South Rim

At 7375 ft elevation on the South Rim of the Chisos Mountains of Big Bend, a fourteen mile hike up to the 2500 ft escarpment overlooking the Rio Grande and Mexico. 

Texans have a saying: you're not a real Texan unless you've been to the South Rim. Well, there we are.

Many years ago I was up here backpacking with my bud Terry Banen.  The view, as Terry was wont to say, is "intense."

French Market

Hot apple beignets at the French Market. 

St Joseph Peninsula State Park

Very nice out-of-the-mainstream park. But the wind!

Yellow flag warnings in the morning. 

Red flag in the afternoon. Sure does hold down the crowds. 

Sun went down, wind went up. 

Cozumel

Back aboard after visiting the Tulum ruins on Friday. 

Back in Tampa today. 

Pano before sailing away. 

Off again

Off again....

In more ways than one!

Myaaka

Myaaka River State Park east of Sarasota is our favorite yet. Great weather helps of course. 

Sweet campsite among the live oak and Spanish Moss, which is neither Spanish nor moss, but a nonparasitic epiphyte. 

Myaaka Lake is home to one thousand alligators, most of which we saw from aboard the Myaaka Maiden, largest airboat in existence with a passenger capacity of 62. Across the water there is her smaller sister ship, the Gator Gal.

Great Blue Heron visiting the overlook at sunset:

More Naples

A fine specimen of Malay Tiger at the Naples Zoo, a very cool place. They also have three (3!!!) honey badgers there, one of the most fierce and fearless animals in Africa. 

Then on to the beach. 

Naples

Naples Pier on a blustery day. 

Arrrr!

Floating around Miami Beach on the Pirate Duck, an amphibious trolley with a buccaneering theme.