The Napoleon Bonaparte Broward Bridge a.k.a. Dames Point Bridge (1989) seen in bokeh from the Dave Rawls Boulevard Bridge to Blount Island.

Dave Rawls Boulevard Bridge, Jacksonville, Florida: 24 November 2012

The St. Johns River Light (1858) at Naval Station Mayport, used as a lighthouse until 1929, is the oldest surviving structure in Mayport, Florida.

4600 block of Broad Street, Mayport, Florida: 24 November 2012

Alaska's Brooks Range, Galbraith Lake and the Trans-Alaska pipeline seen from mile marker 142 on the James W. Dalton Highway (North Slope Haul Road/SR 11) nearly a mile north of Galbraith Airport Road.

James W. Dalton Highway MM 142, North Slope Borough, Alaska: 28 June 2011

Using Mom's excellent photographs to plan out my own trip to Deadhorse, I could not help but do an edit of one of my favorite shots in October 2012 and then use it as my wallpaper.

Back in May, I went down to Fort Lauderdale to attend the Florida Governor's Hurricane Conference (GHC). An annual event for emergency management professionals, the GHC offers attendees a selection of over forty training sessions and nearly sixty workshops.

It was an exciting time for me. I had recently been promoted at work and on the day before I drove to the GHC was named the Child Advocates II Board Member of the Year at the Second Judicial Circuit Guardian ad Litem Program's annual Guardian ad Litem Appreciation Day. A week in a beachfront hotel, albeit during a business trip, was certainly welcomed.

In addition to the keynote speaker's session and awards luncheon, I attended GHC courses on tropical meteorology, decision support, hazardous materials and social media for emergency managers.

Both an excellent educational and networking experience, I was impressed with the overall organization of the event. In the future, they need to blanket the place with wireless internet though. I had to rely on my personal smartphone's cellular connection to monitor email, occasionally tweet and refer to the schedule.

Perhaps the highlight of the week for me, however, was the tour of the National Weather Service's (NWS) National Hurricane Center (NHC) that I was able to take on Tuesday, 15 May 2012.

It was a forty-five minute transit south by coach from the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center. Looking out the window and spotting familiar locations along the way—like the large shark painted on the side of Paul W. Bell Middle School—I could not help feeling as if I was heading to Key West, my destination every other time I passed through here.

Upon our arrival, we were met by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Public Affairs Officer Dennis Feltgen who guided us to the security reception desk where we showed our government IDs and signed in.

It was Feltgen I asked if photography was permitted and his affirmative response elicited both joy and regret in me. Since the trip was not recreational, I had previously decided to bring only my pocket-sized workhorse, the Canon A540, but I immediately wished I had my Canon EOS 550D for the tour.

Our first stop was the Media Briefing Room, which is used for training, public outreach and media broadcasts during tropical events. Broadcast studio lights hanging above, the entire left wall of the room is made up of floor to ceiling sliding glass doors beyond which is the broadcast desk and Operations Area.

Feltgen and his colleague first went around the room having us introduce ourselves. Our contingent was fairly diverse with members of state and local government, military, law enforcement and a few non-governmental organizations like the Red Cross.

After describing the history of the NHC and describing its present-day organization and functions, we split up and my group started the tour.

With two forecasters on duty at all times during hurricane season, the operations area is the heart of the NHC. Hurricane Specialist John Cangialosi showed us the various tools and resources staff use to collect data, analyze it and apply computer models, eventually producing public forecast products and guidance.

It was the first day of the Pacific hurricane season and the day before, a tropical disturbance organized sufficiently to be designated as Tropical Storm Aletta. It was cool to watch as the forecasters on duty in operations processed real-time data on Aletta and prepared for the upcoming Atlantic season (which ended up spawning two pre-season storms as well).

Senior Hurricane Specialist Daniel Brown was present and working as well, pausing from his paperwork to say hello.

Public tours of the NHC are only offered from 24 January to 26 April, obviously to avoid distractions to the staff during tropical events. Even though Aletta did not become very strong and never posed any danger to land, I felt fortunate to be able to tour the facility while something was going on.

The NHC frequently holds coordination conference calls with other NOAA weather entities when preparing forecasts. During tropical events, they also provide daily briefings and expertise to the counties and State Emergency Response Team (SERT), of which I am a member.

The part of operations area familiar to most people is the broadcast desk from which NHC personnel broadcast tropical updates and provide media briefings.

