Manatee Hot Tub!

Cold is a relative term to where you're from and what you're used to experiencing.  To our visitors from the frozen north the temperatures of this past week didn't register as anything more than a minor inconvenience.  To us native Floridians, daytime high's in the fifties, with a blustery wind out of the north, created artic like conditions.  Somehow we all managed to survive.
What the three day cold snap did was create perfect conditions for the manatees along the coast to all come together at Apollo Beach for a soak in their oversize hot tub.  The hot tub is more appropriately known as the Tampa Electric Manatee Viewing Center.  It's a canal located beside the Tampa Electric Power Plant and is where clean. warm water used in the plant is discharged back into Tampa Bay.
Manatee Viewing Center
We had visited the viewing center back in December, but the conditions weren't right.  There had been a few unseasonably warm days and the manatees had made their way back into the bay where food sources are plentiful.  On that December visit we did see plenty of fish (snook, redfish, tarpon, jack), rays, and sharks but only one manatee.  A very nice retired Tampa Electric Company employee, who now volunteers at the center, advised us that viewing conditions are optimal after at least three consecutive days of temperatures below sixty degrees.

A huddled mass of manatees is sure to draw a crowd.

Since the temperatures had been in the fifties for three days we were optimistic that this time there would be plenty of manatees frolicking in the warm water.  Even with the high expectations, I don't think in our wildest imaginations did we think there would be so many of these warm blooded, vegetarian,  mammals gathered in one place.  To the delight of hundreds of observers, there were huge adults, juveniles and newborns, some of which were still nursing, enjoying themselves in the warm water.  It was hard to tell who was having more fun, the manatees or the spectators.  I see manatees occasionally when I'm paddleboarding around AMI and they always bring a smile to my face.  Seeing so many gathered in one place was amazing.

Every bump is a manatee and there were at least twice as many more just under the surface

The Manatee Viewing Center was just the first of three planned stops on our day long fun fest.  We kept the car pointed north up US 41 towards Tampa.  Our next stop was a no brainer.  It was getting near lunch time and we were in Tampa, which could only mean one thing....Cuban Food!  Tampa has a large Cuban population.  This means there are plenty of places to enjoy some great Cuban food.  I checked to make sure the place I had in mind (La Tropicana in the Ybor City section of the city) was still open.  It was, and immediately my taste buds began dancing with delight and my brain filling with memories of eating there so many times in the distant past.
We shared a Cuban sandwich, deviled crab, stuffed potato, black beans, yellow rice and a nice dish of shredded beef cooked in a tomato sauce with onions, peppers and spices.  It sounds like a lot of food and it was, but we made it disappear!
La Tropicana
As we were eating, we reminisced of days gone by when you could get a Cuban sandwich for less than two bucks and a deviled crab or stuffed potato would set you back a quarter.  The food was really good although the restaurant looked a little old and tired.  I guess it happens to the best of us!
We finished the day surrounded by more sea creatures at the Florida Aquarium.  As we often do, we took advantage of the reciprocal membership offers with our season passes.  This time the offer was 50% off with our Sunken Gardens Annual Memberships.  Keep these opportunities in mind if you enjoy these types of outings.  Most season passes have some really great deals.
Florida Aquarium
It was a great day of enjoying just a few of the amazing things there are to do in the Tampa Bay area.

Just a few of the sights from the Florida Aquarium

 







 


 
  

The changing faces on Anna Maria Island.........

Saturday Afternoon

Mid-Week

Friday Afternoon

We've been back on AMI for a week.  When we left on Christmas eve it was starting to get crowded.  When we returned, it was clear that the great winter migration was in full force. From now until around Easter we'll be sharing this slice of paradise with a whole bunch of people.  At the risk of stereotyping, they can be broken down into three groups.
There are the seasonal residents.  These are mostly senior citizens from northern states and Canada, who will spend the "winter months" here.  We affectionately refer to them as "snowbirds".  They tend to make right hand turns from the far left lane and vice versa, usually without using a turn signal.  They're good folks who eat dinner at 3:00 so they can get the "early bird special".
The second group and what seems to be the most rapidly growing group are the international tourists.  Word of Anna Maria Island has not only spread across the US and Canada, it's also crossed the Atlantic Ocean.  If you take a walk on the beach at this time of year it's likely that you'll hear happy chatter in German, French, Spanish, as well as a healthy dose of British accents. Because of the language barrier, the non-English speakers tend to stick to themselves although they are quick to flash a smile of euphoria .  We do enjoy visiting with those from the UK, often sharing a laugh over the current political mess in our two countries.  You might as well laugh about it...…………...
My favorite group to observe are those who are with us for a week.  Most of this group tend to be from states that while beautiful in the summer, turn to ice boxes at this time of year.  They stuff themselves onto an airplane in places like Detroit, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, etc or pack up the car and point it south...…….destination sunny Florida.
The weekly rentals on Anna Maria Island tend to run from Saturday to Saturday, meaning there is a huge influx on Saturday afternoon.  After quickly throwing the suitcases in the rental house, condo or hotel room they head westward toward the beach to catch the daily spectacle known as sunset.  Their reactions as they reach the beach, kick off their shoes and their feet touch the sand is a priceless.  There are mile wide smiles, hugs, high fives, cheering, clapping and other expressions of elation that simply can't be contained. We often volunteer to take pictures of these happy groups.  There's no need to say "1, 2, 3, cheese"!  It would take a jackhammer to get the smile off their faces.

