Moving on up the State

 

We left Key West on George’s birthday, Thursday, January 21, and drove to Miami Everglades RV Park, southwest of Miami.  We bicycled at  South Point Park and South Beach  and ate lunch there on Friday.  The real estate was definitely uptown!

Then we continued north to C. B. Smith County Park in Pembroke Pines near Ft. Lauderdale.  We planned to be there during the 4th weekend of January because of the chili cook-off and the entertainment for it.  (Last year Alan Jackson performed.) As it turned out, we weren’t interested in seeing this year’s performers, and 25,000 people descended on C. B. Smith park for the chili cook-off.  Never again!  Jim and Hope were awakened at 3:00 a.m. by music from Confederate flaggers attending the event.

We enjoyed the Water Taxi Tour in Ft. Lauderdale, bicycling on the boardwalk at Hollywood Beach and also at Ft. Lauderdale Beach and Hugh Taylor Birch State Park, an oasis of tropical hammocks adjacent to the beach.  Jim and Hope headed home from here and stopped at Shark Valley on the Tamiami Trail to bicycle the 15 mile loop trail thru the Everglades

George and Irene had another day in the  Ft. Lauderdale area and dined at Chef’s Palette Cafe and Grill of the International Culinary School, a delicious and enjoyable experience.  After lunch we toured the Bonnet House next to the state park.  It was the winter home of 2 artists and was decorated in a very whimsical way and included some of their work.