Monday April 19th

Once again, the roosters started their song at dawn. I guess the residents can tune them out. After breakfast, we said goodbye to Tara and Roger and started our trip to Naples.

I am feeling a little meloncholy today. Perhaps saying goodbye to friends and missing my family is making me just a little homesick. I called Pappy when we arrived in Naples. It was good to hear his voice and to know he is doing well. He told me the cats are doing fine. I'm sure they are enjoying his loving attention and roast beef.

After 5 days without internet access, we are finally able to plug into the internet from our Best Western in Naples. We had no phone or TV in our room in Key West, so we are not ignoring all of you that sent e-mail. By the way, thanks for the e-mail and feedback on the web site. We love knowing what is going on at home. Please keep it coming.

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Tuesday April 20th

Today was laid back. We ate a leisurely breakfast down by the pool. This hotel has beautiful gardens with waterfalls, ponds, little wooden bridges and statutes hidden among the palms. The fountain outside our room provides a lovely sound to fall asleep to at night.

Since we needed to buy stamps, we walked to the post office. It turned into an hour walk but that's ok because it was so pleasant. You can tell this town was developed for the tourists up north as everything is clean and beautiful, the wide streets are lined with palm trees. We played golf this afternoon at the Pelican Bay Club which just opened last year and will be going private by mid summer. They certainly had all the amenities you would expect at a private club. However, they didn't give us clubs that would hit straight. Fred lost a bunch of balls, sacrificed to the palm bushes. If you didn't keep it straight, forget it! The mini palm undergrowth was impenetrable (except of course for that darn little ball). Most times we didn't even bother to look, especially after we saw a black snake that scared the #@$% out of me. On another hole, Fred was amused when I almost bonked an alligator on the head. That Gator was in the middle of a lagoon so I didn't bother to ask him for my ball back.

We went in search of a place to watch the sunset over the ocean. We finally found a beach front bar called Jackaroo in Fort Myers Beach. The atmosphere was wonderful; we sat looking directly out onto the beach and ocean. Fred declared it was his favorite bar of the trip which prompted a discussion between us of what criteria made a place your favorite. Mine so far was Irish Kevins in Key West. However, Fred changed his opinion after the service proved to be lacking in any kind of friendliness. We are constantly amazed at the lack of customer service at so many businesses.

Here is an example of one of those small things that happen to teach or reinforce lessons of life. While we were sitting looking out at the ocean, we were people watching as moms, dads, and kids frolicked on the beach. We observed as one man, about 40, helped an 80 year old man walk back up to the restaurant through the sand. He had obviously taken the older man down to the ocean. They were walking slowly arm in arm. The younger man was helping the older one navigate the sand, and the older man was grinning from ear to ear. A young boy proudly sporting a pair of brand new sunglasses was prancing along beside them. I was so moved by the scene that I had to find out their story. "Is that man your husband's father?", I asked the woman trailing along behind them. "No", she said, "he's my father." "Well, I just want to tell you how wonderful it is that you and your husband took the time to take him out to the beach." She smiled and told me that they had flown him down to be with them on vacation. She was from a large family and sadly she and her husband were the only family members who ever took him on vacation with them. We talked for a few moments on how wonderful it is to enjoy being with and show respect for the older members of your family.

We had dinner at Charley Brown's which is managed by Steve St.John's brother. Steve, you are lucky, the place was excellent! Unfortunately Scott was not there, but Michelle our waitress was friendly and obviously completely understood the concept of customer service. It was refreshing to be treated like our presence was welcome. One small example: we split our entree and didn't have to ask for an extra plate. Michelle simply brought it to us. Charley Brown's is known for their seafood and "almost endless salad bar". It is unquestionably a restaurant we would highly recommend to anyone visiting the Fort Myers Beach area. Our meal was excellent and the Oreo Cookie Pie is to die for. The address is 6225 Estero Boulevard, Fort Myers Beach, FL.

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Wednesday April 21st

Before we left Naples, we visited the Caribbean Gardens, a 52 acre botanical & zoological preserve. We arrived just in time to catch the leopard and tiger show in Safari Canyon. It was both educational and awe inspiring. The three big tigers were so much like kitty cats that I just wanted to go and scratch them under the chin. The trainers strongly encouraged support of several conservation organizations to help these beauiful animals avoid extinction in the wild. Two organizations they suggest supporting are Hornocker Wildlife Institute phone 888-TIGER-44 where you can adopt a wild tiger in Asia and The Nature Conservancy 1-800-628-6860 (website: www.tnc.org). The Nature Conservancy, of which Fred and I are members, purchases land to guarantee it reamains natural forever. Their nature sacturaries include over 50 million acres. These types of organizations are important to help shelter and preserve wild animals and open land.

