Looking Back, Looking Forward

Beth and I just watched the sun go down for the final time in 2018.  In just a few hours the ball will drop in Times Square.  Since we're on the West Coast where it will be 9:00 there's a chance that we'll be awake to see it.

Sunset December 31, 2018  Stinson Beach, California

It's been an adventurous year that has taken us to several new destinations including the Azores (new for me), Peru, Ecuador, Israel, Jordan, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.  We also enjoyed revisiting some of our favorite places in the US, Caribbean and Canada.  We are grateful that we were able to spend so much time with Ben, Sarah, Joey, James and of course NaNa.
Thanks to those of you who have followed our journey on this blog.  We appreciate you coming along for the ride.  We've got a few things planned for 2019 but as usual we'll be making up a lot of it as we go along.

Happy 2019!

I'm so happy that the last three years I've been able to share my birthday with this guy...…….

December 31, 2016  Fort Smith, Arkansas

December 31, 2017   San Rafael, California

December 31, 2018  Mill Valley, California

                                             ………………..and with Beth, Sarah and Joey too!

Under One Roof.........

Larson Family Winery

We had a really nice Christmas Day.  It was so nice, and the time change stretched it to 27 hours.  Christmas morning was spent on Anna Maria Island.  We had a small but powerful gathering consisting of me, NaNa, Beth's sister Debbie, her daughter Kimberly, Beth and Ben.  There was a nice gift exchange and then we were off to lunch.  Traditional Christmas lunch is with Beth's wonderfully amazing extended family.  NaNa, who is the oldest (don't tell her I said that) has three sisters.  They along with children, spouses, grandchildren and several great grandchildren gather for food and a few hours of fellowship.  It's basically the same group that gathers for the annual beach house celebration in the summer.  The only difference is the beach house lasts for the better part of two weeks.  The Christmas gathering lasts around three hours.  There's a lot of catching up and visiting done at Christmas in a short amount of time.

James looking for Santa

After lunch Beth, Ben and I headed for the airport.  Our destination was California and spending some time with Sarah, Joey and Sweet James.  Getting to California isn't quick.  Tampa to London is only 45 minutes longer than Tampa to San Francisco.  But of course, it's well worth it!
Joey's family was also in town and staying at Sarah's, so we spent the first night at a hotel in Novato.  We checked in right at midnight as our 27 hour Christmas day came to a close.
Joey's parents left Novato on the morning of the 26th.  They enjoyed a few days in the wine country area before heading back to Texas.  As quickly as they moved out, we moved in.
For four fun filled days we were all under one roof.  We enjoyed exchanging gifts, hiking, playing games and simply hanging out.  As you can well imagine, James was the center of attention and kept us entertained the entire time.

The Waterfall Trail in Novato

The Waterfall Trail

Ben's shirt describes exactly how James feels about him...….Fun Uncle!

Breakfast and a puzzle at his new desk

"The Natural"

The Martin Family Band

Yesterday morning Ben had a very, very, very early flight back to Texas (5:25 am).  Beth was kind enough to get up and ride with us to the airport which is about 50 minutes away.  As we crossed back over the Golden Gate Bridge we commented that crossing it is becoming about as common for us as crossing the Skyway Bridge in Tampa/St. Petersburg. The views are spectacular from either bridge.
Late Sunday morning we gathered our belongings and moved about 45 minutes away to an Airbnb at Stinson Beach.  It's a cozy, small cottage just a few houses off the beach.  We'll be staying here through the 8th of January.
This will give Sarah, Joey and James the opportunity to recover and get back into a normal routine but thankfully still spend some time with us.
The greatest gift this Christmas and every Christmas is the time.  Someone once said, "families are like fudge-mostly sweet with a few nuts".  That's us!  We enjoy taking turns being the "nuts" while cherishing the time together!

My turn to be the "nut"

Christmas Mulberry Style!

A Five Speed Schwinn Stingray...……….coolest bike ever!

