Tag: Gulf of Mexico

Along the natural beaches of Cedar Key, Florida, you can experience an abundance of marine animals in their natural Gulf habitats. Sand, surf, and the everchanging tides make way for starfish, shells, crabs, jellyfish, barnacles, seaweeds, and more! I took a few hundred photos, so I broke them down into a few albums: Album One: Starfish of Cedar Key! Album Two: Shells of Cedar Key! Album Three: Sisters Walking on Cedar Key Beach! Album Four: Random Shots on Cedar Key Beach! To learn more about anything you see, just click a photo! CLICK HERE for Florida Shell Guides! To explore…

The setting sun casts its magical warmth over Cedar Key Beach as my girls and I explore all that we can find in the salty sands beneath our feet. Sand, surf, and the everchanging tides make way for starfish, shells, crabs, jellyfish, barnacles, seaweeds, and more! Check out all our albums below to see everything we found! But, most importantly, no matter what we find along our journeys, we’ll always have each other. I took a few hundred photos, so I broke them down into a few albums: Album One: Starfish of Cedar Key! Album Two: Shells of Cedar Key!…

Cedar Key is a quaint, but spirited, old fishing village nestled in a series of islands of the northwestern Gulf Coast of Florida. In town, you will find waterfront seafood shacks, old fashioned ice cream parlors, and and unique shopping opportunities. Along the natural beaches, you can experience an abundance of marinelife in their natural Gulf habitats. Sand, surf, and the everchanging tides make way for starfish, shells, crabs, jellyfish, barnacles, seaweeds, and more! I took a few hundred photos, so I broke them down into a few albums: Album One: Starfish of Cedar Key! Album Two: Shells of Cedar…

We spent a lovely evening exploring Cedar Key, Florida. Cedar Key is a quaint, but spirited, old fishing village nestled in a series of islands of the northwestern Gulf Coast of Florida. In town, you will find waterfront seafood shacks, old fashioned ice cream parlors, and and unique shopping opportunities. Along the natural beaches, you can experience an abundance of marinelife in their natural Gulf habitats. Sand, surf, and the everchanging tides make way for starfish, shells, crabs, jellyfish, barnacles, seaweeds, and more! Be sure to look closely at the photos below to see how the starfish move their little…

Just taking the Golf Cart for a little ride to the beach… And then a nice, midnight walk along the Gulf of Mexico. The lights sparkling along the horizon are oil platforms in the distance.

After a fun day in Pensacola, we decided to get in a little beach time. Sun, sand, and a little splashing in the waves of the Gulf.

Just one of many gorgeous adventures we enjoyed while spending September in Gulf Shores, Alabama! More great ideas to come! Stay tuned! For now, click on any photo to learn more about Wildlife Along the Gulf Coast!

We’re just now getting into the Painted Rock Craze… But, how cool is it to be on the beach and find Painted Shells! Awesome! It’s impossible not to smile when you find something so full of cheer!

If you have seen the movie Dolphin Tale, you will recognize the Clearwater Marine Aquarium as the home of Winter the Dolphin. If you haven’t seen the movie, definitely check it out! Here are some fun shots from our visit to the CMA! We got to hang out with Winter, Panama, and Nicholas! Click on any photo below to learn more about Winter the Dolphin and the movie Dolphin Tale! Be sure to visit Clearwater Marine Aquarium if you are in the Clearwater, Florida area!

Winter’s Dolphin Tale Adventure is a brand new, state-of-the-art facility displaying props and story boards from the film, Dolphin Tale. (This album is very dark, because of my broken flash; but this museum is too neat not to share!) If you have seen the movie Dolphin Tale, you will recognize the Clearwater Marine Aquarium as the home of Winter the Dolphin. If you haven’t seen the movie, definitely check it out! Winter the Dolphin at Clearwater Marine Aquarium Winter the Dolphin at Clearwater Marine Aquarium For all our adventures visiting Winter at the CMA, CLICK HERE! Click on any photo…

After three days on a remote island in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico, 70 miles from civilization, my camera batteries all died. So, unfortunately, I don’t have a lot of photos from Day Three. But, suffice it to say, more grand adventures were had. More beautiful memories were made.

We’ll just group most of Day Two’s Adventures into one post for now, but I might come back later and break them up a little more specifically. A little more snorkeling to finish out the afternoon… We explored Fort Jefferson again once when we had the place to ourselves for the evening, spending some time in the cell of Dr. Samuel Mudd, where he was imprisoned for his suspected role in the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln. A walk around the outside of the fort to view marine life in and around the moat walls, such as sea stars, anemones,…

Spending our days frolicking in the clear waters and exploring the marinelife was definitely the collectively preferred way to enjoy our time here! If you are brave enough to venture out, lots of unique corals and bright, colorful fish can be viewed around the submerged areas of the fort walls. But, you don’t even have to venture too far from shore to enjoy countless species of fish of all sizes, and other aquatic life! Observing several different levels of the marine food chain in action was fascinating. All those poor little fish, swimming in their school for safety in numbers,…

Our first night of camping in the books, as we wake to our own peaceful solitude; with calm waters and billowing clouds as far as the eye can see! Wake up, Sleepy Heads! Day Two in the Dry Tortugas awaits! Adventures beckon us! And we shall answer with enthusiasm!

Such glorious sunsets in this perfect paradise. Where the sun melts into the Gulf Water Horizon… We find joy. Togetherness. Where priceless family moments, Melt into treasured family memories.