Imagine leaving behind below freezing temperatures for sunset views like this...……….

…….or this!

We were talking to a nice family a few days ago that exemplified what I'm trying to describe in words.  They were from Des Moines, Iowa.  The father of this happy family told us that when they left the wind chill factor had the temperature at a whopping -21 degrees!  The kids had been swimming in the chilly gulf all day and were looking forward to getting back to their residence so they could get in the pool.  They were a really nice and very happy group of Iowans!
Throughout the weekdays families like this are all over the island.  Riding around in golf carts, on scooters, pedaling bikes and for some strange reason walking in the middle of the road. They're sporting hats, sunglasses, Anna Maria Island t-shirts and sunburnt cheeks and noses.  It's almost as if that look of euphoria from when they first stepped on the beach has become permanent.
Then the reality of the situation sets in...……..it's almost time to pack up and head back to the frozen north.
They're usually on an early flight Saturday morning or have a long drive, so the migration off the island starts early on Saturday morning.  This means that the looks on the faces of these people on Friday afternoon is dramatically different. Tears of joy have been replaced by tears of reality that in 24 hours or so they'll be back in the icebox.  The looks of despondence as they watch the sun disappear almost brings me to tears.  I've shared their joy throughout the week and now I feel their pain.  In less than 24 hours the cycle of joy and sadness starts all over again.
We're thankful for our time on AMI with NaNa for so many reasons.  Sharing paradise with so many others is sometimes a challenge, like the other day when an "off season" drive that would take fifteen minutes took forty five minutes, but it can also be fun!  

    

A day in San Francisco........

Fishermans Wharf is always a fun place to visit in San Francisco

We've covered most of San Francisco on previous visits, but always enjoy looking around a bit when we get the chance.  From where we are staying there are two ways into the city, car or ferry.  Driving is somewhat challenging but doable, although parking is sometimes tough to find and expensive.  Uber/Lyft is also an option, but is expensive as well.
In my opinion, the most stress free and scenic way to get into the city from north of the Golden Gate Bridge is by ferry.  We've taken the ferry from both Tiburon and Larkspur.  The cost is approximately the same from either place.  From Tiburon the ferry runs to Pier 41, which is in the heart of the very touristy wharf area.  The Larkspur ferry runs to the ferry terminal building, a 1.5 mile pleasant walk along the waterfront to the wharf area.  Both ferries are operated by the Blue and Gold Fleet.  Schedules and fees can be found through the link below.
Blue and Gold Ferry Fleet
We opted to take the ferry from Larkspur, which is a popular terminal for many who commute to the city.  There is a small fee ($2) per day to park at the Larkspur Ferry Terminal on weekdays but no fee on weekends and holidays.  If you are going to use this terminal on the weekdays, please note that the parking fills up by 9:00.  Another option is to connect to the ferry by using the SMART train that runs from as far north as the Sonoma County Airport to the Larkspur Ferry Terminal.  We had taken James on the train to Petaluma a few days earlier and had a blast!

Waiting on the SMART Train...…….

It's here!

Taking in the views on the way to Petaluma.

James was literally a "kid in a candy store"!

SMART Train
Our journey into San Francisco was on Saturday morning, so the ferry terminal parking lot was virtually empty when we arrived.  After a chilly but very scenic 30 minute ride across the bay we arrived at the terminal building.  Facing the city as you exit the terminal building, you have three options.  Go left for a waterfront walk towards Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants.  Go straight ahead and you'll be in the downtown district.  Turn right and enjoy your walk towards Pier 39/Fisherman's Wharf.  We had only one destination in mind for the day, and it was in the wharf area, so we turned right.
The only specific item on our itinerary for the day was the Aquarium of the Bay, which is located adjacent to Pier 39.  The aquarium is small but very nice with numerous displays and two underwater walkways, one featuring fish that can be found near the shoreline and one featuring a deeper water environment.  We took our time and enjoyed it, but we covered the entire aquarium in less than an hour.  The regular admission price seemed a little steep.  We paid half price thanks to our ZooTampa reciprocal membership.  The fifteen dollars per person that we paid seemed about right.

