We stayed at the DeGrood's winter cottage. Lots of critters in the yard (Francine wanted to take the chameleon she caught home with her, but Calvin wouldn't let her). We visited the Ford and Edison winter homes. Edison did a lot of his later work here, and imported all sorts of exotic plants, looking for a way to make rubber in the states.
On the way back through the Everglades, we took a look. It's an amazing stretch of something not quite land and not quite sea. Francine loved the big lizards. We learned that racoons and alligators both love marshmellows. In fact, all animals in the Everglades, except for these black vulture-like birds like marshmellows--a thing to remember next time you're lost in the swamp!
The first night we spent in a beautiful hotel. Later we found it was haunted by the ghost of a woman who had been thrown to her death right down the hall from where we slept! That may be why Calvin looks a little down in the second picture.
New Orleans was wonderful--the food, the music, the history. Francine found that the pidgeons at the Cafe Du Monde like beignets too.
Of course, we had to check out the bayou as well. It was similar, yet different than the Everglades. Calvin got to hold an alligator. Fortunately, while he got to taste alligator meat, the reverse was not true--Francine fed him to the sharks instead.
For the last leg we linked up with my brother and sister, and did the Turkeyday thing at Phil & Maria's place. We were pretty worn out by then, but Francine found that hanging out with Zack and Haley was just the thing to recharge her batteries.
Haley might not have been sure what all the picture taking was about, but Zack had things down pat--he knew exactly when to pose!
Well, it was quite a turtle ride, but we're home now. Hope you enjoyed the trip as much as we did!
And, as Haley always says--keep it hanging dude!
(c) 1999, Calvin Taylor, www.foofy.com