Coconut Grove, Miami, Florida

I've lived in south Florida since 1975, and I had never been to Coconut Grove. So, on a beautiful Sunday in January, my darling husband and I decided it was time to check it out! I took lots of pictures, uploaded them to my computer, sorted through them (I shoot in the RAW format), labeled them, then, promptly forgot about them! What's the matter with me?
I admit the past three months have been busier than usual, so, I suppose 'better late than never' ...
The drive is less than an hour from our house, and here's where we started our little day tour! A big circle at Cocoplum Road and Old Cutler Road. There were these huge pink snails ...

As we walked around the circle checking out the pink snails, dh crossed the road (which is scary!) and was checking out a nearby canal. When he yelled, I ran over and, sure enough! A manatee mama and baby! Dh had never seen one before, so that definitely made this a memorable adventure!

We piled back in the car and made our way to the area referred to as "CocoWalk." Now, when you talk about an arts and entertainment district, THIS is what you think about! There were these amazing peacocks all over the place, and this is a premium people-watching place!

Then there's "window dressing..." What fun that was!



They say one picture is worth a thousand words, so I hope these few thousand words help you to see what a great place this is to visit! You'll see interesting architecture, colorful art and a vast assortment of people and their pooches to watch! There's a Starbucks, too! Get yourself a cup of joe, sit on the sidewalk, and enjoy!

A trip to Holiday Park and an airboat ride into the Everglades

I had the opportunity to take an airboat ride into the Everglades a few weeks ago. Holiday Park, located at the west end of Griffin Road at U.S. 27, is a step back in time. The boat ride was an eye opener as well. The thickets of cattails from all the fertilizers finally gave way to sawgrass once we got out into the Water Conservation Area.

What a magnificent place the Everglades is!

Here are a few photos from the trip ...

  There's only one Holiday Park in the Everglades!

     There are quite a few peacocks in and around Holiday Park and,
     on this particular day, this guy was showing off!

     Good fishing!

     A purple gallinule walks on water for the camera ...

     Signs. Signs. Everywhere are signs.

     Everglades flora and fauna.

    Great Blue Heron

If you ever visit south Florida, this is one place that's worth the ride to get there. And, you've got to do the airboat ride. It's better than any carnival ride ever!

Christmas Journey to the Pacific Northwest, Part 4: Seattle



We checked in to the Edgewater Hotel after dark on Sunday (12/26) and
discovered our room was delightful! In addition to a wonderful king-size bed,
there was a fireplace and two, big, overstuffed chairs and a terrace with this
view of the Seattle skyline. Their restaurant's not bad either!



Our hotel was within walking distance of Pike Place Market, but before
we got to it, I had to stop and take a picture of this bicycle, decked
out in its holiday splendor! It reminded me of Key West!

The "original Starbuck's" is across the street from
the market. The place was mobbed and it wasn't
even 10 AM yet! Fortunately, the street musicians
were plentiful! What was even more amazing
was these guys, playing without gloves
of any kind! It was 38 degrees!

Pikes Place Market, the street view, above and below!

Inside the market are small, independent shops and vendors. The colorful
display in the window of The Tobacco Patch made for eye candy!

These fish mongers were among the more entertaining businesses inside
the market. When they made a sale, they ALL sang! They had quite an
audience, too, which grew as the day wore on!

A small Asian woman (hidden behind the bouquets) made these gorgeous
dried flower bouquets throughout the day. We did go back the next day
and purchase one to take to my girlfriend in Issaquah. And, she liked it!

I loved this hat and truly regret not buying it! It's reminiscent of Chanel's
2009 winter collection. Where else would you find this kind of fashion?

Tucked way back in a corner, next to the stairs leading to the restrooms,
we discovered an herb shop. The woman who waited on us said they'd
been there since 1969! I picked up a bracelet of rosewood beads for
five bucks and a beautiful notebook filled with pages of handmade
paper. It reminded me of The Herb Garden in Key West, circa 1970s.

It wasn't just the musician who caught my eye (and, ear!); it was the two
women standing in the street behind him. They were smoking and chatting
and they just looked like women of character!

Colorful signs adorn the market place windows.

We passed the "original Starbuck's" again and
the musicians had changed. Loved the dog!

The colors of the vegetables and the graphics of the signs lead to a photo
op I simply couldn't pass up!

As we made our way back to our hotel, I discovered places where you could look down on the buildings below, and, lo and behold ... roof gardens! Loved them, too!

Seattle is a city that has a special energy of its own. There is an artsy buzz about it and I suspect that there is a wonderful culture of diversity and acceptance there. We'll be returning in the summer, so stay tuned ... let's see how much things change with the weather ...

Christmas Journey to the Pacific Northwest, Part 3

I awoke very early Christmas morning, still on east coast time and, once again, took up station next to the Christmas tree to watch the day dawn. After breakfast, Kathy offered to take us for a sight-seeing tour around The Peninsula, so we donned our winter wear and, with her son, Michael, climbed into her SUV for a ride ...

Our first stop was here (below), where you can drive out onto the beach. The seagulls were plentiful and I got a nice shot of this guy (above), braving the winter winds. The seagulls here are much bigger than our Florida seagulls. I wonder why that is ...

Next, she took us to Oysterville.

I was in no way prepared for the charm of this little bayside town! It was as though we'd stepped back in time ...

This tiny little church sits in the heart of this little village and is reason enough to visit! It was unlocked and open, allowing us to go inside and pay our respects on this Christmas Day.

My darling husband was charmed by the details of the church's interior and insisted we photograph the doorknob on the entry door as well. As you can see, it's worth the click of the camera!

We left Oysterville and, we made our way to Cape Disappointment, where the Lewis & Clark Expedition ended their two-year journey of discovery.

A short ride later, we arrived at Waikiki Beach.

As you can see (above), there's a lighthouse sitting up on a bluff, and, according to Kathy, on the other side of the lighthouse is the entrance to the Columbia River. The waves crashed like you see in the movies and the sea spray combined with the icy wind made for a fierce combination of elements. The photo was worth it, though, don't you think?

The bouy Christmas tree, above, was unlike anything I'd ever seen before!

Christmas Day brought more of the Mathews' kinfolk to visit, and with them came this scrumptious Christmas cake! It was, indeed, a very Merry Christmas!