Next, we walked to the Chief Aerial Reconnaissance Coordination All Hurricanes (CARCAH) office and met Meteorologist Steve Feuer. Feuer briefed us on the fleet of US Air Force and NOAA aircraft deployed by CARCAH to investigate a storm, the technology used and their flight plan methodology.

A typical "hurricane hunter" mission lasts ten or more hours, permitting a multi-vectored course through the storm in different directions and at different altitudes. Despite it likely being a bumpy ride, I would jump at the opportunity to go on a CARCAH flight and photograph the crew, equipment and storm.

Complementing on board instrumentation, dropsondes are also deployed from the aircraft allowing for the collection of data in and around the storm and water.

I asked Feuer if dropsondes are collected and reused, but he said that they are designed to be expendable and contain some components—the batteries for one, if I am not mistaken—designed to be more bio-friendly.

Moving on to behind the operations area, Cangialosi next took us to Tropical Analysis and Forecast Branch (TAFB) workspace.

As one of three major NHC branches, TAFB produces tropical cyclone position, intensity and precipitation estimates, tropical weather discussions and year-round marine forecasts through its Atlantic, Pacific/Classification, Atlantic/Pacific Analysis and Backup desks.

Responsible for a fourteen million square nautical mile region, TAFB issues over 100 marine forecasts and/or warnings every day. Their marine products include high seas and offshore waters forecasts; sea surface state, wind wave and wave period analyses; and tropical cyclone danger area graphics.

Our next stop was the NHC Storm Surge Unit (SSU), responsible for forecasting the abnormal rise of water from a tropical system above the predicted astronomical tide.

As detailed by NOAA Commissioned Corps Officer Lieutenant Jeffrey Pereira, the SSU provides evacuation and mitigation planning tools using the Sea, Lake, and Overland Surges from Hurricanes (SLOSH) computer model to calculate maximum envelope of water (MEOW) and maximum of maximums (MOM) inundation analyses and forecasts.

While their acronyms may be amusing, the SSU's role at the NHC is critical. Storm surges are "often the greatest threat to life and property" in a tropical system.

Backtracking through offices, we made our way to the other entity that calls the NHC home, the Miami-South Florida Weather Forecast Office (MFL WFO). Providing full-time weather services for the region, MFL WFO was originally established as Miami's first Weather Bureau Office (WBO) in June 1911.

On this day, WFO staff were closely monitoring a local storm system with the potential to produce severe weather. As a staffer briefed the group on the office, I watched as meteorologists analyzed the storm and prepared their forecasts.

I was also interested in three things located in the back of the room. First, I discovered the WFO's amateur radio station used for Skywarn and its amusing vanity call sign WX4MIA.

To the right of the ham radio desk stands a black equipment rack housing vintage weather station equipment including an anemometer and a barograph. My photograph's resolution is unfortunately too low to make out the hardware's date of manufacture, but I would guess late 1950s or early 1960s.

Finally, next to the weather station is a beige rack holding the equipment and control panels for NOAA Weather Radio (NWR) in south Florida. Now automated by computer, this NWR console has manual control interfaces for WXM58 162.400 MHz in Belle Glade, KEC50 162.475 MHz in West Palm Beach, WWG92 162.525 MHz in Naples and KHB34 162.550 MHz in Miami.

Before I knew it, an hour and a half had passed and it was time to head back to Fort Lauderdale. I am glad to have been able to take part in this special NHC tour, especially after being in classes taught by many of its staff the day prior.

I would like to thank all of the NHC staff who hosted and spoke with our group. After having hosted the Federal Highway and Safety Administration (FHWA) in April for a briefing and tour of the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC) in Tallahassee, it was fun to be on the other side.

The balance of my time down south was great for many different reasons. I may elaborate on the GHC and trip more in a future article, but in the meantime I present these four groups of additional notes and highlights.

• The Hotel
   
• The Bahia Mar Fort Lauderdale Beach Hotel was nice, although I wished that my room had a balcony or at least windows that opened.
   
• The partially-covered walkway from the hotel over Seabreeze Boulevard was fantastic. I used it to walk to the beach every evening before dinner and again before bed.
   
• The "gourmet" coffee in the room was undrinkable. Thinking I had done something wrong, I tried it again using more and less water but it was still terrible. This was fine though as I brought my own beverages and the GHC provided free soda and coffee during breaks.
   
• The Convention Center
   
• I liked the convention center well enough, although it was air conditioned way too much. I kept dashing outside during the breaks just to catch some fresh air and warm sunshine. I mean, I was in south Florida after all.
   
