One of the places the boys put on our itinerary was the Navy Seal Museum in Ft. Pierce. They’d heard about it from the Rush Revere book series. Pulling into the driveway, it was again a dream come true for them. Not just because we were there, but because in the yard, there were all kinds of Navy Seal transportation vehicles. And then rounding the corner, there it was – the obstacle course!!!!!!!!!! We spent time soaking in all the museum had to show us. And on Flag Day, nonetheless.

 

Then it was time for the O-course. These boys were ready!!!!!
When we were done visiting the museum, we headed to the beach. The entrance was right there across the parking lot.

And what a treat that was after a hot and sweaty run through the course.

As the afternoon progressed, we made our way north, going at a beach life’s pace. It was beautiful and sunny as we passed through village after village. As early evening approached, we arrived at Cape Canaveral. That was an awesome thing. To be out where such incredible space history has taken place.

We saved $250 and decided just to walk around and see what we could see for free, then headed west into Titusville for the night.

Some closing thoughts for the day…

 

It was hard to say good-bye to the Keys, but we had Miami to look forward to.
Then we were off to Key Biscayne. We were headed to….former home of the Miami Open.

Iguanas and huge lizards run around Key Biscayne like they’re squirrels. Mind boggling!!

Later in the day, we headed up to Hard Rock Stadium where the Dolphins play, and where the Miami Open will be from now on. We do not agree with the move.

We ended our run in Miami with a drive from Sunny Isles Beach down to South Beach.

We stopped at Pine Tree Park in Miami Beach to visit the dog park. Mel had so much fun running around and making friends. The dogs there enjoyed her company. One little guy, O’Malley, had so much fun playing with her. The owners wished we lived around there so Melbee could come back to play often. She was a super Malo embassador to the dog park. We couldn’t be more proud.

 

 

The Keys has always seemed like an untouchable place, too out of reach, too far away. But we made it!!!!!

This is a perfect time to stop and praise God for getting us this far. Florida, and the Keys particularly, are a huge accomplishment to our family. And it’s really His accomplishment. We’re thankful and grateful, and if we don’t make it any farther, this was awesome. With a trip like we’ve planned, things are bound to go wrong. Schedules won’t always stay on course. But we know that when things feel like they’re falling apart, God will have us still and we can trust Him through it. So thank you, Lord.

We now resume our blog-cast.

Key Largo was our first stop. I made pancakes while the boys scootered in the skate park. After breakfast, we watched some pickle-ballers and the boys did some shooting (the basketball kind). The pickle-ballers kindly invited us to play, but we’d be leaving shortly.

 

 

That’s another thing. When we were in Seminole and Sarasota, people in general were not friendly. It’s sad. You’re in the Sunshine State, but nobody is spreading sunshine. But in Key Largo, the people know how to be people. Thank you, KL.
The drive out to Key West was so cool. Again, one of those things you can’t believe has actually become reality. The beach houses are so fun. People are so creative. The birds and water so beautiful.

When we got to Key West, we decided to ride our bikes to the touristy part of KW. The streets, once you get into the tip, are so narrow. Traffic gets backed up. So being on bikes was a great advantage. This was also Melbee’s first official ride in her bike trailer. We’d taken her for some practice back home, but this was the first time on the trip. She was apprehensive again at first, but didn’t take too long to lay down and enjoy the ride.

After a hot ride, and with a head-wind on the way back, we decided to stop for a treat. Being paupers, we found Wendy’s and thoroughly enjoyed our Frosties.

As evening began, we headed back for Key Largo. We stopped along the way for one more dip in the warm waters. So fun.

Night ended with us snuggled up in the tiny parking lot of the KL SDA Church. It had been one of those memorable days.

 

Sunday, June 10, we did more driving, headed south. We drove through Sarasota and found Trader Joe’s. Good thing – Albert was out of Chocolate Cats! (Then we took a quick stroll to work off those Chocolate Cats)

We ended up staying for the night behind the SDA church in Naples (Thank you, Pastor Bill!). Before turning in, we took a walk with Melbee and saw several wild bunnies in peoples’ yards.
Monday, the 11th, it was Everglades NP time!

 

We took an airboat ride and saw two alligators.

After airboating and screaming with glee like a bunch of little girls, we did a mile loop on a boardwalk, out into the “wild”. It felt wild.

 

After everglading, we headed out to do some errands before heading south again toward the Keys.

