Feb 7-13, 2021 Mark & I took a trip to Florida. We enjoy winter vacations so much. They can be so relaxing, motivating and restoring. It is good physically and mentally, when we return home it helps us to get through the rest of the Iowa winter. The sunshine and soaking up some Vitamin D is just what the doctor ordered. This time it was just the two of us and went farther south than we had ever been, to Marco Island. We arrived on Sunday just before dark. Walking off the airplane into the warm humid air was wonderful. The sun was shinning as we loaded up our rental car and drove an hour and a half to our resort. We stopped for a quick meal on the way, as we had missed lunch. Our resort was not the 5 star of the area, but it was a very nice one. All the resorts in the area were classy, elegant and nice. Our room was spacious with a kitchen, sperate living room, bedroom, and a balcony with pool/ garden view. We could see some of the ocean as well.
Our days consisted of walking the beach, breakfast, laying on the beach, eating, sitting near the pool, then going out for a nice evening dinner. Each day was a slight variation of our time at the beach and eating. It was an indulgent vacation with lots of rest, relaxation, fine dinning, good tropical drinks, reading books, dipping in the pool, and just soaking in the sunshine. My kind of vacation! Our weather for the week was absolutely perfect. Something else we enjoyed, only wearing a mask while walking through the lobby. Other than that it was at your comfort level.
Our second night in Florida was Super Bowl Sunday, so we walked to a nearby restaurant/bar and ate chips and salsa while watching the game live on tv. We were seated in an open restaurant with the outside air warm, an awesome feeling. We were in Florida only miles from the actual Super bowl game watching the Tampa Bay Buccaneers win. I was rooting for Tampa because Tom Brady was the Quarter Back. This was his 7th Super Bowl win at the age of 43! Yes, 43 and he has got to be the GOAT, (Greatest of all Time!!) That is just amazing on all levels. I am not a huge football fan, but I do pay attention to the ones that are a big deal, games and players; this was a really big deal! Mark enjoyed his first Super Bowl game viewing outside of our living room.
The beach was over a mile in length and at least 50 yards in width of pure white sand. The beach staff were mostly Jamaican, they took you to your chair and placed the towels for you. Some were fun to talk to and I like to hear their accent. One of them thanked me for asking him questions. He told me not many people care to have a conversation with him. I think most people treat them like their personal servant. I will remember that when I continue to visit places. I will always love Jamaica and their people after visiting the orphanage. The chairs had umbrellas so you could be in or out of the sun, along with a table for your drinks. I loved my time on the beach, soaking in the sunshine each day. The atmosphere sitting on the beach, hearing the ocean waves, the children playing, people talking, seagulls squeaking, the breeze blowing, is something I really enjoy. I was careful not to burn and used my sunblock just enough to tan. I read hours of my books. Mark would get tired of sitting and would go sit in the hot tub or near the pool early afternoon. It was too hot for me to sit in the hot tub. Even the swimming pool felt too warm on such sunny days. We ended our daylight at the pool and caught the 6:15 sunset everyday. We experienced a couple hazy foggy days. One day a low cloud consumed a building so much that it looked as if it were on fire. The humidity did not get along well with my hair, it was pretty unruly most of the trip . We met some interesting people at our resort. Some we would see day in and day out. We are all creatures of habit and we would run into each other about the same time and place. The first day I met a lady named Missy who was there with her twins ,Charlie a girl, Ford a boy. They had just turned one and she brought them on a trip to celebrate. A single mother from Michigan, who flew and stayed at the resort all alone. I was kind of sad for her, but she was loving every minute of it and managed the twins well. I offered to help her any way I could. I helped her babies in and out of the pool for her. We would see her at the beach and little Ford would reach his arms up to be held. Of course I did and he cuddled into me with his head on my shoulder. Just as I was saying awww, and thinking how precious, he dug his little two front teeth into my shoulder, pretty funny. We saw Missy daily at the beach and on the patio of her room. She had her twins sitting in their little seats at the table, she would always flash the biggest smile and wave. She always wanted to know our plans and where we were eating. She was so full of energy and fun to talk to. On Missy's last day, she gave me a big hug. It was neat to make a friend and I told her God brings people into your life when you need them most. I know she appreciated my help and having someone to talk to I adored those little babies and her. Mark met many people in the hotel tub and would have talks about jobs, markets, and covid. No matter where they were from, they were all like minded and nobody wore masks. One night on the beach we even ran into a local, Mr Nelson who lives near Fort Dodge.
I couln't help but feel the guilt of being in the sunny warm paradise when I knew back home everyone was having brutal cold temperatures. It was nasty at home, bitter, wind and snow, temps in the negatives. I felt so bad for the boys back home doing chores, caring for the animals, and doing school. We really picked a good time to get out of Iowa, but I certainly was not going to boast about it!
One of our favorite activities was choosing where to go for supper. Our favorite was right at our resort in it's own building near the beach. A fancy Italian restaurant called Sal E Pepe. We liked it so much we went twice. IT was the atmosphere we loved so much. Walking in the decor had giant paintings in elaborate wood tooled frames, a fancy staircase and wooden bar, vaulted ceilings and nice furnishings. The staff treated us like royalty and referred to me as "Ma'Lady". I loved that. Our first waiter I asked where he was from and he told us a little about himself. He was from Turkey. He was so proper, professional, and kind. Once seated, it was a 2+ hour experience with wine, bread, salad, the meal, and dessert. We were even given three choices just for water. Our second dinning experience our waiter was from Rome. He was much harder for me to understand. I feel I can understand English spoken from many different dialects. During my college years, I was around a very diverse group of people with students and professors that helped with that. We didn't order much for our second visit. I chose a salad to which was very shocked at what I got, a tiny mound of greens in the middle of my plate with a couple thin slices of meat under it. The whole meal took me 4 bites to clean my plate. Once again we enjoyed our experience and waiter. Both visits we sat on the outdoor seating under the dark starry sky next to the beach.
One day we took a drive to Everglade City. We visited a museum to learn about the area and ate at a historical restaurant called, "Rod and Gun." On our way back out of town we spotted a few gators in the waterway along the road. The Rod and Gun Lodge is your western gateway to the Everglades National park. Historical Everglades City dates back over 1,000 years. The Rod and Gun Club is built on the original structure of the first permanent white settler who founded Everglades City in 1864. In 1922 Barron G. Collier, a banker and railroad man, bought almost all of Southwest Florida including the Rod and Gun Club which he operated as a private club. He hosted international dignitaries and several United States presidents here. In 1972, the Bowen family, from Michigan, bought the Club and is still operating it today. Celebrity guest, past and present include Presidents Roosevelt, Truman, Eisenhower, Hoover and Nixon. John Wayne and Ernest Hemingway visited in 1942.
Another day we rented bicycles and took a ride along a bike path. The path was along the road and amongst beautiful homes I would call mansions! Our many walks along the beach were a chance to discover interesting shells. This time of year the Florida Fighting Conch were spotted in groups here and there. They look like snails inside a shell with two goodly eyes and they slowly scoot in the sand. They are very strange looking creatures! It was very cool to see them. Heading to and from the airport I noticed many road signs with panther's on them. Apparently they have panthers in the area. Yikes, I would much rather be in an area with deer roaming than panthers! Our trip was a another vacation spot we would love to return to.
Comments