Good to the last drop

A week ago, we were settling into our Savannah hotel room & I was discovering I'd just gotten the worst sunburn I can remember getting.

But, to back up...

We began the day in Saint Augustine. Jon had his eye on this nature preserve, so we could learn about the Florida ecosystem and the wildlife while there. Learning about nature in an air-conditioned room? Fine by me! Also, for us, Florida is an extremely exotic experience. The kinds of birds, plants, and landscapes around there are just so foreign that this visit made the trip to Florida seem more thorough.

Miles did a scavenger hunt. Adele scampered around naming animals and touching the exhibits inappropriately. Jon & I read as much as the kids allowed us to and gazed at the estuary with binoculars, trying to see a bald eagle. We found their nest, but didn't see any birds. I think they're avoiding us. 

Loads of pelicans, though!

 On the way out, I just had to pause & capture this guy's truck bumper.

Priceless, no?

 We found a very quiet little beach, the Ponte Vedra Beach, to spend some more quality time with the ocean. Miles was so. happy.

 I was in heaven.

 Adele... was ready for a nap.

Fortunately, we'd dragged the stroller to the dune right behind us. Fortunately,that stroller has a sunshade. She napped more than an hour like this!

The sand was a bit grainier than that of the Gulf. Still, it was good enough for a sandcastle.

 We made more use out of that castle mold than it'd seen in it's life with us.

The moat really filled!

Ta-da! Isn't it majestic? 

Oh Florida. I do miss you. 

This is my Florida suit.

 Miles took a couple of pictures of his parents frolicking.

 It was divine. We had to drag ourselves away.

I am going to try to forget last Friday evening as soon as I've mentioned it here. The kids, having napped in the car, were wide awake and BONKERS. My newly acquired horrible sunburn (so I put sunscreen on every inch of the kids and on me too! just not on the places I don't usually burn. Because that's safe.) was giving me chills and muscle soreness. The first Day's Inn where we arrived at 9 pm looked fantastic and so, of course, was the wrong one. There was another at that exit. When we got to that one, it was just at the end of a really terrific rainstorm and something had broken their credit card machine. I still don't understand why the management made that poor clerk stand there with Jon and try it over and over for 30 MINUTES. In the end, they seemed to come to the conclusion that I'd been at since about minute three, which was that they already had our credit card information and could jolly well wait until morning to charge us.

Ok. I'm over it now.

It was a lovely little room and a great night's sleep. Morning dawned sunny and muggy and hot. So, pretty much, Savannah.

Jon took us on a car-based tour of the city. I'd love to come back on some kind of romantic getaway; Savannah is SO gorgeous.

 We found out the Spanish Moss is NOT a parasite, but co-exists symbiotically with its host trees. The moss apparently helps absorb some of the excessive amounts of moisture in the air, which is good for the trees.

Also, as the kids say, it makes the trees have beards! So we love it. 

 These guys were troopers. They got each other through, took several naps through our extended day of driving, and we've been sleeping in every morning every since.

Summertime... and the livin' is easy.

At least until we leave for Louisville to visit Buddy in 10 days!

A taste of Disney & St. Augustine

 We spent the morning of June 5 taking advantage of our location to visit Downtown Disney, the free section of Disney World. It's mostly intended for shopping and dining, but we treated it like a park and the great thing about our kids' age and limited experience is, they didn't ask to go to the real park.

I'm sure we won't be so lucky next time. We're already looking into sweepstakes we can enter to win WDW passes.

Miles with a hero acquaintance of his.

Adele began a love affair with Minnie today. She really didn't want to leave that stuffed Minnie behind. We'll see if this hype lasts before investing, though. 

We all loved the character-shaped topiary. 

Huge whimsical displays were everywhere. 

The colors are so bright here... must be the sunshine. 

 We didn't eat at the T-Rex Restaurant, or at the Rainforest Cafe. (OMG $$$). BUT we did get to do a free walk-through and gawk, and then play in the kiddie paleontology dig.

 Only our hunger brought us out inside of an hour.

 We found a blues-themed restaurant that had a food truck ($). With plates of BBQ and drinks we could sit in the shade & enjoy the art.

We thought our Memphis friends would enjoy this colorful map:

 There are places of musical/cultural importance described on the map.

  Look closely at the lower sign here in TN, Melissa:

"Home of the Super Hero's Adoptive Parents"

 They were referring to Superman, I think, but it made me well up anyway.

Inside the LegoStore, it was pretty much lego paradise for kids.

 There were 4-5 stations at which to build, including one out front that had a place where you could build and race vehicles.

 Miles & Papa came in second in their heat!

The park also contained a fountain playground, which Adele refused to approach. Miles, however, was soaked in no time and required a change of clothes before we could get in the car and take an afternoon nap-long drive to St. Augustine. 

St. Augustine is on an estuary, where the river meets the ocean. We stopped first at a national park to gaze a bit. Found some crabs, too. 

 And then it was time for dinner. We finally located the charming pedestrian area of St. Augustine and had a lovely walk trying to find a suitable place to eat.

 I really recommend a stroll around the Old Town. It's very pleasant. I'd say I don't know how all those ice cream shops stay in business, but I think I have an inkling. It was like 85 degrees at dusk.

 I felt drawn to this building when it was just a tower in the distance. I'd hoped it would be an old church and I was not disappointed.

The building may have been refurbished, but you are looking at the Oldest Christian Church in the United States, founded in 1565. 

See?

St. Augustine and I gazed at each other for a minute. "Well, understand, I was only human," he seemed to say. "Yes, I know." I wanted to respond. "It's okay. And, thank you for your love for God. Say hello to the angels for me, sir!"

Sunset at Pier 60

 June 3 was such a power-day, we took the morning of June 4 off to putz around the condo. The kids sat on the patio and read to each other and played let's pretend and were just generally adorable. The adults were like huge slow wounded walruses next to them, tired and sore. But we rallied and got out the door in time for the tinies to nap their way to Clearwater Beach!

And I believe everything that's ever been told me about the virtues of the Gulf of Mexico. It IS perfect.

White sand like powdered sugar. Gentle waves. Water spa-warm. Paradise, basically.

She came close to a sunburn, but we avoided it that day too!

I love how passive a parent you can be with all this soft sandy SPACE.

 Adele decided the time was right for a little yoga:

 We lingered until just past sunset. They have this festival every night that'd I'd been anticipating for months, see.

Yeah, I agree, Miles was getting a bit fresh here. 

 We ate beachy Americana food and ice cream, strolled the length of the pier and admired the performers, shops and artists. At the end of the pier there was nothing left but to watch the sun dip the rest of the way into the Gulf.

 I don't know when the last time was that I actually just watched the sun set. Not just admired the clouds for a moment, but actually watched the last rays disappear. In my defense, it's usually not visible in the Appalachian foothills. Still, it is a highly spiritual experience just to stop and acknowledge: this day is past. We have done with it what we could, and now we rest. It's impossible not to form some sort of prayer as the sun disappears. Something like, well, I did my best. Please let it be enough.

And, thank you.

 All three Anne LaMott prayers in one, you see? Help, thanks,

 ..and wow.

Pointing out an old-timey ship. 

Florida was everything we'd hoped it would be!