• During a few of the training sessions, we were distracted by sounds emanating from the echoey service corridors: food service carts going by, dishes clanking and conversation.
   
• Manufacturers of projector remote controls should go out of their way to design a simple, usable product for presenters. One was obviously built with a hair trigger; each time the presenter pushed "next slide," three would quickly go by.
   
• The Restaurants
   
• I do not plan to wait another six years before next dining at my favorite German restaurant, Old Heidelberg. The food and service were both as exemplary as I had remembered.
   
• I had the Old Heidelberg Oktoberfest Mixed Plate consisting of bratwurst, Thüringer, knockwurst, smoked pork chop, meatball and kielbasa with red cabbage, sauerkraut, mashed potatoes, split pea soup and bread.
   
• My patty melt meal at Lester's Diner was also delicious. The service was acceptable although the waitress seemed a bit distracted.
   
• The Good Fortune
   
• I am glad that I heard the train coming before I called a taxi to fetch me at Lester's, otherwise I would have paid for the pleasure of waiting thirty minutes for it to pass.
   
• It was good to see and hang out with my friend Keith during my visit. Fortunately, his work schedule allowed him to visit on two evenings.
   

Having left home so early in the morning, the excitement of the adventure ahead only started to hit me while crossing the Bennett Causeway on SR 528. From there I spotted cruise ships in the distance directly ahead and the NASA Vehicle Assembly Building to the north. This would be my first vacation on a cruise ship and by now, I was ready to arrive, check-in and get aboard.

It all started only a month or two earlier when a friend and his wife offered this trip to me as a 30th birthday gift. I could not refuse such an awesome gesture, just as Chris could not refuse when I invited him to join me as my cabin mate. Mom sent me information on places she visited in Nassau and I read about the ship online.

The Fantasy class cruise ship Carnival Sensation IMO 8711356 first entered service in 1993 and was refit in 2008–2009. With a length of 855 feet and beam of 103 feet, Carnival Sensation has 13 decks, a standard crew compliment of 920 and room for up to 2,634 passengers. I get my first good look at the vessel as we approach Port Canaveral Terminal 5, park and walk to the entrance.

The customs and check-in process was quick and painless, though my belt set off the damn metal detector as always. The Carnival Cruise Lines agent at the counter was extremely friendly and informative, the perfect way to start a relationship with a new customer. Before I knew it, we were through the gangplank, greeted by the ship's crew with smiles and maps.

Since the ship's Deck 7 (Empress Deck) docking port is used at Port Canaveral, all we had to do was turn right and take the long, straight port corridor aft to my quarters: interior cabin E-220. It was larger than I expected with plenty of room for two people, including what I thought was a spacious bathroom and shower. Anxious to find a good place to stand, we made our way above deck for our departure.

We first ended up at the Deck 14 (Sun Deck) forward lookout and took some pictures. From there I saw a better location a few decks below, one that would end up being my de facto post during the voyage. After a bit of searching, we found the Deck 11 (Verandah Deck) forward lookout above the ship's main bridge. The departure began shortly after 1620 EST with our backing away from the terminal and coming about in the West Turning Basin.

The trip through Canaveral Barge Canal is filled with interesting things to see and photograph, especially since it borders Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Numerous ships were docked along the way including US Coast Guard USCGC Vigilant WMEC-617, US Army USAV El Caney LCU 2017 and my personal favorite, NASA's two Solid Rocket Booster recovery ships MV Liberty Star IMO 7925302 and MV Freedom Star IMO 7925314. They had recently completed recovery operations for STS-133, the 39th and final mission of Space Shuttle Discovery.

Once clear of land, we move southeast through the seamark buoy-lined Port Canaveral channel and then into the open waters of the Atlantic Ocean. By this point, all the other passengers who came above deck have long since moved to the pool, buffets and shops. I think it is perfect—the open sea, no noise except the wind and water, no people except Chris and me.

This was the number one aspect of the cruise I appreciated the most. I never imagined I would be able to enjoy the exterior decks of the ship without anyone around, or be social and participate in the ongoing events at the lounges, casino and clubs. As I wanted to spend time appreciating the unpainted and uncarpeted areas of the ship, I was pleased that I had the option to do both.

After over three hours of wandering the ship, I had a cheeseburger and returned to the cabin. It was then I found a reason to use the television during the rest of the trip. Channel 14 displays maps of our position at various altitudes along with our coordinates, course, speed, wind data and time. Channel 15 is the view from a forward facing camera accompanied by big band, swing and jazz music.

