Tag: #explore

LIVE WHILE WE ARE LIVING WITH THE CORONA CHAOS…..HORSEBACK RIDING ROAD TRIP ON HUTCHINSON ISLAND

A beach on Hutchinson Island, St. Lucie County, FL

My daughter “Teen Traveler” and I decided to get out of the house today while we are all coping with the Corona Chaos here in Florida. Luckily we don’t have any symptoms, nor does anyone we know. Here in Florida, it is recommended not to be among crowds of more than ten people at a time, and we decided we can still LIVE while we are living with the Corona Chaos. We began thinking of all the things we can do on a road trip here in Florida and decided we wanted to go horseback riding on a beach with beautiful blue water, so we came up with Tours On Horseback in Fort Pierce. We called them, and they said they could meet us in Frederick Douglass Memorial Park on South Hutchinson Island in St. Lucie County. Their website said, “Horseback riding is the perfect way to relax and take your mind off the stress and tension of everyday life, ” and that sounded just PERFECT for us while we take a break from travel due to the US travel recommendations and restrictions during this Covid-19 outbreak. We made the reservation today and for $45.00 per person, we rode along the seashore while a gentle breeze blew in our hair. The temperature on the beach today was only about 81 degrees Fahrenheit, and it was just what we needed to avoid any cabin fever we might feel in the coming days…………

“Teen Traveler” on her horse

The ride lasted about an hour, which was just the perfect amount of time for “Teen Traveler”, who has never been on a horse that long. The horses walked along the edge of the beach with their hooves in the water but did not go into the water, which would have been fun.

We saw unexpected bursts of color along the trail to the beach

After our beach ride, while we were driving home, we noticed LOTS and LOTS of electric scooters scattered about the island, all for rent. What an unexpected surprise. You can use an app to pay for the scooters with your cell phone.

Electric scooters all lined up in multiple spots along South Hutchinson Island and ready to rent.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.superpedestrian.link&hl=en_US

Use the Link Scooter Sharing App to rent your scooter through your cell phone

Along the way home, we enjoyed our day at the beach with its breathtaking blue waters………

Sand here on South Hutchinson Island is a bit more dark than the white sands of Vero Beach, north of St. Lucie County in Indian River Count
Lighter sand on Vero Beach

What a wonderful day spent together with “Teen Traveler”, soaking up the sun with laughter and reminding ourselves that we will overcome this virus situation eventually….

“Instead of worrying about what you cannot control, shift your energy to what you can create.”

― Roy Bennett

We CAN create a day full of joy, full of love, full of exploration, full of adventure, full of hope…………

Life is good; carpe diem, friends………………

http://www.beachtoursonhorseback.com/

COPING WITH CORONA, PART 2 (LIFE THROUGH A LENS)

With Covid-19 positive cases cropping up here in Florida, combined with the CDC recommendations not to visit places with greater than fifty people, I am strolling down memory lane to visit Silver Springs State Park, which was extremely popular within Florida’s tourist industry, until the early 1970’s when some of the large theme parks opened in Orlando. This park was so popular that a tour boat operator released rhesus monkeys there in an effort to make a Tarzan-like attraction. Now, visitors can spot an occasional wild monkey roaming about the park. If you see a monkey, though, don’t get too close. Many are infected with herpes B virus, which can be transmitted to humans through contact with the monkeys if they bite. Sometimes the monkeys are aggressive, so it is better to stay away from them and live life through your lens with photographs.

Sign at Silver Springs State Park, describing the wild monkeys and advising you to stay away from them
Turquoise blue spring waters from ancient limestone formations

I spent the day, with my daughter, “Traveling Teen” hiking through the trails, enjoying the moments as they unfolded before our eyes……..

Temperature is 72 degrees Fahrenheit year round, but swimming is not permitted

Although swimming is not permitted at Silver Springs State Park, you can take a glass bottom boat ride for only $12.oo for a half hour. You can even see some statues from one of the underwater scenes from a James Bond movie filmed there.

Like Alice at the looking glass, you can see a whole new world through the glass bottom boat floor at Silver Springs

Many movies were filmed at Silver Springs:

The Seven Swans

Never Say Never Again

Thunderball

Legend

Moon Over Miami

The Yearling

Distant Drums

Underwater!

Creature From The Black Lagoon

Don’t Give Up The Ship

Blindfold

Tarzan And His Mate

Tarzan The Ape Man

Smokey And The Bandit, Part 3

Rebel Without A Cause

The Frogmen

SeaHunt (Series)

Spanish Moss hanging from trees everywhere

While coping with Covid-19, you can always take a road trip to Silver Springs to create a memory with someone you love as you get some fresh air. If you want to avoid a crowded boat, you can rent kayaks, stand up paddleboards, and canoes there, too.

Life is good; get out to enjoy it whenever you can. Silver Springs is located in Marion County, Florida, north central Florida, just east of Ocala. The blue waters and this park is “old Florida” at its best. Enjoy today; carpe diem……….

“The best way to explain it is to do it.” 

-Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Alice: “How Long is Forever?”

White Rabbit: “Sometimes, just one second.”

-Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

https://www.floridastateparks.org/silversprings

Musings about the journey of life…………

I started this blog to share some of the thoughts I have along the journey of life. I love to travel and spend time with my family and friends. A good meal, breaking bread with those I love, gives my life meaning. So does travel. I adore dreaming of sites to visit, not just to check them off on a list. Rather, I consider myself a student of life, traveling as an explorer, to open my mind to all the possibilities the world holds in store for me and for others. I love to travel to discover how different the world is in terms of climate, cultures, politics, terrain, economy, etc. but also to discover how SIMILAR the people are. Despite language barriers, much can be communicated with a smile or gestures. Language is simply a means to communicate, yet there are so very many other ways to communicate. Once when I was in French-speaking Canada, I realized that my 7th grade French class didn’t teach me the word for “straw”. However, when I thought about it, I was able to communicate to the very French-speaking waiter in a very French-speaking restaurant about my need for a “cylinder through which to drink” in my limited French vocabulary. Travel challenges the mind and soul, stretching us to problem solve and form conclusions about all that we experience. THAT is the type of travel I enjoy best.

“All’s well that ends well”, as they say………….”Life is Good” as well.