Florida Winter Vacation

On March 2, 2019 we departed Dallas and headed to Florida for a winter getaway.  Our plan was to meet our dear friends the Graves in Pensacola and spend the next 3 weeks exploring various parts of Florida.  We arrived in Pensacola on March 4th and met the Graves at the Fort Pickens campground.  This is a place we visited back in the spring of 2016 and we loved it.  Fort Pickens was a military fortress built in the 1850s on a barrier island near Pensacola to protect the coast from invasion.  It is now part of Gulf Islands National Seashore.

Gulf Islands National Seashore at Pensacola

Robert & Lee...not a warm day

We spent the morning of March 5th exploring the fort and the beautiful seashore (unfortunately it was windy and quite cold so no swimming).  In the afternoon we went into Pensacola and visited the National Aviation Museum.  The museum houses military aircraft from WWII through the 20th century.  It is also the home of the Blue Angles fighter squadron and some of the jets they use are on display.

Blue Angles Fighters displayed
at the National Aviation Museum in Pensacola

On March 6 we drove to Tallahassee.  This drive took us through the area that was hit by hurricane Michael in Oct 2018.  We drove through miles of devastation where entire forests of trees were broken off half way up....a very sad reminder of the power of mother nature.

Next day we drove to Alexander Springs Recreation Area which was to serve as our base camp for the next four days.  We got a nice campsite for the RV and made day trips in "Little Red" (the Graves new red 4Runner).  On March 8 we drove to Blue Spring State Park which is the winter home of some manatees.  The park has viewing platforms that provide the ability to see the manatees in their natural habitat.

Manatees hanging out in the water at Blue Spring state Park

Robert, Lani, Manatee, and Elizabeth

From there we drove to St Augustine, the oldest European settlement in the U.S.  This town was founded by the Spanish in 1565.  It also boasts a military fort (Castillo de San Marcos) that you can tour.  We got to see the firing of the cannon, a ritual they perform periodically.  We also walked through the old town which includes vintage shops and restaurants.

Castillo de San Marcos in St Augustine

Firing the cannon

City gate at St Augustine

Oldest schoolhouse in the city

On March 9th we drove to Gatorland, a wildlife park with an alligator focus.  We enjoyed the shows that included wrestling alligators and getting them to jump out of the water to catch food.  On the return trip we stopped at Harry Leu Gardens, an arboretum located in Orlando...very nice.

Welcome to Gatorland!

Alligator wrestling

Gators just hanging out

Next day we chose to stay in camp and explore Alexander Springs near the campground.  This is a fresh water spring that has been turned into a nice swimming hole.  Liz and I rented a canoe and paddled down the river that originates at the spring.  Robert and I also did some biking on trails near the campground.

On March 11th we went to Universal Studios to see the Harry Potter park (Hogwarts).  We had a great time but the rides were a little intense for Liz and I and we ended up being nauseous for the rest of the day (next time we'll take dramamine ahead of time).  We tried the butter beer and it was better than regular beer.

Hogwarts village at Universal Studios

Hogwarts school of magical arts

The next day we began our trek to south Florida spending the night in Melbourne.  On Wednesday we arrived at the Long Pine Campground in the Everglades.  This would be our base camp for the next 5 days as we explored southern Florida.  On our way to the Everglades we passed through Fort Lauderdale and drove by the former Graves condo there.....it still looks inviting.  We also stopped for lunch at Casablanca Cafe next to the beach...delicious food and wonderful view.

Long Pine Campsite - base camp for Southern Florida

On March 14th we began at the Coe visitor center and took a guided walking tour through the everglades.  Our guide was remarkable for both his knowledge and his enthusiasm for the park and its wildlife.  Next we drove to Flamingo at the southern tip of the park. We took a boat tour of the inlets and marshes of the area to see the beautiful mangrove forests and birds.  This area also has salt water crocodiles.

