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Published: March 18th 2010
Steve & I and his parents Rinette & Brian drove from Miami, Florida to New Orleans, Louisiana in 2 and a half weeks. We stopped by the main towns along the way. Here are some of our highlights.
FLORIDA Miami Our first impression of Miami was that Spanish was spoken in so many parts of the city, which made for a nice transition from Panama City for Steve and I. Our second impression was the beautiful Art Deco style of the buildings (dating from the 1920’s and 1930’s). Many of these old buildings had fallen into disrepair by the 80's but luckily they have now been lovingly restored.
We took a Duck tour bus/boat through the city and into the Biscayne Bay where we saw the houses of the rich and famous (Puff Daddy, Gloria Estefan, Julio Iglesias, Rosie O’Donnell) and that house from the Scarface movie.
Everglades National Park We had a great tour of the Everglades, the "River of Grass". Alligators, crocodiles, Florida panthers (only about 100 remaining!), deer as well as 350+ species of birds make their home in these 1.5 million acres of wetlands. Unfortunately, Burmese pythons live there too. They're
not native and pose a threat to the environment.
Naples and Fort Myers We spent one night in Naples, which has beautiful beaches and golf courses. We took an airboat tour of the Everglades, speeding along the waterways, meeting pelicans and raccoons on the way.
We then went to Fort Myers where Rinette and Brian visited cousins Trinette and Nino, while Steve & I carried on with some work. Trinette and Nino moved to Fort Myers from South Africa several years ago and are settling in nicely.
Cedar Key We stopped by Cedar Key, a small fishing and artist village north of Tampa. It's a quiet little place with lots of charm. We saw a few Osprey nesting here.
Crystal Springs The warm waters of these springs attract manatees which gave us the chance to snorkel with them. They didn't mind our presence at all; some of them came up to have their bellies rubbed. The babies were even less wary of us. There were up to 30 or so manatees, adults and young, when we visited.
Unfortunately the manatees are endangered. The main threat is speeding motorboats who collide with them,
causing fatal internal damage and at the very least deep cuts on their backs. These gentle creatures are too slow to get out of the way in time. The good news is there are now more and more protected places for them in Florida where boats must by law go at low speeds.
St Augustine St. Augustine was founded in 1565 and is the oldest city in the United States. It's a lovely historic city well worth a look.
Before we leave Florida, we have to mention the great Florida Key Lime Pies for which Rinette was designated unofficial taster. The pie's recipe can vary slightly from place to place but is always delicious!
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Heather
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memories!
I haven't been to some of these places since I was a kid, so I really enjoyed reading about your experience... it brought back great memories. Thanks for sharing, and keep up the great posting! dirty-hippies.blogspot.com