25 Feb Days 149 to 166 Time flies when you are having fun! Part 2

The second half of our kids visits started with a road trip to Fort Lauderdale to pick up our daughter. We had lots of time so we made good use of the rental, some shopping and then some sight seeing, we drove across Alligator Alley and took a side trip to see the Everglades. We checked out Janes Memorial Scenic Drive. It is a Panther sanctuary so I couldn’t talk Janet into a hike. We did see this guy as we were leaving.
I guess there is a reason they call it Alligator Alley.
The next morning we borrowed a car and went to see the Manatee park in Fort Myers. The Manatee park is located on the Orange River where a power plant empties cooling water into the river. The manatees come to stay in the power plant outflow in the winter to enjoy the warm waters. It has been unseasonably warm here in Southern Florida so there were only a few manatees in the canal and they were very camera shy.
This one didn’t mind getting his picture taken with a pretty girl.
To finish off a great day in Fort Myers I finally got to see a sunset from the Sky Bar.
I have been trying to get up there for a sunset but, it never seemed to work into our plans. My kids understand how much I like sunsets and I was glad to share it with them.
The following day, Family Day in Canada, we took the boat to Pelican Bay. It was Presidents day here and hot and sunny as well. It made for a very busy day on the Caloosahatchee River.

We got waked many times by some of Florida’s more considerate boaters. As we neared Cape Coral they all had to slow down for the Manatee zones, they call this the Miserable Mile.

I counted 25 boats in this image, all headed toward the Gulf.

We dropped the anchor in Pelican Bay and while Janet made one of her gourmet meals for her Kids, I took them for a dinghy tour of the bay. We saw dolphins feeding and had a nice walk on the sand spit.
I couldn’t have asked for a better Family Day with my Family.
Cayo Costa has one of the most beautiful beaches we have been to on the Loop. It was a pleasure to take the kids there.

While we were there, Emily and I went to check out the little lake that is just inland from the beach and found an alligator (or crocadile, not sure which) sunning on a small sand spit.

I wasn’t fast enough with the camera to catch him but, here he is slipping back into the water. Needless to say we couldn’t get Janet to swim there.
Two of Emily’s goals for her trip were to see a Manatee and Dolphins.
The following day we met those goals. While I was preparing the boat to sail, Janet and the kids took the dinghy into the Keyhole to look for manatees. They were very successful, they saw about 10 manatees frollicking in the morning sun.

Photo Credit: Emily McCulloch

Then just after leaving the anchorage we had a couple of dolphins come out and play in the bow wake of Nautoncall.
Alligators, Manatees and Dolphins! The trifecta of Florida wildlife!
Back in Fort Myers beach we had to say goodbye to Nowrin and Corey, it felt like they just got there.
A few more days of Sun and Fun with Em.

And then just like that it was time to drive her to the Airport as well. Seventeen days in total, it was over in a heartbeat.
Time really does fly when you’re having fun…
Sent from Samsung tablet.