Loading 4 canoes and 11 bicycles in Urbana, Illinois
Everyone has one box of stuff.
Almost ready to take off, around 6pm, in Urbana. We plan to pick up Ines around midnight at the Nashville International Airport.
Unloading the canoes at the Rt 4 bridge of the Coldwater Creek near Munson in the Florida Panhandle
Put-in at the Coldwater Creek
Ines, Amrei, and Alfred in a canoe
On the Coldwater Creek
A canoe cap sized
A recent Hurrican toppled many trees
Ines, Amrei, and Alfred are stuck :(
On the Coldwater Creek near the recreation area
At the take-out at the Coldwater Creek Recreation Area
Sarah and M
Sarah
Pia
Lunch at the Red Bar in Grayton Beach (from the left: Pia, Zita, Zach, Marietta, Alfred, Amrei, Sarah, Ines)
Bicycling from the Cabin to the beach in the state park.
At the beach (Grayton Beach State Park)
Sarah, M, and Pia at the beach at the Grayton Beach State Park
Ines is getting ready to get her feet wet. Afterwards we hiked a beautiful nature trail through a small forest between the dunes and read the woodland prayer on a post.
Zita waiting for dinner in the cabin (Grayton Beach State Park)
Ines
Amrei and Sarah
M
Driving to the Juniper Springs Recreation area in the Ocala National Forest, near Orlando.
Sarah, M, and Pia
At Juniper Spring
Juniper creek canoe trail
Celebration of Thera's 18th birthday in the Juniper Springs Recreation Aera after a 7 mile canoe trip from Juniper Springs to the Rt 19 bridge.
An "8" for the 18th birthday
Thera blows out the candles
Thera unwrapps a gift.
M and Pia
Demostrating Thera's new bicycle.
Zach at the Discovery Cove in Orlando
Amrei and Alfred at the entrace of the cave of the lazy river in the Discovery Cove
Amrei touches sting rays in a salt-water pool in the Discovery Cove
Amrei pets a sting ray
Amrei and Marietta snorkeling at the artificial reef in the Discovery Cove
Amrei and Alfred
Thera, Pia, Ines, and Sarah
Pia, Thera, Sarah, M, and Ines
Pia plays with birds at the Discovery Cove
M plays with birds at the Discovery Cove
Zach, Zita, Thera, M, Sarah and Pia
Thera's birthday surprise birthday celebration at the Discovery Cove, after a lunch with live music
Waiting for Thera's birthday cake.
Zach, Ines, Zita, Thera, M, Amrei, Sarah, Pia, and Marietta waiting for Thera's birthday cake.
M and Sarah
Thera
Playing with a dolphin at the Discovery Cove
The dolphin has a soft skin.
Studying the tail fin of the dolphin.
Zita petting the dolphin
Zita and our dolphin
Zita smiles
Alfred playing with the dolphin
Oops, the dolphin is splashing Alfred
Amrei kisses the dolphin. Ines holds Amrei.
Ines holds Amrei. The dolphin is on his back, and Amrei pets him.
Ines pets the dolphin.
Ines and the dolphin.
Pia kisses the dolphin.
Pia pets the dolphin.
Pia and the dolphin.
The dolphin "speaks" when Pia pets him.
Sarah pets the dolphin.
Sarah kisses the dolphin.
Sarah and the dolphin.
M pets the dolphin.
M kisses the dolphin.
M and the dolphin.
Giving the dolphin directions.
Our dolphin shows off.
Asking the dolphin to dance.
Group photo with the dolphin.
Pia holds on to the dolphin's finn and he drags her.
Pia swims with the dolphin.
Pia and her dolphin.
The ride is over.
Sarah holds on to the finn and the dolphin starts to pull.
Sarah swims with the dolphin.
Sarah swims with a dolphin.
M holds on to the fins of the dolphin and the dolphin speeds up.
M enjoys to swim with a dolphin.
M swimming with the dolphin
Amrei tries as hard as she can to hold on to the fins of the dolphin.
The dolphin accelerates with Amrei.
Amrei can barely hold on - the dophin slows down for her.
Alfred holds on to the fins fins of the dolphin.
Oh wow, the dolphin speeds up really fast.
Alfred can barely hold on.
Ines swims with the dolphin.
Ines smiles when swimming with the dolphin.
The dolphin speeds up for Zach.
Zach swimms with the dolphin.
The dolphin is fast.
The dolphin accelerates quickly with Zita.
Zita and the dolphin make waves swimming through the pool.
Zita swimming with the dolphin.
M after an exciting day at the Discovery Cove.
M and Sarah at the Discovery Cove
At the Fort de Soto island camground.
During the moonlight canoe trip around the islands of Tampa Bay, these trees helped us to find back to the campground.
Getting ready for swamp bicycling at the Alafia River State Park (River Loop).
Washing the bicycles after the swap bike.
The saddle for Pia bicycle broke.
Hosing the bicycles.