Aquarium of the Bay

We spent the rest of the day roaming along the waterfront going as far as the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park.  Along the way we enjoyed watching the sea lions bark and frolic at Pier 39. We had lunch at the Boudin Bakery,  delicious samples of Ghirardelli Chocolate, and soaked in the fantastic views of the stunningly beautiful city.
We enjoyed our day without a full itinerary, simply wandering around, stopping whenever and wherever we wanted to take in the sights and sounds.  Around 2:00 we started casually making our way back to the ferry terminal building in plenty of time for the 3:30 ferry back to Larkspur.

Clam Chowder in a bread bowl.....a San Francisco tradition

One of the many restaurants in the Fisherman's Wharf area

Maritime National Park with a glimpse of the Golden Gate Bridge in the background

Chocolate Lovers Paradise

Clock Tower on the Ferry Terminal Building

Ferrying back to Larkspur after a fun filled day!

A fun filled, stress free day in the city by the bay.

Healdsburg......something new.......... and revisiting a couple of our favorites!

Riverfront Regional Park near Healdsburg

We're enjoying our daily visits to check in with Sarah, Joey, James and Emma Joy.  They are getting along great and are requiring very little help as they all get acquainted and adjusted.
This has given us the opportunity to explore a couple of new places, as well as revisit some of our favorites from previous times we've been in this area.  In addition to Angel Island, which I wrote about in the previous blog, we also visited Healdsburg for the first time.
Healdsburg is a small city of around 12,000 that is located in Northern Sonoma County.  Known for it's numerous wineries, Healdsburg has been recognized numerous times as one of the top 10 small towns in America.  After visiting for a day, it's easy to see that the recognition it has received is well deserved.
Healdsburg
We had received a gift certificate for a wine tasting at the Michel-Schlumberger winery from Sarah and Joey that we were anxious to redeem.  It was a short 45 minute drive to reach Healdsburg, and we had a few other things on the itinerary before the wine tasting.  First up was a hike at Healdsburg Riverfront Regional Park.  This park, which features a small grove of redwood trees, is located adjacent to the Russian River, just a few miles out of the city of Healdsburg.  It had a nice two mile trail around one of the two small lakes in the park that we enjoyed, even though we had to occasionally tip toe around mud puddles left over from recent rains.

From the hiking trail at Riverfront Regional Park

Bald headed guy walking through the redwood grove.

After the hike we had time to enjoy a nice bbq lunch at KINsmoke BBQ which is located on the square in downtown Healdsburg.  When I think of really good BBQ, I don't typically think of California as a mecca for smoked meat, but we both agreed that the brisket and pork, as well as the sides, were all very good!

Brisket, Pork, Fried Pickles, Collard Greens and Cornbread......it doesn't get much better than that!

KINsmoke
We still had a little time before our reserved time at the winery so we enjoyed walking around the town square.  Although it was smaller than Sonoma's town square, we both felt that it was more diverse in the number and types of restaurants and shops, both on the square and in the surrounding blocks.
The winery was a few miles out of town, and was surrounded by acres and acres of grapevines in every direction.  It was an impressive sight, even though the vines are dormant for the winter.  We enjoyed a tasting of six different wines as well as charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.  We're certainly no experts when it comes to wine, but the tastings are always fun.

A beautiful afternoon for a wine tasting!

Cheers!

Michel-Schlumberger Winery
We had only one disappointment on our visit to Healdsburg.  Beth had found a place called Amy's Wicked Slush that looked amazing.  Although the website said it would be open, unfortunately it was closed.  I guess we'll have to go back sometime soon!

We sure wish this place would have been open!

Amy's Wicked Slush
During the week we also enjoyed revisiting  Bodega Bay and Stinson Beach.  It was Stinson Beach where we rang in 2019, not having any idea of the precious gift we'd get on the last day of the year!

Bodega Bay, a little windy and chilly but always scenic

Bodega Bay

Stinson Beach is long and wide and on a weekday in January pretty much empty!

Twelve Days Old!