We pulled into Tampa just before 10am. After picking up our rental car at the airport, we had some very important and long-awaited business to take care of. The removal of Ean’s stitches!!!!!!

The Urgent Care we found happened to be attached to a Children’s Orthopedist clinic. The irony of God 🙂

We drove to the Semiole KOA and had a fun time unwinding that afternoon. Albert and the boys headed to some putt-putt while I did laundry, made dinner, and uploaded pictures for this blog. It felt good to have some catch-up time.

 

On Sabbath, we visited the St. Petersburg SDA Church and learned the locals call it St. Pete’s. The boys enjoyed Sabbath School and were excited to find out there was a balcony to sit in during church.
After church, it was beach time.

It was absolutely fabulous. Never in my life have I just walked into an ocean. The water is usually very chilly, no matter how hot the day. And then there’s the tummy. My legs might get used to the cold, but never my stomach. That’s always the hardest part. But not here. There was no hesitation.

The boys had such a good time wrestling, riding the waves in, and just completely enjoying the beach. Our day ended with a drive around Treasure Island.

After waking up from another good night’s sleep and another Warriors’ win, we decided to visit the beach first thing. Navarre Beach was nice and quiet, and it was another chance to enjoy some Florida sunshine and warm gulf water.

 

Next up was the Panhandle Butterfly House. A cute grandma and grandpa built this place from the ground up. It was their dream to celebrate and share the butterflies that make the panhandle home.

 

This was a fun place. They have a small garden with a circular path to walk around inside a screened in gazebo. Hundreds of butterflies flit about.

The whole place operates by volunteers and donations, and there are volunteers there to answer any questions.
We left Navarre and set our sights on Panama City. Albert had looked online and seen there was a food place there called “Taste the World”. That would be lunch. It ended up being such a yummy day. They specialize in Persian food. Falafel. Hummus. baba ganoush, seasoned rice, salad, sauces, lentil soup…oh my….what a heavenly taste. We ate until we were stuffed. Like dolma. Unfortunately, they didn’t have any. That would’ve been yummm! It’s a family run business, and they offer free meals to disabled folks or veterans who can’t afford a meal. Very kind.
After tasting the world, we headed to a dog park for Mel to run and get some ya-ya’s out before our long drive to who knows where.  We were headed to Tampa but knew we wouldn’t make it all the way that day. We ended up stopping in Tallahassee for a little bit, then drove on to Ocala. We found a quiet spot to spend the night.

After waking up in a Walmart parking lot east of New Orleans, we continued down I-10. We’d be passing by Biloxi, and that’s a place that’s always seemed neat to visit. So we did. (If you’re from there, you say bil-UX-ee.)
Albert did a little research the night before and found a historic lighthouse. There’s also a Biloxi Visitors’ Center and Lighthouse Park, all located at the same intersection. Since it was still early, we pulled into the Lighthouse Park parking lot. Seeing a picnic table, we decided to eat our breakfast out in the morning breeze, with the Gulf right across the street.
And that’s when I met him. His name was George. He was sitting on a bench as the boys walked by to the playground, and I asked him if he’d like to join us for breakfast. What’s neat is he was friendly. That might not seem like anything special, but friendliness isn’t always easy to come by. I introduced myself to him, and we started chatting in easy conversation. He had to decline our breakfast invitation due to a doctor’s appointment later that morning. I found out he’d only moved there to Biloxi two years earlier from another part of AL for a new job. While on the job, he injured his back and hip and has been unable to work since. He was subletting a room, and the main tenant fell behind on his rent. A few days after Thanksgiving this last year, George had to move out. Thankfully, he was able to find another place to stay for a while, but in April, he became homeless. In talking to him there at the bench, I was actually in his “home”. Lighthouse Park is where George lives. He’s heard from Disability and they say he should be receiving his benefits by August. That means two more months in the park. He sleeps under the pavillion, but has to be up by 6am. The police don’t like people sleeping in the park past 6 since it’s tourist season. We talked of other things, too. He was interested in our trip, and gave suggestions as to what to see while in Florida. He explained some about the Gulf waters. It was fun learning what he had to share. After a good hug and a promise to keep him in my prayers, we said good-bye.

 

After a quick hello to the Visitors’ Center, we crossed the street to see the light house and to touch the Gulf of Mexico waters for the first time. It was so warm. Being so used to CA oceans, it was unbelievable!