Zach in the Myakka River State Park
On the nature trail in the Myakka River State Park
Sarah, Ines, and Alfred on the canape walk in the Myakka River state Park
Sarah, M, Pia, and Ines on the canape walk.
On the canape walk in the Myakka River State Park
Looking down from the 70ft wooden tower of the canape walk
Zach
Thera on the 70ft tower of the canape walk.
Zita and Ines
Zach, Thera, and Pia
Looking down the 70ft wooden tower.
Zita, Zach, Thera, and Pia on the 70ft tower.
Zita
On the canape walk.
At the Fort de Soto campground on an island: Unpacking the bicycles for a 4-mile-ride to the famous Fort de Soto North beach
Pia and Thera
Our tents at the fort de Soto campground.
Our tents and the trailer at the Fort de Soto campground
The Fort de Soto campground is on a beautiful, small tropical island.
Sarah and M ready for a 4-mile-bike ride to the famous North beach
Pia and thera at the Fort de Soto North beach
Amrei and Marietta
Amrei
Amrei enjoys the warm water
Marietta reading a book at the beach
Pia writing her diary at the beach
Chicken dinner at the beach
Our private little sunset celebration at the Fort de Soto North beach
At Ding's Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel island
Birds in Ding's Wildlife Refuge
Flocks of Birds at Ding's Wildlife Refuge
Zita taking a picture on a look out in Ding's Wildlife Refuge
Bird watching in Ding's Wildlife Refuge
Our red Van in Ding's Wildlife Refuge
Bird watching at Ding's Wildlife Refuge
Amrei at Bowman's beach on Sanibel island
Zita, M, and Zach are collecting shells at Bowman's beach on Sanibel island
Zach and Zita
Thera. In the background Zach and Zita build sand castles
The water is refreshing :)
Zach and Zita throw wet sand at each other
Thera and Pia
Thera and Pia at Bowman's beach on Sanibel island
Marietta
At Bowman's beach on Sanibel
Guided kayak sunset paddle on Tarpon bay in Ding's Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel island
Listing to the naturtist during the sunset paddle
Bird watching during the sunset paddle
a wood pecker
Marietta, Zach, and zita
Shells living on Mangrove roots
Marietta and Zita
Marietta and zita
Almost full moon
Amrei paddles
From our kayaks we watch a dolphin having dinner in Tarpon Bay (the fin of the dolphin is near the center)
WAtching sunset from our kayaks in Tarpon Bay
Studying the menu of the Island Cow restaurant (with life music) on Sanibel island
Studying the menu of the Island Cow
Pia, Sarah, M, and Amrei in the Island Cow
M enjoys dinner (we are all very hungry after the kayak trip and swimming at Bowman's beach)
Sarah receives her dinner at the Island Cow on Sanibel
Alfred is happy and relaxed. The cold beer is a delight :)
Getting ready for a 17mile-bicycle ride through the Everglades National Park at the Shark Valley Visitor Center
There are lots of alligators along the trail
From a distance the landscape looks like the prairie in Illinois, but here short grass is growing some very rugged, porous, water-filled rocks
Birds are everywhere, along the trail
The bicycle trail is paved.
Baby alligators in a pond next to the bicycle trail
A baby alligator on a leave.
Another baby alligator on a leaf
Zach bicycling in the everglades National Park
Zia, Thera, M, Zach and Pia at a break on our 17mile bike trip through the Everglades
An alligator wants to cross the bicycle trail.
On the lookout tower in the Everglades at the half-way point of the bike trail.
A pond with many alligators
Amrei watching the alligators in the pond
The lookout tower in the Everglades at the half-way point of the bike trail
Driving through a thunderstorm in Miami
Thera, Sarah, and M in Key West
Hemingway Muuseum in Key West
Zach and Zita in Key West
Sarah, Pia, Thera, M, Zach and Zita at the end of Highway 1 which run all the way along the East Coast
On the way for a gallery walk on Duval Street in Key West
Art Museum in Key West
The island of the rich and famous across the harbor of Key West
A cruise ship in the harbor of Key West
The sunset celebration at Mallroy Square in Key West starts
M and Pia on the old railroad bride on the Bahia Honda island in the Keys
Watching the sunrise on the old railroad bridge during an early morning bicycle ride on Bahia Honda island in the Keys
Sunrise - on the Bahia Honda island
At the beach on the Bahia Honda island
Pia and Thera at the beach on the Bahia Honda island in the Florida Keys
Puppet theater on 'Saving the Environment' by two rangers near Bahia Honda's beach
The other ranger moves the puppets.
Marietta and M
Lunch at Bahia Honda's beach
Ziat and Marietta relax
A a bus from the water park Aquatica to the amusement park Sea World in Orlando
M, Sarah, Zach
Alfred and Amrei at the Shamu show at Sea World
Amrei watching Shamu
Shamu
Zach, Zita, Sarah, Pia, Amrei, Marietta, M, Thera, and Alfred after lunch at a Chinese restaurant near Atlanta, Georgia
Our red van and our trailer
