Lyle and Jan - Our US Travels

We visited St. Augustine, FL, on the NE coast, slated to be the oldest city in the US. The architecture is Spanish Colonial and the town is full of narrow alleyways for pedestrians only with tons of restaurants, and yes, plenty of shopping. It’s famous for the Bridge of Lions, 2 marble lions that guard the entrance to the city. The 1695 Fort, Castillo de San Marcos, is complete with a moat! We hope to take the boat there someday. There are many spots to anchor in the waterways there.

We decided to visit the Kennedy Space Center and watch the SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket launch on June 25, 2019 @ 2:30 AM EDT. You can watch the launch from the main grounds with your admission ticket or for around $200 you can sit on bleachers and watch the launch up close. We met a lot of people who planned to stay for the launch, but we decided to watch from our hotel's beach. We set an alarm and had a good view of the launch and of the boosters returning to launch site. Blast Off

So we've learned to tell the difference between a Bentley and a Rolls Royce, a Ferrari versus a Lamborghini versus a Maserati because they are so common here. But we still won't stay at the Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach, which opened in 1896 (Jan really wanted to). It's definitely worth a look, though.... Main Drive Seafood Bar looks over the ocean Numerous species of tropical fish are swimming in the clear glass top of the bar.  They swim in out of the coral.  It was funny to reach for your drink and have a fish right there.  

I took Jan to the Bahamas for her birthday. We've never been on a cruise. There is a cruise line that leaves from Lake Worth, Palm Beach and crosses to Freeport, Bahamas overnight. This is the same route we plan to take in our boat, so it was nice to experience the crossing albeit in a lot bigger vessel.

The Gold Coast - Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach are the "fanciest" areas in the state. The only hotel that would accommodate our truck (we parked it here during our stay).  Hotel lounge Pool Walkway to the beach Ocean Walk The hotel sets up chairs each morning Seaweed has invaded the Keys and Southern beaches   Art Deco district Beach Walk Espanola Way Pasta being "sauced" in a giant cheese wheel Hosteria Romana, Espanola Way Miami Beach