106. Go to the Kennedy Space Center

 When planning the trip, I gave the hubby the option of a double header or I can find something to during the day and we can catch the Cardinals game at night. I knew the Everglades were too far for a day trip from Port St. Lucie and nothing around Port St. Lucie really screamed to me. I suggested going up to the Kennedy Space Center figuring the hubby would like to see it and I didn't know when we would get there in the future. He agreed.

Kennedy Space Center is about 1.5 hours north of Port St. Lucie. Since we had donuts left from the day before we didn't have to worry about getting breakfast. We left at 7-7:30 so we would be there when it opened at 9. Kennedy Space Center is open year round starting at 9 am. Closing times vary depending on the time of the year. However, it is not a cheap excursion. Tickets are $75/adult for one day or $90/adult for two days. Parking is $10. Definitely buy your admission tickets ahead of time. It saves time and if you scour the internet maybe even money.

I read a lot of blogs about visiting Kennedy Space Center. I've been there before back in the 80s and 90s with my family but I never had to plan it. After planning as many trips as I have, the more you know and the more you plan, helps when visiting anything. Besides the hubby needs things planned out so I needed a game plan.

Everything I read said to get in line for the bus to go to Apollo/Saturn Visitor Center (ASVC). This was great advice because I forgot that we are going on a Friday in March which meant school groups. We got in line for the bus take us over to the ASVC immediately and didn't run into a school group until we were leaving the ASVC. 

It also said to sit on the right side of the bus so you got a good view of the Vehicle Assembly Building or VAB. This is where the space shuttles, rockets, and other vehicles are actually made. It's the tallest one story building in the world. 

Once at the ASVC you are herded into mission control to experience what it was like to be one of the astronauts on the Apollo missions going to the moon. It really does feel like you are going into space. After both movies, which you can't skip, you are free to explore the visitor center. 

You can go outside and view the rocket launch pads. Nothing was sitting on the launch pads.

There is an entire Apollo rocket hanging from the ceiling. Plus the Lunar Module and several other vehicles. It really didn't change since I was there in 1993.

We skipped the movies and simulators. We were probably at the ASVC for about an hour before heading back to the main campus. Again you want to sit on the right hand side of the bus so you can view the wildlife including the eagles nest. 

Once we returned from the ASVC we made a giant loop through the Kennedy Space Center. We started at Space Shuttle Atlantis. We saw a movie (again, one you can't skip) on how the shuttle program came to be and what it felt like to fly in space. We saw the actual Space Shuttle Atlantis which I had the opportunity to see liftoff for it's final mission back in 2011. 

We explored the future of space travel in the Gateway building. I was not overly interested in this because going to Mars does not interest me. We did not wait the two hours to ride the simulator. 

The Rocket Garden features rockets used through the space program and is outside. 

From the Rocket Garden we headed back inside to the Heroes and Legends.. and of course had another movie to watch about who are your heroes. Then we got to explore the Astronaut Hall of Fame.

We were told to expect to spend all day at Kennedy Space Center. I did budget 6 hours so we had plenty of time to get back Jupiter for the baseball game. We were perfectly happy spending about 4 hours there. We saw everything we needed to see. I finally bought astronaut ice cream. We did not have to watch all the movies, go on all the simulators, or pay for extra tours or to talk to an astronaut. 

If you remember to get there early, buy your tickets ahead of time, try to go during the off season, and head straight to the ASVC, Kennedy Space Center is worth visiting. If you don't do your research, you may end up disappointed by the long lines. Either way it is worth visiting. Just wear comfy shoes, bring plenty of water and snacks, and allow time to see it all. 

AP US Mini Golf Tour 2023 -- Port St. Lucie, FL

 Looking for a mini golf course near Port St. Lucie lead me to Pop Stroke, a mini golf course designed by Tiger Woods. There are several locations around the southern US. It was near where we were staying. Despite the hefty price tag, we decided to check it out.

Pop Strokes is $20/adult but it does give you unlimited golf all day. It is open 10 AM - 11 PM (midnight on weekends). We got there right when it opened and immediately realized our mistake. There was a geriatric golf league at 10 AM on Thursdays as well so there was only one course open to the public. Since it wasn't completely closed to the under 60 crowd, we decided to stay and golf. We were behind several foursomes -- all over 60.  Yeah for geriatric golf.

The course was not that difficult but challenging enough. It was set up like a real golf course. Most of the holes were a par 2 but the sure loved sand traps and hills. They were not real sand traps but a sand colored turf that did was sunk like a real sand trap. 

The hubby beat me by two but we had an enjoyable morning playing golf. I wish we had more time to play both courses but we had baseball to get to. 

There looks to be a couple in Arizona so maybe after we hit the last course at Coasters N Castles, we will check out Pop Strokes and see how it compares to the Florida course. I would recommend Pop Stroke especially if you can play two or more rounds then you get your money's worth. 

162. Go to Lake Okeechobee

 One of the things I wanted to do in Florida was see Lake Okeechobee, the largest lake in Florida. It was near where we would be. After realizing we could bypass the interstate on the way back from the Everglades and see Lake Okeechobee, I penciled it in. The hubby quite didn't understand why. Honestly neither did I. It was on the original bucket list and that was a good enough reason for me.

