Fort Lauderdale

 We arrived in Fort Lauderdale around 4 PM having taken the express lane on I-95 from Jupiter area.  What's crazy is that it is 2 lanes until you cross into Broward County and it narrows to 1 lane so all the people you zipped by pass you again!  It widens back out but it's a bit hairy getting across 5 lanes when your exit is coming up!  Thankfully our GPS didn't steer us wrong and we made it to the hotel safely.

We found a good spanish-mexican restaurant within walking distance of the hotel.  We liked it enough that we had a late lunch there the next day.

Our first full day in Fort Lauderdale,  we did the Jungle Queen boat tour and saw a lot of $xx-million dollar houses and boats as well as the Port Everglades harbor area.  It was a beautiful day to be on the water.

The rest of the day was laundry and repacking for the cruise. 

Cruise morning we had a shuttle scheduled to pick us up and drop us off at the port. We have never sailed from Fort Lauderdale so didn't know what to expect.  The process was so easy as the shuttle dropped us off a luggage drop-off, then we walked in, went through the scanners, showed our passports, and were soon on the ship.  From the time we left the hotel until we were on board was maybe 30 minutes!

I don't plan to do port by port posts about the cruise, but may do some highlights.  Here's a picture of the ship from St. Maarten where I am posting this blog entry from. 

~ Cindy D.

Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse

About 20 minutes south of Jonathan Dickinson State Park is the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse and Museum.  A long time ago, we got a lighthouse figurine with this Florida lighthouse, but we had never been to it.  It's distinct in its red coloring and really stands out.

Admission to the Lighthouse Park is $12 for seniors. They offer history tours throughout the day, but while one was just starting when we got there, we opted to self-guide through the park.  

We got some pictures outside before approaching to go in.  There are 34 steps up to the base of the Lighthouse and then 105 more up a single-passage spiral staircase.  They radio to the guide at the top before sending you up, and they radio down before you descend.

When we made it to the top, it was so worth it! You can walk all the way around and see for miles.  I wouldn't want to go up when it's hot, but it was about 80 degrees and breezy when we climbed. 

Here's a video of the walk around.

And a picture from inside. 

(Don't ask if my legs were a little sore the next day, ha ha.)

From the Lighthouse we drove to our hotel in Fort Lauderdale.  We took I-95 and used the express lanes but it was still pretty hectic. But we made it safely with no missed exits or wrong turns.

We found a good spanish-mexican restaurant nearby where we ended up eating both days in Fort Lauderdale. 

And that ends Day 5.  

~ Cindy D. 

Jonathan Dickinson and Trapper Nelson

Our fifth day had us leaving Vero Beach headed south to Fort Lauderdale.  Along the way, we wanted to stop at the Jonathan Dickinson State Park and do their boat ride.  Depending on the water's depth, it would either be an eco-tour or take us to the Trapper Nelson interpretive site.  

We bought our tickets for the eco-tour, and then went to see the visitor center.  This state park has a lot of history, and the story of how it got its name is interesting.  

When it was time for the boat tour, we were the only 2, so the captain said we could make it to Trapper Nelson's.  If the boat had been full, we couldn't have gone because the boat would sit lower in the river.  

The boat ride goes along the Loxahatchee River. The river banks are lined with mangroves so thick you can barely see light through them. As the water turns more fresh water, cypress trees become more prevalent.  We saw a few baby alligators, several types of birds, fish, and turtles. No manatee and no snakes!  There are also environmental reading stations throughout the area providing important information about the river to river management. 

Further up river is the Trapper Nelson Interpretive Site that is reachable to the public only by the river.  Kayaks are the most frequent mode of transportation to the site, but the boat tour makes it once or twice a day depending on river water levels.

Trapper Nelson lived on the site until his death in 1968.  The pens, shelters, cabins, and vegetable stand are all still there.  The site was a place that even the rich and maybe-not-yet famous would visit, including JFK as an 18 year old.

If you are ever in the area, this state park is worth the stop.  Add another $6 to our state park pass usage count!

~ Cindy D. 

Citrus Museum, end of Day 4

When we left the Heathcote,  we headed toward Fort Pierce's marina to go to the Manatee Education Center.  This is a great place for children to learn about manatee, but much was a repeat of what we had learned earlier. And there were no manatee to observe when we were there.  This was our first bust of the trip.

Because we didn't spend much time at the Manatee Education Center,  we had time to go by the Citrus Museum in Vero Beach.  It's housed in the heritage center. There's a descriptive history of Citrus in Florida,  particularly in the Indian River area, and vintage citrus crate labels that were fun to look through.  The volunteer working shared a lot of history with us.

The weather clouded up so we headed back to the DVC resort where we made dinner and then relaxed until time to pack.  We enjoyed being in one place for several days, but it's time to move on to Fort Lauderdale. 

~ Cindy D. 

Heathcote Botanical Gardens

While we enjoyed McKee Botanical Gardens a few days ago, we liked our visit at Heathcote Botanical Gardens more.  It's smaller, but it has the largest permanent display of bonsai in the U.S.  DH was fascinated by them.

There was a Japanese garden area with koi, of course.   And several flower beds in bloom.  

The children's garden area was fun. Lots of fairy spots and child-sized playhouses. And a cool hopscotch course!

And for the second day in a row, I had a snake startle me.

The palms were interesting including this triple-crown.

Best part? They are part of the AHS Reciprocal Garden Network. 

~ Cindy D.