NaNa is always ready to have a little fun with the camera.
After a little over a month in Florida we're now on the California coast. We'll be staying in Pacific Grove for the majority of the time, but of course there will be some time with Sarah, Joey, James and Emma, who are about three hours north of us.
The majority of our time in Florida was spent in and around Anna Maria Island/Bradenton. We enjoyed time with family, and especially our frequent visits with NaNa (Beth's mother), who keeps us very entertained with her humor and attitude and amazed us with her card playing ability. I've already blogged about our getaway to Crystal River, but there is still some catching up that needs to be done.
We made a few Tampa Bay Rays games. In spite of continuing to have a really good team, they come close to leading the league in empty seats!
Saturday morning stroll along the Manatee River in downtown Bradenton. The outdoor Saturday market is winding down for the season, but we (me, Beth, Debbie and NaNa) still found plenty of treats to enjoy.
A pre-down launch of a SpaceX rocket from Cape Canaveral produced what is called a Space Jellyfish. We had a great view out by the canal.
We did enjoy a one-day road trip that took us southward to Fort Myers and then back up through Venice and to Sarasota where we ended the night with music and fireworks.
Instead of a long, drawn-out written description of the day, I'll tell it with pictures and captions.
From 1985-1992 we lived in Port Charlotte. On the way to Fort Myers, we drove past the house we built while we were living there. It's aged fairly nicely and will always be special to us because we brought home two bundles of joy to this house. We also planted the two oak trees!
In 1885 Thomas Edison purchased property along the Caloosahatchee River in Fort Myers to build a winter vacation retreat. The house was completed the following year and from 1886 until his death in 1936 it served as his winter home. It wasn't all rest and relaxation, it contained a research lab and botanical garden that eventually housed over 1000 varieties of plants, most of which served some industrial purpose. The Banyon tree behind the statue is over 400 feet. A couple of hurricanes in recent years have roughed it up a bit, but it's hanging tough.
Edison was granted a patent for 65 consecutive years. I doubt that record will ever be broken.
The Edison House. The river is visible in the background.
In 1916 Edison's good friend Henry Ford purchased the adjoining property. This Model T Ford was a gift from Henry Ford to Thomas Edison. It's still in working condition!
Fort Myers is known as the "City of Palms". This is along First Street in downtown. We enjoyed lunch at Ford's Garage. The decor was like an old garage and the food was tasty!
Good burger..............
good onion rings!
A couple of the many sculptures in downtown Fort Myers. I'm not sure if they all did, but many had an Edison theme to them.
Between Fort Myers and Sarasota is Venice. For years it served as the winter home to Ringling Brothers Circus. It has a very nice beach and historical downtown area that make it a great place to visit.
Venice Avenue is lined with palm trees and filled with small, locally owned shops and restaurants.
Venice Avenue also has plenty of Seahorses..................
and mermaids!
Sharkey's Restaurant is located on the Venice Beach Pier. It's been serving beachgoers for over 35 years.
It was a beautiful night for an outdoor concert by the Sarasota Orchestra!
The concert was at Ed Smith Stadium which is the Spring Training home of the Baltimore Orioles. It featured music from the 70's, so there was plenty of singing along by the sold-out crowd.
The post-concert fireworks were REALLY good!
It was a very special Mothers Day as NaNa was introduced to her third great grandchild!
We finished up our Florida time with a wonderful visit from our favorite daughter, Sarah. Joey had "Dad Camp" with James and Emma for five days, so Sarah could get away and enjoy some time with us. We loved the visit and greatly appreciate Joey for coming up with the idea!
