To get or not get a driver’s license

One of many driving schools in town

Miles of sandy beaches. Warm, sunny days much of the year. Citrus trees in your backyard. No snow. Sailing, swimming, diving and all sorts of water activities on your doorstep. Lots of theme parks and other pastimes for the whole family. These are just some of the many advantages of living in Florida. When you’re about to leave all of that behind to move overseas, however, some other positive points move to the forefront. For example, no state income taxes. A French consulate in Miami. A driver’s license exchange treaty between the state and France. With bright news like that, no wonder it’s called the Sunshine State. Continue reading “To get or not get a driver’s license”

Leave a light on; it’s closin’ time

Heather on pier
Heather on the pier

Our Florida vacation is over so it’s time to return to Atlanta for a last visit to Heather’s vet and then all 3 of us can be off to France. For a final look back we all took a walk out to the end of the pier that you see in the featured photo above. Thanks, Cheryl & Pete, for taking such good care of Heather while we were on the road. There’s a Key West tribute to each of you at the bottom of this post. Continue reading “Leave a light on; it’s closin’ time”

Manatees and mermaids

Homosassa springs
Homosassa Springs State Park, Florida

While driving through the Everglades we saw numerous roadside warning signs about crossings of alligators, bears, cougars, panthers, and school children. One segment of the road even has a Roadside Animal Detection System that identifies wildlife approaching the highway and warns drivers with flashing lights of their presence. What we didn’t see, however, were signs for those iconic Florida mammals: manatees…or mermaids, come to think of it. Continue reading “Manatees and mermaids”

Put on your drinkin’ shoes

Sunset pier margarita
Bill at Key West’s Sunset Pier

Today was Mardi Gras in Key West and we were in the middle of it all. A few days ago when we were at the bakery on Amelia Island the owner’s daughter reminded us of what the date was going to be down in America’s most-southern point and we were a bit apprehensive. Knowing what it’s like in New Orleans on the big day and having seen videos from Fantasy Fest here in Key West during the week of Halloween, we didn’t know what to expect. No worries. Continue reading “Put on your drinkin’ shoes”

Breakfast at Tiffany’s

Museum
Morse Museum in Winter Park, FL

It was closer to lunchtime but we were definitely with Tiffanys; a bunch of Tiffanys. Today we were in Winter Park, Florida, just north of Orlando, to see the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum that has an entire wing devoted to works by Louis Comfort Tiffany. They have examples of every kind of art he produced including jewelry, pottery, paintings, and of course leaded-glass lamps. The building’s Park Avenue location made it ideal for a stroll along the tree-lined street trying to decide which of the many restaurant options to choose before seeing the exhibition. Continue reading “Breakfast at Tiffany’s”

Worth the wait

Alligator
Waiting for that pretty woman

Who knew we’d have to wait in line to get into the Everglades? We’d already driven through them for an hour or so when we arrived at the entrance to Everglades National Park where a static line of cars eager to get in meant that we had to wait another hour just to get a parking place. With my lifetime Senior pass, the entrance was free and It didn’t take long for our first photo opportunity to appear. Since the Broadway musical Pump Boys & Dinettes has been the theme for this vacation, the immediate words that popped to mind were “I’m going to send home postcards, the cutest ones I can find; especially the ones where the alligator is about to bite the pretty woman’s behind.” Continue reading “Worth the wait”

No one expects the Spanish Armada

When we were in Florida recently we took advantage of the good weather to spend a substantial amount of time outdoors. Because St. Augustine, America’s oldest town dating from 1583, was nearby, we spent the morning walking around the cobblestone streets admiring the Spanish influence that is clearly evident there as well as throughout much of the state. A bit north from there is Amelia … Continue reading No one expects the Spanish Armada