Aboard the tour boat near Flamingo in the Everglades

Crocodile sighting

Blue Heron

Next day we drove to Biscayne National Park and walked along the dike going into the bay where we could see sea rays, crabs and starfish.  We then went up the coast toward Miami to see Vizcaya Museum and Gardens.  This is a mansion that was built by James Deering between 1914 and 1922.  It is beautifully decorated and is surrounded by amazing gardens.

Walk by the bay in Biscayne National Park

Visitor Center at Biscayne NP

Vizcaya Mansion near Miami

Grounds around the mansion

Dining room in the mansion

On March 16th we visited John Pennenkamp Coral Reef State Park on Key Largo.  This park has a coral reef that enables observation of ocean wildlife from a glass bottomed boat.  Lani and Robert took the tour on the boat while Liz and I found ourselves a beach on the bay and did some swimming.

Beach at John Pennenkamp Coral Reef State Park

The next day we got an early start and headed down the island chain to Key West where we had reservations in a hotel for the night.  We spent the day touring Key West on a bus with a guide that explained the sights as we drove around the island.  We went around several times!  We ate dinner at El Meson De Pepe's Restaurant and went to Mallory Square to watch the sun set.  At the restaurant we had several roosters join us for dinner and at Mallory Square we got to see all sorts of performers providing entertainment for the crowd.

Lani with her new boyfriend at Mallory Square in Key West

Liz enjoying dinner with a friendly rooster

One for the popular bars in downtown Key West
(it had 3 levels, the top level is clothing optional)

Mallory Square Entertainer

Sunset at Mallory Square

On March 18th we again got up early, checked out of our hotel in Key West, and went down to the dock to catch our boat for Dry Tortugas National Park.  This is a charter boat run by the NPS to ferry visitors to the island and Fort Jefferson which was built between 1846 and 1876 to help protect the southern coastline of the U.S.  Dry Tortugas NP is also know for its coral reefs and bird watching.  The boat trip is over 2 hours each way and can be  rough, so Liz and I took our Dramamine to avoid problems with sea sickness.  It worked and we had a great time exploring the island.

The boat that brought us to the island (not)

The boat that brought us to the island

After returning to Key West we hopped in Little Red (Graves car) and headed back to our campsite in Long Pine Key.  The following day we left our base camp for good and headed toward Tampa Bay.  We had reservations for two nights in Lake Manatee State Park.  Our last day together was March 20th.  Liz has a sister named Anna Maria so she wanted to go see Anna Maria Island which is in the area.  It is a beautiful little barrier island on the gulf coast that has some very nice white sand beaches.  In the afternoon we planned to go to a Phillies spring training game near Tampa but it was sold out when we got there, so we had lunch at Cracker Barrel and then we went into St Petersburg to look at the Chihuly Collection of glass works.  Liz and I strolled around the downtown area while the Graves went through the museum.

Relaxing at the campsite in Lake Manatee State Park

Liz at Anna Maria Elementary School

On the beach at Anna Maria Island (a little chilly)

Chihuly Collection of Glass Art

On March 21st we had come to the end of our time together with the Graves and it was time to say goodbye.  They headed to visit Robert's sister in Alabama and we headed home with overnight stops near Pensacola, FL and Monroe, LA.  We arrived home on March 23rd.  We decided that going to Florida for three weeks in Feb/March is a great way to spend the winter and I think we should do it every year!

2018 Winter Holiday

So this year we initiated a new plan for our family gatherings over the Christmas holiday.  Ideally, we  would like to rent a cabin every year somewhere near a ski resort and have everyone come.  However, we were having limited success because Christmas holiday is the hardest time to find a cabin.  So we decided to book a cabin a year in advance each year and let the kids take turns choosing the location.  

