Back to Okeechobee KOA with Linda!

Introducing Linda to life at the KOA was so much fun.  She only had 3 days but Janel showed her the ropes.  We had a nice time at the pool and a songfest with guitar/ukuleles with Janel and friends.  Janel drove her back to the Fort Lauderdale airport which was very kind of her.  We were so happy she spent her vacation with us!

Pete and I went to the Flea Market in town looking for shot glasses for his coffee lattes.   We ran into a nice lady who sold him 2 for $1 and then threw in 3 more!  She seems to be making good money too!
   Okeechobee is cowboy country so friends told us we must visit Eli's Western Store in Okeechobee.  SO many fancy cowboy boots--about 5,000 pair!   It brought back happy memories of our time with our horses in New Albany.

The Elite Bassmasters Tournament was at Lake Okeechobee our last week there.  It was a big deal--one of only 12 in the country, entry fee $5800.  We enjoyed seeing the big "weigh in".

On our way back to Orlando we stopped at Taylor Creek to watch the alligators and beautiful birds!
It was another wonderful time at the KOA with Linda and Norm Rak and Janel and Dennis Behm!
We are on our way back to Orlando!

Pompano Beach with sister Linda!

We drove about 2 hours to the Wyndham Royal Vista at Pompano Beach which is a about 2 miles north of Lauderdale by the Sea.  Our balcony overlooks  the ocean and it's just beautiful.  We have been enjoying walks on the beach and sitting by the pool with live music.  The weather turned out to be perfect the whole week.

Breakfast with a view at the Royal Vista

Pelican about 4 ft away at nearby pier

Our beach-Royal Vista

Pool at Royal Vista

We ate at the Korean Restaurant, Gabose, recommended by our friends Sunny and Yun.  They told us exactly what to order and it was delicious!  It was a real experience.

Dinner at Gabose

We picked up my sister Linda from the Lauderdale airport and she stayed four days with us at the beach and then we are taking her back to Okeechobee KOA where her good friend Janel is staying.

Having Linda here has been so much fun.  There's nothing like sisters and I am lucky to have three wonderful ones!  We went to dinner at Lauderdale by the Sea and ate right next to the beach.  Kilwin's candy store was the next stop and after many samples we made the fudge purchase!

Relaxing at the pool

On the way to the beach, a McCaw

Dining at Lauderdale by the Sea

Kilwins

Linda was an expert hair dresser as she removed the gray from my hair.  Bailey watched the whole process with little interest!    

                                           

Compliments of Wyndham Timeshare and two hours of our time, we received 3 tickets on the Serenity Yacht which was a sunset dinner cruise along the Intracoastal Waterway.  Beautiful homes and yachts along "millionaires row".  One home had an Imax theater in it!  We went under two drawbridges and watched a pretty sunset.  Pete and I had done this cruise about 2 years ago but it was even better having Linda with us!  

On the Intracoastal

Okeechobee KOA seeing old friends!

We are thoroughly enjoying our return to KOA Okeechobee!  The 80 degree sunny weather is fantastic.  Everyday we are at the pool and hot tub.  There is live music there several days a week so it is SO pleasant!

KOA Pool

Relaxing in the hot tub

It is so much fun to catch up with Janel and Dennis, Norm and Linda, Sunny and Yun, Mary, Tom, Melba and Bob.  Sharon a hair stylist from Canada styled up Pete and I today.  There were about 10 campers who lined up for her $18 haircuts!  She does a great job too.  She only charged Pete $8 so he got a real bargain!

We have had a campfire and sing along with Norm and Janelle and friends.  Janel plays the ukulele.
The ukulele has gotten so popular that there are ukulele classes now with 20 people turning up.  The local music store has sold out of them twice!  Yoga class and line dancing lessons are great and everything is free!  We ate up at the Super Bowl party here.  Every day is so much fun and so relaxing.  The people here are wonderful and so inclusive.  So glad we came back here!

Evening sing along

Today we had Funnel Cakes at the pool which was made by Janel and Dennis.  It was delicious!
Speaking of delicious, Pete made Tuscan Chicken with sun-dried tomatoes and spinach in his new Instant Pot.  A big hit.  Sunny and Yun had us over for Korean BBQ ribs--a real treat.  So we are dining well here at the KOA!

Dinner after a day at the pool

Funnel cakes with Dennis and Janel at the pool

Korean rib dinner with Sunny, Yun, Tom, and Mary

 Bailey is also happy at the KOA going on 3 walks a day and meeting new dog friends!  She is a "happy camper"!

Pete and I always get a kick our of all the activities going on here at the KOA.  Since it is on a golf course, lots of folks run around on golf carts OR they have these attachments on their bikes to haul their golf clubs around. 

Bailey resting after a day on the go

We drove to the fishing pier on Lake Okeechobee to see all the birds flying in to roost and the beautiful sunset.  It is a beautiful site and we always enjoy going over there!  We can walk there!

Sunset over Lake Okeeechobee

Some local fishermen!

Next stop .... Pampano Beach, Wyndham Royal Vista

John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park

Pete was able to get two night at this great park.  Normally is booked solid but there was a cancellation. My Mother brought my sisters and I here years ago and I remember snorkeling here on the reef.  The water is too cold today for snorkeling but it was perfect weather for an amazing hike with Ranger Susan who was an expert in butterflies, birds and trees.  She captivated us all with her knowledge for two hours.  One of the trees she showed us was the Poisonwood Tree.  It is a relative of poison ivy and contact produces a terrible rash--think poison ivy on steroids.  The other tree is a Gumbo Limbo tree with a peeling bark that the sun shines right through.

Poisonwood tree

Kayaking trail at the park

We also went kayaking through the the mangrove trees.  They gave us a map and told us that if we didn't show up by 4 pm they would come after us and charge a hefty "finder's fee"!  The "trail" was not well marked but Pete did a great job getting us out of the maze and back in time.  It was an absolutely perfect day to be on the water--sunny and 80 degrees.

Two happy kayakers

The showers here are very nice...always a plus for us!  Our camper neighbor brought us over cookies she had just made so life is good.  There are "no see ums" that like our Ohio tender flesh and cause some itching but no mosquitoes.  Tomorrow we leave for the KOA at Lake Okeechobee!  Looking forward to seeing our friends there from last year!