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Published: September 25th 2008
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Our trip was nearly coming to an end, but we had one more state to visit first. Our flight home was booked to depart from Tampa, but we had a week to visit Florida beforehand, so we headed to Miami first and stopped a few days at Miami Beach.
As it is now past summer a lot of the hotels have cheap deals so we managed to get a nice hotel right on Miami Beach, just a mile or so north from the Art Deco district. It turned out to be a great location, as we could enjoy some quiet relaxing on the beach but it was in walking distance from some of the restaurants and bars of South Beach. Miami Beach is every bit as stunning as it is supposed to be, and the sea was incredibly blue, it was great to wander down Ocean Drive and the Art Deco district, enjoying a beer in the outdoor bars and wandering down the beach. It was fairly quiet as it was out of the main tourist season, and it was midweek, but this was OK as there was still plenty to do. We had a quick visit to Downtown Miami
too, spending a bit of time wandering around near the marina, having a bite to eat. There were some lovely big boats in the marina and there were definitely some big houses around on the edge of the water, this is where all the money was!
It was on a walk down to South Beach that we came across something that we had been looking out for most of the trip, but really didn't expect to see them now... especially heading along the beach.... a snake crossed in front of us! It was pretty small, but fast so we stopped where we were to take a couple of photos and then it disappeared into the bushes. We're still not sure what kind of snake it was, the people walking in front of us at the time didn't even take any notice.
We found out that the Philadelphia Phillies were playing the Florida Marlins in the Major League Baseball, and the stadium was in Miami so decided to head down there for the Friday evening game. Baseball is one of the top sports in the USA, but as they play so many games in a season (over 160!!!), the
regular season games are not quite the spectacle that is the NFL where they only play 16 games. We had a great time at the game though, enjoying a hot dog or two a true American tradition! The game got off to a great start, as the Phillies scored twice in the first innings, but that was about it really, and the Marlins went on the rampage in their first innings, then a few innings later and ended up winning 14-8. We still had a good time though, just a shame we didn't bring the Phillies the same luck that we brought the Eagles!
We left the buzzing city of Miami after a few days and drove across the state on the Tamiami Trail, across the top of the Everglades National Park. We stopped at the Shark Valley Visitor centre, as we had read about a 2 hour ranger led tour that we could do from there. We arrived a bit early, so went for a wander around the centre, taking a few photos. On our way back we saw a couple looking in the water just by the path, as we approached they told us an alligator was
just below the water. As we got closer we saw how big it was.. just sitting there right by the path to one of the trails! We are sure it was staring up at us, thinking if we would make a good meal! We saw another snake (just like buses, none for 11 months then 2 in the space of a few days!!) again, it was just by the side of the path sitting there looking at us, poking its tongue out. It didn't move as we took a few photos then dashed away into the bushes. We went back to the visitors centre and asked one of the rangers what snake it was and it turned out to be a non-venemous Southern Black Racer... the ranger was surprised that it sat there while we took a photo as normally they are skittish and slither off before you see them.
Just as we headed back to the visitor centre to get on the tour, the skies opened and it threw it down with rain for a while, and then out came the sun again... just another typical Florida afternoon! The tour was really good which took us on a
15 mile loop of the park as the ranger talked about the Everglades, the land and the wildlife found here. We spotted loads of birds and another few alligators, even a mother with newly born babies! They looked so cute, still very small and swimming around with their mother, not sure we could call her cute though!
We left the Everglades happy we had seen more wildlife, it was what we needed after sitting on beaches for a week! I think travelling has definitely changed us in this way, we are not content to sit on beaches for very long now, and need to go off and find something to do etc. Sitting on the beach is still fun just, I don't think we could do it for 2 weeks non stop!
Having said that we drove onto our final stop at another beach, this time at Clearwater on the Gulf Coast, but just for the last couple of days of our round the world trip. We had found a great little hotel, this time with it's own private little beach which we relaxed on. We found the beach to be fantastic, and the sand was pretty much
like the gorgeous Lopes Mendes beach in Brazil, as it had the same white powdery sand.
So we've tried to use the final few days to prepare ourselves for our journey home, and sort out all the stuff we had somehow managed to collect in the last couple of months around the States. We both have mixed feelings, can't believe how much we have seen and done, a bit sad and can't believe it is over already, but also really looking forward to seeing family and friends again and catching up with everyone we have met on our travels.
So we have come to our last blog entry while travelling... the next one will be after we have made that journey across the pond to London... finally reaching home and making the full circle around the world.
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Celeste Sabourin
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A year already!
Wow, I can't believe that it's been a year! I remember meeting you on the third day of your year-long trip, when you had so much to look forward to. You have seen and done many amazing things (of which I am very jealous!). Take care, and keep in touch. Celeste (Canada)