As I am starting this blog Christmas eve is less than an hour away.  It brings to mind a line from the Christmas carol Silver Bells...….."soon it will be Christmas day".  This will be my 60th one, and while I can't remember the first couple, and other memories run together, they've all been special because they have always been centered around family.  Being with our families has always been so important that in the 36 Christmas's Beth and I have spent as husband and wife we have never had Christmas morning in our own house.  There's nothing hard about keeping that streak going now that we haven't had a house for a few years.
One of the most commonly uttered phrases these days seems to be "it just doesn't feel like Christmas".  I'm not really sure why this is true.  I think there are a plethora of reasons and I'm not going to waste my time or yours trying to dissect and analyze them.
I'm feeling a little reflective and nostalgic as I'm sitting here so I'm going to turn back the hands of time and share a bit about Christmas as a kid in the fabulous little town where I grew up, Mulberry, Florida (population 2,500 and one traffic light).
I can't remember the exact year, it would have been around 1967 or so.  Which would have made me  about 10 years old.  In Mulberry at that time unless your last name was Badcock (owners of a chain of furniture stores) your family was middle class at best.  As a matter of fact, I don't think any of our families leaned towards "upper middle class" but resided closer to the low end.  What my family and all my friends families lacked in money they made up for with love, laughter and a strong sense of community.  Just let word of someone being real sick, or that someone had passed away, and fried chicken, baked hams and casseroles would start showing up at the house of the stricken or deceased.  Now that's taking care of one another!
Christmas morning in Mulberry was a magical time.  In our house, after a pretty sleepless night, the lights would usually be on somewhere around 5:00-5:30.  We'd be up at that hour anyway, but we also needed an early start because often times my dad would have to work Christmas day.  He worked for the railroad as a train dispatcher (think of it as an air traffic controller but for trains instead of planes).  He would famously say "just because it's Christmas doesn't mean the trains will stop running".  If they were running, somebody had to tell them where to go or there would be a real mess. He would enjoy the time with us, make sure everything had batteries and was working properly before heading off to the office.  He would usually manage to get all the trains pointed in the right direction by early afternoon.  That's when we'd all reconvene for our traditional Christmas meal and more family time.
Rounding the corner into the living room on Christmas morning was always special. There would be what seemed like more gifts under the tree than you could imagine.  I guess being the youngest in the family I assumed they were all mine, which of course wasn't quite the case.  There would always be the packages that contained the "needs" such as shirts, pants, socks and underwear (a standing tradition in our house even after I was grown).  In addition to the "needs" there would always be plenty of "wants" to be found.  By 6:30 or so all the neighborhood kids would be outside (now there's a concept for you).  We'd be riding our new bikes, throwing a football, breaking in a new baseball glove, trying out a new pair of skates and more. One of the coolest "wants" that I can remember getting was a Five Speed Schwinn Stingray bike.  That thing was black and silver and I was sure that if I could pedal it just a little faster I could get it airborne like that kid did years later in the movie ET.
I don't know what happened to that bike.  I may have worn it out. I may have outgrown it, or it may have simply lost it's coolness over time.  Whatever the case it certainly left a lasting impression but nowhere near the lasting impression of my family gathering early in the morning.  I'm sure I didn't appreciate it as much then as I do now, but it wasn't about the "wants" or "needs", it was about family and friends!
Merry Christmas Everyone!  

Clearwater Beach, Tarpon Springs and a suprising find

Although we both grew up within a couple of hours of Tarpon Springs this was our first visit.  

We finished up our "Florida Adventure" week with four nights at Clearwater Beach.  Like we had done in Orlando, we took advantage of some lower than normal rates. This time staying at the Marriott at Sand Key.  All the rooms here are two room suites with balconies and nice views of the intercoastal waterway.  It's a nice property and because of some status I earned staying at Marriott's while working we were given a nice upgrade to a top floor.

Sunrise from the Clearwater Marriott

We designed this adventure so the "busy stuff" like Sea World and Busch Gardens would be early in the week and the second half was dedicated to the fine art of relaxing.  It's all worked out according to plan!  Although we did a little bit of exploring by car, there was plenty of hot tub time, walks on the beach and of course eating.
A sign at the entrance to Clearwater Beach proclaims it "Florida's Top Beach".  Going a step further, in 2018 Trip Advisor named it the #1 beach in America.  We've roamed quite a few miles of the wide, white sand beach and they can certainly make an argument for either title.  It hasn't been great beach weather (a little chilly, windy and rainy at times) but we were able to enjoy getting out everyday.
Clearwater Beach

The view southward from the Marriott.  The intercoastal is on the left and you can catch a glimpse of the gulf between the two buildings

