There's No Place Like Home!

I have a dear friend, Jeri, who has offered her beautiful home in Naples to us several times.

This trip, we took her up on it and were fed like kings and generally...spoiled rotten. 

Her house is beautiful but I didn't get any pictures of the inside...or of Jim. But the pix above and the one below are of her gorgeous back yard.

Jim - her hubby - and Jeri both are great cooks and wow! did we eat there. I gained 5 pounds in Florida (amazed that's all it was) and think most of that came from Jeri and Jim's kitchen.

I didn't go out much in Naples, but totally enjoyed staying with them and just visiting with my friend.


Then it was across the Skyway Bridge

and off to St. Pete Beach

where I fell in love.

We used to have a little boat that we could putter around the islands in when we lived in Cape Coral

and NOTHING, NOWHERE beats the waters of SouthWest Florida...

but St Pete was also an area we did some boating in while we lived in Tampa...and it runs a close second.

We booked our room online the day before we headed to St Pete and had no idea of what we'd find but what a gem!

This motel was on the bay but they owned another property across the street on the beach and we were welcomed to use the facilities at both.

So for another three glorious days...we enjoyed St Pete Beach and our huge, fully equipped, perfectly clean, one bedroom apartment...

follow that bird

to the beach !

The hallway above led back to our private little world...

Standing outside our door.

This was taken from the living room window.

We got to meet Trish and Davida for lunch at Guppies in Indian Rocks Beach up the coast and LOved visiting with them...

Here's to great friends!

Since I had forced myself to take off my bathing suit for lunch, we did a teeny bit of shopping.

Actually, I don't think we would have stopped if Jerry hadn't seen the alligators...

They don't call him Gator Geezer for nuthin!

And then it was through Tampa with a quick stop at Mellow Mushroom for the best pizza in the world...

We were lucky to see Rocky - who is a Tampa icon. He dances around this area daily (USF) and delights everyone who sees him with his moves. 

We headed inland to stay with my brother and his family for the night in Orlando - love you Pages! - and then back to Fort Lauderdale to arrange weight in our two suitcases and prepare for the flight home.

It was a lovely trip and I totally enjoyed it, but it IS good to be home...

picture taken on the road from Cartagena to Barranquilla