Sharp-eared listeners will notice that mixed in with the Tommy Dorsey, Glenn Miller and Frank Sinatra standards are occasional big band covers of pop songs. I had earlier heard a song that got my attention but ended before I could identify it. This time while sitting and reading the Fun Times daily schedule of events left in the room with the first of our towel animals, it was clearly a swing cover of Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" playing.

Our nightly scheduled dinner was at Table 310 in the Deck 8 Ecstasy Dining Room at 2015; we suited up and were off. I figured this experience might be, well, unfortunate, but our tablemates all turned out to be very nice people. There were two women sailing to get away from it all, a mother and daughter (who currently lives in Tallahassee for school) enjoying a short vacation together, two teenaged girls who wound up only joining us the first night and my party.

I ordered the Black Tiger (Penaeus monodon) shrimp cocktail and a grilled flatiron steak with vegetables and potatoes. Like my overall impression of all the food on the ship, everything was acceptable but not spectacular or particularly noteworthy. Our waiter was a pleasant gentleman who always remembered my name and led the other staff in a rendition of "Happy Birthday" when they surprised me with a slice of Key lime pie with a candle in it.

I had earlier been a little astonished to find "LGBT Meet (Unsupervised)" in the Fun Times scheduled for 2300. After drinking some of the wine we brought—one 250 ml or smaller bottle of wine or champagne is permitted per person—and wandering around some more, we checked out the event. When we entered the Michelangelo Lounge, we found it filled with elderly people who had been apparently enjoying karaoke.

A young man quickly approached us and looked relieved to see others around his age. Only four or five others showed up, but once they got on stage and the friendly Cruise Director James Charlton arrived, it was an amusing gathering. With the other younger crowd at Kaleidoscope completely lame, we hung out with the guys we met at Michelangelo's, eventually dancing in the Sensation Boulevard corridor to the rock tunes of a cover band called Music Alterr.

By 0130, I was back at the Deck 11 forward lookout enjoying the darkness of night and spotting another ship's lights in the distance. Having been up for nineteen hours and with a busy day in port quickly approaching, it was time to return to the cabin. The bed was comfortable and I quickly fell asleep to the soft rocking back and forth of the ship.

Getting up shortly after the ship's docking at noon, we went outside to find ourselves surrounded by the beautiful blue waters of the bay around Prince George Wharf, Port of Nassau. Compared to the rainy and overcast day prior, the mostly sunny skies and 79° F temperature were welcome. The forward lifts are the only public ones on board that go down to Deck 3, the location of our disembarkation at 1345.

Prior to this trip, quite a few people told me that local vendors wait around and mob those coming ashore from cruise ships. Perhaps we missed the earlier rush around 1200 when anyone with a shore excursion or desire to spend a full day touring the island would have left, but only a few taxis and one colorfully dressed individual approached us.

Passing through Festival Place and finding no customs or security, we went straight to Woodes Rodgers Walk and headed west along the shore. No first visit would be complete without a stroll through the uncomfortably narrow aisles of the Straw Market. The original famous bazaar was destroyed by fire in 2001 and this temporary location will be replaced when the new, larger market building is completed sometime this year.

Señor Frog's was pretty much a loud, dirty shithole filled with younger people already quite intoxicated. Of course, I had to try an overpriced foot-long margarita while there and was surprised to find it tasted really good. Moving away from the throngs of people, we continued along West Bay Street past the British Colonial Hilton and found a secluded spot on the water that had a great view of the Paradise Island Lighthouse (1817) and ships docked at Prince George Wharf.

Heading back east, the section of West Bay Street near the port was far livelier with shops, restaurants and bars. Walking through Prince George Plaza to see what was there, we came across a little place called 2 Coconuts Daiquiri and Burger Bar. It was almost empty and we decided to sit at the bar, have a drink and chat with the bartender, who turned out to be one of the owners.

Knowing many people who rave about sodas made with real sugar, I tried some Coca-Cola and found it surprisingly different, more crisp and refreshing. It was particularly good with rum. After our fill of drinks, we migrated to Rawson Square and sat on a bench in the park. There were a number of local sites worth visiting nearby, but with the good light fading and the chill out mood of the trip thus far, we made our way back to 2 Coconuts.

