Back in "The Land of Lincoln"

We are safely back in Lincoln's stomping ground now. We had a great time in Florida, which always seems to happen, despite my reservations. Below are several photos covering the highlights of our trip. They are presented in no particular order due to this site's inane embedding. Click for larger images.

Tigers vs. Braves at Joker Marchant Stadium

It was great to be outside in Florida watching baseball. We got to see Kenny Rogers pitch (no jokes here). He is now on the DL.

Gators jockey for food at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm

The last thing that we did before leaving St. Augustine was to check out the St. Augustine Alligator Farm. I had been there before, but K had not, and this is the only place in the US to see all 23 extant species of crocodilians, so I wasn't about to let her miss this chance. Here, a curator is feeding alligators in the large swamp area of the farm.

Holler Fountain at Stetson University

While driving from my home town to St. Augustine, I intentionally included DeLand so that I could show K my alma mater. Coincidentally, it was Homecoming Weekend. We missed all of the festivities, however, as we didn't get into town until Sunday afternoon.

Yo Ho, a pirate's life for Joe

Here I am helping to raise the Mainsail on a Schooner. We took a short cruise down the river in St. Augustine while we were there. I highly recommend it. We saw dolphins. Note: On closer inspection, I see that this photo highlights that I am losing my hair.

Cannon Face at Castillo De San Marcos in St. Augustine
We also hit up the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument while in St. Augustine. This is a photo of a face on a canon.

A seemingly content American Crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) at the S.A. Alligator Farm
A happy croc.

There were other highlights on our trip, like having dinner with our good friends Mike and Robin on quick swing through Gainesville. It was great to see them and spend some time catching up!

Overall, it was a very relaxing vacation.

Back to work!