31 May 2014

Day 14 - Fort Lauderdale

After a trip we always like to have a rest day or maybe just a local day.

Today we got up later and breakfasted before deciding to go to Fort Lauderdale beach. In the end we decided on a river boat trip from Las Olas.


The trip is 90 minutes up the New River and as far a Port Everglades and then back looking at the expensive river side houses of the likes of Wendy of burger fame, Sunglass Hut, Alamo car rental to name a few. And Leonard Nimoy's house behind the Hyatt 66 hotel.

The hotel designed by Frank Lloyd Wright.

After the boat trip we had lunch in an Oirish pub right on the riverfront.


You can sit in the shaded front and watch the boats go by and through the draw bridge nearby.


It was on the return boat trip that Claire's camera started to play up. Taking pix but showing an error.

We used the wifi to locate a Walmart and we set off.  I thought if we could buy a cheap micro SD card and adapter we could save the 600 plus pix she had taken and she would have one to use.

In the end Walmart came up with an 8gb card for $9.98.

On the way through the seedier parts of Fort Lauderdale that TomTom considered perfectly okay for overseas tourists the outside temperature reached 102F, the hottest shown on the car's gauge.


Once the cameras were fixed and pix copied to the netbook it was time for dinner.

TomTom took us to an Aussie themed steakhouse called Outback. Excellent steaks and a starter of an onion basket rather than rings...


I had a beer called Shock Top. A bit like Belgian white beers but far weirder and with that strange chemical taste common to American lite beers.

Not too pogged when we drove home to Mizner and an early night as we had to be up early to finish packing and clear up for our drive across to Fort Myers.

29 May 2014

Day 13 - Back North

First stop after checking out of the Blue Marlin was the Harley shop. I don't usually buy HD t-shirts but seeing as we are in the US....

The sale rack didn't have my size!  In the US I am only XL but they had large and the bigger lad sizes going up to 5XL. 

I had to let Claire go in as I was in the car and it was a no stopping zone. Circling around  the block was opportune as the block was by the famous Sloppy Joe's. Quick photo.


I have loads of black t-shirts and now have a yellow one too!!!  I'll model it later.

Getting out of Key West took some time as they seem to be road working all over town and in patches the length of the Overseas Highway.

We stopped to drop some tailgaters. It works for Lewis Hamilton so why not me?

The old Flagler railroad is alongside the road in a long metal bridge.




Our next stop of the day was at Sunset Grille on Pigeon Key.  As it was only about 1130 we wanted a coffee but lunch is early here and so we had an appetiser each. I had calamari and curry sauce and Claire had a crab dip with crackers. Plus refillable coffee. All really nice. 


Up to that point we had had the top down but we were driving into the sun and it was low 90's. 

We decided to put the lid up on the run up the rest of the way to benefit from the air-con. 

As a visitor to Florida, I tend to think the posted limit might be a good idea. I want my holiday to end when I drop the car off in the rental station and not after getting nicked for speeding.

The locals however seem to think that tailgating is the best way to drive... Time and time again I have had a cling-on stuck on my arse. Sometimes too close to make any turns for fear that they will be joining you....

So a few miles later I turned off to look at the sea.  Indian Key.


We had a walk about and Claire managed a little paddle.




It was lucky we had the top up as the sky got greyer and greyer and huge puddles started to appear on the sided of the road, then by Islamadora it started to rain.

And it rained on and off back to Weston.

Once on the mainland again at Florida City there are thre choices; the toll Turnpike, US1 or State Route 997!

997 is 35 miles of the most boring road in the world. Once the Spanish market gardens and nurseries are left behind way south of US41 it is mind numbingly straight and nothing to see but dead trees sticking up like burned matches.


So joining US27 is a relief. Even if Soccer Mom in her Honda people carrier tried to boot it and undertake me. No respect!

And then to Weston.

Day 12 - Key West

What is there to do in Key West?

A lot as it happens and not all of it involves lying on the beach.

After breakfast by the pool, we got ready to walk ourselves into the ground.

Firstly the Ernest Hemmingway house and museum. Another $22 to get in each, but the guide Rusty took a small group around and made it enjoyable. Little tales about Ernest and the four wives. And the cats.

Check it out for yourselves.. Google!



Six finger cats. We have them at home on the Romney Marsh.


And after a couple of hours we dragged ourselves into the hunt for the post office to send the laundry card back to Punta Gorda (!) and then lunch.

We shunned the chains and went in Sippin' on the Corner of Duval and Eaton.

Nice place, best coffee so far... And an artist painting their walls.


I'll see if they are on Tripadvisor!!

It was another long slog back. In about 90F everything for us is hard work.


After a swim where I found out that the ground gets hot enough to burn feet! Left aqua  shoes in Weston...  We had a drive to the beach. 

