The retired USS Orleck is at sea!
Ok, it’s being towed by tug to its new home in Jacksonville, Florida. It will feature a unique look at the Navy during the Cold War and Vietnam. It’s journey was required when the Lake Charles museum non-profit owners lost their lease of the dock. Fortunately Jacksonville was looking for a ship to make into a museum in downtown.
Sarasota, Florida has a man-made hill “towering” 75 feet above the former celery fields below. A short, moderate hike to the top provides a panoramic view and some birding opportunities.
In Florida, every body of water larger than a puddle has at least one alligator in it. This is especially true of Myakka Lake. It also has plenty of birds and wild pigs.
In Florida we took a sightseeing trips to the Siesta Key Rum. The tour was perfect for engineer and non-engineer alike. The tour and tasting were free; escaping without a couple bottles of rum was not possible.
Doing an Internet search for the Houston Aquarium I accidentally discovered the Interactive Aquarium. I was really looking for the big aquarium in downtown Houston, but discovered this one just a couple miles from home. It really provides opportunities to interact with the animals.
Our new local zoo is the Houston Zoo. We got discounted tickets because we are seniors now and we got credit for our Phoenix Zoo membership. Tickets have to be purchase online and are good only for a specific half hour entry window.
Our Phoenix visit included returning to the Desert Botanical Garden before our annual passes expire. We’ve been here a lot. Sometimes just to enjoy a walk, other times to immerse ourselves in the flora (and occasional fauna).
Our travels took us to Arizona (from our new base in Texas), where we have Lifetime Passes to Butterfly Wonderland in Scottsdale. Butterflies are frequent subjects for my photography. So here are some butterflies and more.
We visited the Texas Sealife Center, a rescue facility in Corpus Christi. They rescue marine life, tortoises, and birds.
After a four month hiatus I’m back on the road again. To Corpus Christi, Texas (Texas, our new home state). Padre Island National Seashore and the Texas State Aquarium were visited today.