We spent the next four hours at 2 Coconuts, enjoying each other's company and getting to know a few of the locals that arrived at the bar. It was a great chance to socialize and interact with some real down to earth Bahamians. Chris and I really hit it off was one of the guys, whose name I unfortunately cannot remember, so we left the bar and drove around with him pointing out landmarks from a local's perspective.

Although vehicles drive on the left side of the road, there was a fairly even mixture of left and right side drive automobiles in Nassau. Our new friend's car was a left side drive, creating a wild perspective for me in the front passenger seat while on the same side as opposing traffic. About an hour later, he needed to get home to his girlfriend who he somewhat blew off to hang with us, so we thanked him and got out a few blocks from the ship.

It may only have been 2300 when we got back aboard, but it had been a long day (of drinking) and it felt a lot later. As we had also missed the night's formal dinner, the next priority was to find an open restaurant. You can probably imagine our glee coming across the Mexican buffet. Suffice it to say, we tore it up.

Returning to the the Deck 11 forward lookout, I enjoy the quiet night and spend some time watching the really drunk people below stumble back to the ship. It is 64° F and mostly clear with light 9 mph winds. I head back to the cabin a few minutes to 0100 and take some photographs of the long corridor devoid of people before heading to bed.

I was awakened suddenly to the sound of loud hammering and banging. No one else on board including Chris seem to notice the awful racket going on during the ship's departure from port at 0600, but it was maddening to me half asleep, half intoxicated. I move a chair in front of the closet doors to keep them from banging and eventually fall back asleep to the pulsing of the engines.

The final full day of the trip started around 1000 telling Chris about my early morning wakeup call and turning on the television to Channel 15 to see nothing but blue water ahead. The day was chock full of planned activities and entertainment, but I once again elected to instead roam the ship, take pictures and enjoy the time at sea. During the course of the day, I tried food from several eateries including a grilled Reuben sandwich, pepperoni pizza and another cheeseburger.

The seas were noticeably choppier this day, which resulted in amusing moments of moving in a zigzag pattern to walk in a straight line down a corridor without bumping into the bulkhead or other people. For the final formal dinner, I had the shrimp cocktail, crab cakes and veal parmigiana. This was certainly the best of the meals I had on Carnival Sensation.

The ship was due to arrive back at Port Canaveral early Sunday morning and our scheduled departure was set for 0715. Chris and I enjoyed our last night taking a final walk of the ship's decks from bow to stern, which we know well by now, and standing watch on the Deck 11 forward lookout. In the darkness off our port side, we could see some lights in the distance that I figure must be the Miami–Fort Lauderdale area.

The service we experienced was great, definitely worth the $10 per person per day charge automatically billed to my account for the turnover service, waiters and other staff. As well, the automatic 15% gratuity attached to beverage purchases was always under the $1 tip I would have left if paying with cash. I had nothing to dispute on the final bill of $110.13, which included two $5.65 credits and no charge for our calls for room service.

Overall, I can think of only three negatives throughout the entire trip. One, with a ten-hour drive to port and back, three days onboard was not enough time; I will consider a four or seven day itinerary whenever I cruise again. Two, the ship has a surprising lack of trash receptacles despite Carnival's vocal anti-littering policy and ample signage to that effect. Three, there is a "Behind the Fun" tour offered of the bridge, engineering and other crew-only spaces but it costs $55 per person and photographic equipment of any kind is strictly prohibited "for security reasons." I would have paid for the tour if I could take pictures.

Leaving the ship was as easy as boarding, few queues and very orderly. The customs agent looked at our documents for only a second before wishing us well and sending us on our way. My first cruise was an unqualified success and I am very lucky to have such great friends. Although it appears I did not win a free seven-day cruise following the completion of an online satisfaction survey, I will definitely consider Carnival again in the future.

This week three years ago, I spent nine days in Japan. Staying in Sagamigaoka, Zama Kanagawa, I explored the Tokyo metropolitan area and rode Tokaido Shinkansen Hikari across the beautiful country to spend a day in Hiroshima.

Since then, the Japanese people have held a special place in my heart for my trip enlightened me to a culture with which I have much respect. My heart is with them again now.

Recently Claire and I decided it was finally time for another day trip adventure. Our past four outings had been a success but we put things on hiatus for her second pregnancy. In early January, she suggested the Pebble Hill Plantation, 1251 US Highway 319 South in nearby Thomasville, Georgia. That sounded good to me, so on Saturday, 12 February at around 0945 we were on our way, cinnamon scones in hand, to the 3,000-acre facility.

