With nests all along the state's coast, turtles appeared in unexpected places. We watched this guy trundle quite a ways along the beach boardwalk access. He kept trying, unsuccessfully, to get over the edge to return to the sand dune scrub. Once he was close to the parking lot we finally intervened and lifted him into his habitat. (Talbot Island, FL, July 29)

 We underestimated the tides and slogged along more than paddled. A few hours later the same channels were so pretty and more enjoyable.  (Jacksonville, FL, July 29)

From the top of a lighthouse we had a birds eye view. It was heartening to see that a lot of the state's beachfront was bordered with green-space. Fun fact: each lighthouse in the world is uniquely painted to identify their coastal location. (St. Augustine, FL, July 27)

At a 1700s military hospital we were regaled with the gruesome details about amputations and the gnarly instruments used. My favourite was the semi-circle hook used to grab veins in order to expose them for cauterization. (St. Augustine, July 26)

Original buildings were so interesting to examine up close as some were made up of shells. Of these, most were compressed small seashells (coquina) which were quarried like stone, then aged to harden. Less common were oyster shell walls and fences (the shells were heated to extract lime which was mixed with sand, water and the shell remains to form a concrete). (St. Augustine, July 26)

Being the first city in the US, having just celebrated its 450th, St. Augustine was full of "oldests" (oldest fortress, street, house, schoolhouse, etc). We enjoyed taking in the history while strolling the narrow streets, especially in the evening when it was a bit cooler and the crowds had thinned. (St. Augustine, July 25)

We thought the Animal Kingdom park was a well thought out blend of fun and animal conservation education. The replica of an African town square contained some perfect details even in places that visitors may not think to look. (Disney World-Animal Kingdom, July 21)

Listening to the performers in the evening after a long hot day we felt far away from the overtired kids. (Disney World-Animal Kingdom, July 21)

At 100 times the acreage of Disneyland, Disney World's 4 separate theme parks were a behemoth to "do" in 3 days. My favourite ride at Epcot floated through a mini version of the experimental high yield produce gardens that supply the parks eateries. There was a prolific cherry tomato plant that looked like a thick tree. Because its branches were supported by overhead crossbeams the usual gravity sag didn't hold back its production. (July 20)

In a testosterone moment we took a ride through a swamp on one of the monster trucks, not uncommon in this boggy state. On the same property we passed through a citrus grove thriving in the ubiquitous Florida sand. It's amazing what can grow here with sand always underfoot whether in lush RV parks, orchards, lawns, etc. (Kissimmee, FL, July 19)

In a true "all moons aligned" moment we found ourselves in a campground across the river from the Kennedy Space Center on the night SpaceX launched its Falcon 9 rocket set for the International Space Station! At 12:44AM we sat at the end of a pier under a near full moon in a dappled sky and watched the blaze of light ascend into the clouds followed by a few minutes of darkness and then light reappear as the booster returned to earth causing a sonic boom that sounded like a double bang of thunder. During the entire 10 minutes we felt totally present – such an amazing experience. (Titusville, FL, July 17)

Logging over 10 hours at the Kennedy Space Center we still didn't absorb all on offer. The highlights were being so close to real spacecraft with the wear and tear of launch and re-entry, the Apollo 11 re-entry module and the Atlantis shuttle (with our Canadian arm). (Kennedy Space Station, July 16)

Wedged into a re-entry mock-up, what struck me was both the claustrophobia and the disorientation of laying on my back looking at the myriad of controls. (Kennedy Space Center, July 16)

Toilet time was a high art with a camera aiding your aim for the small hole at the base.

Another Manatee day at the beach (please indulge us - we're quite enamoured with them). After a decade of Florida's concerted efforts they have moved from endangered to threatened. Because their biggest risk is death or maiming from boat propellers, signs in channels warn boaters of manatee zones and still we see scar marks all over their backs and tails. (Melbourne Beach, FL, July 15)

Early in our travels we saw a license plate holder "Bird Nerd". With more time I could see us trudging through the bush at dawn or dusk trying to spot their beautiful markings. Restraint and the lack of a foot long zoom lens has held us back from posting our captures but this Red-bellied Woodpecker made the cut. He looked odd climbing up and down the pole lineman style. (Melbourne Beach, FL, July 15)

We saw a manatee!!! After a brief and heart stopping sighting of a ~10' one just under our kayak, in the ocean the day before, we thought that may be as good as it got. Then the following day while paddling the river in our state park we came across the jackpot; a lone manatee grazing on sea grass in shallow, albeit murky water. For its comfort and because we didn't want it to accidentally tip our rental (we were warned about that) in the swampy muck, we stayed a good arms length away and immersed ourselves in the specialness of the moment. (Hobe Sound, FL, July 13)

Driving through Palm Beach Gardens, a city as lush as its name, luxury gated communities obscured the beach views. (Palm Beach Gardens, FL, July 15)

