Beautiful Florida

Today we drove the 30 miles to Gasparilla Island. This island was named for the Spanish pirate, Jose Gaspar and all over Florida, towns have celebrations but there is only one Gasparilla Island, which includes Gasparilla State Park. We took our bikes and were super pleased to see a "privately owned and maintained" bike trail which ran the length of the island. So we went to the very end (about 8 miles), parked at the state park headquarters and set out for about a 12 mile ride in 80+ degrees and searing humidity. Jeff was more than a little uncomfortable but the ride was flat and easy so it went pretty fast.

We took a run through one of the neighborhoods that was not gated and saw dozens of the cutest tortoises. A women walking stopped and told us a bit about the endangered Gopher Tortoise. He is the Florida State Tortoise and he digs big holes in the ground for his den and for Mama Tortoises eggs.

He looks grumpy but we weren't really bothering him too much. Pretty soon he crossed the road, presumably to go find his girlfriend for a little mating! On the way back to the starting point we stopped at a few beaches. Great shelling all over this island. The water gets bluer and clearer with every mile south we go and this water was stunning.

It's just so sad that the residents of this island (and there are plenty, and they are old) have to live in such poverty (sarcasm) and despicable environment (sarcasm) with such horrible weather to boot (more sarcasm). We saw a few houses for sale, one lot with a price reduction listed on the sign ($395,000...yes, just for a lot. And this was not even on the water).

Must be rough is all I have to say. They tool around in their golf carts, talking on their cell phones. And then there was the 16 year old we saw driving his spankin new Mercedes -Benz. Wow.
We arrived back at the trail head and shed our tennies in favor of flip-flops for a long beach walk. Lots of birds... Pelicans, gulls, egrets and osprey.

Old pilings lined with Pelicans

I managed to pick up another bag full of pretty shells and we both managed to get a little more tan. We have 11 days til St. Maarten so we need to either get that base naturally or resort to the tanning bed and that, frankly, would just be wrong. When we have had so much natural, free sunshine to indulge in....

Life is good