Florida

Getting there is half the fun.

We weren't the only ones with the idea of going south for the winter. Due to heavy traffic, the normally-nine-hour drive took 12 hours, putting us in around 1 am. Thank goodness for the iPhone.

The "little beach" (right outside the condo, along the intracoastal) is
almost as fun as the "big beach" and we had it mostly to ourselves.

We visited a natural scrub habitat just down the street from the condo. I must admit some parts looked barren and ugly, but at the same time the place had an interesting wild/natural beauty of its own. You can climb the observation tower (pictured above) to survey the landscape and then come down and follow paths through the vegetation and sand to explore up close. It was definitely a fun place for the kids to roam around. We saw some cactus, wild flowers, butterflies, raccoon tracks, and of course curly-tail lizards. On a hot day it would have been miserable, but the cool weather made it quite pleasant; a good nature walk.

Philip and I used to bike on this path around Lake Osborne.
(re: the jackets--a mix of chilly and warm weather, but overall perfect!)

As a Christmas gift, Erik reserved two nights at the bed and breakfast where we stayed for part of our honeymoon. My parents kept the kids while he and I went out to eat, saw a movie, did some shopping, had uninterrupted conversation, and slept in two mornings in a row! This is the lush view from our balcony.

Lots of pool time.

We only made it to the "big beach" once, late in the afternoon, but it was great. These pictures don't show it, but we caught that perfect time just as the sun sets when everything is starting to dim but the light hits the breakers and the foam glows golden white.
Ah, Florida.