After staying at campgrounds without internet, we used up all our data on our Verizon cell phone, so I have not been able to post for awhile….sorry!  I will try to catch up on the last few weeks in Florida in this post now that we are in a new month of data.

We met up with Dan’s parents a few more times before leaving the East Coast area of Florida.  In addition, we had a nice golf and dinner outing with 2 other couples from Dan’s hometown of Oconto Falls, WI that were down in New Smyrna Beach on vacation. Unfortunately, the photos of our golf and dinner are on Dan’s mom’s camera.  But we had a great time with Les, Beth, Jeff and Cheryl.  We had a nice dinner at Dixie Crossroads Restaurant in Titusville.  It’s a bit of a touristy place, but the food was good.  Not a place you would want to go for a nice quiet dinner however.  Everyone recommended we try the Royal Red Shrimp, which we had never heard of before.  We both love shrimp, and agree this was the best tasting shrimp we have ever had.  Very sweet and tender.  Royal Red is a very deep-water shrimp found off the Atlantic Coast in Florida.  It is normally in season in the Spring.  If you love shrimp, and ever get a chance to try these, you will not be disappointed!

Les and Beth enjoy fishing in the Atlantic Ocean, and Dan was curious about this style of fishing from shore, so he watched them for a few minutes when it was “fish on”!

Nice catch Beth!

We had a nice “end of season” cook-out at our campground, and by the time we left on Saturday, April 5th, the campground was pretty empty.  It was too soon for us to leave Florida, so we headed back over to the Gulf side, and found a nice Passport America park in Venice, Florida.  We got together that night with our friend Mary Jo to watch our beloved Wisconsin Badgers play Kentucky in the final four.

Go Badgers!!

Despite our cheering, the Badgers lost by one point.  They had an excellent season, and almost all the players should be back next year.  Who would have expected at the beginning of the season they would make it to the Final Four?!

On Sunday, we again got together with Mary Jo and watched two manatees at play right off the dock by their house.  We were all invited for an impromptu get-together at Gary and Elaine’s, Mary Jo’s neighbors down the road.  A few years ago, Mary Jo invited me to go on a boat trip with 6 other gals.  Other than Mary Jo, I only had met one other gal that was going to be on the boat.  To be honest, I was hesitant to go, as I was terrified of the idea of spending a week on a boat with complete strangers.  It’s an introverted person’s nightmare!  But Dan was very encouraging, and it was an opportunity of a lifetime, so I did go, and had an excellent time.

Elaine invited 2 other couples over for dinner as well, so we had a “mini reunion” of sorts with some of the other gals.  And Dan finally got to meet all the people I was talking about.

Elaine, Mary Jo, Cindy, me and Terri

And of course, since we were back on the Gulf Coast, it was time for another sunset!

sunset in Nokomis

Monday was a special day, and I will do a separate post on that day’s activities.

Quote for the day: “My parents didn’t want to move to Florida, but they turned sixty, and that’s the law.” – Jerry Seinfeld