We take a trip each winter to visit my mom in Florida. In years past we had been on the Atlantic side and had only seen the Gulf side of Florida once, and briefly. This year we spent all our time on the Gulf side during our trip. I was really looking forward to seeing that coast of Florida and exploring it more. My mom got a place on an island off the coast. Having a very high-stress job, her place there has become her peaceful retreat, a necessary place to unwind and relax. She had been working hard fixing it up and making it beautiful (she’s really good at that), and couldn’t wait to share it with her family. My grandma had plans to visit at the same time, but she caught a nasty flu going around and had to delay her trip. We were so bummed not to have her there, but were glad she was staying home getting well. We told her we would tell her everything she missed. (These pictures are for you Gee Gee!) 

We watched the sunset over the Gulf of Mexico for the first time. We seriously would have been content to spend the whole time at the beach, doing nothing else, and I think Bracken would have happily dug clams for our entire vacation. What an amazing thing to see when two dolphins swam past us while we were at the beach! We also saw lots of birds, including large osprey, often with fish in their talons. (Speaking of birds, we didn’t see the actual nest, but we drove past the park where Harriet the Eagle lives, which was so cool.) The waves were so calm there, and the white sandy beaches different from home. There was a cold snap while we were there and everyone told us “it’s not usually this cold here,” but we had sunshine for most of the trip (and had just come from our rainy season back home in the Pacific Northwest) so I didn’t complain. On one overcast day, we had one of the most magical experiences on our boat ride…

Dolphins swam along with our boat for a long way! They were so close to us and we had such a great view of them, that it was simply awe-inspiring. There was a whole group of dolphins jumping out of the water on either side of the boat. On our side we saw four dolphins jumping at one time, and there was a baby dolphin that was so cute. We had never seen dolphins that close before and never would have imagined having an experience like that. What a gift! They had such a playful, joyful energy and simply watching them and being around them felt healing. They are truly amazing creatures, and that was an unforgettable experience we were so grateful for.