 

We got back to Big Boy and I looked to wave one last time to George. He was already gone to his appointment. I still think of him and pray. If he crosses your mind, please do the same.

We arrived at Payne’s RV Park in Theodore, AL.

 

We intentionally got in early so we could do some much-needed housekeeping. It was all- hands-on-deck for taking care of chores. Dayne and Ean found some time to love on the locals, and they found it even harder to leave them behind when the office lady said we could take home as many as we wanted.

 

The next day, upon making it to Mobile, we headed straight to Battleship Park. Doesn’t that just sound awesome?! Ean is in love with all things military, so this place really spoke to his heart. There are jets, tanks, boats, you name it, it’s out there in the park somewhere. We toured the USS Alabama, a WWII battleship. Thankfully, we were able to borrow a wheel chair from the gift shop, but there were plenty of times Ean hoofed it with his crutches while Albert carried the wheel chair.

 

After the USS Alabama, we walked through the aviation museum and out to the USS Drum, a submarine. None of us had ever been in a sub before, and it was incredible to think seventy-two soldiers were deep in the water inside that sausage for long periods of time. And their beds were even smaller than the beds on the battleship.

It was time to leave Battleship Park and head to the historic district of Mobile. (Locals pronounce it MOH-beel, with a drawl, of course). I was hoping to see some more old, beautiful homes. And did God have a treat in store for us! We ended up driving down N. Monterey St. The homes were so, so, so cute and quaint. They had personality. Please Google them. The neighbors had worked together to string white bistro lights in a zig-zag across the street for quite a ways down.

And then, there was the mail lady out delivering. We had some postcards to send off, so Albert pulled over and I jumped out to meet up with her. While out, I decided to take advantage and take some pictures of the street. And that’s when a neighbor asked me if I saw something I liked? I said “Yes! They’re all just so precious and lovely!” She said, “Why thank you. That one over there is mine.” (With a beautiful Southern accent, of course). Well then another neighbor joined us, and for a few minutes, I felt like we lived on N. Montery St. in Mobile, AL. We neighbors just chatted there for a short while, after I mailed off our correspondence, of course. All that was necessary to complete the dream would’ve been sipping some lemonade on the front porch. It was perfect. For just a few moments, perfect.
Well, we said good-bye to our neighbors and headed to Cammie’s Old Dutch Ice Cream Shoppe. (The neighbors gave their hearty approval when they heard it was our next stop.)
Then, Pensacola, here we come! While on the USS Drum, a cute grandpa that works there suggested we visit the Naval Aviation Museum on base in Pensacola. After crossing the line into FL, that’s exactly where we headed.

 

 

This is a phenomenal place to visit. There’s so much quality in everything they’ve put into this place. We only had 1 hr 20 min, so we made the most of it.

 

 

The Warriors would be playing in just a little while, so we headed to a McDonald’s in Navarre to finish the evening. And God, please be with George, as I know You are.

Monday afternoon, we drove into New Orleans. We first stopped and got pictures at the Pelicans’ arena and the Saints’ stadium. Again, the planners did a great job (the teams have the same owner) because you just have to walk across a pedestrian overpass to get from one to the other.
Next stop, the French Quarter. We’ve only ever seen it on TV, whether in the news, programs or movies. It’s a very busy place, and the streets are narrow. Albert navigated the streets with FedExpertise, and we found a parking spot a few blocks away. We walked around the French Quarter for a while. It felt a lot like San Francisco, but with a twist. It was intersting, to say the least.

 

 

And sad. The sidewalks are so narrow. We passed by several people passed out on the sidewalk, their alcohol spilled out on the concrete and they had no idea. One was a young man in his 20’s. He had passed out on a step, no wider than 10″, and he was out cold, with half his body hanging off over the next step. It was heartbreaking. I know God’s heart is so sad when he sees his precious children choosing to live life in a fog. The life they’ve been given slowly dies more and more each day there in that stupor. It was a sad reality. The locals seem very used to it.
After the French Quarter, we headed to the Garden District. There are old, historic homes, old trees, beautiful yards. We parked and took another walk, enjoying the early evening. It’s not every evening one gets to stroll among homes, some who’ve been there since the mid 1800’s.

Sunday morning, we left Memphis and headed south down I-55. We had one stop to make while en route to Baton Rouge, and that was in Jackson, MS. There is a Mississippi history museum located there. We got to learn more about the state’s history and they had fun, interactive exhibits.

