets. I thought that was pretty reasonable. I didn't want to offer them the trip free because then I don't think they appreciate it as much. Knowing Denny he would end up not taking any money from either of them.

That was such a YOU tour it made me smile.

It was perfect for me. It was in stark contrast to the one we did on Castaway Cay. OMG! That was definitely NOT for beginners! Stories to tell there!

The price really is fabulous!

I was really pleased with the price since it seemed to be several hundred dollars less than the same cruise during later weeks and January. It really wasn't that much more for cat 5A compared to inside stateroom. Go figure?

I've done both. Both trips I flew into Fort Lauderdale because Southwest doesn't fly out of Miami. Of course I could have used another airline and flown right into Miami but the hotels are much more expensive than Fort Lauderdale. I used a fabulous transportation company called SAS that is $15 per person. They go from Fort Lauderdale (airport and hotels) to the cruise port in Miami and then from the port back to Fort Lauderdale. Each way is $15. One cruise we flew into Fort Lauderdale the morning of the cruise, but that was stressful because of the time constraints. The next time I flew in a day before the cruise, stayed at a motel, and then got SAS to take me to the port. I also needed a car and was going to drop it off at MCO, picking it up at Fort Lauderdale was much cheaper than Miami.

Right - I knew SWA flew out of Fort Lauderdale. I just wasn't sure if I would use them to fly back, but if shuttling is that inexpensive and returning the rental car is cheaper than it totally makes sense. Thanks for the info Pam. I appreciate it. I am a Marriott rewards member so I might just see what they have close to the Fort Lauderdale airport and use that shuttle. I'd be fine with returning the rental car early and just shuttling to the port and the airport.

Disney does a transportation charge from Miami airport and back after the cruise if you wanted to fly out of Miami. There's also taxi's but it was the same price to go to Miami airport via a taxi or go back to Fort Lauderdale with SAS. I will always fly Southwest if possible so that's why I chose Fort Lauderdale.

I prefer flying SWA as well. I do have a feb flight coming up that's on frontier, but it was a good deal so hard to pass up on.

Well if the water wasn't deep I really think I would have jumped in. I'm so glad he got free!

Me too!

 

[MEK]

Across the Skyway Bridge

AKA Sunday March 2 2014

The nice thing about planning a little trip to the Tampa Bay area was the ability to plan and keep things loose. Other than the kayaking tour, we had no set plans for the next two days. Oh sure, we had lots of ideas. Well, I had lots of ideas like- visiting Clearwater Beach, St Pete Beach, the Big Cat Rescue, Ubor City, Honeymoon State Park, Caladesi Island. Should I go on???

One thing I really wanted to do was drive south across the Skyway Bridge.

Here’s the wiki definition of the Skyway Bridge

The Bob Graham Sunshine Skyway Bridge is a bridge spanning Tampa Bay, Florida, with a cable-stayedmain span, and a total length of 21,877 feet (4.1 miles or approximately 6.67 km). It is part of I-275 (SR 93) and US 19 (SR 55), connecting St. Petersburg in Pinellas County and Terra Ceia in Manatee County, Florida, passing through Hillsborough County waters. Construction of the current bridge began in 1982, and the completed bridge was dedicated on February 7, 1987. The new bridge cost $244 million to build, and was opened to traffic on April 20, 1987. It replaced an older bridge constructed in 1954 and partly destroyed in a collision in 1980.

The Travel Channel actually rated the Skyway Bridge as #3 in its special on the Top Ten Bridges in the world.

As of 2009 207 people have committed sucide by jumping off the Skyway Bridge. It’s the #4 suicide bridge in the country.

OK, enough of those depressing facts. Truth is I am a bit of a road and bridge geek. I think they are seriously cool and I thought it would be fun to cross this one and head south into Bradenton and possibly Sarasota. Like I said, our plans were loose and I was developing them pretty much on the fly.

But first it was time to get up and go for a run. Aftermath of the party from the night before:



I took the same route as yesterday. I went back to run next to gorgeous houses that I will never be able to afford.

See what I mean?


Nice, isn’t it?

This development also had private access to its own beach along a lake. Here’s the entrance.



Once on the road I tried to take a few pictures, but this probably the first that turned out - the exit to St Pete’s Beach



I love the American Flag and, fortunately, this picture turned out pretty well



How could I resist this picture of the Boardwalk Inn…er… I mean tavern.



Heading towards Bradenton



Not sure what this is. Anybody know?



Tropicana field



Newly planted palm trees. They appeared to be all taped up.



Closing in on the Skyway Bridge



Picture from the car



My first view of the infamous bridge





There was a rest stop right before the bridge. There are also fishing piers on both the north and south end of the bridge.

