What a Way To Roll!

We recently went on a Segway Tour of Tampa, and I must say it was one of the most fun times I've ever had.  It was exhilarating and such a fun way to get around.

After arriving at the meeting point, an orientation lesson on riding the Segway was held. The first step onto the machine was a little unsettling since it rocked back and forth, but within a couple seconds you found your center of gravity and the Segway and you became one.

We practiced going forward, stopping, turning and going backward.  We slowly scooted around the area going through our maneuvers getting comfortable with our Segways before hitting the sidewalks and roads.

Tampa has developed a River Walk, a paved pathway along the river that extends over two miles.  It is a beautiful place to ride a  Segway because of such a smooth surface besides being so picturesque.  We went through beautiful parks, wealthy neighborhoods and we even scooted around the Tampa Hospital.

 Tampa has a Pirate Fest which we attended earlier, and we were able to stop at the Pirate ship to get a close up view along our way.

After tooling around the River Walk and some neighborhoods we ended up across the bay and enjoyed another look of the Pirate ship.

Tampa has a beautiful skyline.  It's not a huge city so their skyline is not over crowded with tall buildings.  This is actually the view of the city from the Tampa Hospital. Not too many hospitals have this kind of view!

We had a blast! When we left the meeting point it was a group of newbie riders who were very tentative and moved along slowly. However, after traveling over 11 miles on our Segways we were flying along the sidewalks and roads, zig zagging through tight places and handling corners like veterans.  Best ride ever!

Gene and I on our first ride on the Segways.

Everglades Air Boat Ride

On our way to Key West we stopped off at Everglades City at Speedy's Airboats to experience two things we have never done, the Everglades and an airboat ride.  We thoroughly enjoyed both.

This company used the smaller boats that carried only six passengers rather than 20+ passengers.  Made for a more personal adventure.  The seats were also elevated giving a better view to the people in the second row.  You didn't just see the heads of the people in the front row!

Our trip took us through the mangroves and twisted back and forth on itself so many times that we didn't know how the captain would find our way back.

At times the waterways were very wide and then they would get so narrow the air boat would barely fit through the opening.

All along the banks the roots of the mangrove trees were exposed, some very high above the water.  Just very interesting to see.

We headed out into the grasslands too and this was where we found the alligators!  They were doing some sunning on the banks.  We got close enough to them for me....even though we were up in a fairly good sized boat.

A boat from the same company waiting for us to clear the mangrove trail.  Some places they used the same route in and out of an area so you had to wait for the channel to clear so you didn't run into another boat.

On our way out and back in we saw a lot of pelicans.  Some roosted on pilings, some in the water and we even saw one air boat with pelicans sitting all over it while they were going along....UGH!  Couldn't have stayed in that boat!

We just finished our ride and we really enjoyed it.  Some places we had to go slowly and other places the captain was able to open it up and give us some speed.  The 360's we did were fun too!

After doing all that riding we worked up an appetite and luckily right next door was an open air restaurant. Gene was able to enjoy some very fresh fried oysters and scallops while I dined on Florida pink shrimp. Yummy!

Beautiful Key West!

While down here in Florida we decided to take a trip to the southern most point of the continental US and visit Key West. The drive down, although long, was beautiful.

We visited Ft. Zachary Taylor State Park Beach and it was a long walk from our place but beautiful and worth the hike.

It was mostly white sand with some rocky areas but still beautiful. The area also had many trees leading to the beach with lots of shade and picnic tables to enjoy.

There was a sign post on the beach that gave directions and mileage to other points in the world.

Of course, every place tropical has to have their roosters! They were everywhere and they were taken care of. At one place down in Old Town, a shop keeper ran out and pounded on the side of a trolley to get them to stop before they ran over a mother and her little brood of about 8 chicks! It is fun to listen to the roosters crowing in a very crowded area.

We walked down the street next to the ocean and there were so many pretty houses....pretty expensive houses! Huge big trees for shade, palm trees and the landscaping was fabulous.

Harry S Truman had a beautiful place on Key West known as "The Little White House". Again, a huge beautiful house with gorgeous landscaping.

I went to the Hemingway house but didn't go in.  I couldn't get a decent picture of it but I was able to snag a picture of one of the House's many cats.  Alas, this one did not have 6 toes!

We stayed in a Bed & Breakfast just off of Duval St., the action area in Old Town Key West, but were on the quiet end! It was just perfect for us, quiet and private but close to eating and shopping!

The front of our little haven. It had a nice little porch to enjoy the breezes in the morning and evening and it opened into the bedroom.

It wasn't a huge room but very convenient and comfortable.  It had a comfy bed, a TV, bathroom and shower and location. What more could you need?

Oh, and it had a beautiful pool area!  Sparkling clean pool and landscaped deck areas to give you a cool spot to sit and rest your tired feet!

We had a wonderful time! Saw a lot of beautiful scenery, ate some really good food and walked, walked, walked our legs off!

Florida Flora

This winter finds us enjoying the sunshine in Florida in the Tampa area.  We have been here for a couple weeks and although we had a cold spell when we first got here, the weather has been absolutely beautiful.  Lots of gorgeous blue sky and lots of sunshine.


Just down the road from us is the Hillsborough River State Park where we have done a bit of hiking.

The river is crystal clear and the reflections off the water are just amazing.  You can see the fish swimming on the bottom of the river it's so clear.

The river is more like a creek than what we think of as a river and although it is crystal clear it's color can range from different shades of blue to almost black.

In places it is so picturesque photos have a post card quality about them.  It is just a beautiful walk along the river.

The woods are a mixture of cypress, pine, and hardwood trees including live oak, maple, hickory and sweet gum with palm trees popping up here and there.  Hard to get used to seeing palm trees in the forest.  

Another thing that takes getting used to...the possibility of alligators being in the water or along the shore!  We haven't seen any but it is something that we have to be constantly aware of while walking the trails.  We don't want Belle to become alligator bait!