InvictaMoto's Family Travels

Checked out of the hotel around 9am and set TomTom to take us the quickest non toll way to Punta Gorda. This involved the drive back to Tampa in US60 E and then onto I275 S. We stopped at a diner for breakfast and very nice it was too. I avoided the grits though. Simple if not two sides of  an isosceles triangle, yep the two long sides. Then it all went tits up and the three crossings of the same bit it water later Claire got "Here Maps" on her phone to extricate us. Resetting TomTom had no effect. In the end we blindly headed south on I275 until he caught on. To relieve the stress we had a stop at the rest area on the toll bridge near St Pete called The Sunshine Skyway Bridge.  It was a popular stop for the rest rooms and the fishing. Men some 50 yards into the sea and only waist deep! At least the bridge didn't collapse! I275S Bradenton Sarasota One of many big flags for Memorial Day And so we headed south on the Tam

We liked the Gulf Coast for the sunset and all the quiet resorts we looked at. The Atlantic Coast was okay, but we are drawn back to the Gulf..... I logged into RCI.com and did a search and found a two bedroom at Fisherman's Village had become available. Knowing Claire had said she'd go back. I booked it. It has been 5 days waiting for the official confirmation. They have allocated us unit 20. Not 37 as we had hoped but now we have to see where 20 is. Facing the marina or the bay? The timeshare is Saturday to Saturday. So we arrive on Thursday evening about 6pm and we have two nights to stay somewhere before we go down to Punta Gorda.  And more ideas to mull over for the 5 nights after the Punta Gorda week is over.

Another quiet day. Our last day at Punta Gorda. The quiet has come to an end as it is now Memorial Day Weekend. The resort is filling up and the car parks are full.  Today we did some washing using the laundromat and then took at boat trip around Charlotte Harbor. We had hoped to see some dolphins and I suppose we can tick that box as one did come and swim alongside the boat. We all tried to get a picture and I don't think anyone can say they got a good one... Then in the evening we started to pack and if course watch the sunset again.

A quiet day today. We came to have some relaxation time, and so far we have had the stress of the second level interview with the US Border officials on top of the errant suitcase. My new "just in case it is lost for good" clothes from Walmart have actually been very good value for such a little outlay. I hope the workers in factories in Honduras, El Salvador and of course, China, have been paid for their services to cheap t-shirts and shorts for Americans, and of course English tourists. And the person that made my $4.49 aqua shoe did a great job. We had a drive into Punta Gorda itself. The plan was to find the post office to buy stamps for some postcards. Despite the nap we ended up parking and doing something it appears is rare; walking. Once that was done we decided it was time for our morning coffee, so we encared (means got in the car, if entrain means get on a train, then encar is okay) and set off for the "historic district". We never actually saw it, the si

Twelve days to go. Jobs today. 1) Email Alamo to hassle then to reserve me the Dodge Charger or similar American car. I do not want a Nissan! 2) Email the resort at Punta Gorda to check out parking for guests and whether the apartments have hair dryers. Most European resorts do. 3) Download Florida Mapping for my TomTom.  Then install on the Rider. I've managed all three, or rather two and a half. The mapping is paid for. I just need to find the download key to get it on the computer so that TomTom Home can install it. What other jobs need doing?