Not knowing how far it would be to a Bio break, we decided to stop.



The rest area was rather scenic so I took a few pictures of the water view.







Back on the road again



It is a REALLY cool bridge!



I couldn’t resist the opportunity to take up close pictures of the cables. We have a bridge similar to this in Delaware. It crosses the C&D canal. It’s sort of a mini version of this bridge. I always find the cables mesmerizing, which is bad thing when I’m driving across it.







I can never take these pictures driving across my bridge, for obvious reasons. lol





Continued In Next Post...

 

[MEK]

And coming down



This is a crappy picture but its the fishing pier on the south side of the Skyway Bridge.



Here is a picture of Bradenton from the highway.



It looks like a beautiful city.



One of the activities I was considering was just heading down to this waterfront area to explore. But while we were driving to Bradenton I discovered that we were going to be very close to the DeSoto Memorial. I read a few reviews on trip advisor and decided this would definitely be a good place to stop for several reasons. First, and foremost, Denny is a history geek. He could stand around and read little plaques are day. It’s just the way he is wired. Second, the reviews on TA were all positive. Lastly, it was free. The perfect trifecta. And did I mention it was FREE?

Passing the post office. I wish my post office looked like this.



We passed the animal adoption center



and arrived at the DeSoto Memorial



The first thing we saw was the Utica Outpost



The outpost was actually inhabited that day



I guess I should take a step back to ask if everyone knows who DeSoto is?

I didn’t think so. Neither did I.

Here’s a little history lesson courtesy of Wiki:

Hernando de Soto (October 21, 1496– May 21, 1542) was a Spanish explorer and conquistador who led the first European expedition deep into the territory of the modern-day United States (Florida, Georgia, Alabama and most likely Arkansas), and the first documented European to have crossed the Mississippi River.

A vast undertaking, de Soto's North American expedition ranged throughout the southeastern United States searching for gold, silver and a passage to China. De Soto died in 1542 on the banks of the Mississippi River in what is now Guachoya, Arkansas or Ferriday, Louisiana.

There will be a quiz at the end of this update. You're welcome!

The Visitor’s Center




The first thing we did was go inside the Visitor Center and watch a 20 minute movie on DeSoto’s life and explorations. Here is a picture from the movie.





I’ve got to tell you that this movie was really good. I’m not a huge history buff, so it takes a little more than average to keep my attention. This movie was so well done that I was enthralled. DeSoto and his men just kept going and going in order to find gold. It was a futile, never ending journey that took DeSoto and his men through Florida and several more southern states before DeSoto actually died. Fascinating stuff. I was actually sorry when the movie ended. I wanted more. Those European explorers were incredibly brave.


The visitor center had a small book/souvie shop. They also asked for donations, which we were happy to give.


This shows where DeSoto went ashore





Once we finished in the visitor center, we decided to walk the property’s path that hugged the water’s edge. This was called the DeSoto Exploration Trail











There were several life sized figures on the trail. I suspect tour guides must use these for school and other group tours.














The views from the pathway were quite nice








Continued In Next Post

 

[MEK]

Another view (for the male readers)



A house on the other side of the water



I’m not sure if this cross was on the DeSoto property or another property.



This was carved into the branches of one of the trees



There was even a view of the Sunshine Skyway



After we walked the path we walked back to the parking area. Most of the spots were filled by now.



We decided to eat lunch here. I had packed some sandwiches and brought a big beach towel so we made ourselves comfy on a small spot in the grass. Bad idea. We weren’t done eating when I noticed ants. Not just one or two, but a whole colony. We had to pack up prematurely, but it started as a good idea.

A little bit more history



A replica of the boats that were used to come ashore.



When we left the memorial we made another impromptu decision. We decided to head to Anna Maria Island.

Waiting for the draw bridge



I probably took this picture because they had some houses for sale and you never know, right? I could win the lottery.



We passed Manatee Ave



Yup. Houses for Sale



I’d take it!



We passed Holme’s Beach



and ended up where it’s just another day in paradise!



Ok - Now I think they are just rubbing it in!



Up Next - Anna Maria Island and Sarasota.

 

[LuvEeyore]

Great updates. Beautiful pictures. I really haven't explored the coasts of Florida. Maybe I need to consider that for a future trip.

 

[MEK]

Great updates. Beautiful pictures. I really haven't explored the coasts of Florida. Maybe I need to consider that for a future trip.

Thanks! I'm really glad we took a few days away from Disney to explore the gulf coast of Florida. There are so many lovely cities and the water. OMG - there is water everywhere. I am on a mission to explore new areas of Florida on every trip.

