Fort Lauderdale

We were at the Best Western Oceanside Inn so we were very close to this beautiful beach. The hotel name was a bit of a misnomer. It was surrounded by other, larger hotels. Our room was on the top floor at the end (it actually faced a different direction from every other room on our floor). We had a narrow view of the ocean through a gap between 2 hotels. We could just see the ocean over the top of the palm trees that filled the gap so I honestly think that we had the only ocean view in the hotel.

Airboat Ride

This was amazing. The airboat and the space center were the two highlights of the trip.

This company billed itself as the only airboat company with 2-way communication.

An Airboat ride through the Mangrove Swamp

(Nice finger)

This 9 footer was the only gator that we saw outside of the space center. We'd hoped to see a manatee or 3. Our only manatees were in the aquarium at the end of the Finding Nemo ride at EPCOT.

Everglades City

Stuffed gator in a restaurant.

A flock of those same funny birds (with the bills that curve down) that I pictured in Key Largo. A large flock of these birds was blocking traffic in Key Biscayne.

View from our screen porch.

View from our screen porch.

View from our screen porch.

View from our screen porch. The next pictures are taken from the dock in the distance.

View of our screen porch from the dock.

View from the dock.

View from the dock.

View from the dock.

Inside the screen porch.

Happily mosquito free.

Key Largo

The parking lot below our deck was iguana central (big suckers!).

There were signs all over to not interfere with the manatees. We didn't see any.

Snorklers pretending to be manatees.

American White Ibis. We saw these all over, sometimes in large flocks that blocked traffic.

Key West: Chickens

Chickens were everywhere!

Key West: Hemingway House

Ernest Hemingway has a 6 toed cat named Snowball. Snowball now has 56 (I think they said)
descendents in the house. Half have 6 toes on at least 2 feet. Many of those have 6 toes on all 4. I've taken pictures of as many as possible.

All have names, are well cared for and have regular vet care.

This guy was huge. They said that he lives in the basement and that this was one of his rare appearances.

While we were here, an iguana dove into the pool and just sat there on the bottom. The cats were very interested.

This cat was busy cleaning its butt so I was able to get a close-up of its 6 toed foot.