Sunset in Okeechobee, Fl.

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

One of the many things we enjoy is watching the sun set, especially when it is setting over water, and Lake Okeechobee gives us that opportunity every evening.  Some nights are more spectacular than others.  But, the setting sun always brings another day in paradise to a close, and that is always cause for a celebration!

In Key West, there is a sun setting party every night of the week, and it is always quite a celebration.  Here in Okeechobee it's a little different.  There's plenty of folks watching the sun set here, but they are not always partying while the sun is setting.  Some folks here are partying before the sun sets, while others are partying after the sun sets.  Since this is a +55 an older park, the parties after the sun set are usually rather short in duration due to our early bed time! Ha!

You may want to get one of your favorite toddies to drink before watching the sun set on this blog.  So, go ahead and get yourself some friendly spirits, then sit back and relax while you enjoy this colorful sun set!

I hope you enjoyed the sun set as much as your toddy!  Now that you have had a taste of paradise, we'll be looking for you real soon in Okeechobee!

Benihana's in Stuart, Florida

Saturday, November 16, 2013

It's Saturday morning and Kitty and I are relaxing at Ancient Oaks RV Resort talking with Ted (aka, Eagle Eye) and Pat (aka, Lead Foot).  Somehow we got on the subject of food and someone mentioned eating Japanese hibachi style food.  You know...where they cook at your table and entertain you with tossing knives and things while they cook.  It just so happens that the four of us really like this type of cooking.

My Google Queen wife, Kitty, is instantly on her phone searching for the nearest hibachi style restaurant.  "It's Benihana's on Ocean Blvd. in Stuart", she says.  The next thing I know the four of us are heading to Stuart, and I find myself driving.  Ted is co-pilot, and Kitty and Pat are in the back seat.  After driving for several minutes, I ask if anyone knows where Ocean Blvd. is in Stuart.  Since none of us seniors have been in this area since last spring, no one could remember.  So, we resorted to cheating and consulted the GPS.

It turns out Ocean Blvd is the same as highway A1A.  Oh yea, I remember now!  But, this means we have to cross a couple of bridges to get there and Kitty has a severe case of bridge phobia!  I had visions of Kitty trying to claw her way out of the back seat.  But, the ever alert Pat kept her talking and the bridges seemed to pass without notice, or it may have had something to do with the fact that Kitty was so hungry no little ole bridge would stand in the way of a great meal!  I guess we'll never know for sure.

We all agreed, that going to Benihana's for lunch was a great idea.  It wasn't crowded and we could pick our table.  So, we picked one with a great view of the St Lucie River.  Plus, the lunch menu is less expensive than the dinner menu, and just as good!  If you have special diet considerations, like a low salt diet, they are glad to accommodate you and you can watch the cook to be sure he doesn't forget.  Our cook was very entertaining, and the food was great!  That's a combination that will certainly bring us back here again!

Benihana's in Stuart, Fl.

After our meal, we enjoyed walking along the landscaped path to the St Lucie River.

Pat is on the left, and Kitty is on the right.

The next two shots are the St Lucie River

L to R:  Eagle Eye Ted, Lead Foot Pat, and Google Queen Kitty!

When we left Benihana's, we headed up the coast on A1A.  It's a beautiful drive and we stopped to enjoy the beach at Fort Pierce.

We made another stop in Fort Pierce near the marina to see if we could spot some manatees.  We couldn't get an up close mug shot of one, so Eagle Eye lets out a screeching manatee call that got the attention of the folks for several blocks around!  "Here manatee, here Manatee," he screeched!  Still no up close mug shot, but we did see the water swirl and could tell they were just below surface.  Probably afraid to come up for air after that manatee call!

It was a fantastic day and we decided to make it even more fantastic by stopping at Traditions Mall on the way home and getting some of that heavenly tasting ice cream!  Getting back in the car, we noticed the seat belts were a little tighter!  It will probably be a few days before any of us eat again!  Ha!

Ancient Oaks RV Resort, Okeechobee, Florida

We arrived in Ancient Oaks RV Resort on Sunday, November 3rd.  It took some jockeying back forth in order to get into our spot which is located on a narrow one way street.  There are park models with car ports extending almost to the street on both sides leaving very little wiggle room to back our 5th into the site.  But, with the help of a couple of neighbors, we finally had the fifth wheel spotted where we wanted it, and we didn't hit anything in the process!  Whew, glad that's over with!

Since we've been here, most of our time has been spent visiting with our friends in the park.  It's nice to see everyone made it through the summer months and we are all ready to enjoy the Florida weather, beaches, and attractions this winter.  Speaking of the weather, did I mention it has been great since we arrived?  Warning, if you are located up North, you may not want to read the rest of this paragraph!  Daytime temperatures have been in the low to mid eighties and the lows at night have been in the mid to upper sixties. Best of all, there's no snow in the forecast here!

We will be staying here for the next several months and have a few day trips in mind to some local points of interest.  So, we will continue to post our adventures this winter, just like we did last winter.  It promises to be tons of fun, plenty of laughs, and way too much food!