After the ferry boat packs up the Day Visitors and embarks upon its journey back to Key West, campers are the only ones left on the island! And for our fabulous luck, we were the ONLY ones camping the entire duration of our stay! So, once we were on our own, the REAL fun began! We spent the evening exploring our own private playground, Fort Jefferson! Truly, this is an experience like no other. To have an entire island to yourself! An absolute DREAM!

Ahhh… A trip to the Dry Tortugas was one of THE top things on my Bucket List for many years of my life… And here we are! Pitching a tent! Because we’re staying as long as we can! And we’ve got the entire island to ourselves! And that last photo? That’s the view from our campsite, Fort Jefferson, in all it’s sunny splendor… Paradise, indeed. Bucket List, CHECK!

Snorkeling in these perfect, warm, crystalline waters was an experience like no other! The kids had a blast splashing, playing, and enjoying the vast marine ecosystems beneath their toes! Hands on Marine Biology, for the win! You CAN bring your own snorkeling gear if you like, or you can use the gear provided by the Yankee Freedom staff!

We didn’t really get settled into camp until after the ferry boat left the island for the evening with all of the Day Visitors. So, we spent the first part of our own day doing a little random exploring. Playing in the sand, checking out some marinelife, meandering about the island… More albums, to come, though! Keep clicking through! Jellyfish, seaplanes, crabs, lizards, sand, boats, forts… All the makings of paradise! Well, except, maybe, the jellyfish. Eeek! The American Flag at half-mast in honor of the 10th Anniversary of September 11. Our thoughts are with America. Then, now, ALWAYS. We…

Exploring the Dry Tortugas National Park spent many years in one of the highest spots on my Bucket List! And we finally decided to make it a reality! The first step of your Dry Tortugas adventure, is getting there! One option is a Seaplane. The most popular option is the Yankee Freedom Ferry Ride! The Yankee Freedom high speed catamaran leaves out of Key West, and takes you the 70 miles to Fort Jefferson in high class surroundings! The boat remains docked at Fort Jefferson, and you can utilize its services throughout the day. If you are just up for…

The sunset this evening was INCREDIBLE! There is a bit of editing touch up to these photos, but a lot less than you would think! It really was unbelievably, not-of-this-planet gorgeous!

I really do believe kids have the most fun just being able to let loose and have some good, old-fashioned PLAYTIME. When we travel, it’s easy to get caught up in trying to over-schedule and cram as many activities into a day as we can. And, to be honest, I can get to quite a few places in a very short period of time. However, with that being said, I always, always recommend squeezing in time for unstructured play. Whether it is swinging on a swing, climbing a tree, collecting rocks, or just digging in the sand on the beach……

I have way too much fun trying to get unique bridge shots… And there are a LOT of bridges in the Gulf Areas of Southeast Texas! The first bridge, entering Port Arthur from the Southeast, is the Gulfgate Bridge, more currently known as the Martin Luther King, Jr. Bridge. It is a cantilever bridge with a 136 foot clearance spanning the Sabine-Neches Ship Canal. The second bridge, the Rainbow Bridge, is a through truss bridge crossing the Neches River just upstream from Sabine Lake.

Most of Louisiana Highway 82 along the Gulf of Mexico is part of the Creole Nature Trail. Driving it makes for some grand adventures through prime bird and alligator habitat. Lots of shore birds, pelicans, gulls, egrets, herons, and even the occasional spoonbill if you keep your eyes peeled! The closer you get to Texas, you might even start seeing fields of Long Horn Cattle! It’s also a fun little route, because there are multiple free ferry crossings that take you across the larger rivers. Don’t forget to stop at Holly Beach for a fun afternoon, also known as La…

We’ve never really been much for swimming in the open water. And, on a day like today, February in the Gulf of Mexico, it was a little too cool for bathing suit weather even for people who do enjoy a little salt water swimming. But that doesn’t mean you can’t run, jump, splash, and play the day away in the gentle rolling tides! Nothing says FUN like a soggy, sticky, sandy, salty mess! And Holly Beach was an awesome place to do just that!

Put your little scientists to work at the beach by searching for and collecting fun shells! Grouping, sorting, classifying! Building sand castles and decorating with the finest details! Imagination comes alive with PLAY! And the beach is one of the best places to engage with your natural environment! Talk about the animals that lived in those shells! Think about where they came from and how they got to that very beach! Touch them! Smell them! Admire their colors and textures! The list is endless! Click here, or on any photo, to learn more about shells!

Another GREAT idea for good, old-fashioned fun? BUBBLES! They’re not terribly expensive, or you can even make your own! Throw in a variety of bubble wands, or get creative on trying out different materials that might lead to some pretty unique bubbles! And, then, BLOW! How awesome are these HUGE bubbles floating above the Gulf of Mexico? We had SO much FUN today spending Valentine’s Day on Holly Beach!

Holly Beach, Louisiana may not be the most developed beach along the Gulf… It certainly isn’t commercialized. But that’s the way we love it! We had the entire place to ourselves on this lovely Valentine’s Afternoon. And it just goes to show, give a kid a shovel and a bucket, and they’ll stay occupied for hours! Nothing better than watching the kids dig and play to their hearts’ content!

Well, now, I will say, it doesn’t snow very often along the Gulf of Mexico! But, on this cold and dreary day of February, in Biloxi, Mississippi, that’s exactly what it did! I’m pretty sure I heard on the news that it snowed in ALL 50 states today!