 

[Wood Nymph]

One thing I really wanted to do was drive south across the Skyway Bridge.

Here’s the wiki definition of the Skyway Bridge

The Travel Channel actually rated the Skyway Bridge as #3 in its special on the Top Ten Bridges in the world.

Truth is I am a bit of a road and bridge geek. I think they are seriously cool and I thought it would be fun to cross this one and head south into Bradenton and possibly Sarasota. Like I said, our plans were loose and I was developing them pretty much on the fly.

That is a seriously cool bridge. I love the incline. It looks like you are just going to drive right off the top of it.

I love bridges, too, and when we were in Virginia visiting Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown, etc, one of the things I really wanted to do was drive across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. I was fascinated with the long bridge and tunnels that crossed the bay. When we got to the other side of the bridge we found that there was nothing there. We drove for a while, looking for signs of life and found Turner Sculpture, a really interesting place. This was back in 1984 and I bet the area has changed a bit since then.

The other famous bridge that I drove was the Mackinac Bridge in Michigan. It connects the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan and is famous for having high winds that scare the heck out of people driving across it.

from Wiki:

The bridge opened on November 1, 1957, connecting two peninsulas linked for decades by ferries. A year later, the bridge was formally dedicated as the "world's longest suspension bridge between anchorages", allowing a superlative comparison to the Golden Gate Bridge, which had a longer center span between towers, and the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge, which had an anchorage in the middle.

 

[jedijill]

That area is just gorgeous! Love the bridge...very cool!

Jill in CO

 

[rentayenta]

Thank you for the hx lesson. I didn't know who DeSoto was either.
It's nice when the fellas get to choose an activity.

That bridge is so cool. It looks like its going to drop off on the other side. Bridges scare me a little. I can't think about them while I am on them, same with flying. If I think about being in the air in a big metal box, I'll panic.

Gorgeous landscape.

 

[jenseib]

That bridge is SCARY!!!!! I actually think I saw it many years ago from afar and thought you would have to be crazy to cross that thing.

Oh and you said you stopped "here" to take a bio break and the picture is of water....and now that I know you like to go in nature....did you go in the water?

I could never go in the corn field. My sister could but I always had to go back to the house to do my business.

You got some lovely shots this day and some interesting stops. I do like a bit of history though.

 

[JanaJohn]

Once again some Great Updates!

My DW is like Denny and will stand around reading little plaques at museums all day. I quickly reach the information overload zone and have to move on.

On one of your pictures you wrote "I’m not sure if this cross was on the DeSoto property or another property." When I look at the 2nd map of the DeSoto Park you included they show a 'Memorial Cross' and just below that it says "Be Alert for Cacti, Fire Ants". I'm guessing you missed the fire ant part when you stopped stopped to eat lunch. I looked at the pictures of that area on Google Earth and that looks like the cross in your picture.

 

[dizneeat]

Great updates, Mary Ellen!

I remember driving over that bridge - it was really exciting. And I took some notes of where you visited as Tom just stated that he would love to go to the Gulf coast again.

Oh, and not to forget - your pics are awesome!

 

[DisneyKid4Life]

Haha, I think any Tampa visit for me would have to include Busch Gardens. I just can't stay away from theme parks.

Boardwalk Tavern... Classy. How did Disney miss that one?

WOW, Now THAT's a bridge. At Disney that would be an E ticket for sure.

"Another view (for the male readers)" Gee thanks Mary Ellen...

 

[natebenma]

Cool update!

What a pretty place to run, and even drive. I love your pictures from the road!

So, bridges... I guess I didn't realize you had a bridge fetish. Have you been on the Coronado in San Diego? I have zero issues with fear of heights but I had an honest-to-goodness panic attack when I came close to going over that puppy. I wonder how I would do with this one.

It certainly is a very interesting bridge.

I loved your tour of the Desoto Museum and Memorial. Informative and beautiful setting. And I think you mentioned "Free!"

We decided to eat lunch here. I had packed some sandwiches and brought a big beach towel so we made ourselves comfy on a small spot in the grass. Bad idea. We weren’t done eating when I noticed ants. Not just one or two, but a whole colony. We had to pack up prematurely, but it started as a good idea.

I guess they were serious about the warning!

What were the lifesized figures? Like laminated cardboard photos? They look very realistic and are a little freaky!

 

[jash08]

I like bridges too. I like to look at them and think about how they are made. I am a fan of suspension cables too!

I am also a history geek so this day so far sounds perfect to me!

Oh man, those houses look cute. I am going to buy my lottery ticket right now!