If you're not familiar with this area and want to check it out for a day visit there is parking along the main stretch of Clearwater Beach.  There is even more parking available at Sand Key Park which is located adjacent to the Sheraton Sand Key.  Parking here will set you back $5 for the day.  There are picnic tables, restrooms, showers, changing facilities and some concessions.
Sand Key Park
Of course you gotta eat and there are plenty of choices in the area.  We enjoyed a nice casual lunch at Frenchy's Rockaway Grill.  There are actually five Frenchy's restaurants in the area.  The Rockaway one is located right on the beach.  There are plenty of seafood options on the menu and there is live music most days from 1:00 PM through the evening.  Good food at a good price in a very casual beachy atmosphere, there's no downside to that combination.  We also enjoyed a nice lunch at the Columbia Restaurant which is located next to the hotel.  The Columbia has been serving up some of the best Spanish/Cuban food since 1905.  Their first restaurant was in the Ybor City section of Tampa.  I'm not sure if it is in the original location but it has the distinction of being Florida's longest continually operating restaurant.  There are now four other restaurants and two cafes including one at Tampa International Airport.  There are lots of good looking items on the menu but our usual "go to" is a 1905 Salad, Spanish Bean Soup, a Cuban sandwich and a pitcher of sangria (we like the red better than the white but they're both good).  You'll also get a piece of nice warm Cuban bread which is delivered daily from the La Segunda Bakery in Tampa.  If you've never had real Cuban bread you are in for a treat.  A baguette from Paris has nothing on Cuban bread from Tampa.
Frenchy's Rockaway Grill
Columbia Restaurant
On Thursday afternoon we made a short 30 minute drive north on US Alt-19 to the city of Tarpon Springs.  This city of around 25,000 has the distinction of having the highest percentage of Greek Americans in the United States (around 12%).   Tarpon Springs developed a unique industry back in the 1800's of harvesting sponges from the local Gulf of Mexico waters.  In 1905 a Greek immigrant introduced a diving technique that allowed for more productive harvesting of the sponges.  The industry continued to grow until a red tide algae bloom in 1947 killed many of the sponges.  Although the sponge industry is still alive most are now man made, fishing and shrimp boats have replaced most of the sponge diving boats.  Of course with that heavy of a concentration of Greek Americans there is no shortage of Greek restaurants around town, especially in the sponge dock area.  Using Trip Advisor as our guide we ended up at Hellas Bakery and Restaurant.  We had a really nice Greek Salad, Gyro and Chicken Souvlaki followed up by a couple of tasty treats from the bakery including Baklava...…….Opa!
Hellas Bakery and Restaurant

A statue dedicated to the sponge divers of Tarpon Springs

Hellas Bakery and Restaurant

Sponges for sale-all shapes and sizes

A bike that was fished out of the Gulf of Mexico.  In addition to the barnacles it was starting to grow sponges.

The surprise that we found on the drive from Clearwater to Tarpon Springs was Dunedin.  I really couldn't have told you much about Dunedin before Thursday afternoon.  I could have picked out it's general location on a map and told you that it was the Spring Training home of the Toronto Blue Jays.  It looked interesting as we drove through so we stopped and explored it a bit on the way back.  There was a very nice downtown with small shops and restaurants, a waterfront area with a large marina, hotel and restaurant and a very nice waterfront.  One of the most intriguing things was the Pinellas Trail.  Depending on the source, the walking/biking trail is anywhere from 38 to 53 miles in length from St. Petersburg to Tarpon Springs.  This is part of the "rails to trails" program that converts old railroad lines into walking and biking paths.  I think the discrepancy in the length of the trail is simply due to the fact that they are continuing to expand it. Upon doing a little more research we learned that Dunedin has been recognized as one of the most livable small towns in Florida and one of America's best walking cities.  Although we didn't spend too much time in Dunedin we spent enough to know that we'd like to come back and take in more of Main Street, the waterfront and the Pinellas Trail.

Me and Flipper

One of the many themed decorations along Main Street in Dunedin

One of the buildings in downtown had a huge mural titled "Welcome to Dogedin".  It was a project by a local artist.  All the dogs (and a few cats) that are painted on the mural are real pets.  A donation was made by their owners to the Animal Welfare League.  Great idea!

Murals for Mutts

The Old Dunedin Railroad Station-now it's the local historical society museum 

Not a great picture but this is the Pinellas Trail as it passes through Dunedin.

