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simulator on the seatback screen

Other than some brief confusion on where to return the rental car, we had an uneventful trip from West Palm Beach to Marion.  Our flight even arrived 30 minutes early, so we got home at about 5:00 PM. 

One of the first things we had to do was go through the house, advancing the clocks from standard to daylight time.

Tomorrow comes the dreaded unpacking of the suitcases.

It was a sub-optimal vacation for me, given my illness during the back half of it, but we still had lots of good times on it.  

Visit to West Palm Beach

This morning, we returned to the east coast of Florida, and our final destination this trip.

After driving around West Palm Beach, we checked into the Hilton West Palm Beach and then headed out on foot.

We spent much of our time exploring the gardens of the Norton Art Museum.

This evening, we went to dinner at the RH Rooftop Restaurant, where we had a fun meal with great people-watching.

Back to Naples

Good morning, Marco Island beach-goers.

Still feeling miserable from a cold that had now morphed into a severe asthma attack, we changed our plans to visit friends in Jupiter. Unable to extend our stay at the hotel on Marco Island, we drove back up the coast to Naples to spend the night with my sister and brother-in-law.

On to Marco Island

After having lunch with our friends Ken and Sue, we checked into the Hilton Marco Island Resort and then connected with our friends Larry and Nancy. 

 

The following day, Larry and Nancy took us on a tour of Marco Island. One of the highlights was the Marco Island Historical Society.

The world-famous Marco Island Cat

We had a fun dinner at The Oyster Society.

Our Day in Naples

 We had a relaxing day with Connie & Paul, highlighted by lunch at Celebration Park. 

There were eight food trucks with offerings that spanned a wide variety of tastes.  There was a full-service bar. After you placed your order at a truck, they gave you a pager that went off when the food was ready to be picked up.

copied from their website

The park, which was privately owned and bears little resemblance to a park unless food trucks being parked there counts, was also accessible by water via a narrow channel.

If you want nice views and immaculate dining facilities, Celebration Park is definitely not your destination.  If you want good food and a fun atmosphere, give it a try the next time you are in Naples.  

Pam recommends you get the homemade potato chips regardless of what else you order.

In the evening, we watched lightning storms pass by, unfortunately, given the extended drought, not accompanied by any significant amount of rain.  

Miami to Naples

 

The ship docked before 7:00 AM. We disembarked about 9:00.

The Budget Rental Car experience was horrific. We waited nearly two hours for the van to take us to the rental center, followed by another hour in line to pick up our car.

Finally on the road, we had an uneventful drive across the Everglades and Big Cyprus Swamp to Naples. 

Given how crumby I have been feeling with a post-COVID cold and cough, it was nice to settle in with sister Connie and her husband Paul at their comfortable condo.

Two Sea Days

 

From St. Kitts to Miami took two days at sea. 

The first day was sufficiently lumpy in the morning that the upper weather decks were closed. Pam and I had no problem with it. The same could not be said for our room housekeeper, Henrietta, who was a bit green. The seas gradually calmed once we reached the north side of Hispaniola. 

The second day was smooth sailing.

Procrastination being the future of tomorrow, Pam & I put off packing as long as possible. Once we finally got started, we did it with admirable efficiency.