Hello Sunshine!

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Colleen, Dave and I went for a week vacation down in Florida. I was ready for some fun and sun! Using Dave's fabulous Wyndham employee discount, we were able to stay at a 2 bedroom condo in Pompano Beach, which is just north of Fort Lauderdale, for an amazing price. The condo was part of a resort, with four pools, four whirlpools, volleyball courts, mini-golf, and a spa. While the early 90's decor in the condo left something to be desired, it was large and definitely perfect for our week away!
We had a fun week- One night, we ventured across the street from our condo, where The Isle Casino and Racing Park at Pompano Beach is, and we played some slots - no big winners for us, unfortunately!!!
One day, we went to the Everglades- more specifically, the Everglade s Holiday Park, where we took a sightseeing tour on an Airboat, that was narrated and guided. It was pretty informative as we went deep into Florida's Everglades. We saw alligators, both full-grown and babies, exotic birds, native fish, all while gliding over an endless river of grass. Tour was only about an hour, but it was the perfect amount of time. After that, saw a "show", just giving some educational info about the alligator, with our guide putting his head in the gator's mouth! Colleen definitely covered her eyes during that part!

On Sunday, I wanted to go to a church service, so I decided to check out St. Bernard de Clairvaux Episcopal Church in North Miami Beach. It's known as the Spanish Monastery. The Monastery was built in Sacramenia, Spain, during the period 1133-1141. Cistercian Monks occupied the monastery for over 700 years. Due to a social revolution, the cloisters were seized , sold and converted into a granary and stable in teh mid-1830's. In 1925, William Randolph Hearst purchased the Cloisters and the Monastery's outbuildings. The structures were dismantled stone by stone, packed in over 11,000 wooden crates, numbered for re-assembly, and shipped to the US. At the time, hoof and mouth disease broke out, and the crates were all opened up, and the protective hay inside burned. The workmen didn't put the stones back in the numbered order, so there was no telling how to reassamble the buildings. Soon after the stones arrived, Hearst had financial problems, and the stones remained in a Brooklyn warehouse for 26years, before being purchased and put back together. It took 19 months and $1.5million dollars to rebuild the Monastery. It was a pretty cool place to be in and worship in, and everyone was very friendly.

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