We arrived shortly after they opened and I could tell that the sunlight and temperature would be perfect for walking around and taking pictures. The main drive from the highway is a cozy, canopy road that winds around the structures to a parking lot at the Stable Complex (1928) and visitor center. Upon our arrival inside, the gentleman working the register greeted us and explained the fees. We each paid the basic $5 grounds access fee and added the main house tour for $10.

After looking at some of the historical artifacts on display, we were ushered into an adjoining room to watch a short film about the plantation and the people who operated it during its 153 year history (1825–1978) before opening as a museum in October 1983. This room contained a vintage American Sterilizer Co. (AMSCO) of Erie, Pennsylvania safe-sized walk-in sterilizer, something that I had never seen before. After the film, it was time to meet the docent for our tour of the main house (1914/1936).

Unfortunately, photography is prohibited on the house tour so I do not have any images from inside (see PHP Photo Galleries). The tour itself was interesting and covered the history of the building and the legacy of strong female mistresses who obviously ran the show back in the day. The house contains an absolute plethora of objects from the 19th and early 20th century including various equine artworks and awards, 33 John James Audubon lithographs and a photograph of President Dwight D. Eisenhower on the property during one of several visits here with his wife.

At the end of the hour-long tour, we exited the main house and were now free to roam the grounds at our leisure and take photographs. We wandered from the trellis to Carriage Circle and explored the Tennis Court, Family Cemetery (1827) and Family Cemetery addition (1932). Moving south, we saw the Swimming Pool (1920), Bath House (1922), Arbor Tunnel and Maze. Moving around the house from the east wing to the front porch and eventually the west wing guest entrance, we next went to some of the other structures on the property.

The oldest building at Pebble Hill is the Log Cabin School (1901), which has on its roof a neat statue of a cat sitting watch. Inside the schoolroom and playroom are the furniture and toys of the various children who lived here. It also contains a vintage Fire-Gun No. 1 fire extinguisher by American-LaFrance Foamite Corporation of Elmira, New York. Moving on, we saw the Overflow Cottage (1916/17), Kitchen Garden and Shed (1917) and The Waldorf (1929).

The main floor of The Waldorf, built as the plantation laundry complete with living quarters, kitchen and dining room, houses some additional vintage equipment of interest. I enjoyed the "Wheel to Fire" mobile firefighting apparatus by O.J. Childs Co. of Utica, New York, the Tip Top Value cast iron stove and range (~1905–1920) by Southern Stove Works, Inc. of Richmond, Virginia and The Great Majestic cast iron stove and range (~1920) by Majestic Manufacturing Co. of St. Louis, Missouri.

The Dog Hospital (1929) felt eerie and abandoned in the way things were arranged. It was almost as if a dog was going to appear and run up to us. Incidentally, I managed to capture one of my favorite pictures from the trip here. Next door, we passed the Firehouse (1929) and Nurse's Station (1929) before walking the main road around the horse paddock and Stable Complex.

Twelve horses and mules live on the plantation today and several of them came up to us once we got closer. After visiting with a few of the curious horses, we walked inside through the Stable Complex to see the horse and cow barns, Tack Room, Dairy and Carriage Room. Already at the courtyard near the exit and having spent two hours wandering around, we decided that it was time for lunch and that the other buildings on-site could wait for another time.

We left the plantation and continued north on US 319 into downtown Thomasville. After parking on the street, we walked up and down Broad Street looking for a good place to eat, finally settling on Jonah's Fish & Grits, 109 East Jackson Street. The restaurant contains a bit of religious artwork and some text on the menu about their namesake, but it was not intrusive. Claire ordered the Shrimp and Grits ($7.50) and I got the Fish and Chips ($7.80) with a cup of Grouper Chowder ($3.80), all of which were quite delicious.

We returned to Claire's house where her three-year-old Elliot wanted to spend some time with me. After a thorough review of his favorite Transformers and Toy Story action figures, Elliot decided it was time to color. Armed with some of his Sesame Street coloring books, we sat at the dining room table and colored together for twenty or thirty minutes. It was an interesting experience for me, not being particularly comfortable with children, but one I think we both enjoyed.

Day Trips with Claire Smith

The Georgia Plantation | The Florida Caverns Trip
The Big Bend Photo Trip

Photographs  Pebble Hill Plantation | Florida Caverns State Park
Tallahassee Antiques Museum | Big Bend Photo Trip | October Day Out