I’ve been on the road, traveling to and through Florida, for about ten days. For those of you who don’t know Florida, I thought I’d tell you what’s interesting about the state.
The beach. There’s a lot. There is so much that although Florida is crowded, the beaches are not. Well, maybe there are some crowded beaches — South Beach? Fort Lauderdale? lido key? — but that’s only because people want to see and be seen. There are miles and miles of beautiful uncrowded beaches. And the sand is nice too. Where we go in South Carolina, the sand is silty, almost muddy. Florida’s beaches are made of warm, golden sand that feels great between your toes.
Water. Not the water you drink. In fact, drinking water in Florida is pretty bad. Stick to bottled water. But the ocean water is blue and clear and usually quite warm. The waters of the Gulf of Mexico are even warmer and bluer, although they do occasionally have a red tide or some other type of tide, but that is unusual. For the most part, the waters are beautiful.
Historic centres. Really? I’m kidding? For the most part, Florida is one giant shopping mall, with more furniture stores and pawn shops per square mile (I swear) than any other state in the Union. But in reality, some cities have gone to great lengths to make a small part of their downtown area nice and walkable. On this trip I have been to two of them: the small settlement of Eau Gallie in Melbourne and the riverfront in downtown Fort Pierce.
The weather. It’s been sunny and in the 70’s every day since I’ve crossed the border into Florida. We took a shower one morning, but it cleared up by noon. Y . . . Wait. I’m wrong. In at least a day, maybe two, the temperature rose to 80 degrees.
Fishing. I’m not a fisherman so I don’t know first hand. But the guy downstairs at my airbnb said he caught two big ones this morning. “Is that your dinner?” I asked. “No, I threw them back,” he said. And who am I to doubt him?
Golf. There are even more golf courses in Florida than shopping malls. . . and that is saying something. The courses are honestly not spectacular, they are flat and sandy with lots of water and hardly any trees, but where else can you run into some friendly strangers who, on the third hole, look just like your old golfers? friends at home?
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Food? Well, about 99% of the food in Florida is fast food from McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and Waffle House. But if you search, you can find some great local dishes. I found a super Mexican restaurant in Fort Pierce. And a guy I was golfing with told me about Sharky’s on the beach. The boy lives in Delaware and spends the winter in Vero Beach. He told me that Sharky’s makes a good Philly cheesesteak, “Not as good as homemade, but pretty good. They also have a great Mahi sandwich.” Then his friend chimed in: “And the shrimp are to die for.” I can’t stand Philly cheesesteak. And I’m allergic to shrimp. So I got the Mahi sandwich, which was just as good as my new friend promised.
Family. Many people come to Florida to visit their parents and grandparents, and many times brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews show up. We used to come to Florida when our children were young and my parents were still alive, retired in South Florida. It’s nice to get together with the family, especially when you’re on vacation and it’s sunny and in the 70’s outside. I’ve been traveling alone so far, but in a couple of days I’m meeting B, and then we’ll visit my sister, and a few days later, well, not in Florida, but in South Carolina. — we will be reunited with children and grandchildren, and for this old man, at this point in life, that’s what it’s all about.
So if Florida is so wonderful, why don’t we retire here? For the rest of the story, check out my post from last year. Why don’t we retire to Florida?