Ended up at the Western Martello Tower and lovely lizard filled gardens, oh, and some nice plants and orchids.

Then back to change and next door to Ana's Cuban Grocery for drinks.

Claire chose a coconut....


And I had the equal best coffee of the trip and some banana cake.


Then a short walk to Simonton Beach. Sadly private but the lower orders are allowed to look at the sand and seaweed. 

This Harley was parked up and so Claire took a pic. 


Why is it you fancy the idea of one on holiday?  

Dinner?

On the way out we saw this little group of   Harley D's in the motel across the street at Hibiscus.


We decided rather than a walk for miles we'd go to Camille's a couple of blocks away.

Very nice lounge and restaurant. The card Marcus gave us in the Blue Marlin got us a free cocktail. Very nice.

Good meal and drink!



And back to the motel to watch NBC interview with Edward Snowden....


28 May 2014

Day 11 - Část druhá

TomTom had a rather lengthy time set to cover 30 miles or so and we couldn't believe he was right. He was. We arrived at the Blue Marlin about 5.15pm!!


We weren't in long before we set off for what turned out to be four hours foot slogging around Duval Street to the top of the town and then back the whole length of Simonton to the hotel. 

We passed the Southernmost Point beacon and queue! The long line for people wanting their pic taken. Not for me!!

 
You can see it right?

One stop for ice cream and another for a beer in an Oirish Pub; the most Irish on there being Claire Brigid and her quarter Irish bloodline! Still Guinness at the same price as at home? Not to be turned down.

The famed sunset didn't happen. Too much cloud.

Our dinner was at a Chinese place up the street from the Blue Marlin. 

Not bad as it happens.

Then a damned long walk back to the motel for TV and bed!


 

Day 11 - To the Keys!

Already?

Time flies. 

After the lamesville day yesterday and an evening watching John Boy Walton get married and three back to back episodes of The Middle, today is Keys Day.

I dialled TomTom to take us to the Blue Marlin Motel in Key West and to avoid toll roads. So we left Mizner and headed south on 997. Over thirty miles of dead straight 55mph road. Boring. The main section between US41 and US1 seems to be Latino garden centre heaven. Miles and miles of nurseries.

I used $25 of the timeshare visa on fuel. The Mustang seems happy on 87 Regular unleaded.

And then we were on the Overseas Highway. In places you cannot imagine the view, made photographically impossible by the three foot high concrete side walls to the road, but is almost fantastic.

I was  looking for the place I stopped in 1991 on the borrowed Kawasaki. I didn't see anything remotely like the dirt/sand pull off after one of the bridges.

We pulled off at the Dolphin Research Centre on Marathon Key.


It's $23 each to get in. But we worth it to see the work they do with dolphins and the rescue and breeding program.







As well as the dolphins they have some sea lions.




Once things died down we set off for the last leg to Key West, roof down. 

TBC.

27 May 2014

Day 10

The day started off a little lame and bumped along lame street all day.

We had decided with the Keys trip tomorrow for a few days that we'd have a quiet day.

It started with a timeshare breakfast. Yep. We knew we'd not be spending a penny and there was a little subterfuge as we were supposed to be checking out a new apartment and the change to RCI system.

The pay-off for us was a prepaid Visa card with $75 loaded on it, $20 being mine anyway.

Two hours later we escaped as our home resort doesn't use the new RCI system and I didn't want to spend money.

I activated the card immediately we got back to our apartment. 

We went out again to Sawgrass Mills outlet mall. The name seems familiar.

Bedlam.

Memorial Day seems to be celebrated driving round and round the massive car park. I found a space relatively quickly by Avenue 1 entrance. Lunch was Asian Chao. I guess a play on chow?

We had a walk about and checked out the stores. Bought nothing.

A little stressed as TomTom keeps taking us on I75 without asking about tolls. I need to check out the toll section to make sure that TomTom isn't cocking up.

A stop at Starbucks and a walk around Weston. Still  bloody hot.





The route I have planned to get to Key West asks about toll roads and I ignored. 

See what happens.

26 May 2014

Day 9

Started off as a quiet day after the drive yesterday. Getting used to driving here should be easier than in France or Spain, but strangely, even with signs almost in a version of English I ought to understand, it is way harder!!!

Today we chose to go the an animal park in Davie. Flamingo Gardens is a not for profit park,  where most of the animals and birds are rescued and are nursed back to health or given a lifetime place to live if they are too unfit to be released back into the wild.

A couple of inhabitants are Josh. A tame black bear used for parties and education who now lives in the park.


And Elvis. A ten feet long alligator that was rescued from a private home!! He was being kept as a house pet.


Why would anyone want Elvis living in their house?

There are many species of birds on site, many injured and not able to survive in the wild. Plus bob cats, otters and of course the flamingoes.


We had a great time.