Florida Sun ☀️
After 44 years of cold Minnesota winters, I’m experiencing a new climate this December. Wow! It makes a huge difference in my mood and outlook.
Ocala, FL
We left Georgia on December 10th and headed south, stopping for one night in Ocala, FL at a cute farm called Enchanted Oaks. As we drove down the long gravel driveway the girls squealed as they spotted goats, horses, and a zebra. The property had a half dozen or more glamping tents and a rental house which is used as the bridal suite on the days the property hosts weddings. We stayed in the rental house. Big thanks to one of my piano families, the Bierwerth’s, for their air bnb gift card for this stay.
Enchanted Oaks was one of my favorite places we have stayed so far. I would have loved to sit under those glorious giant oak trees all day, but we had to hurry out the next morning.
We were scheduled to meet my piano teacher friend, Anna Fagan, in Arcadia, FL for lunch.
I met Anna on Instagram through another piano teacher.
One of my hopes on this trip was to connect with a few piano teachers on the road. Anna is literally on the road since she teaches online lessons to about 30 students each week from her RV. It was fun to hear how she and her husband decided to sell their home and become full-time RV travelers.
Naples, FL Our next stop was Naples. We stayed at the home of Joe and Barbara Wall for a little over a week. It was such a relaxing stay. I enjoyed having a large kitchen to cook in and the kids loved staying somewhere with a pool. Mark flew back to Minnesota for 4 of those days to DJ a wedding. He got a taste of the snow again, but left before it dipped below zero.
Some of the things I liked about Naples besides the weather were
🌴The sandy beaches
🌴The consignment shops
🌴Sitting outside drinking coffee in the
mornings
🌴Seeing all the palm trees and flowering
tropical plants.
We loved one of the outdoor restaurants we ate at called Lakeside Diner. We had lunch there with some new friends, Lynnea and Ken, after attending Grow Church and again with our friend Dale after playing tennis.
The sunsets and the sound of waves were by far the highlight of being near the gulf. It was like having a front row seat to a masterclass with the painter of skies.
Not everyday has been smooth sailing and glamorous. We’ve had some boring days, some stressful days, and a fair share of screaming and crying from the back seat: “Why do we have to go on this trip?” and “I just want to go HOME!”
The transition days when we pack up and switch from one location to the next are usually the hardest days. Our 19 year old, Tabby, flew from NYC and joined us for the holidays. It’s been wonderful having her along. In my next post I’ll share more about our 10 days together in the Florida Keys over Christmas and New Years.