Architecture was the lure of Miami Beach. We learned that much of the ocean strip of low level hotels are Art Deco as that was the style when they were rebuilt a decade after a hurricane in 1926 wiped out much of the area. At night with some hotels lit up and throngs of people, the place felt like a big party. (Miami Beach, FL, July 8)

A house, and fence not in the picture, made completely out of coral. It's unbelievable to think that at one time it was acceptable to do such a thing. (Miami, FL, July 8)

With one long whirlwind day to see Miami and Miami Beach we took a double-decker city bus tour. At the start our guide warned us to duck below our seats for low lying branches. We thought yeah, yeah. But several times we had to crouch and even then were thwacked with branches. In some neighbourhoods you couldn't look around much for fear of being hit. Once with the bus stopped amid branches we popped our heads up for a selfie. (Miami, FL, July 8)

Visiting a bird rescue center we saw an owl with a broken wing. Apparently they are prone to such injuries when they get caught on a tree branch as they swoop down to their prey. (Tavernier, FL, July 7)

To think how common place flights have become since then. (Key West, FL, July 7)

This 1940's bi-plane gave us a birds-eye view of Marathon Key. Each time the pilot banked the plane the force of the wind through the open cockpit felt like our sunglasses were making an indentation on our foreheads. Along the Gulf & Atlantic shores we saw the canals that have been dredged inland to create waterfront for rows of homes to moor their boats. With so many waterways the Keys resembled a cartoon drawing of a fish skeleton. (Marathon Key, FL, July 6)

We took a day trip to Key West to see the iconic place and touch the southernmost tip of the continental US. After a busy day we, like many others, gathered at the pier to get the best view of the sunset. The highlight was seeing a pink cloud rain on the boats. (Key West, FL, July 7)

At a conservatory Rick sat quietly watching the butterflies swirl around him. One of the two flamingos approached and after thoroughly checking Rick out eyeball to eyeball, started to groom his hairy leg. Guests crowded around to watch and take pictures of this behavior unique to these resident birds. Wildlife specialists are puzzled by it. (Key West, July 7)

I checked out Ernest Hemingway's 1930s home where he wrote several novels. There were various roped off areas and requests of visitors not to touch the historic materials and pieces, yet 40-50 cats roamed where they pleased. Apparently many of them were descendants of Hemingway's much loved six-toed feline. As you can imagine I didn't linger. (Key West, July 7)

We kayaked out to a sandbar, about 250 meters from shore, to join the boaters lounging about. (Marathon {Keys}, FL, July 5)

Garden & Gun magazine... Just can't see this being on the racks at home. (Key Largo, FL, July 4)

The national seashore beside our campsite offered tours of one of only 2 living reefs, outside of Hawaii, in the US. We saw a lot of beautiful fish and coral, but the 2 ½ foot waves (our guides warning) made for quite the snorkeling exercise. My poor sunburned lips (despite 70 SPF chapstick) looked even pinker after an unfortunately placed sea lice sting. After 3 hrs in the water we were ready to have the boat take us back to land. (Key Largo, July 3)

In the shallow mangrove swamps we saw medusa jellyfish which are unique to this ecosystem. After swimming a bit, they planted themselves upside down in the seagrass and looked like snowflakes. ​(Key Largo, July 2)

An afternoon in the mangroves near our campsite. (Key Largo, July 2)

We stayed right on the waters edge in a RV park (that abutted a protected national seashore) with our own tiki hut, complete with mister, fan and twinkle lights. It was great to just park the motorhome and go anywhere we needed to by bike or kayak. Key Largo reminded us of a beach town from a bygone era with a few modest tourist shops and seafood restaurants dotting the main road that runs from tip to tip of the Keys. The neighborhoods were either a collection of mobile homes, no frills housing or the predictable upscale beachfronts. We found it odd that no matter what the community, boats were common for many driveways. (Key Largo, July 1)

Exploring the Florida Everglades for a few hours on a private tour, our guide assured us of the local alligator’s passive behavior. At one point while paddling (a la mosquito netting) through a tight mangrove tunnel one came towards us from around a corner. It immediately pulled over, parking its snout at the waters edge as we passed by, as if it was the polite driver on a single lane country road. At dusk we drifted peacefully as we watched the various birds return to roost. With their long legs and wide wing span, they were so ungainly it was easy to see how chicks were plucked from the branches by predators. (Ochopee, FL, June 30)

A couple shelling in the early evening; an activity (surprisingly) promoted on state park websites. (Bonita Springs, FL, June 29)

The Ringling Bros museum grounds were a spectacle as grand as its circus was decades ago. The 20 acre property held John Ringling’s waterfront winter home on the Gulf, a collection of (sometimes bizarre) circus paraphernalia, works of art, gardens and a model circus. (Sarasota, FL, June 27)

The extensive model covered the full breadth of the circus, from the arrival of 100 train cars at 3am to set up the big tent and small city to support spectators (including the men's urinal), 1300 employees and a menagerie of animals, through to the 1am dismantling the following day. The scope of the endeavor was mind boggling. It took you back to an age when people would marvel at the sight of an elephant or trapeze artist for the first time.

