Well, since it's after midnight, it is the beginning of our final full day in "paradise" ~ what a great week it has been...here's a quick tour ~ beach, pool, Barefoot Trader (the best souvenir shack on Manasota Key), fried gator bites (yummy - and yes, they taste just like chicken - LOL! - a first for both of us!), more beach, more pool...
...Gulf sunsets, early beach walks for Mom (runs for Hannah - who then decided that running to the Lemon Bay drawbridge was better :-) ), yep - more beach & pool (what can we say!), lobster tails! (we shared - Hannah's first - she loved it!), dolphin-spotting from the balcony (Hannah did the "spotting" and Mom did her best to catch them at the right time with the camera!), AWESOME tans - we are such beach beauties - LOL!!...
...movie nights - alternating action thrillers with chick flicks - saw some great DVD's (Live Free or Die Hard, Mad Money, Vantage Point, 27 Dresses) and a venture out on a late afternoon during a typical late-day sudden SW Florida rainstorm to see "Hancock"...
...retail therapy at the Ellenton outlet mall - we "behaved" but had great fun! :-), more beach, more pool - including, of course, a night swim - a little chilly even for mid-July in Florida but fun! Ask Hannah about her tea parties and hand stands - LOL!
....so, what have we saved for our "final" day in paradise -- a trip to one of our favorite places -- SOUTH BEACH! This wonderful "tucked away" haven is a short drive and just south of Boca Grande (home to some of the most incredible architecture - and, according to Hannah - the expert on these things, of course, - the site of one of Tom Cruise's residences - who knows? Anyways, gorgeous homes!)....and the beach there is spectacular and quiet AND to make things even better, right there on the beach is the BEST place to eat lunch in all SW Florida (at least in our opinion!) -- just lay in the sun, romp in the Gulf all morning, then wrap a towel around you and walk up to the South Beach restaurant for incredible grouper -- Hannah's going for the grouper basket -- think I might have to stick with my grouper reuben (yep, a grouper reuben - it is awesome!)....and then, you just go right back to the beach for more sun and surf! What could be better!
It's been a great trip - we'll definitely add to the picture collection with our outing tomorrow :-)
One last early morning walk on the beach ~ so peaceful and quiet, no sounds except the steady surf and occasional gulls in the early sun and I was alone but for a fisherman and one other shell-seeker walking the shore. You never know what the sea will deliver - my favorites are the "kittycat paw" shells - white, pink bumpy exteriors - and I also picked up some beautiful polished pieces of shell which I hope will challenge me with some wireworking when I get home.
AND...he does have a blog set up for this incredible experience if you want to check it out - although it has not been updated since he actually left the country - so I'm not sure if he's discovered that power is going to be issue after all - guess we'll all find out together!!
Posts
