Even with a sunburned back, I am happy and relaxed. Blake and I took five days and saw Florida... the entire state, from end to end. Highway all the way.
We started Thursday morning and drove to Fort Meyers to visit friends for a couple of days. We went to one of the beachs on Sanibel Island and it was one of the most amazing things ever. Shells everywhere. It was crazy and I actually cut my feet up in a few places. Gigantic piles of little shells, larger ones embedded in the sand, when you go in the water, you can reach down and pick up huge handfuls of them. Luckily, Bellamy is a marine biologist so he identified everything, which was really interesting and made it a lot more fun.
We had lunch at Schnapper's Hots. Seriously, the best chicken wings I've ever eaten. Crispy, and just the right amount of sauce. Yes, I think they edge out Waterbury Wings in Vermont (though the garlic parmesan there are still my faves). Awesome french fries and tasty chili dogs.
That night, we saw "Zombieland." It was morbid and over-the-top gross, but hilarious. There are so many zombie movies and video games that try to be scary and realistic. It was awesome to see a movie that didn't take itself to seriously.
Then, we drove to Key West. Wow. That place is awesome. It's got enough quirkiness to keep it from feeling too touristy. The sun made the already bright colors even more vivid.
We stayed at the Navy Lodge and it was cheap, clean and the rooms were really nice, decorated in bright green island-style, palm-tree comforter kind of stuff. We didn't see much of the room, though, we stayed really busy.
We didn't do much Friday except get our bearings and visit a few bars. Sunday was our busiest day. In the morning we went to the Butterfly Conservatory. It was amazing. The birds, moths and butterflies were used to people and just flew around, mostly ignoring the people. Ignoring most people. For some reason, the big, blue butterflies felt the need to dive-bomb my face. One of them punched me in the eye. Seriously. Four times they came straight at my face. Why? I have no idea.
Then, we went snorkeling. It was the first time for both Blake and me. Awesome! The sunburn on my back is fading now, and it was a small price to pay. It was so much fun. I was pretty nervous at first because I'm not a very good swimmer, but apparently, I'm an excellent floater. The sun was gorgeous and there was 50 feet of visibility.
When we got back, Blake and I went to Pirate Soul, a pirate museum. It was really awesome. Lots of artifacts and snippets of information. They also have an authentic Jolly Roger flag (one of two in the whole world) and the only actual pirate chest. Also, they have fake stockades, which were fun.
We finished the night at Mallory Square to watch the sunset. Lots of interesting street performers, but their charm was somewhat diminished by their pushiness and insistence that everyone watch them. It was still great, though and everyone claps when the sun sets behind the horizon.
The next day, we go an early start. Had crepes at an awesome French-style cafe. Broke the camera. Whoops. The card is perfectly fine, but the actual camera is kaput. The last picture it took was a good one of Blake on the scooter we rode around.
The drive home was twelve-hours. Two hours less than the Google estimate. Though it was faster, we will never go that way again. The tolls are killer. In New York, the Thruway goes the entire width of the state, you get your ticket and pay the toll when you get off. Florida's Turnpike is a pain in the nuggets. In the area around Tampa, we had to come to a complete stop four times to pay $1 toll. Then, a little while later, we had to stop again, pick up a ticket, and pay $14 to get off the Turnpike at Orlando. Sucked.
But all in all it was a smooth trip home. Blake did all the driving and I read Jurassic Park aloud. Tons better than the movie and really interesting. Also tried Whataburger for the first time. It was good, but I still prefer Wendy's.
Today, everything's back to normal. Blake had to get a cavity filled (first one ever). I'm putting the apartment to rights, doing dishes, marinating dinner. He should be home soon and then it's off to get Littlebigplanet for PS3, which I've heard was fun and addicting, but never really believed until we played it.
Anyway, it's good to be back in our own bed and not living out of suitcases anymore.
