Sanibel, Miami and Nightfishing: Part 1

From Days 8 to 11 of our trip to Florida, we continued to enjoy the sunny weather while we did a bunch of outdoor activities, including birdwatching, kayaking, nightfishing, and mini-golf. Here are the photos:

We had a very American breakfast on the morning of Day 8, including biscuits and gravy, omelette, bacon, sausages and grits.

Then we drove to nearby Sanibel, a sandy barrier island that has become a popular tourist destination due to its shell beaches and wildlife refuges.

Once on the island, we drove along a small road that gave ample opportunities for birdwatching.

You can see a flock of pelicans landing at the sand bar.

Needle fish.

While Angela's parents took Sunny back to the airport for her flight home, Angela, my mum and I stayed on Sanibel to enjoy its gorgeous beaches.

Then we spent a couple of hours on a kayaking tour of the local lagoon and mangrove swamps.

I didn't bring my camera as I wasn't sure of the risk, so these next two photos I found via a Google Image search. They give a pretty good sense of the sort of environment we kayaked through. It was a really fun excursion, surprisingly relaxing as we drifted through tunnels of crab-infested mangroves.

On Day 9, Angela drove us to Miami, on the Atlantic coast of Florida.

Saw some graffiti about the recent unrest in Venezuela.

Eating at a restaurant on Ocean Drive. I had a nice Cuban sandwich.

We went for a little stroll on South Beach.

There were hoards of college kids partying on their spring break.

Back on Ocean Drive, which is lined with colourful buildings in the Art Deco style.

Soon we were back on the road, passing giant cruise liners like this one.

A view of downtown Miami.

Click here to continue the adventure in Part 2!

Gators, Crabs and Motorcycles: Part 2

Click here to read Part 1 of this post if you haven't already.

We soon left the gators behind and headed back toward the main entrance to the swamps.

We held some baby gators as well.

Later that afternoon, we picked up my mum at the airport and took her to Cape Coral. I haven't seen her since she took me to Heathrow Airport when I first went to Korea almost 17 months ago. It was so good to finally get the chance to spend some time with her, and she's had a great time meeting Angela and her family.

We met some of Angela's parents' neighbours, including Dwight, who owned some cool motorbikes (though we'd be seeing some even cooler ones later that evening).

In the early evening, we headed to downtown Fort Myers for dinner at Joe's Crab Shack.

Admiring the marina while we wait to be seated.

It was my first time eating crabs, and I have to say, I was very impressed. Probably my favourite meal that I've had here so far.

Not far from Joe's Crab Shack was an interesting evening event: Fort Myers Bike Night, where we saw a bunch of flashy custom motorcycles.

The bikers themselves were almost as fun to watch as the bikes.

There were even some snazzy bicycles on display.

A tailor for leather jackets.

Not sure what Jesus was doing at a motorcycle event, but nevertheless, Faye couldn't resist taking a picture with him.

Biker puppy!

That's all for now. Expect another Florida update in the next day or two!