We used the NABC as an excuse to make my first visit to Disney World
and explore the Florida coast from Orlando to Key West.
November 25th - December 14th,  2016,  20 days

We stayed at the beautiful Dolphin Hotel for half the normal rate
and quickly discovered that we were a captive of outrageously
expensive restaurants.

Grande latte $10.50 !!!!

We stayed 10 days at the hotel but only played bridge for 3 days.

No master points...my mind was on Disney World not bridge.

First Ride

Mission Space

Barbara was very brave and chose the "gentle" ride.

Of course, I was selected to be the commander and had to make an emergency manual landing.

Nailed it !

Second Ride

Test Track

Barbara was very brave to go on this high speed ride.  In the end she liked it. You'll see why next.

While waiting inline for the ride, each person used a computer terminal to design a car that would go the fastest.

At the end of the ride we found out who designed the fastest car.          Barbara won !

Our chariot.
Could have used a little padding in those seats.

Now you can see why.

Third Ride

Soarin

Best ride in Disney World
I rode 3 times.

I borrowed this photo from the Internet to show the mechanics of the ride.

A modern update of the one I saw in Disneyland 40 years ago.

A List of Rides we didn't go on:
Astro Orbiter
The Barnstormer
Haunted Mansion
Big Thunder Mountain
A Pirate's Adventure
Seven Dwarf's Mine Train
Splash Mountain

I almost talked Barbara into the Tea Cup ride but she said it went too fast.

Hollywood Studios was the most fun.

First thing after entering we got run down by some official looking storm troopers.

We enjoyed the Great Movie Ride.  It brought back lots of memories.

Best stunt show ever.

The best meal we had the whole trip was at the Brown Derby in Hollywood Studios Park.

The 3 martini sampler was a great way to start a meal.

My fillet was excellent.
The presentation could use a little more imagination.

The purpose of this trip (fun) was to explore the west coast of Florida and venture to the furthest point south in the US.

Took an all day bus tour from Orlando to Kennedy Space Center
It was a Sunday and not very crowded.  Not sure why.

First thing we did was take the bus tour out to the launch pads.  This one is used my Space-X.

I'm glad we were on a bus
when we came across this bad boy.

Up close and personal
with the Saturn 5 booster

Up close and personal
with the space shuttle

In Palm Beach we toured the
Flagler Museum

Flagler is a big name in Florida.  He made his fortune as a founder of Standard Oil.
He became a key figure in the development of the wild Atlantic coast of Florida.  
He built the East Coast Railway all the way to Key West.  Before Flagler and the railroad, nobody visited Florida let alone lived there.

Lunch Time

Let's go to The Breakers

This is one of the oldest and historically famous hotels in Florida.

I told the doorman that my Bentley was in the garage for repairs so he let me park for $35.

This is a very exclusive place. It was very busy. I told them I had a meeting with Trump soon and they let us sit at the bar.

 We ordered Cosmos and flatbread pizza.
Notice the silver service holder
to keep the utensils from touching the bar.

I was surprised that in West Palm Beach you could drive by Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago Estate.

As we drove by, I spotted Trump and waved.
He invited me in.

What a grand guy!

Fort Lauderdale

We reserved our hotel 8 months in advance for half the price of the high end hotels on the beach.  So we were pleasantly surprised to find our hotel next to the beach.

The famous Fort Lauderdale spring break meca has been transformed into a family destination with chic shopping and dining.

The promenade is nearly 3 miles long.

Great exercise and people watching.

When we visit a new city, we like to take the Hop On/Hop Off bus. The equivalent in Fort Lauderdale is the Hop On/Off water taxis.

We saw lots of mega yachts. The one on the left is owned by Steven Spielberg. The one on the right is 230ft of aluminum and pure speed (owner unknown).

We also saw lots of mega mansions.

Miami

Two full days to explore Miami.  What should we do...Hop-On/Hop-Off bus, of course.

We bought the 2 day combo pass which included a boat tour of the Miami coast.  Excellent commentary with earbuds.

First stop:  South Beach

Kind of boring  

The domino park is famous in Little Havana and always busy.

Our tour guide took us to a local shop where we got to sample a Cuban coffee (very sweet) and watch them roll cigars.

Note:  We were told that Cuba no longer makes the best cigars because the people all work for the government and they don't give a crap ...err wrap.

Coconut Grove                                                               Coral Gables
We drove through some famous places.

Miami
Day 2

I'm making my way to our double deck boat tour and it's pouring rain.

Can rain sink our boat?

Good thing it wasn't a full boat because the seats near the gunwales were wet.

We saw lots of amazing mansions.

And amazing yachts.

The risky part of visiting Key West is selecting a hotel sight unseen.  Trip Advisor recommended this one.

    The location was ideal...right on the main drag, Duval St.
Our room was right behind those people. The second and third day we beat them to this el primo spot.

The management and staff clearly worked hard to make our stay memorable.

This is a little bar next to the pool that doubled as a breakfast buffet.

The perks included a free drink and a chocolate as part of the turn down service each night.

Each day we walked the length of Duval St and back. Sometimes twice a day. The people watching was excellent.

The Key West equivalent of the Hop On/Hop Off Bus is the Conch Tour Train.  It's an excellent way to learn about the history of Key West and find all the interesting places to stop and visit.

First Stop

The Truman Little White House

Built in 1889 as officer quarters for the navel station and submarine base.

After 19 months as president, Truman was exhausted. His doctor ordered him to take a warm vacation.

Harry loved it so much he returned often for a total of 175 days.

The living room with Harry's original piano.

Harry loved poker all his life. He had this table made special with a removable top to make Bess happy.

One of the joys of a walking tour in Key West is discovering these fun sculptures.

Second Stop

Key West Shipwreck Treasure Museum

Ok, I know it's a tourist trap, but I couldn't resist and I'm glad I didn't because it contained an abundance of history.

I also climbed to the top of the lookout tower for a fantastic view.  See the video clip below.

Third Stop

Ernest Hemingway House

Hemingway lived in this house from 1931 to 1939 and did some of his best work...
"The Snows of Kilimanjaro"
"To Have And Have Not"
"Green Hills of Africa".

We enjoyed this tour the most although, The Little White House was a close second.

Hemingway had his hideaway office on the second floor of a separate building behind the house.

Lounging around the property are six- and seven-toed cats that are direct descendants of Hemingway cats.

Back in 1931, nobody within 100 miles had a pool. Hemingway designed this one and left oversight of construction to his wife Pauline. It involved digging a massive hole in the coral.

Hemingway was so outraged at the money his wife had spent while he was away he reportedly flung down a penny on the half-built pool patio and bellowed "Pauline, you've spent all but my last penny, so you might as well have that!".

The penny is still there.  See it in the corner of this photo?  click to enlarge.

When Sloppy Joe's moved up the street, Hemingway bought this urinal made from a large Cuban jar.

He placed it in a prominent location next to the pool.

His wife was really "pissed off".

Speaking of Sloppy Joe's, no trip to Key West is complete until you try a sloppy joe.

This is the right way to celebrate the end of a wonderful trip.