A Trip to the Sunshine State - Day One

Back in January of 2014 my retired aunt and uncle decided that it was time to take me to a place I'd never visited before...the state of Florida.

Now don't get all excited thinking this means posts full of a certain 'mouse-y' theme park because no, retirees don't do overpriced and crowded.  And if I'm honest, I don't care for it much either.

No, retirees do off-season ocean-front state-park vacations.  Which is just fine with me.

So...Florida in January...because OF COURSE.

We left during the middle of a massive and slightly scary rain storm...and by 'slightly scary' I mean the tornado warning sirens were going off as we drove past them.  We survived the driving rain and wind and headed out of state. 

Our first and only stop was in the small town of Eufaula, Alabama.  Now, if you look nice and hard you might find this metropolis on a map, but I doubt it.  After miles of empty highway we were nearing lunch time and my uncle, being the fearless leader of our convoy, cut across multiple lanes of traffic because he'd spotted his favorite restaurant...KFC.

Now, the KFC in Eufaula has seen better days.  While we stood huddled in front of the register we were informed that the ovens were not working so about half of the menu was unavailable.  Orders adjusted accordingly we took our seats a slightly sticky table and watched as rain dripped from several of the overhead light fixtures.  I risked a rather harrowing trip to the ladies room (greasy floors, slimy walls, muggy air) and returned to our table just as the power went out.

I was pretty convinced that I was going to die there.

Once we were back on the road we headed 'decidedly south' toward the state line.

Upon arrival in 'American's dangly bits' I noticed two very distinct things about the place. 

1.)  There was no sunshine in the "Sunshine State."

2.)  The place smelled like a dead skunk.

Way to make a first impression there FL.

 

But this was my beach vacation so I decided that I was going to have a good time any way.  So here's a random dolphin that was outside the visitor's center.  It was painted with 'scenes of Florida'...I think I would have liked it better if it had been painted like a dolphin.  But hey, art is subjective.  



Here's the random promotional cardboard standup inside the visitor's center...which was just to good of an opportunity for 'enforced participation' by family members. 

So here's the DivaUncle

And the much shorter DivaAunt

Random Astronaut.

I totally wandered up to it and said "Hello, sweetie." Because OF COURSE I did.  (Shout out to all my fellow Whovians.) 

My very first look at the Gulf of Mexico.

 

So...yeah...kinda the opposite of impressive. 

 

The mist/fog started to clear right at sunset and I'll admit that my first few hours in FL weren't really that impressive, however; my hotel room was ocean front so I got to fall asleep listening to the waves...which made the fact that I had to share a bathroom for a week a little more bearable. 

 

love and kisses,

- HistoryDiva