Today was a lazy morning-the kind where we wake up late, eat breakfast late, putter around, take a dip in the pool and then finally decide to get going. We headed to lunch at our fav eatery around here-South Beach Pizzeria-where we stuffed ourselves with all sorts of goodness, including the
biggest "small-size" calzone you have ever seen (the picture does not do it justice at all). So big that I felt the need to tell the lady that I didn't eat it all and took half of it home--just she wouldn't think I was a total pig! Haha.
With very full tummies, we took off for the McKee Botanical Gardens-once one of the top Florida attractions back in the 60s. All but 18 acres of the gardens were eventually sold to developers, and the remaining space was restored about 15 years ago. It was absolutely beautiful-what a hidden gem!
The kids were given "explorer backpacks" to borrow. They contained field journals, colored pencils, compasses, binoculars, magnifying glasses, etc. What a fun way to get the kids into it.
We found lots of interesting things--a whispering bench, a 35 foot one-piece table, a bamboo pavillion, a waterfall, and a couple of fairy houses.
We found some wildlife, and got more than we bargained for with some mating snakes.
Beautiful flowers and lily pads, too (those flamingo flowers are neat!):
We saw buddha belly bamboo, trees that looked like giant pineapples, and big palms...
Some of our favorites were the sleeping tree (it had been knocked over in a storm, but continued to grow horizontally) and the dragon tree (probably weren't supposed to be climbing on it....oops!).
And plenty of hugs for dad along the way....
The kids are already asking to go back!