 

Back on the road, we made it to Baton Rouge. The Warriors would be playing in Game 2 of the finals, and we needed to find somewhere to watch the game. McDonald’s and their WiFi wasn’t any help, but we found a coffee shop and parked out back. There, while the heavens opened up with showers, we ate dinner and watched the game. After that, we found a WalMart parking lot and snuggled down for some sleep.
The next morning, we drove through the LSU campus on our way to Magnolia Mound Plantation. This plantation isn’t one of those big, white-columned Antebellum style plantations. The main house is in the French Creole style.

We did a self-guided tour around the grounds. The boys were sadly amazed at the living conditions for the slaves in comparison to the overseer and main house.

The folks there have done such a nice job of preserving the plantation’s history, and we’re glad to have spent time there.

 

Coming into the Memphis area, we had some maintenance to take care of, so we spent the night in the Discount Tire parking lot. Our tire rotation appointment was first thing the next morning. With Big Boy’s foot massage out of the way, we headed to Memphis, and specifically, Mud Island. This is a cool place. It has a scale model of the entire Mississippi River, and YOU CAN WALK THROUGH IT!!!! We rode the monorail over. Mel did very well and even enjoyed looking out the window.

Below left is an aerial of the scale model. The picture on the right shows Memphis, mapped out on the side, in scale with how it actually is along the Mississippi. If you look closely on the right side of the picture, you can see a bridge spanning the river model.

We all, including Melbee, had such a fun time.

The scale model is very detailed, even to the depth of the water in certain locations, as the picture on the left shows. The scale model river empties out into a pool, otherwise know as the Gulf of Mexico.

 

 

And the Mississippi River Museum is a neat place, with other replicas and stories to share.

After Mud Island, we headed to the Pyramid where the mother of all Bass Pro Shops is located. They even have a $250/night Lodge you can stay at. Melbee was allowed in the store, so we walked around for a little while.
Then it was time to head to the Peabody Hotel for the marching of the ducks. These pampered water foul live in a penthouse atop the Peabody. Every day at 11 am, the ducks leave their penthouse, ride the elevator down to the hotel lobby, and swim in the fountain until 5pm. Then those little duckies get out of the fountain and waddle back to the elevator to go back up to their pad.

We caught the 5 o’clock march. While there, we stood next to some folks from the UK. One couple was from England, the other from Scotland. Standing nearest to the Scottish couple, we struck up a momentary friendship. He even held Ean’s crutches for us during the duck march. It was like being with family 🙂
After the ducks were done being cute, we said good-bye to our Scottish relatives and headed to our campsite out at the Agricenter International RV Park. This Agricenter Int’l is 4500 acres and a really cool place. If you Google it, you’ll see better for yourself. On our way out to the RV park, we stopped at a fruit stand and picked up these Memphis beauties. The RV park itself is not too bad. The spaces are a little close together, especially considering the whole place is 4500 acres!…but we asked for a spot out a little from the rest of everybody, and it was so nice. Quiet and country, so sleep came easily.
Sabbath morning, we headed to Memphis First SDA Church. We again had a special time worshipping with the people there, and even met a man who intends to visit his great niece out in Santa Rosa, CA, later this summer. Small world!
Sabbath afternoon, we went exploring a little more through those 4500 acres. We found Shelby Park, which has so many things to offer – be sure to Google that, too. We ate lunch by the lake and then took a walk for a short while.

It was a really hot day and we put Ean on a bike and Albert and I took turns pushing him along. Then we drove by the local buffalo range. (be still, Albert’s beating heart) There’s a herd that lives there at the park. Our afternoon ended with a treat for Melbee. No, not the edible kind. The absolutely awesome kind!!!! Please make sure you’re sitting as you read the next sentence. There is a 100 acre off-leash DOG PARK!!!!!!! Yes, your eyeballs DID NOT decieve you. 100 acres for dogs to run and roam around, OFF THEIR LEASH.

California would never do anything like that. What, let your dog run free and be a dog??? Isn’t there a law against that? (Yes, in CA.) Melbee had so much fun running through the water, around trees, back to us, and just being a crazy woman. It was hilarious, and another Sabbath blessing. At the dog park, there’s a spot to rinse off your dog. Such a great idea! Our day ended with much anticipated chili dogs for dinner.