...that's why I haven't written lately.
We had some friends come into town for a visit.
Steve was passing through town and we got to see him one night. Steve and his wife are back in the States for a period of time assisting family with health issues, but will be heading overseas on another adventure soon. We're planning another visit together before they head off to currently unknown destinations. And, another friend, Glenn came to town for a weekend as well. It was such a nice surprise to have back-to-back visits.
Then, of course, was the Thanksgiving holiday which we spent in Orlando and New Smyrna Beach. Always a great time with Andy's family.
One night, Joe and Dot and friends, took us to the
Portofino Bay Hotel for a special event called Harbor Nights. It was beautiful. You felt like you were in Italy. It was outdoors in an open courtyard facing a lake with rowboats, Scooters were used as benches, opera singers performed from the balcony, Christmas lights twinkled and then the lighting of the Christmas tree...
Not to mention great food, great wine, friendly people, and an impeccable staff. I felt like royalty that night. They offer these types of events several times throughout the year.
Look here for their schedule of events. And for $35+ for the tickets, I considered it a true bargain.
We went for a bike ride one morning along the
West Orange Trail in Orlando. Specifically, it goes from Apopka to just south of Winter Garden. It was great - a nice, wide trail; slightly hilly and curvy for fun; and big oak trees.
I loved this one scene along a small lake with the Spanish Moss dripping off of the Oaks:
And, everyone needs a little humor on a ride:
(So, do you think they're FSU fans?)
Along the trail we got to see a gopher tortoise, several armadillos, and a bald eagle. The only change we would make is to not start all the way at the northern terminus. The first couple of miles weren't scenic - it was a wide sidewalk along the main road. Very slow moving because of driveways and cross roads. Not worth it. I think a good starting point would be the Apopka Station trailhead (and then head south). It was a 43-mile round-trip ride from end-to-end.
Special Note: there's an RV Park in Apopka (
Sun Resorts) that is right across the street from the trail. We stayed here several years ago on one of our return trips. We had to chuckle as we rode our bikes past the Park. We didn't get to ride the trail on that visit...but this would be a good place to start your ride and head south. That's really where the scenic part starts!
This week we had friends over to walk our "main street" for a special event called
Christmas on Las Olas. This is the only time you'll see snow in Ft Lauderdale! There was a "snow mountain" for sledding, a mini "ski slope" for photo ops, a skating rink, and more.
Here we are with friends, Paul and Sue, in front of the ski slope...
To add ambiance to our night, the weather-gods blessed us with a chilly 58-degree evening.
Whew! Like I said...busy, busy, busy! And I don't think our schedule is going to get any lighter til after the end of the year.
, you can email them directly to the recipient (just one of the delivery methods). This makes it easier if they are traveling the country...