This first year it was our turn to choose the location so last January we booked a beautiful cabin in Sundance, UT.  The dates for our winter holiday were Dec 27 - 30th.  We started our trip from Sacramento, CA where we spent Christmas with d and Zhouyi.  We left d's house on Dec 26 headed to Elko, NV each in our own cars.   Near Winnemucca, NV we ran into a big snow storm that significantly slowed our travel.  We were in our 4Runner which did fine in the snow but d's new hybrid Hyundi was a little dicey so we dragged into the hotel at Elko late that night.  The next day the storm had moved further east and we were worried about hitting it again when we got to Utah but we had no further trouble.  When we got to Provo we stopped to rent skis in order to avoid the lines at the resort.  Then we headed up to the cabin.

The cabin is very near the Sundance resort (within walking distance) and we had a view of the ski slopes from the cabin deck.  The cabin was amazing with lots of room for everyone including a loft with beds for all the grandkids (Akston, Reayen, Elynn, Denae, Beau, and Meila....Euan slept with his parents).  The Keeton's were first to arrive so they were already there when we came along with d and Zhouyi.  Topher and My didn't arrive until after midnight that night.  Rachael and Kevin missed out this year because they spent their Christmas holiday in Scotland, England and Ireland (pretty nice alternative). 

Great Room in the cabin

They even provided a Christmas tree

Talking around the kitchen table

Great views everywhere!

Grandma & grandkids

The fireplace insert helped keep us warm

View of the ski slopes from the cabin balcony

d immediately began setting up a gaming center on the bottom floor using the big screen TV.  That, along with the pingpong table, foosball table, and indoor spa provided all the indoor entertainment we needed.

Rec Room with d's video game set-up

Enjoying some down time

Relaxing in the spa

Unlike last year, this year there was plenty of snow for all outdoor activities.  The first morning in the cabin we started with sliding down the hills on the sleds and discs we found in the garage of the cabin.

Elynn - so cold!

Sliding down the hill by the cabin

Snowman built by the kids
(the snow was too powdery to make snow balls)

Then Liz began a shuttle service in the car to the Sundance ski resort for the skiers (even though the cabin was within walking distance of the resort it couldn't be walked with ski boots and equipment).  Everyone skied except Liz, Zhouyi and Euan, so the shuttle service was kept pretty busy.  Kathryn had arranged ski lessons for all the grandkids on the first afternoon and they all practiced on the bunny slope with their teachers (the ski lessons were definitely a good investment).

Skiers heading for the slopes

Reayen with her unicorn helmet

Meila with her ski instructor

Elynn with her ski instructor

Akston & Reayen skiing down

John, Akston, Reayen, & Kathryn on the slopes

Akston coming through the gate

On the second day we all went skiing again.  I was having a great time on the slopes but was pushing my luck with my knee.  However, I had promised Akston I would ski a run with him before I was through so around noon we hooked up and skied a couple of runs together.  We had a great time!  After that I could tell I was done and it was time to go the cabin and hit the hot tub.  That evening, Kathryn, John, Akston and d went night skiing to finish off their ski adventure.  The rest of us stayed in the warm cabin and watched movies and fell asleep.....it had been an exciting day.

Grandpa watching movies with the girls

My & Beau after a long day

Zhouyi & Euan

Next morning we reluctantly checked out of the cabin but took some group photos before our exit.  We had to balance the iPhone on a chair and try to get everyone to smile at the same time for the picture...quite a feat with this group!

Reayen, Denae, Euan, Liz, Beau, Meila, Lee, Elynn, Akston

Back Row - d, Zhouyi, My, Topher, Kathryn, John

We left the cabin and went down to Provo to see a movie at the theater.  d and Zhouyi headed home with their kids and the Keetons went to the airport to catch their flight.  After the movie Liz and I went to visit Grandma Dayton along with Topher, My and their kids.  We met Johathan Dayton (my nephew) who was also visiting Grandma so it was good to see his family as well.

Grandma Dayton with the Topher Daytons
and the Johathan Daytons

We stayed a couple of nights with Grandma because Liz had an LLC meeting with her family in Salt Lake on Dec 31.  We had dinner with Liz's siblings and had a chance to catch up with her brother Alan and her sister Kathryn who didn't make it out to the reunion at our place in December.  We also drove by the old house in Oak Hills in Provo where I grew up....a little nostalgia.  It was really cold...single digits during the day.

