Sunday, November 25, 2012

Our last days in the ol' Sunshine State

So, after my sister's vacation came to an end, it seems we were stuck committed to staying in Florida just a few weeks longer as Jeff had to fly back to California for some business.

Don't get me wrong, Florida is awesome! 

As we come to a close on this Floridian saga, I would really like to emphasize what an amazing experience it was to explore all Florida has to offer. I mean we went from the Panhandle to the Gulf cities all the way down to the Keys then had some good times with friends in Miami, Orlando, Daytona Beach, and Jacksonville... all in two months!

We spent our last days in the beautiful Sunshine State in the Tampa/St. Petersburg Area. 

I must say Florida is full of gorgeous beaches, pretty blue water, and spanish moss. I find it's a bit romantic. :)



Nature
Another pretty bridge in Tampa FL

Boat Rental Low Down in St. Petersburg

The Captain

Beautiful Campsites in Tierra Verde in the Pinellas County of Florida

Campground was called Fort DeSoto in Tierra Verde... Gorgeous little beach town!

Secluded beaches

Lil' Fisherman

Da Boys throwing out a line..

Out at sea

My Babies

Our dog did pretty well on the boat

On our way out of Florida on our way through Georgia

New adventures and friends await!
Hello South Carolina!!!
Florida!! You were so good to us!

 So thankful to have made so many amazing friends!

Peace out!!!

Monday, January 9, 2012

Fun with the Peko Fam in Sarasota!!

So.... NO we did not leave Florida...

My sis and her family do their annual spring break trip to somewhere sunny and sandy, so we decided to meet them in (sunny and sandy) Sarasota...

Now if any of you have been to Sarasota (or watched Top Ten Beaches on the Travel Channel), you'd know that Sarasota is known for it's powder white beaches where the city has imported ground quartz to replace normal sand. Many say that because the sand is made of quartz rather than other minerals, the beaches possess a magical healing element for all those who grace the shores...

It's a fun concept and maybe if I spent 8 hours everyday on the beach for a week, I might notice a difference... however, I can say that yes... one does feel happier when in Sarasota... Could it be the quartz.. perhaps... or maybe just the sun, surf, and lovely beaches... but that's up to the individual...

Anyhoo... Sarasota was pleasant enough... It wasn't as sunny as I'd like to be.. in fact, there was a huge hurricane-ish rainstorm that swooped through for a day.. but it was still nice!

Most importantly, we got to spend time with my older sis and her family who moved from southern California to Kentucky!! Love you sis!

Florida has many awesome waterways and bridges so driving around is always a treat ;)




My little napper..

Cedar and his Ba

Great Pizza joint in Clearwater FL!! Go there if you're in the neighborhood

Mama and her boy..

Some heartfelt words... haha

AAAAAHHH!


The Sky Bridge in Tampa, not too far from Sarasota.. There is a parallel bridge that at one time was the old Sky bridge.. Apparently, a cargo ship drove right into one of the supporting pillars and took out a piece of the road one foggy night.. long story short.. people were driving off the bridge into the waters below due to the fog until finally a bus stopped just in time to warn other drivers!! They kept the old bridge and now use it as a popular fishing pier for tourists and residents.

Driving the Sky Bridge on a beautiful Florida day!

Water, Water, everywhere.. this is one of the things I love about this state!

Arriving in Sarasota to meet up with the Peko Fam!

Fishing is like a national pastime for many people in Florida.. or at least that's what it feels like! (hahaha)

Cedar, baby Makenna, Jeff and Milton!

Silly boy  and his cousin!

Sistas!

:)

A great state park to stay at that's right in the heart of Sarasota!



On our way to the beach!

Big sis pulling the kiddies!

Cloudy day.. but the water was nice and warm!

My water baby...

... and sand baby...

My niece Makenna Christine (yes.. she's named after me!)

Cutie pie!

Auntie and Kenna

The girls!

The Boys! (where was Mo?!)
It was an amazing time in Sarasota with the Pekos.. Made some good memories and had some great times! We've got one more stop before we make our way north and out of Florida... Let's just see where this next road takes us! :)

Until next time...

Sunday, January 1, 2012

I'm goooing to Jaaaackson.... (ville)

A new year.. what does this mean.. (well to me at least)

New goals, new accomplishments, new memories...

So, with that being said, Happy New Year to all my readers!

Let's move on with this story...

Our travels lefts us in Daytona Beach Florida, where we celebrated the annual Bike Week with many fellow bike lovers! Short recap was that it was full of fun, family, and of course bikes..

After our departure from Daytona, we made our way up to Jacksonville Florida to partake in the annual Florida Bowl festivities that take place every year at Kona Skate park. 

Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park... gorgeous county park that has nature walks, access to a white sand beach, and of course campgrounds...

Cedar being a cutie!
His "fake" smile

Campsite for a week at Hanna Park..

Our set up

The Campground

Cedar, Gia, and Lightning McQueen catching some Zzzs ...

Kona Skate Park!
Lori, Me, Cedar and Jeff

Quite a turnout...

Wildman and Jeff

Someone needs a serious lesson in Spelling... haha

I think they realized it after a couple of tries though...

Kona's infamous snake run...

Jeff and Marty, owner of Kona Skate Park and StoneEdge in Daytona

Festy shot!


Leaving Daytona...

Where will we head next?? Are we finally going to leave Florida? We'll have to find out in the next post... hopefully for your sake it won't be two months from now.. ;)