Bring on the Water Sports at Pink Shell Resort

This week has been all about Athena. Splashing in the pool, building sandcastles, strolling down the beach, meeting other babies, and playing toddler games consumed our days and filled my heart with joy. Today, our last day at Pink Shell Resort, though, I had to test out the water sports. Every day when I walked by the water bikes, the kayaks, the paddle boards, the jet skis, and the Hobie Cats they called my name. We used Darren’s lunch break today to give into temptation and give them a spin. 

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The Sun was Setting

Every second of the day since arriving at Pink Shell Resort in Fort Myers, Florida has been about spending time with Athena, but in the evening, when she’s already in dreamland, Darren and I watch the sunset from the balcony. Each night, it has been completely different yet postcard perfect every time.

Which one is your favorite? 1? 2? 3? 4? or 5? Do you prefer the yellows, blues, or pinks?

Pink Shell Resort Water Babies

Success! Athena and I spent the entire day playing in the pool at Pink Shell Beach Resort. We did absolutely nothing else, and it was spectacular. The sun was beaming overhead casting a ray of light on our day. The breeze was strong enough to keep us cool and the water was refreshing without making us cold. It was the perfect combination to allow us to stay in the pool for hours. We finally called it a day when our fingers and toes were wrinkly prunes and even then Athena tried to get a few mores minutes out of me.

Kick Off Your Shoes & Play in the Sand

82 °F and a slight breeze… the perfect temperature for making sandcastles. Today, Athena and I had one goal – to kick off our shoes and get down to making sandcastles. (Well, that was my goal. Athena’s goal was to sneak in a bite of a seashell any time I wasn’t looking but it fit nicely with my sandcastle goal so she went along.) This week is all about soaking up Athena time and she loves the sand so that’s where we spent our day.

Back to the Beach

My ten days in Jordan were life-changing. I journeyed to five of my bucket list locations including Petra, Wadi Rum, the Dead Sea, the Red Sea, and Jerash. I hiked, swam, walked, and climbed my way through the country. I rode 4x4s, buses, cars, planes, donkeys, and camels; and I am exhausted. After ten days of being a hyperactive tourist, I want some beach time. This week we are relaxing at Pink Shell Beach Resort and Marina in Fort Myers, Florida. My plan is to spend as much time as humanly possible in the pool and on the beach. Forget constant exercise and adventure; I’m ready to relax. 

Everglades and Alligators

A spectacular airboat ride where alligators are plentiful, a relaxing boat cruise through the Everglades National Park where dolphins play in the wake, a delicious, traditional lunch with alligator appetizers, a wildlife drive with the Big Cypress Preserve, and a nature walk full of gators, birds, and other wildlife are all part of the Everglades Day Safari. The Everglades Safari is the only full-day, guided eco-tour of the majestic Everglades. Each part of the tour is designed to explore the four main ecosystems that make up the ‘glades including: the sawgrass prairie, mangrove estuary, cypress swamps and pine savannah. I had never seen an alligator so close before that he could lunge out of the water and attack at any time; I’d also never held an alligator before or eaten one, but this tour was a day of first for me.

Strange Animal Encounters in the Florida Keys

Some people are just in the right place, at the right time, with the right attitude toward something new. I am one of those people. By chance, I met Adam Sandler and Tom Waits in Ireland, Jason Bay in Boston, Flogging Molly in New Brunswick, the Pope in Italy, and the Queen in England. Just last week, I was scheduled for a tour over LA by helicopter. When we arrived, we were escorted to an airplane, which seemed equally as adventurous so we never complained and stepped on board. After our flight, we learned that the company had made a simple mistake and they offered our original helicopter tour at no extra charge. We were able to fly over the beach cities by plane and downtown LA by helicopter all in the same day. Because I travel so freely and rarely have set plans, it leaves a window of opportunity. It was this free-spirited, open-ended travel that led me to a strange animal encounter in the Florida Keys.

One Year of Travel!

After posting One year of Extreme Adventures, I started to think about the travel that I’ve done in the last year. I’ve been to Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Bahamas, Mexico (Baja California and Riviera Maya) and Jamaica. I’ve also been to several provinces in Canada such as Nova Scotia and New Brunswick and even more states in the United States like Florida, Alaska, Nevada, and California. I’ve compiled a group of my favorite moments from each country, state, and province. Come along with me on an amazing, unforgettable trip through the last year in travel.

There may not be words to fill in the blanks but the expression on my face accompanied by the surreal surrounding create enough words to fill an entire blog.

Mexico – Rivera Maya

On Location in Hollywood – Hollywood Beach, Florida

Nestled between Fort Lauderdale and Miami is Hollywood, a classic Florida beachtown that’s enchanted visitors since the 1920s. The Hollywood Beach Resort is the historic star attraction of Hollywood. With fair room prices and beachfront access, we thought we found the ideal hotel, but the excessive parking fee, the unfriendly staff, and the old, run-down rooms quickly changed our view. We don’t, however, spend much time in the room to begin with so the location was its winning quality. At an easy 15 minute drive to Port Everglades Cruise Port, a 30 minute drive from Miami’s South Beach, and a short hop, skip, and a jump to the international airport, we found the Hollywood Beach Resort to be the perfect location for touring southern Florida.