Angel Island State Park

Ayala Cove.  It was previously known as "Hospital Cove" because the first quarantine hospital was in this area.  It is now the ferry terminal and park headquarters on Angel Island

In spite of having visited the bay area numerous times, we had never been to Angel Island.  The 1.2 square mile island is located in San Francisco Bay.  To the south of Angel Island is Alcatraz Island and San Francisco.  North of the island is the city of Tiburon, which is located in Marin County.
Unless you have wealthy friends in the bay area who own a boat,  you'll need to take a ferry to reach Angel Island.  Ferry service runs from both San Francisco and Tiburon.  If you're visiting from San Francisco it would be using the Blue & Gold Fleet Ferry Service.  From Tiburon you would use the Angel Island Tiburon Ferry Service.  The schedules vary throughout the year so make sure you are looking at the appropriate schedule if you are planning a visit.
Blue & Gold Ferry Service San Francisco to Angel Island
Angel Island Tiburon Ferry Company
If you're looking for great hikes in a historic setting away from the hustle and bustle of the city, Angel Island is the perfect place to spend a day.  Even though we visited on a weekend, it was off season so the ferry and the island itself were not crowded.  Although some services on the island (bike rental, café, shuttle tours) were closed, we found that to be a small trade off for the peacefulness we were able to enjoy.  The small visitors center/museum was open and is well worth investing 15-20 minutes of time at the beginning or end of your day.

Angel Island Visitors Center

Angel Island
The land that now makes up Angel Island has a long and interesting history.  If you go back ten thousand years it wasn't an island, but a part of the mainland.  It was cut off by the rise in sea levels from a previous "global warming" event, known as the end of the ice age.
Jumping forward a bit, in 1863 during the Civil War, the US Army built an artillery on the island to help defend San Francisco in case it was attacked by confederate troops.
In the 1880's the army designated the entire island as Fort McDowell.  In addition to a traditional fort, facilities were built to serve as a quarantine station as well as a discharge depot for troops returning from the Spanish-American War.  The quarantine station was an attempt to reduce the threat of Bubonic plague from Asian passengers prior to them being allowed on the mainland.  It continued to serve as a transit station for troops during World War I and World War II.  During World War II it also was used as a detention station for Japanese, German and Italian immigrant residents of Hawaii who had been detained as well as Japanese and German prisoners of war.
From 1910 to 1940 a part of the island known as China Cove was used as an immigration station.  Immigrants from 84 different countries were processed here, however, for the approximately one million Chinese immigrants that came through Angel Island the journey was a difficult one.  Because of the Chinese Exclusion Act immigrants from China were put through a rigorous background check, physical examination and disinfection process. Sometimes this process was only a couple of weeks in length but other immigrants were detained for up to two years before being admitted or denied entry into the US.  The housing conditions for these immigrants were described as being deplorable.
While many of the buildings in the immigration station were destroyed by fire in 1940, some buildings remain and are now open to the public as a museum.  There is a small admission fee (currently $5) for the museum.  Unfortunately due to time constraints we decided to save the museum for another visit.

Immigration Station Museum

In 1955 the California State Park Commission purchased 38 acres of land around Ayala Cove which is where the ferries dock.  This was the original Angel Island State Park.  Additional acreage was purchased in 1959 and the park was expanded.  In 1962 the last of the Department of Defense operations were removed from the island and in December of that year the entire island became Angel Island State Park.  From what I have been able to learn, there are a few tent campsites on Angel Island, but these sites are very popular and extremely difficult to book.  For all practical purposes Angel Island State Park is a "day use" facility.
We took the ferry from Tiburon ($15 round trip which included park admission), which is a short fifteen minute ride.  Along the way we had great views of the waterfront area of Tiburon, Alcatraz, the San Francisco skyline and were entertained by numerous seals and sea lions playing and feeding in the chilly water.
The ferries dock in Ayala Cove where the park headquarters are located.  There are restrooms, visitors center, and picnic tables located in this area.  During busier times of the year the café and bike rental station is located here as well.
There are numerous trailheads that can be accessed from Ayala Cove.  Some of these trails traverse the inner section of the small island and pass over Mt. Livermore, which at 788 feet above sea level is the highest point on the island.  We opted for the longest (5.5 miles) and flattest trail, the Perimeter Road trail.
As the name implies, the Perimeter Road trail goes around the entire island.  Also, it's actually a road so it's paved surface would be good for bicycles as well.  A short walk up a somewhat steep path will lead you to the Perimeter Road trail.  Don't be intimated by this section, it's by far the steepest grade of trail you'll encounter.

