OK…..yes I am a little (a lot) behind – but I am on a vacation and doing this to motivate the boys! Wait….at really isn’t helping my case, is it!?! In any case, we haven’t been sitting on our butts doing nothing – we have been busy! My back and ankle can attest to that. Dan, are you reading? I will be in after break!

To show how tired I am, I just published the first paragraph instead of saving it – while I was trying to connect the keyboard that I have – which apparently not only isn’t paired with my iPad but isn’t charged. Whoops. The fatigue is for another post….let’s just say it was a long day and I saw a scooter traffic jam in a gazebo. It was priceless.

As I was starting to say, we took a boat ride on the Cotee River. This was exciting because it is something that we had never done before. After three of us coming down here for over 35 years  (which is amazing considering how young I am) and add the other three coming down for 12 years, to find something new is exciting!! This ride went out of Port Richey and went down the Pithlaschascotee River. Yup. The Cotee River. We went into The Gulf for a bit, too, and saw the really cool stilt houses that I never knew about.

We also found out that the area was popular with movie stars. Seriously. We saw where Shirley Temple, Charlie Chaplin, June and Johnny Cash, Esther Williams, Gloria Swanson (original from Sunset Boulevard), and Kenny Rogers lived. Of course the boys knew Kenny Rogers from the Geico commercial but were kind of clueless on the others.

The stilt houses were cool. They started as places for fishermen to go and stay on weekends rather than going back and forth. Now, they are pretty much party houses! Some have Direct TV and some have generators. Some are still primitive. One of the boat dudes explained the whole tax and ownership part but I tuned out. The captain was…..interesting. At first you would have thought he had stopped for something on the way in. But then when you hear his story (retired fireman and worked at a nuclear plant) you get that he is just totally laid back and enjoying life. The other guy was really good and easier to understand! Ha ha!

I honestly don’t remember what else we did that day – sad, I know. Hey….you travel with the boys and tell me how well YOU do!

Shirley Temple’s house – yes, it is pink

Esther Williams’ house

Gloria Swanson (Sunset Boulevard)

Charlie Chaplin’s house

You’ve got to know when to hold ’em. Know when to fold ’em. Know when to walk away. Know when to run!

Stilt houses

Stilt house

So…..the condo itself is beautiful. But – apparently they want to make sure that NOBODY from the outside wants to get in. And if they happen to breach on layer, they certainly can’t breach another layer! There is master key that is needed for the lobby, to get in the pool area – which leads to the beach – then you need it AGAIN to get to the beach. To get back from the beach, key. If you happen to be at the pool and need the bathroom….yup, you need the key (the bathrooms are within the pool area). Once you are done at the pool – or coming back from the beach, you guessed it…..you need you key to GET OUT OF THE POOL AREA. Not kidding. Key is also needed to get in and out of the hot tub area.
I think a moat and drawbridge will be next. Alligators? Maybe retina scans? Actually, that will be easier – there are four adults and two keys. I can’t even begin to describe the juggling and planning involved just to go to the pool or to walk on the beach for sunset….let’s not even mention when dad goes out golfing and we are down a key! And the fear of losing it – my heart skips many beats with just that thought!