Florida bound

We've been planning our holidays for the last 18 months and the time has finally come, we're here.

James and I used to go to the good old US of A before kids and now we've brought them along to nurture the family obsession.

The Florida climate during the Spring is just perfect and I have loved being warm, all the time!

We've done Disney, which is predictably fun for the kids and a bit mental for us. The school holidays are not the best time to travel but with wee man being school age we're out of choices. Baby girls highlight was being chosen to be the real family at a Beauty and the Beast show. She was given a rose and we got to sit at the front, the staff all bowed to her. She was made up!

We have travelled to some of my favourite places like Mount Dora, that has the most amazing antique mall. I bought an awesome corn bread skillet and James got a salesman sample oven, I can't wait to find a place to display them at home. 

We also went to St. Augustine for the first time. The oldest European colonised city in the U.S. and it is just beautiful. James and I fell in love with the place! The streets are quaint and they have the most beautiful Victoriana style wooden houses. We visited the Castillo de San Marco. If you want a great day in the states the U.S. national parks service will give you one every time. We also visited a distillery and a winery, because it's a rule if you're near.

Today we went to Fort Christmas and saw the historical park with re-sited pioneer homes, I was in historical heaven. Some of the wooden cabins are bigger than our house and so gorgeous. We planned it to coincide with re-enactors doing a display and they gave a great show and talk on the Seminole wars. We got chatting to some of them and they were fascinating, I have always fancied doing re-enactments. 

We also visited the wetlands and saw some huge Gators. We had to go the long way round as one was blocking the path and I didn't fancy our odds.

On the way home I suggested we stop at a Pro Bass shop. It's an outdoorsy, camping, fishing, hunting shop and it was huge. We could have spent all day wondering round and got a few things to take home.

We've done the traditional shop to you drop. That being said we've done it in our own unique style and bought mason jars, sawyer water filters, an oil lamp that burns kerosene (same as our heating oil) and a machete, it's like a peppers paradise. Here's hoping we make the weight limit home and customs takes kindly to our purchases.

I will find more pics to show you soon, it's been amazing and well worth saving for.