We're back on AMI now.  We'll be here through Christmas afternoon.  Ben will be joining us on the 23rd.  Then after the traditional Christmas lunch with Beth's extended family the three of us (me, Beth and Ben) will be flying out to California to celebrate Christmas with Sarah, Joey and James.  We'll ring in the new year on the west coast which is really nice.  We only have to stay up until 9:00 PM local time to see the ball drop in Times Square.
It's a nutty time of year and a nutty world out there.  Stay safe and sane!

Sea World, Free Disney and Busch Gardens!

Beth and her cool friend at Sea World

We're taking advantage of a Black Friday deal and the calm before the Christmas tourist storm to do a little Florida adventure this week.  Beth heard the Black Friday deal on the local news.  It was a one day admission to both Sea World and Bush Gardens for $70 total.  This saved us about $30 per person on a two park admission ticket. We were also able to take advantage of this being a very slow week at the hotels and we got some very nice rates in Orlando and Clearwater Beach.
First up was Orlando, the vacation capital of the galaxy.  Our hotel was a Double Tree (booked through Hotwire) that was within walking distance of Sea World which meant no parking fee ($25) or hassle of catching a shuttle.  It was our first visit to Sea World-Orlando in about 25 years.  Although it was a Saturday and fairly busy it was far from being crowded, especially compared to what the crowds will be like in a week or two when all the Christmas visitors show up.
Sea World has taken it's fair share of criticism in recent years over their captivity of animals, especially whales.  From what I understand the whales at the park were a part of their breeding program which has been discontinued.  If these whales were released in the ocean they would have no natural instincts or resistance to some of the crud that can be found in the oceans.  In other words, they wouldn't last long.  Besides, they seemed pretty content being in Orlando.  With the exception of one show (Walrus show) the shows were nicely done and much more educational than they had been in the past.  The park was really nicely decorated for Christmas and featured several very nice holiday shows.  We got to the park a few hours after it's 10:00 AM opening and enjoyed it so much that we stayed until pretty close to closing time before taking the short walk back to the hotel.

A whale of a jump

Free and Disney aren't two words you typically find in the same sentence, but it can be done.  Of course parent(s) or folks from the frozen north aren't going to bring their kid(s) or come to the Disney area without plopping down about a billion dollars for park admission, mouse ears, Cinderella dress, t-shirts, and other overpriced souvenirs and food.  Since we've been to the parks enough to fill a life time (or at least until James gets a little older) we had no interest in the parks.  However, for the low cost of "free" you can wonder around Disney Springs (formerly called Downtown Disney)and downtown Celebration.  There are plenty of shops and restaurants to fit any budget.  We really enjoyed a very casual place called "Chicken Guy" which is a new place that is owned by Guy Fieri.
You can really amuse yourself in the Disney store at Disney Springs watching folks fork over real money like it's monopoly money for "stuff" they don't really need but just have to buy, like a mouse ear headband for $30!  Like Sea World, both Disney Springs and Celebration were decked out for the season.  Both were very festively decorated.  Celebration even had an outdoor ice skating rink, fake snow on the ground that looked like a massive shaving cream spill and fake snow that falls from the surrounding light poles several times per night.
Chicken Guy

The "S" in Disney should be "$"

Why plop down $30.  Just put them on, get your picture made and put them back on the shelf

Disney Springs Main Tree

A rocking chair by the lake in Celebration.  What more do you need?

Downtown Celebration complete with fake snow

Beth's carriage awaits!

Voodoo Donuts in Universal City Walk.  The donuts weren't nearly as good as the ones at the original store in Portland.  Maybe because the employees didn't have any tattoos or piercings like the folks who work in Portland.

We finished up by spending yesterday (Tuesday) at Busch Gardens.  Because it was a weekday and the temperature was slightly nippy (high around 60) there were probably only a 1000 or so people spread out over the 335 acres, which made it feel very empty.  Just the way we like it!  If you were a roller coaster enthusiast you would have thought you had died and gone to heaven.  There was no waiting to be dropped, twisted and turned on any of the half dozen or so major coasters.  Our roller coastering days are behind us although we did ride a "kiddie coaster" called the Sand Serpent and the Merry Go Round.  I, in a temporary lapse of good judgement, got on the "Falcon's Fury".  This implement of torture takes you up close to 350 feet in the air, points you straight down to the ground and releases you.  As the designers intended, it slowed down and stopped before I face planted into the concrete.  Beth captured it all on video and I'm sure it would have gotten many more views had there been a malfunction.  I can live without the fame and notoriety!

Busch Gardens Skyride

A hat thief!