My boyhood home in Provo

On January 1 we headed for home, staying overnight in Pueblo, CO and arriving home the evening of Jan 2.  We arrived with a warm feeling in our hearts for family and for the occasions that bring us together.  Every once in a while those occasions are truly magical and exceed our expectations.....this trip was one of those occasions....we will never forget it.

Christmas in Sacramento

This year we decided to spend Christmas in Sacramento with d and Zhouyi.  They have 3 year-old Meila and 6 month-old Euan and we thought it would be a great year to do Christmas with them.  We also decided to drive the 4Runner instead of the RV because we would need it for the Winter Holiday in Sundance that we had planned after Christmas.

We departed on December 19 and spent three long days driving to Sacramento making overnight stops in El Paso, TX, and Kingman, AZ. We arrived a d's house the evening of Dec 21.  It was great being there before Christmas because it gave us a chance to participate with the kids in preparations such and cooking and doing puzzles.  We also visited Fairytale Town (near Sacramento Zoo), Apple Hill in the Sierra foothills (kind of like Delicious Orchards with pies, doughnuts and cider) and the California State Railroad Museum (a fascinating look at into the past of railroads in California complete with restored steam engines and passenger cars).  Grandma also got some real quality time with Meila teaching her about Christmas baking.

Fairytale Town

Liz & Meila making cookies

d and Euan looking on

Chocolate covered pretzels 

Christmas day was magical with Meila and Euan (Melia now "gets" the Santa Clause thing and Euan likes wrapping paper).  We had a wonderful time watching the grandkids opening presents.  We also did a marathon shift working on a 1000 piece puzzle (d and Liz completed it with a late night effort).

Christmas morning

The finished puzzle (1000 pieces!)

On the day after Christmas we began our trek to Sundance, UT for the Winter Holiday (we'll pick up that story in the next blog post).  This was our first Christmas with d and Zhouyi and we had a marvelous time!! 

2018 Zollinger Sibling Reunion

This year Liz decided to host of reunion for her siblings at our house in early December.  Four of her siblings along with their spouses came.  Anna Maria & Jim and Jacob & Kimberly arrived on Wednesday night, Nov 28.  Paul & Vicki and Barbara & Frank arrived on Thursday.  On Thursday we explored some local sites near us including South Fork Ranch, home of the 1980s TV show Dallas.  That night we had dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant, Abuelos.

Visit to South Fork Ranch

Jacob & Kimberly, Jim & Anna Maria, Lee & Elizabeth

Dinner at Abuelos Mexican Restaurant

On Friday we went to see sites in downtown Dallas including AT&T Stadium (Dallas Cowboys stadium), the Grassy Knoll (where JFK was shot), and the George Bush Presidential Library on the SMU campus (our tour of the library was cut short by a power outage). 

Outside AT&T Football Stadium

Saturday we went to a home show in McKinney and shopping at Nebraska Furniture Mart.  We had dinner at Maggiano's, a great Italian restaurant.

Dinner at Maggiano's Little Italy

On Sunday everyone departed for home except Barbara and Frank.  They joined us on a trip to San Antonio to see the sites there and visit our kids. We visited the Alamo and the River Walk.  We met the Keetons and Topher Daytons for dinner at the Rain Forest Cafe.  We spent the night with Topher and My at their house in Helotes.

The Alamo in San Antonio

Barbara with Elynn at Rain Forest Cafe

Elizabeth with Beau at Rain Forest Cafe

On Dec 3 we drove to three more missions just south of San Antonio along the San Antonio River.  Like the Alamo, these missions have been partially restored and there is a nice bike path that connects them.  We then headed back to Dallas and dropped Barbara and Frank off at the airport for their flight home.  It was great to spend time with Liz's siblings and give them a chance to see the area where we live (they all live in Utah and Idaho).  We look forward to getting together again.