Scottishnellies Redundancy Trip Jun18. Day 6. AMI, Manatee Beach, Star Fish Co & ^home^

[scottishnellie]

Kevin and I woke after spending the night in the squeakiest bed known to man. It was comfy, but if one of us so much as breathed the whole metal frame creaked and groaned!

We got showered and headed out for a walk along the beach at 7:30 as I just couldn't resist it. Kieran was up playing his Nintendo switch and didn't want to come, and Hannah was still dozing on and off.

We walked along for a full hour well up past the sandbar and back. It was so beautiful.

My memories of visits to the beach are your mammy scratching the skin off your legs and feet with a towel before you were allowed in the car.

I never knew sand as soft as this stuff existed and the water was still so warm. It was so nice just the 2 of us walking along.

We saw lots of fishermen, joggers , and other walkers as it got later. We also met umpteen turtle watch volunteers out checking the nests.

This is some place and I am definitely coming back.

When we went back to the cottage we started getting organised to go, leaving at 9:30. We drove along to Ginny and Jane Es for breakfast.

this place is nuts! It was fairly busy and I couldn't work out whether they seated you or what.

Eventually realised you just find s table, go up and order at the front and get given a number to put on your table for them to bring your food.

You then go help yourself to the tea/coffee/ juice you have bought.

Hannah had Creme Brûlée French toast

And a choc chip muffin top

Kevin had egg croissants

Kieran had a cinnamon roll (as he already had a bagel in the cottage)

I just had tea and pinched a taste of everything

left here at 10:15 and made our way to the north of the island. Parked in a wee side street and walked over to the beach through one of the beach access points

From here we walked right round the north of the island, around Bean Point.

Lots more boats up here and as we passed one the guy was shouting and pointing in the water. Next thing 2 big Manta Rays swam by!

If you look you can see them in front of his boat. They were about 1.5m from us on shore so right in the shallows. Hannah loved this!

Lots of fishermen up here

We walked right at the waters edge round the whole tip of the island til we reached Rod N Reel pier.

As we walked along the personalised planks

We reached a Liverpudlian woman who said to Kieran ^have you see the dolphins?^. And sure enough she points them out. Must've been 3 of them we think

My iPhone photos are rubbish but it was amazing to watch.

We watched the pelicans fishing

then we got to the end of the pier and were watching all the folk fishing.

They seemed to just be catching fish after fish

Next thing we hear someone shouting manatee!

Sure enough a big manatee swam right under the pier!

again my pics are rubbish and I just missed it surfacing as it swam off - just caught it going back under

Then while circling round the pier again Hannah caught sight of a puffa fish.

She kept saying how this was better than discovery cove! I know we must have been ridiculously lucky though.

That was manta rays, dolphins, pelicans, puffa fish and a manatee all in the space of an hour! Amazing!

It costs $2 to fish here and if you don't have your own gear you can hire a rod for another $2 per hour which includes bait.

We left and made our way back to the car (blue dot) after our walk right round the tip of the island

For Floridafun101 - we did drive down pine ave and I did see a wee place called Pineapplefish (I think) but couldn't spot pinapple cottage sorry. Looks like a perfect location to stay though. I'd be grateful if you let me know how you get on next month? Walking distance to both rod n reel an the beach at the sandbar. 👍

Hannah (who insists on not wearing sunglasses or cap) was suffering in the heat and getting grumpy, but I wanted to see a bit further south of the island so we plied her with Diet Coke from the cool bag to keep her going and drove down to manatee beach.

Took ages to find a space in the huge car park here.

Very busy. Not like the north of the island. The beach was packed

Granted, it had ice cream shacks, a burger place, a playpark and restrooms if you need those things.

It only made me pleased I had gone for the North End to be honest. Kieran wasn't as tempted by the waves as he had loved having them to himself!

We left here and went a bit further south crossing the Cortez rd causeway cutting right to the Star Fish Company for lunch.

This is not fancy in any way but oh my god the food was amazing

Everything just comes in a cardboard box with a plastic fork.

we shared coconut shrimp, fries, a light plate of crab cake and coleslaw.

The crab cake was the nicest I've ever tasted. excuse the half eaten photo, but it's just to show it was pure crab meat with just seasoning and a hint of chilli. Yum 😋

with a few sodas added the bill was $27

It was now 2pm so into the car, Waze programmed, and we were heading back the 2hr drive to Orlando. We've loved AMI so much that we now know we will definitely be coming back to Florida next year to stay there longer. heaven.

We arrived at Highgrove just after 4 and checked in at the clubhouse. We have rented dibb villa Caribe Villa Brisa again after loving it last year. It's owned by the loveliest Canadian couple, Randy & Barb.

I will post more villa detail on quieter trippie days when we just spend time relaxing here.

I had done an online Walmart order which was due to be collected from the Walmart just up the road on the US27. This is so easy - I love it

So for the next wee while I got unpacked and got the mountain of washing started, Kieran played the PlayStation (more info on that later)

Hannah locked herself in her room to overdose on social media, and Kevin tried to work the massive new TV (with little success!)

It was quite dreich outside which I was kind of glad of as it meant I didn't resent having so much to do!

At 6pm Kevin toddled off to get the shopping and on his return we had a cobbled together Walmart dinner.

I'm uploading this earlier than usual as I plan to spend the rest of the night playing pool with the kids, having a few of my yummy Seagrams, and joining my hubby in his favourite place - the hot tub.

Kevin's just told me he has better dolphin pics to send me so will add them at the end here.

Night all! Xx