Since we were less than our usual prolific selves in taking pictures at most of the parks I'll just combine them into one page.

Our excuse is it poured at Disney. Wet cameras do not do well. Seaworld was fun and we did get some shots. Universal - well Diagon Alley & Hogwarts were the main attraction.

We have tried to get here for over 25 years. Each time we were in the Keys something happened; too rough seas, no vacancies, etc. Finally made the trip.

There are 2 ways to get here - by sea plane or a 5 hour round trip on the Yankee Freedom III, high-speed ocean catamaran. This is a great trip. The crew is just so much fun and they really take care of you.

The fort is huge. Built between 1846 - 1875 it has over 16 million bricks. It is huge.

There is also some great snorkeling around the fort but since we spent so much time exploring we never got around to it. Oh well.

In case you want to know Tortuga is Spanish for turtle. Ponce de Leon killed a ton here, hence the name. It is the Dry Tortugas because of the lack of surface water. Not to be confused with Tortuga, an island off Haiti.

The day after our Dry Tortugas trip we just chilled around Key West. Well, chilled is not quite right since it was 96 with 99 percent humidity but you know what I mean.

We were glad to see the chickens are still roaming free. Key West, like much of the Keys, has become gentrified and folks with money have bought up a lot of property. That can lead to major changes but apparently chickens are still free. Yeah!

Ft. Taylor construction started in 1845. Yellow fever and other diseases slowed the build but it continued.

During the Civil War it was held by the Union which helped defend the Keys and entrance to the Gulf.

The army turned it over to the Navy in 1947 and in 1968 volunteers started to excavate and found the largest collection of civil war cannon used as filler in walls.

It is an odd grouping of 1800 building with the hideous black squares so favored in the early 20th century.

Driving north from the Keys we stopped at Coral Castle in Homestead. Yes, it is American schlock at it's best, but pretty amazing.

This place has a weird history. Ed Leedskalnin, a Serb immigrant jilted by his 16 year old sweetheart, started building it in 1926. How he managed to move huge stones and do all this work no one knows.

His complex is pretty amazing and rather lovely. A little odd but then that's ok with us. We like odd.

Heather found this while researching things to do around Orlando. We had no idea if it would be schlock or good. It was GOOD.

There are all types of dinosaurs recreated, some in brilliant color. You meander around the path looking at the various critters, reading about them, when they lived, etc.

There is a little presentation in one of the caves where a paleontologist explains when dinosaurs lived - in real scientific terms and dates.

There is a "dig" where kids can uncover fossils with brushes. It's a big sand box with large bones but they loved it.

Lastly they get to sift through another dig and fill a small container with things they find like bones and teeth. After a little while they take them to the paleontologist who tells them what they have and then the kids select their favorite 3 to take home. So nicely done.

When we had finished with Florida we went to spend time with my sister. Our first evening we made the short trip up to Chattanooga for dinner at a lovely place along the Tennessee River.

Chattanooga has done a wonderful job in making the area friendly and encouraging people to be out at night. The bluff below the restaurant has a sculpture garden which we enjoyed before we ate.

After dinner we strolled along the pedestrian bridge enjoying the evening and the sites

Today we went to the Tennessee Aquarium. This is a wonderful place with some very nice exhibits.

The area around the entrance has been made into an interpretive walk about the river that flows nearby and highlights it's importance.




Inside are 2 of my favorites; Seahorses and Jellyfish. Lots of other wonderful things to see as well, but I like those the best

Peter and Livia joined us in Maryland to visit George's mother. So we took advantage of the time we had together to do some sight-seeing.

One day we did a little trip to Great Falls Park. The Potomac builds up speed and cascades over the rocks in a rather spectacular manner.

The Patowmack Canal - championed by George Washington - was built in 1787 to help trade get around the falls.

Today it is a national park paying homage to the good old days of canal travel along the Potomac.

We took Peter and Livia down town D. C. They have never seen any of the Smithsonian museums or The Mall.

George and I grew up around here so we are always amazed when someone says they have not been here. We were very happy to act as tour guides to our cousins.

There is no way you can cover everything in a short afternoon but we did one museum and then strolled around The Mall taking in some of the sites. Always ready to go back.

Yes, we love to visit battlefields. We read about them but seeing the actual terrain brings it into focus.

We tried to do this a few years ago but it was just too hot and humid - not quite that bad today so we're forging onward.

Perryville was the Confederate foray into Kentucky. Bragg hoped to pull Union forces away from Vicksburg and Chattanooga and maybe rally more Confederate support in Kentucky. He succeeded in the first 2 but not the latter.

Although a tactical success for Bragg he was forced to pull back into Tennessee.

The Kentucky State Parks has done a nice job in presenting the battlefield. It was nice, quiet and provided some much needed walking after long hours in the truck.

Our next stop was Woodford Reserve. In tone and feeling it is quite different than the Makers facility. This was a lot slicker and more businesslike.

The buildings are quite unique old stone, and we enjoyed the rail system they use to move the barrels. That was different.

I think what I like best is each distillery has it's own sense of presence from sleek to country. Even if you do not drink the tours are fun.

Distillery tours are a lot of fun. Several years ago we visited Bardstown (Bourbon capital) and visited a few.

We happen to like Makers so visiting the facility was a treat. You learn the history of the place, see the process and then you get to taste. You learn something new with each visit.