Spring Break-Day 3-Sarasota

On my list of things to see was the number one ranked beach in the USA:  Siesta Key.  It is only a two hour drive from our house.  To make it worth the drive, I looked up other things to do around the area.  There is a state park near there called the Myakka River State Park.  So we decided to go there.  We ate lunch at the state park.  While we were sitting there Ashleigh said, "There is a lorax tree!"  

 Tipped over on the side was a palm tree with the top cut straight off (as if chopped down).  As you can see,   palm trees do not have very deep roots!

 A view of the Myakka River.

 There were many hiking trails.  We wanted to go on one that lead to a walkway in the tops of the trees.  We stopped to take a picture and a kind couple offered to take it of all of us.  (Usually I am missing and that is okay.)

 This is from their website:  The Myakka Canopy Walkway provides easy access to observe life in the treetops of an oak/palm hammock. As an outdoor laboratory for research and education, it is a place for discovery and opportunity for visitors to Myakka to see its canopy inhabitants up close. Completed in 2000, the structure was the first public treetop trail in North America.

The walkway is suspended 25 feet above the ground and extends 100 feet through the hammock canopy. A tower soars 74 feet in the air to present a spectacular view of treetops, wetlands and the prairie/hammock interface. You can look down on eagles, hawks, vultures and the tops of live oaks and palm trees.

 Wes and the girls walking across.  You can only go 4 people at a time.

 So Janiel and I went last.

 This is the view part way up the tower.

 At the top of the tower.  It was a slightly windy day and so we could feel the sway.  It was a little nerve racking standing on top of the tower of matchsticks! 

 A view from the very top!

 Erin said, "I think it is the tower of terror!"

 I had the kids cross again so that I could get a picture of them on it from the ground.  But they didn't have to go all the way up the tower again.

 We passed the Sarasota National Cemetery on our way to the park.  I thought we should stop so the kids could sense that feeling of respect and patriotism.  Brent had called and was done with his clinical rotation and he was only an hour away.  So he met us at the cemetery.  It was amazing just like Arlington.  This is a fairly new one too.  They only started burying veterans here in 2009.  We happened to come when there was a service happening so the flag was flying at half mast.

 Rows and rows of heroes.

 The kids noticed the different symbols on the headstones.  So they wanted me to take a picture of each one so that we could find out what they stood for.  So here are some of the different ones that we saw. Some were blank too.  I found on the website of the Department of Veteran's Affairs that these are some of the available religious symbols.  

Lutheran Cross

Christian Reformed Church

Christian---by far the most popular.

United Methodist

Episcopal Cross

Presbyterian Cross

Judaism

Catholic Celtic Cross

Native American Church of North America

Presbyterian Church (USA)

  

We didn't see this one.  Can you guess which church?

 Then at last we headed to the beach.  The sand was amazingly soft and fine.  It was a beautiful, but slightly windy day at the beach.  It was quite crowded---probably because it is spring break.  Ashleigh took her goggles and headed to the water.  She came back quickly because there was too much seaweed.  It really wasn't that bad.

 Brent and his girls.

 Kara spent her time jumping the waves.

 Erin and Kara jumping the waves.

 Janiel working on her sandcastle in the nice sand.

 Wesley working on a cave for his feet.  He burnt them on day one at Sun-n-Fun.  So they are a little sensitive.

 People were having all sorts of fun from playing on the beach, swimming, sailing, para-sailing, and just cruising up and down the beach.

 Wes also decided to try his hand at sculpting.  

 Janiel's finished product!!!  Very nice.

 It took us over 30 minutes to get off the island.  It was crazy traffic.  When we came on, we had to drive over a draw bridge.  I wondered how often it actually went up.  The girls wanted to see it go up, but it didn't.  But to their excitement, it went up on our way off the island.  Wes took a picture on his itouch.  It was a little silly when we saw the boat pass through.  You can see it in the water on the right side of the picture.  It was a decent sized boat that could have fit under the bridge except for a tall pole on the top.  It backed up traffic all for that little boat.

It was another great day at the beach.