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After saying farewell to Dennis and Nancy, we spent a few days near the resort city of Destin, Florida. It is a great spot which reminded us a lot of Cancun. Here we are near the end of the famed Harborwalk, which is packed with everything including another Margaretville. | One morning as we walked along one of Destin's fishing piers we found a lucky fishermen who had just caught several large Redfish that were now being fileted. It was fun watching all these pelicans lining up and waiting for the leftovers. |
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Destin has both the white sugar sands we have seen along the entire gulf coast, but it is also lined with lots of hotels and high-rise time-shares and condominium. March is their peak season as both snow birds and spring breakers mix to enjoy the sun. | Golf carts are a main means of transportation within most good sized RV parks. As we were out for an evening bike ride, we found this rig and while it is no longer than Glorine's bike, we could not figure out if it was a fancy golf cart or a new Smartcar. |
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As we walked along a lake in downtown Orlando, we saw this black swan with its bright red beak. We don't see this much back in North Dakota. And when we went to Google it, we found it is native to Australia and New Zealand. It must have taken the wrong migration route. | On St. Patrick's Day, we went searching for green beer. When we got to Harp and Celt Irish Pub and asked for a green beer, they said it was not an Irish custom and they didn't serve any. So we settle in for some Corned Beef Hash, a Guinness and some fine Irish music. |
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Spring break finally arrived and Denise, Craig and the kids took a break from the worst winter in recorded history. Craig's mom, Cheri, winters in the Orlando area, so they got two for the price of one. | The kid's sure enjoyed sharing Grandma Glorine's birthday cake. She turned 33 twice this year! This was a real treat for Glorine, because we are normally in Mexico in March and rarely get to celebrate time for her special day with the kids. |
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While Denise and Craig spent more time with Cheri and Al, we took in a day at Walt Disney's Epcot Center. The one thing that all Disney theme parks have in common is their dazzling array of flowers. Glorine could not get enough of them! | Epcot's primary focus is on showcasing the culture and cuisine of about a dozen countries. Our German heritage drew us to this one first. It was also lunch time and our mouths were watering for some German food. Not the way our moms made it, but still very good. |
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While we have spent seven winters in Mexico, we have not seen any of the many ancient temples that dot the Mexican landscape. This world showcase included a train ride deep inside one of the Mayan ruins. We decided to put this on our "must see list" on our next trip to Mexico. | In the Chinese world showcase, we watched a 15 minute video of Chinese culture in a 360 degree movie theater. From the Great Wall to the great cities like Shanghai and Hong Kong. When we left the movie theater, we were greeted by the happy Buddha. Cute! |
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On Tuesday, Denise and family came to Sun-N-Fun and spent the rest of spring break with us. As we gave them a tour of the campground, both Clara and Chase were captivated with the animal statues and carvings but fell in love with this dolphin. | We drove about 100 miles to Naples to spend time with Rich and Nancy Pointer, friends from Minnesota, only to find Nancy on the mend from a minor foot injury. Her and Rich are preparing for a Mediterranean cruise and she wants to make sure she can get the most of it. |
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Rich took us for a cruise along the inland waterways next to their condo and out into the Gulf of Mexico. Captain Chase chartered this boat for a while and we all got to see Dolphins swimming along side the boat. What a treat that was! | This was the only family picture we got on their entire stay with us. Having the sun glare into our eyes didn't help, but it will have to suffice until we are together again this summer for Clara's birthday. |
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Turtle Beach is one of several beaches on Siesta Key, an island about 20 minutes from the RV Park in the Gulf of Mexico. We spent the day combing the beach for sea shells and stopped at a nearby pub for lunch. | Sun-N-Fun RV Resort is huge, with over 1500 sites for RVs and park models. It has dry and wet saunas, both indoor and outdoor pools and hot tubs, a fitness center that resembles 24-Hour Fitness. It has its own bar and restaurant and tons of activities. |
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The kids, including Grandma and Grandpa, loved the Mega Water Slide. Unfortunately the water was very cold, probably done on purpose to keep us from continuously using the slide. | Thank goodness for hot tubs--one for kids (set at 98 degrees) and several for adults (set at 102 degrees). When not in the water, we enjoyed playing miniature golf and shuffle board. |
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With a park this big, it has miles of trails to ride our bikes. This is one of several wooden bridges that span the canals that run through the park. Because of the dense forest, the bridge is referred to as The Hồ Chí Minh Trail. | Denise left on Monday morning and our buddy Scott came in on Tuesday. We had planned to have him meet us in Virginia Beach, but the weather man encouraged us to spend another week at Sun-N-Fun. We were glad we did. |
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Scott has two great passions, one is golfing and the other is fishing. And he got to do both while he was with us in Florida. This is one of several lakes in the park that are stocked with Bass and other sport fish. The park models in the background have a great view of the lake. | We spent one day walking the beaches on Siesta Key and Lido Key, about a 20 minute drive from the RV park. Together, Glorine and Scott were wearing more clothes than any 30 sunbathers put together. Now why didn't we think of wearing swim suits? |
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In 2011, Siesta Beach was ranked the best beach in the United States. Its white sand is composed of 99 percent pure quartz which stays cool even on a hot sunny day. The emerald green water adds to its beauty. Yes, roaming through retirement is still very good! | Moving Day! We each got our rigs packed and ready for the road. After a week of playing, Scott is heading home and we are off for Virginia Beach. We will be spending a week with Scott over Memorial Day week at his favorite fishing hole, Green River Lake State Park. |
March's web page includes March 1 through March 31.