Mount Dora! Here we come!

Well, it's done. We have reservations at the Lakeside Inn in Mount Dora for Labor Day weekend.
I know. I know.
I was longing for the laid back atmosphere of Key West.
Then, my husband said, "What about Mount Dora?" 
I've been sending him e-mails from The Lakeside Inn for better than a year now, prodding him to take a long weekend and get away someplace we'd never been. And, when we visited their web site, we discovered it was very appealing and seems to offer that laid back atmosphere, so we're going for it!
JoLynn took care of our e-mail inquiry and when I called to book the reservations she was very helpful and offered suggestions to make our stay a wonderful one.



Now, we only have to get through the entire month of August (31 dog days of summer!) and we can R-E-L-A-X!
Can't wait!

... been thinking about Key West ...

We didn't take a vacation this year.
No family reunion in VA or NC.
No mountains or seashore.
Just work, work, work.
So, last night my darling husband and I said ... Key West.

Labor Day Weekend.
Vacation time we have to use by end of year.
So, why not a long weekend in Key West?
Where will we stay this time?
Let's see ... we stayed at The Bottle Inn B&B last year over Labor Day.
I stayed at the Casa Marina Resort for a work-related conference in 2007 and the place was under construction. It had just changed hands again, purchased by the people that own the Hilton or the Waldorf-Astoria (or maybe both!). I might like to return there. It's right on the water, with an actual beach where you can walk into the ocean AND a new pool that they were building in 2007. And, it's right around the corner from Louie's Back Yard, a really good restaurant at water's edge that's been there a really long time.
Maybe ... I'll have to talk to my darling husband.
We stayed at The Blue Marlin Motel in 2006.  Kind of a funky place, but clean and with lots of character. Vintage 1950s buildings that have been kept up. Close to the Southernmost Point and priced right.
Or, maybe, somewhere completely different.
Let's see ...

Southwest Coast of Florida

My darling husband was in the mood to get away a couple of weekends ago, so we took a ride across Alligator Alley to the southwest coast of Florida for an overnight adventure. We made our way to Naples and, with the help of my smart phone running the Android system, we found very nice accommodations at the Bayfront Inn on 5th Avenue for $105 for the night. As you can see, our room was very nice and quite spacious for the price!

The view from our window (below) was even more amazing because we could open the windows! That's unheard of in Fort Lauderdale where spring break college students have been known to leap out of hotel windows to their death. It was quite hot and muggy, though, so the windows didn't stay open very long!

Once we got settled in, we went off in search of food. As it was dinner time, my dh opted for European  cuisine at this little bistro just off one of Naples' major roads. The service was excellent and the food was to die for!

After dinner, we decided we needed to somehow work off the calories and it was decided that the beach would be the best place to do that. How we wound up on Vanderbilt Beach, I couldn't say, but what a treasure the place was! Easy access and free parking! A short walk to the beach which was peopled but not crowded. We had brought our portable chairs, so we set up camp along the water's edge and awaited the sunset.

I noticed that were huge patches of shells that had come in on the tide and started wandering along the beach, taking pictures. The rusty beer bottle cap caught my eye (above) as did the tiny shell in a shell (below). Mother Nature sure does have a sense of humor!

The sunset was absolutely spectacular! I took a bunch of pictures and the best of my sunset photos are on my flickr page, here, if you're interested. We had the best seats in the house and the price was right! AND, WHAT A GREAT SHOW!

Sunday morning we ventured into downtown Naples looking for breakfast and stumbled across a lovely little sidewalk cafe, Altin's Cafe & Grill. I adored the umbrellas that shaded the tables set up on the sidewalk. Each one was handpainted on the underside where patrons could enjoy their beauty and no two were alike! It made for a charming breakfast!

After breakfast, we did an exploratory ride around Naples and discovered old neighborhoods with beautifully kept homes close to the beach and a park where a church service was being held outdoors. Across the street from the park was this unusual wall of glass that reflected the light and colors around us. Naturally, I couldn't resist the urge to leap out of the car to capture a few shots of it!

We left Naples and drove south to Marco Island and then picked up the Tamiami Trail to head back east. Here are some of the images I captured along the way! I hope you enjoy them!

There were a lot of "puddles" along the roadside, a result of the thunderstorms from the day before. What really caught my attention was the dragonflies ... they were everywhere! I even zoomed in on a couple of them (below) because it fascinates me how they balance on the very tip-top of a cattail.

And, of course, no road trip is complete without capturing the image of a wildflower or two! Mother Nature was at her best on this particular day ... she filled the Tamiami Trail with dots of pink to cheer up the cattails and the dragonflies! She knows how to get my attention!!!