In another opulent building, ​Ringling's countless works of art from various centuries were showcased. With so much to see we spent 6 hours on the property and could have stayed longer, but they were closing.

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Our short evening walk was a wildlife bonanza... finally we caught one of the armadillos on camera. With their poor eyesight, when we kept still enough, we were able to watch them rooting for ants and termites. Further along we stopped on a small bridge to check out a potential kayaking spot and within a few minutes we saw 6 alligators, with one of them directly below us and the others crisscrossing from bank to bank creating a creepy moving "S" motion. With so much activity, that was the final straw for us. From now on it's only ocean kayaking, despite the local's casualness. They treat them like we do our black bears, knowing they are there but not letting them stop us from hiking or camping. (Sarasota, June 26)

The standard Florida license plate message the “Sunshine State” can be replaced with a selection of options from the benign “Save the Manatee” to the more controversial anti-abortion “Choose Life”.  I couldn't find the opposing viewpoint on offer in the government list.

Salvador Dali's museum covered the full range of his long career. To capture his surrealist scenes, Dali slept with a teacup on his chest and would later record his dreams upon awaking from the sound of the cup hitting the floor. (St Petersburg, FL, June 26)

(Top) This 1943 Dali painting's symbolism was especially prescient with man being reborn in America, the new post WWII leader, with his left hand squashing Europe, no longer the power it once was. (Bottom) Dali’s wife looking out to the sea changed its appearance to the face of Abraham Lincoln when you looked at the image in a mirror or facing it from a distance. It was odd because standing in front of the actual painting there wasn’t a hint of the alternative picture, but when we looked at our photo thumbnails, Lincoln was the dominant image. (St Petersburg, FL, June 26)

With more than 2 months on the road and only one theatre, it was time to get some movies. We hit the $3.99 jackpot with Michael Moore's "Where to Invade Next".

After a bike ride to the "Sponge Capital of the World" we took an informative boat trip in the bay to watch a diver harvest a sponge. With 170lbs of gear that looked like something from an old B movie he brought up one of the animals which are originally black before they are processed to the more salable golden colour we are used to. They are a renewable resource for this area as the divers leave behind a half inch of mass which regenerates itself within a year. (Tarpon Springs, FL, June 24)

We drove inland for a few hours for a fresh water experience. Floating serenely down the crystal clear, spring fed Ichetucknee River, with half of our 3 hours neighbour free, we took in the thick bird song, din of cicadas, wetland birds, turtles and fish. Aside from the unspoiled jungle like flora, a highlight was watching a close-by eagle swoop down to catch one of the jumping fish, circle the sky and then perch on a branch to dine. A pool of cool aqua water marked the start of this highly protected river as manatees call it home in the Fall. (Fort White, FL, June 22)

We've joined the Florida weekend warriors with our own water chairs and umbrella. People around here have beach carts decked out with several fishing rod holders and every possible convenience. This state park even loans out all-terrain wheelchairs for the sand. (Port St Joe, FL, June 18)

In this shallow bay on the Emerald Coast, named for it gem green, 28 degree waters, small fish nibbled at our feet - an odd sensation. With turtles nesting in the area campers were given pieces of red paper, to cover their flashlights, as the babies are drawn to white light which disorients them in their scramble to the water. While we walked the beach after sunset the flashlights cast a romantic pink glow, but were not up to the task of illuminating the numerous comically aggressive, fist sized blue crabs that we had to dodge.... no turtle sightings - just the nests. (June 15, 2016, Pensacola, Florida)

Our campground was in the Gulf Islands National Seashore on Santa Rosa Island, a 40mi stretch of sand with a main road running along its middle. This state park was a gem and we were sad to leave it. With so much beach access, anyone could have their own slice of private paradise including the piece steps away from our RV. The ocean breeze was a welcome relief from the relentless heat and humidity. It's so hot in the south that tent campsites have electric hookups for fans. (Pensacola Beach, FL, June 14)

This snake marked the start of our bike ride. As it slithered along it was so camouflaged that at one point I was showing Rick its tail when we realized its head was close to Rick's. Of course that prompted a reference to his life insurance and me trying to do him in. Then a few miles later we rode past a "do not feed the alligators" sign similar to the one we'd seen earlier at our state park about 20' from one of their nature paths! I'm just not sure we need to be wandering the swamp trails any time soon. (Orange Beach, AL, June 13)

We drove along a section of the Gulf coast with fine white sand (Mississippi Beach - longest man made strand in the world) and small marinas to our right and stately homes to our left. It was once a scenic drive for these characteristics, but now it's more known as the place hard hit by Hurricane Katrina and slowly recovering. The two sights that caught our eye were homes and businesses raised on 10-15' stilts and clusters of carved tree parts. One marker told of the people who clung to these branches, which were attached to a tall oak tree, to survive the storm. (St Louis Bay, MS, June 12)