Our drive to St. Petersburg went faster than we expected and we were checking into the Days Inn in no time. The motel clerk told us the big attraction in St. Pete is the Pier with its inverted pyramid. Personally I though it was rather ugly looking, but inside had a nice restaurant on the 5th floor where our table looked out over Tampa Bay and the city.

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Thursday April 22nd

This morning we went for a run near our motel and lazed around catching up on e-mail, updating the web site pictures and reading the paper. It was shocking to read about the tragedy in Littleton, Colorado. It's scary to think about what this world is coming to. I personally feel there is too much violence in the video games kids play today.

We couldn't find anywhere within walking distance of the motel to eat, so we grabbed an apple fritter at a little store. Consequently, by the time we left at 3:00 to head towards the stadium area, I was starving (and a little cranky). Fortunately, the Hot Corner, a restaurant/bar directly across from the stadium was open. It was a new place; they had been open for less then a year. We had a delicious lunch and our bill seemed like a bargain compared to the prices we paid for food in Key West. Mary the waitress proudly told us she had season tickets for Tropicana Field. She gushed about how great the stadium was and told us to look for her banner "Quentins Corner" in center field. Quentin McCracken plays outfield for the Devil Rays and was obviously Mary and her families favorite player.

Since we still had some time before the stadium opened, we walked over to Fergs, a bar on the other side of the stadium. Fergs started out 10 years ago as a gas station and the owner used to have keg parties on the empty lot behind the station. Most of the guys that went to the keg parties are now investors in the bar. It is a very popular and fun place. Of course, the bartender, Joe, (like Rob at Hot Z's) makes the place. He was a gem.

Talk about being in the right place at the right time, fate, or whatever. Joe the bartender, along with his wife Karen (who we met later in the evening), are the kind of couple we would have fun with if we lived in St. Pete. Joe has a teaching degree but had always been in the bar business. However, eight or so years ago he decided the hours interfered with being a father so he took the postal exam. Now he delivers mail, trains new postal workers and only works in the bar part-time when it suits his schedule. Karen is attending Florida Southern University studying to be a marine biologist. And guess what, she was a twirler in high school! Joe is such a nice guy, he offered to change seats with us. Ours were club level seats but his were closer to the field.

I know guys who are crazy over pro sports teams, but Vic, who had flown in from LA just to go to Tropicana Field, is the nuttiest sports nut I or Fred have ever met. Vic has been to all but 7 major league stadiums, countless hockey arenas, football stadiums and special events. He has been to a World Series, a Final Four game, a Super Bowl and wants to get to the Kentucky Derby and Masters. He is a fireman in L.A., working at the Warner Bros. studios, and hey girls, he's single. See his pictures in the Sights page. Fred and Vic got into a fascinating discussion about Phillies history and players. (No I was not bored, I love baseball talk.) Vic was so excited about our trip, he is going to change his work schedule to meet us in L.A.. He promised to show us around Warner Bros studio and go to the Dodgers game with us.

Tropicana Field is a domed stadium and walking in the concourse reminded us of being in a hockey arena. However, I was impressed because the only domed stadium I had ever been in was Montreal and compared to that one, Tropicana Field was charming. The stadium was a little confusing to get around but all the ushers were friendly and knowledgeable. A wide variety of food vendors and several themed bar areas made it interesting to walk around . "The Beach" on the upper levels had a series of food vendors and bars all with beach themes. The Club Box area on the 2nd level had a glassed in restaurant with a sumptiuous looking buffet, but we did not partake, opting instead for a soft pretzel and the lure of the open field.

Our original seats were in the Club Level which was yuppie ville. We now realize that asking for the best available when reserving tickets sometimes means the amenities area, not necessarily the best view of the game or the funnest people to sit around. As promised, Joe showed up right after the 2nd inning to give us his ticket stubs so we could move down to his seats. We love sitting down in the lower level and Joe's seats were along the first base line about 30 rows up with a group of fun people. Uncle George, sitting directly in front of us, had brought his nephew to the game. Nephew was having a great time eating hot dogs, cheering for Wade Boggs, the name on his t-shirt, and dancing in an "8-year old boy way" to the music. To our left a man and woman in their 70's, obvious season ticket holders who knew everyone that traipsed up and down the aisle, kept kidding Uncle George. The crowd was totally into the game and I found myself swept along cheering for the Devil Rays even though I felt some allegiance to the Baltimore Orioles.

One kind lady had to direct a disoriented fan to his seat. That fan happened to be Fred. I saw him wondering down the aisle looking for me and figured he would see me on the way back up. He didn't and I had every intention of grabbing him but something happened to draw my attention to the game and I missed him as he made his way back up the aisle. The lady had noticed our t-shirts and after asking Fred about our trip told him where I was sitting. I had to laugh.

