A Goodbye

 

Last week we had to say goodbye to our sweet cockpoo Cooper.  She has been around the entirety of this blog and had been my walking buddy for 15 years.  We walked in Michigan in the snow and ice and the beautiful fall woods.  She adapted to walks in Florida, but definitely missed seeing squirrels.  She never liked the beach or getting in the pool, but loved laying on the lounge chair in the sun.

Our house seems quiet and the routine of the day is much different.  Losing a pet is never easy, but we carry on and remember all the fun she brought to our home through the years.

Fall Visit to St. Augustine

 

It has taken me a bit to write this post, but I still want to share the fun we had in St. Augustine.  We got tickets to the James Taylor concert there, so it was a perfect excuse to explore the city too.  The drive is about 4 hours, so not close, but a pretty easy once you get through Orlando.  

We arrived a couple hours before the concert, checked in and made our way across the Bridge of Lions to dinner and the St. Augustine Amphitheater. Luckily it was a beautiful night and not too hot once the sun went down.  Seeing James Taylor live is a bucket list item for me and he played all the great songs (my favorite Sweet Baby James) and really still sounds so good for his age.  

The next day, we did the tourist thing.  We toured Castillo de San Marco (the fort), the Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine  and stopped for brunch while shopping on St. George Street.  While raining in the afternoon we napped before dinner which was so relaxing.  Dinner was really good and the outdoor courtyard seating was something we missed in Florida all summer, because it is just too hot until fall.  After dinner, we went to a quirky martini bar  (best cosmo my favorite) and then headed to a nighttime trolley ghost tour.  It was cheesy and spooky, but fun.

We headed home the next morning and even made a stop in Disney Springs for some early Christmas shopping.

St. Augustine, the oldest city in America is filled with history and is very well preserved.  I didn’t realize that ghost stories are such a big business there, but it makes sense considering the many deaths over the centuries from Spanish soldiers to pirates to prisoners at the notorious jail.  We were very happy with the restaurants we picked, but barely scratched the surface of interesting spots.  The vibe overall is less Florida and more New Orleans and Charleston, but since we live at the beach it was a fun new adventure.

Hotel - Doubletree Hilton Historic District

Tapas Dinner - Odd Birds

Brunch - PK’s Roosevelt Room

Dinner- Harry’s Seafood

Martini Bar - Tini Martini Bar

1st Birthday and More

 

We recently returned from Kennedy’s (granddaughter #2) first birthday party via a road trip to Michigan. It wasn't quite fall yet, but we still enjoyed a bit cooler weather.  In addition to the party, we went to an outdoor brewery for hard cider, cooked quite a bit, watched football and had a fun day at a new park.  Pretty much all the grandparent things possible.

The party was so fun and Melissa did a great job with decor and food.  There was controlled chaos with a lot of kids running around, but all was well.  Any reason to get family together makes a great day.  I was able to see my sister and meet a new grand niece too.  We are truly blessed with our 3 cutie grand girls.

On the way to stay with Megan for a night before heading back to Florida, we made a stop at Michigan State and walked around campus on a beautiful blue sky day.  No leaves turning yet, but there was a slight crispness to the air and the campus was special as usual.  We also had lunch at our favorite spot.

Now, just doing Florida things and celebrated my husband’s birthday on 9/11.  He made the best of having one’s birthday on a sad day and climbed 17 flights (110 stories) of stairs with the Sarasota firefighters to honor the 9/11 first responders.

Next up - a road trip to St. Augustine.