Near the Perimeter Road Trailhead.  In the background is Ayala Cove

Once you reach the trail, you have two options, left or right.  We chose to go left (counterclockwise) which means our 360 degree view out from the island went from looking back at Tiburon to Berkley/Oakland, the Bay Bridge, San Francisco, and finished with the Golden Gate Bridge.  The views were nothing short of spectacular the entire time.  We made a couple of diversions off the trail to spend a little bit of time in the immigration station area where there are numerous informational displays (don't miss the memorial wall) and Quarry Beach.

Quarry Beach.  The Bay Bridge and San Francisco Skyline in the background

Nice looking buck grazing alongside the trail.  There is a large, managed deer population on the island.

If you're planning to hike the entire Perimeter Road trail you can't go wrong going in either direction.  If you are going to do just part of the trail, the views going clockwise are probably a little more dramatic.  If you're interested in the immigration station museum, a counterclockwise direction will get you there first.  Below are a few more photos from along the Perimeter Road Trail.

Tiburon, with Mt. Tam in the background.

Quarry Beach, with Berkley/Oakland in the background.

Alcatraz, with the San Francisco skyline in the background.

Golden Gate Bridge!

We caught the last ferry (currently 3:30) back to Tiburon.  Our only regret for the day was that we had not gotten an earlier start and taken one of the first two ferries to the island in the morning instead of the 11:00 ferry.
Angel Island was a very pleasant surprise and is a place we look forward to visiting again in the future!

New Years Day at the San Francisco Zoo

James loved the animals, but the playground was just as much fun!

We kicked off the new year in San Francisco.  While much of the city seemed to still be recovering from their New Years Eve celebrations, Beth, James and I were up and moving early.  First up was a visit to the hospital to spend a little time with Sarah, Joey and Emma Joy.  The trio had a nice first night together.  Sarah's hospital room overlooked the city and she said they were able to see some of the city's fireworks.  While most folks think the fireworks were ringing in the new year, we know they were really announcing the arrival of Emma Joy.

James wishing Emma Joy a Happy New Year!

Brother and sister are already bonding

After a short visit to the hospital, Beth, James and I were off to the San Francisco Zoo.  We had enjoyed previous visits to the Oakland Zoo, which is quite nice, but this was our first time at the San Francisco Zoo.
San Francisco Zoo
The zoo is in an incredible location.  It's a 100 acre tree filled park located a short 3-5 minute walk from the very scenic sand and crashing waves of Ocean Beach.
The zoo itself is really nice, with a wide variety of animals.  Among our many favorites were the grizzly bear and outdoor penguin displays.  James also really enjoyed the "bug exhibit", racing from one display to another looking at spiders, Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches, beetles and more.  He also loved the huge playground that was full of all types of playground equipment that was themed for various regions around the world (rainforest, desert, polar region, etc.).  The zoo was so nice and so large that we enjoyed it for longer than we had originally anticipated.  If you're visiting San Francisco, it's a great place to spend a few hours or an entire day.  The close proximity to the beach is an added bonus.

The Zoo Christmas Display was still up and added to the festivities of the day.

The carousel at the zoo is the last one hand crafted by William Dentzel.  The horses were all carved by hand.  It's been enjoyed by young and old alike since 1921. 

Enjoying a ride on a John Deere in the petting zoo area.

He asked me to climb through the hole......…..I passed!

It was hard to get him off the playground!

Below are a few ideas/suggestions if you are planning a visit:

• Admission is reasonable.  Currently $22 for adults.  Children 3 and under are free.  If you have a zoo membership elsewhere, check to see if it is reciprocal with the SF Zoo.   With our ZooTampa membership our admission was half price.
• Parking is $13 in the zoo parking lot.  There is free parking up and down Sloat Blvd. which runs along side the zoo.  We got there early enough that we found free parking just a few blocks up the street.
• Food and beverage is expensive, but you can bring your own.  I would advise you to do so or be prepared to pay "stadium prices".
• Check the hours.  The current hours are 10:00-4:00 but they may vary throughout the year. 

After the zoo we pulled into a nice parking space overlooking Ocean Beach.  Unfortunately it was a little too windy and chilly for us to get out and on the beach.  Beth and I sat for a few minutes enjoying looking out at the large waves and kite surfers, who with full wet suits, were enjoying the windy conditions.

Looking north along Ocean Beach Boaardwalk on a chilly, windy afternoon.

As for James, he missed it.  He fell sound asleep on the one minute drive from the zoo to the beach, slept while we were parked at the beach, as well as on the entire drive back to Sarah and Joey's house.