After the game, Devil Rays 1, Orioles 0 (a Devil Ray no hitter into the eighth inning!), we went back over to Fergs to thank Joe again for the great seats. The place was hopping. Vic was back and a few of Joe's post office buddies kept us entertained. Dave and Evan were so enthusiastic about our trip that they signed Dave's Innaugural Season Devil Rays hat and gave it to us. I have such a big head that is fit me perfectly. Evan's dream is to live on a boat for a year and has set of goal of doing it within the next 5 years. Fred and I hung around for awhile (free refreshments!) and as the place cleared out had a chance to chat more with Joe. He and Karen promised to e-mail us.

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Friday April 23rd

We had left the panhandle area open in our original calendar, planning to stay two nights in two different places. However, we decided that three nights in one place would be nice, a chance to settle in. Therefore, our plan was modified to drive as far as we could today, stay one night, then spend three nights at either Destin, Florida or Gulf Shores, Alabama. Yesterday Fred spent a considerable amount of time and frustration in the hotel on the phone trying to firm up a golf package. We finally ended up with a condo in Gulf Shores. It was quite a hassle and made us glad we had spent all those hours and hours on the phone back in February and March making advance reservations. We certainly did not want to be spending time while on the road trying to call ahead for rooms.

Our drive started out slowly. We had chosen to take the most direct route but after going only 30 miles in the first hour, we cut across and got on Interstate 75. Our first stop was Florida University in Gainsville, home of coach Steve Spurrier. The campus was a series of park like quadrants with the stadium looming in the background. We passed through the journalism building which prompted Fred to tell me some stories from his college days as a journalism major. His first project was a documentary in which his roommate woke up from a nap and through sleepy eyes saw a little stick figure come to life on his desk. It was done with stop action photography. Gino, I never knew you were a movie star under the guidance of director Fred.

Our next stop was Florida State University, domain of coach Bobby Bowden. The campus itself, located in the city of Tallahassee, was not much to look at. We both thought it was disappointing; the campus looked beat up and a little trashy. Flyers had been taped to sidewalks and messages were sprawled in chalk on walls and poles. The football stadium had an interesting brick facade and was located just on the edge of campus. I hate to admit it, but my favorite Florida campus is University of Miami.

After we left Tallahassee, we headed down to drive along the Gulf of Mexico. What a beautiful drive, especially after being on the interstate all day. There were tall pines along the road leading right down to the water. Unfortunately, there were a lot of For Sale signs on the wooded lots on both sides of the road. Sadly, we agreed the area would not be scenic for long.

We drove along the gulf, passing through Carabelle, the tiny town of Eastpoint and finally stopping in Appalachicola. By now it was almost 8 PM and the first motel we stopped at was booked. Just great! We were tired and hungry and had visions of nowhere to stay and nothing to eat. This little town looked like they could roll up the streets at 9:00.

We were pleasantly surprised. Appalachicola was a quaint little fishing town. We found a room at the Appalach Best Western on the other side of town and a restaurant directly on the harbor. It was a beautiful setting with boats gently rocking on the water, pylons all in a row jutting out of the water, each a seat for a seagull, and a dusty rose glow in the sky. Perfectly prepared shrimp, tender scallops, crab legs and flounder that simply melted in our mouths, were the perfect accompaniment to the scallion mashed potatoes and taste tempting broccoli. To complete the ambiance of this wonderful evening, a blues band was playing in the upstairs deck and the sounds of Stevie Ray Vaughan drifted down as we were finishing our meal.

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Saturday April 24th (morning)

The Appalachicola museum, (Best Value only $1.00) had displays highlighting the history of the town and Dr. Gorrie's invention. Anyone want to guess what he was famous for? The answer will show up next week if I remember. Appalachicola was first known for its cotton production, then lumber, and now they harvest 10% of the oysters in the US. Downtown was filled with interesting antique shops, although we did not dawdle.

Our big excitement this morning was driving through our first time zone change. It was marked on the map, but there were no markers on the highway. We stopped where we thought it should be and took a picture with one watch in Eastern time and one in Central.

It was pleasant driving today although we are both tired of sitting in the Big Kahuna. The drive through Destin, Florida reminded us of a smaller Myrtle Beach with lots of golf course resorts. Hey, there is even a Wings and Krispy Kreme. (No, Tara they don't deliver!) Actually this is probably more like what Myrtle Beach was 30 years ago as there is a lot of construction going on. This area will no doubt grow.

We stopped at the Naval Air Museum in Pennsacola, which is located at the naval base. Fred remembered that his brother Michael did training here when he was in the Navy. The planes in the museum are not replicas, but actual planes that had been in service. The tour guides were former pilots and all had special stories to tell. Fred could identify many of the planes from his time spent building models as a kid. There were four Blue Angels planes hanging from the ceiling in very close formation. The guide said that they actually fly closer than how they were hanging but the building structure could not support hanging them closer. Impressive.