Tropical Storm

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Geo: 25.4475, -80.4794

The day started out cloudy. We headed down the west coast to Venice. A holiday area which you enter and exit via a drawbridge. While waiting for a sailboat to pass we noticed a birds nest in the traffic lights. Next stop was Venice Beach. The sand is not quite as nice as Pensacola. People were in swimming. After Venice we continued south and ended up in a tropical storm with high winds, torrential rain and lightning and thunder - an interesting experience. It was difficult to see the road even with the wipers on full. Headlights were needed to identify vehicles in front. This continued all the way south and east as we traveled along highway 41 to Florida City. We passed through the Everglades and will see them again in a couple of days. Along the way through the Everglades we saw signs for Panther crossings and lots of vultures along the road enjoying lunch. The area before Florida City is a fruit and vegetable growing area as well as several nurseries growing palm trees. The rain has finally stopped and the weather is supposed to be nice tomorrow. We will be staying here 2 nights as we do a return trip to the lower Florida Keys and Key West which is as far south as you can go in the US. Just back from the Captain's Seafood Restaurant. Excellent - definitely recommend.

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