It’s hard to believe we’ve spent SIX MONTHS in Florida! We arrived in the state back in October of 2020 as we sought solace in warm weather and peaceful surroundings after a very tough autumn. Check out our Archives page if you’re interested in seeing what we did when we first arrived.
Having now spent the last 4 and a half months in the Punta Gorda/Fort Myers area, we’re beginning our trek to the east coast and soon out of the state and heading northward.
So here is where we stayed in North Fort Myers (as usual, click on a pic for a larger version):
The street where we lived 
“Feed me!”
Friendly turtles in the park’s turtle pond
This doesn’t suck…
The area offers so much—our final outing to Boca Grande and its wonderful beaches was bittersweet (I LOVE that place!).
This guy didn’t want to get his feet wet 
And this guy thinks he’s vamping on the catwalk 
Ahhh, the Gulf…
Our last kayaking excursion was one of our best, including Bubba catching a small sting ray! Check out this link if you’re curious- An idyllic day in Matlacha
Then it was on to Cocoa, Florida, for one main purpose: We wanted to visit the Kennedy Space Center and see the place where so much history was made when we were kids. Seeing the giant building where the Apollo rockets were assembled was such an iconic image. We also saw the original control room used for the Apollo 8 rocket launch (precursor to the moon launch) and watched (and felt) that actual launch. Way cool… This facility is much larger than the U.S. Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB), look familiar? 
Original mission control room for the Apollo 8 Saturn V rocket launch. They even made the room shake! 
A Saturn V rocket 
Recreation of astronauts playing on the moon
Then it was off to Orlando to meet up with great Colorado friends Pat and Peggy for a week of fun. Bubba and Pat used to work together before retiring. Epcot was a must-do, with limited visitors allowed, masks everywhere and super-quick cleaning crews. If you got up from a bench, someone was there to sanitize it immediately after.
The gang at the entranc2 
Bubba getting into the Disney spirit 
A favorite, the butterfly garden
What’s Florida without a couple rounds of golf? Bubba, Pat & Peggy are all avid golfers, while I tend toward the important job of driving the golf cart. Bubba appreciated having his own chauffer… 😊
Waiting for the single that joined us to stop talking about himself… 🙂 
Hmmm, good form! 
And Peggy sinks another one! 
What a gorgeous course… 
…complete with a course official controlling tee times.
We also did a day at Universal Studios, and the guys did a Boys Day on the golf course, making everyone happy. 😊
After a busy week and saying goodbye to P&P and Orlando, they headed back to their new home in Prescott, Arizona while we moved on to Daytona Beach for a week of relaxation before we meet up with Wayne and Suzy in St. Augustine. We love this temporary home in Daytona, with a woodsy jungle behind us and a small pond out our picture windows where we can watch the egrets, great blue herons, cormorants and occasional eagles hang out. Check out this little parade of Florida’s finest here: Nature is Wonderful
Hangin’… 
…with a feathered friend.
Though we were in St. Augustine back in October, we loved the city and when WaSu said they were going to land in Jacksonville before meeting us in Savannah, we said, “Um, how about coming a few more miles south to St. A and we’ll meet you there?!” Boom, done and done.
Can’t wait for it!
Remember, keep #SixFeetApart and #WearAMask!