Mom and baby (just over a year old).  A face only a mother could love!

A wild time on the Merry Go Round!

Falcon's Fury.  The girl next to me was from Argentina.  She was crying real tears.  I'm not sure if she was scared of the ride or didn't like sitting by me.  I had to take my glasses off so I really couldn't see much...…..maybe it was better that way!

(There is a video at the end of the blog)

Serengeti Overlook-Busch Gardens

Bird Whisperer!

Busch Gardens after dark

As with Sea World, there were several nice Christmas shows.  Most of which we had seen previously since we had visited Busch Gardens at Christmas the two previous years.  I guess we're developing somewhat of a trend and it's a nice one!

Manatee County Trails..........something old, something new

At the south end of the Coquina Beach Trail.  That's Longboat Pass and Longboat Key in the background

To anyone who is a regular or semi-regular reader of this blog (thank you), you are aware that we spend quite a bit of time throughout the year on Anna Maria Island.  You are most likely aware of the fact that we like walking.  AMI is a nice place to enjoy the outdoors.   If we walk 4-5 blocks west we're on the beach.  We're then faced with the dilemma of "do we turn right or left".  Either direction gives us miles of white sand beach for our walking pleasure.  As we walk the beach there is plenty of entertainment with birds, dolphins, boats, locals out for a stroll and tourists enjoying a slice of paradise before returning home.  If the tide is high we can opt for walking neighborhoods on sidewalks or uncrowded side streets.  It's easy to get spoiled!
This week we took advantage of the cooler temperatures and small crowds to explore a couple of places that we don't usually walk, because to reach them a short car ride is required.  As I previously confessed, we're kind of spoiled!
First up was the Coquina Beach trail at the south end of the island.  This trail is a nice paved trail that is about a mile and a half in length.  There is great parking along the trail since most of it is through the well maintained public beach.  Most of the trail is shaded by huge trees.  Sometimes you're close to the water and at others you may be a few hundred yards off shore but it's rarely out of view.  If you start at the north end you will end up at the Longboat Pass.  From here you can retrace your steps back or if you're feeling like putting in some more miles continue across the Longboat Key Bridge and explore Longboat Key.  This was a trail that we were familiar with and had walked quite a few times over the years. It's a very nice way to explore the south end of the island.
Coquina Beach

We actually did this trail twice this past week.  The second time we were joined by Beth's sister, Debbie.

The Queen and her court

There are great places to enjoy sunset along the trail

Another priceless sunset! 

The first "something new" for me was Robinson Preserve.  Beth had walked this trail once or twice before but it was a new one for me.  This is a 682 acre preserve made up of mangroves and tidal marshes. There is a main trail that is a little over two miles in length (one way) as well as multiple other trails branching off the main trail.  In addition there are picnic tables, fishing areas and an observation tower that overlooks the preserve.
Robinson Preserve

I was making sure NaNa knew the rules....especially no jumping off the bridges!

A stork feeding in the tidal area

The day we walked it, we shared the preserve with a flock of white pelicans.  These are true "snow birds".  Unlike their cousin, the brown pelican, they migrate down from the north every winter.  They are a little less social than the brown pelican which can be easily found all along the coast.  They also flock together more than the brown pelican and hunt for their food (fish) as a group instead of individually.  It was a nice sight to see a large flock of them relaxing in one of the tidal areas.  While watching them we talked a bit to another couple who have walked the path frequently over the past couple of years.  They shared with us that this was the first time they had seen them in that area.  Maybe we should have bought a lottery ticket, it seems like it was our lucky day.  This amazing county maintained facility was less than a ten minute drive away.  It's a destination I hope we make frequently in the future.
White Pelicans

White Pelicans!  

On another day we were in downtown Bradenton and explored a bit along the Riverwalk Park (another "something new").  This 1.5 mile stretch along the Manatee River is a real beauty as well.  There is a nice paved path, numerous places to picnic or just sit and enjoy the views.  It also features nineteen pieces of artwork, an amphitheater, sand volleyball courts, a skateboard park (maybe a few decades back but not now) a children's park and fishing pier.  We didn't have much time so we only did a small portion of this park but are already looking forward to visiting it again sometime soon.
Riverwalk

Riverfront Park

I guess the moral of the story is that it's easy to get spoiled.  There's nothing not to like about the scenic walks available to us just outside the door, but there are other amazing things to explore close by that are well worth the little effort required to reach them.