Florida, January 2026

 Florida   November 23-31, 2026

November 23rd we flew from Detroit to Tampa, Florida.  We left Detroit in cold,   snowy conditions and arrived in Tampa to abundant sunshine and 70 degree weather. We rented a trailor in Gerry and Cathy's park in Palmetto, Florida south of Tampa. The next two days were spent with Gerry and Cathy.  On Friday we spent some time shopping in a mall in Sarasota.  After the shopping we drove out on Anna Marie island where we found a park on the ocean and played cribbage and munched on cheese and crackers and sipped wine. We dined that evening at a nice ocean side restaurant overlooking the Gulf. Saturday  we slept in and met Gerry and Cathy at their trailor for a light lunch.  After lunch, Gerry and Tim went to a sports bar to watch the second half of the Michigan State basketball game.  After the game the four of us took a short drive to Ryan and Anna's house where we played a raucous game of 6 handed euchre, boys against the girls.  After the boys thorough drubbing of the girls we all went out to another oceanside restaurant for dinner. Ryan and Anna's children, Olivia and Austin, joined us for dinner and were as well behaved as 6 and 4 years can be.

A great find in Palmetto was a local restuarant called Poppi's that served a wonderful breakfast.  We ate there both Friday and Sunday morning.  After breakfast Sunday we drove to Kissimmee, a suburb of Orlando. Friends we have traveled with in the past, Lyn and Don Johnson invited us to join them in their time share. We spent the week with them. There were two relatively brief shopping trips but otherwise we chatted, played cards, napped and drank. We also participated in two activites the resort offered. Notably, we won the trivia contest. The weather was ok.  Temps in the 60's and two days in the 50's, but compared to what we were hearing about Michigan weather it was great. We flew home late Saturday afternoon. We arrived home shortly before midnight. The outside temperature was -6.  We questioned why we left Florida.