KISSes from the Gulf Coast
Alabama
We left Florida and headed along the Gulf Coast first to Alabama for a short stay to see friends Don and Nancy. We met them two years ago in Gulf Shores, Alabama and we clicked right away. They were escaping the cold weather by traveling south and we were fortunate to meet up.
Mississippi
Next stop was Mississippi. We stayed mid-way between New Orleans, LA and Biloxi, MS. Biloxi was devastated after Katrina, but they have come back strong. Since nearly everything needed to be rebuilt, it is essentially a new town along the Gulf. We went on a paddle boat ride on Betsy Ann. Only one of 16 paddle boats in operation. This was a fun and educational trip.
While in Waveland, MS, we drove to New Orleans to the KISS concert. This is KISS’s final tour and Scott is a big fan. We put on the make-up and joined the craziness that is New Orleans.
Biscayne National Park
Within sight of downtown Miami, yet worlds away, Biscayne protects a rare combination of aquamarine waters, emerald islands, and fish-bejeweled coral reefs. Here too is evidence of 10,000 years of human history, including pirates and shipwrecks. Outdoors enthusiasts can boat, snorkel, camp, watch wildlife…or simply relax in a rocking chair gazing out over the bay.
Biscayne National Park is 95% water so the best way to see it is by boat or in the water. We went snorkeling on a cold and windy day. Our pictures are grainy because of the silt that is being stirred up.
The best time to go is summer. So we may try this again some summer and include Dry Tortuga National Park in the lower keys of Florida.
Moons in Miami
The Miami Art Deco District is a U.S. historic district located in the South Beach neighborhood of Miami Beach, Florida. The area was well known as the neighborhood where Italian fashion designer Gianni Versace resided. It contains 960 historic buildings.
We had a lot of fun walking around this beach city with its, Lamborghinis, Ferraris, and buff swimsuit wearing individuals.
Next stop …..
Everglades National Park
We spent two weeks in Homestead, Florida about 35 miles south of Miami. Homestead is our jumping off point for two National Parks, Everglades and Biscayne.
Everglades National Park protects the southern twenty percent of the original Everglades in Florida. The park is the largest tropical wilderness in the United States, and the largest wilderness of any kind east of the Mississippi River. Everglades is the third-largest national park in the contiguous United States after Death Valley and Yellowstone.
Most national parks preserve unique geographic features; Everglades National Park was the first created to protect a fragile ecosystem. The Everglades are a network of wetlands and forests fed by a river flowing 0.25 miles per day out of Lake Okeechobee, southwest into Florida Bay. The park is the most significant breeding ground for tropical wading birds in North America and contains the largest mangrove ecosystem in the Western Hemisphere. Thirty-six threatened or protected species inhabit the park, including the Florida panther, the American crocodile, and the West Indian manatee, along with 350 species of birds, 300 species of fresh and saltwater fish, 40 species of mammals, and 50 species of reptiles. The ecosystems in Everglades National Park have suffered significantly from human activity, and restoration of the Everglades is a politically charged issue in South Florida
Driving to the park we saw several gators sunning themselves by the side of the water.
The Shark Valley entrance of the park has a 15 mile bike path that allows bikers to go at their own pace to take pictures and enjoy the wildlife.
Our post of Biscayne National Park should follow in a few weeks. We took some underwater pictures with a disposable camera that we have to get developed. We will be leaving this area of Florida on Tuesday and heading toward Gulf Shores, Alabama.
Come At Me Bro… Cedar Key, FL
Scott and I enjoyed a month in Cedar Key, Florida. This is old school Florida, no Disney or fast food chains. A laid back environment where stores and restaurants open when staff show up and close when the staff leave. Our time there was centered around experiencing manatees (though we did not find any wearing novelty tees)
Manatee Springs State Park
We visited Manatee Springs State Park where rainfall had flooded areas of the park. So much so that the manatees had taken over the swimming hole, closing it to people.
Swimming with the Manatees
We had to do more than just look. I did a lot of research to find the best place to swim with manatees and found Bird’s Underwater Dive Shop in Crystal River (ask for Paul and Rob).
2018 Year in Review
We were looking at the pictures from 2018 and decided to throw together a year in review slide show. Overall, we visited 3 countries, 16 states, and drove the RV 6940 miles. Hope you enjoy. (Sorry there is no background music…stupid copyright laws enforced by youtube)