Coming from the south, Lake Okeechobee is not as easy to see or get to as I would imagine. I was imaging being able to drive along the highway and see this large lake. That was not the case. There is an huge embarkment surrounding the lake, probably to protect nearby villages from flooding so you can't just drive along the highway and see it.

We found a road that would take us up and over the embarkment. It was a place that allowed fisherman to access the lake. 

The hubby was less than enthused to check out a giant lake after a long day of driving and fun in the Everglades. He did let me snap a few pictures.

There was a sign that said manatees were in the lake but didn't let go see if I could see any. 

The northern portion of the lake looks to have more to do and see than the southern portion from what I could gather on the map. Maybe one day I will be able to explore the lake a bit more. I would still say check it out but like the hubby said it's only a giant lake.

149. See the Everglades

 We had a free day in Florida if we wanted it. I realized if we headed south after leaving the Tampa Area we could potentially go to the Everglades before heading to Port St. Lucie. It was a bit out of the way but we had the National Park Pass yet and the hubby agreed. 

Everglades National Park is huge. It has three entrances and you can't go from each entrance to the other without leaving the park. I didn't think it was really possible to go to the Everglades until I discovered that the Northernmost Visitor Center, Shark Valley would be feasible. Flamingo Visitor Center in Homestead is the main visitor center.

We had several options of things to do in the Shark Valley Area. We could bike/walk the 15 mile loop at Shark Valley (um.. no), take a tram ride in Shark Valley, or do an airboat ride. The hubby was like we are not going to be cheap are we? The airboat was more than the tram hence the cheap comment. I was surprised he wanted to do an airboat ride. 

Once we decided on an airboat ride, we had to decide on a company. There are many different companies to choose from depending on where you are. However, there are only 3 companies that are authorized by the National Park Service -- all in Shark Valley. Cooperstown, Gator Park, and Everglades Safari Park. They all are within a couple miles of each other on US 41. After reviewing the websites, I decided Everglades Safari Park was the most bang for the buck. If you just want a airboat ride, I would suggest Cooperstown.

Included in our admission ($34/adult plus $5/adult NPS fee if you don't have a pass), was a 40 minute airboat ride, an alligator show, a nature trail/observation deck, and a small animal enclosure. 

Honestly it was very unorganized. We waited a good 30-45 minutes before we could even go on the trail. The trail is not long but it was a nice walk. Most people skipped the animal enclosures. Then we waited another at least another 10-15 minutes for a 5-10 minute animal show. The show was a very good. For those that are afraid of alligator tricks, they just talked about alligators and feed them some treats to be able to handle them. He also showed us a snake. For $5, you could get your picture taken next to a baby gator. It wasn't even a good shot.

Finally, we could get on the airboat ride. The wait was worth it. I just wish it was a bit more organized. It might have been because it was a Wednesday afternoon in not quite peak spring break season but I was getting antsy. Good thing I planned on us being here for several hours.

The airboat ride was amazing. As we glided over 6 inches of water, we saw several gators, an osprey, and many dragonflies. It was load but no louder than a regular boat engine but we were in the front of the boat. They do give you earplugs. Our guide would slow down whenever he saw an alligator. It was a great ride. The weather held out.

I would HIGHLY recommend seeing the Everglades. There is so much you can do from hiking, biking, and airboat rides. You can kayak or do other boat tours. A lot of what is available depends on where you are in the Everglades. It is the largest sub-tropical wilderness in the US and is worth checking out. I would suggest going in the dry season so it's not so buggy. 

1769. Go to the US Smallest Post Office in Ochopee

 I am not sure how I stumbled upon it but I discovered the US Smallest Post Office is in Big Cypress Preserve along US 41. Of course we were going to check it out. 

The US Smallest Post Office is located in Ochopee, FL just an hour from Fort Myers. It is located about 2 minutes from the Nathaniel P. Reed Visitor Center in Big Cypress National Preserve. 

It is open Monday-Friday 8-10 and 12-4 and Saturdays 10-11:30. I seriously thought we would be there during that two hour break when they were closed but due to the unforeseen circumstances, we actually got there shortly after 12. 

The Post Office is a white-washed building no bigger than a shed but it is an operating post office. For $1 (domestic) or $2 (international) you can buy and send a post card from there. I sent one to me and one to Andrea. 

It is definitely worth the 5-10 stop to get a picture, buy a post card, and chat with the postmaster. The hubby got a kick out of it and I'm glad we stopped. 

1770. Go to Big Cypress National Preserve

 When we first were planning on going to Florida, I looked at an option that would take us from the East Coast to the West Coast passing through the northern edge of the Big Cypress National Preserve. Then we changed our itinerary based on who was playing when and how long we were going to be gone. We ended up having a potential free day to do some exploring and I mentioned we could headed down to check out the Everglades since we still had the National Park pass. The hubby agreed.

Big Cypress National Preserve is on the northwest edge of the Everglades. It really could be considered part of the Everglades because when the Everglades was founded in the 1930s, the government didn't have enough funds to maintain the whole area so later the Big Cypress National Preserve was created in what remained of the unprotected land in the area.

Big Cypress Preserve is open year round and has two visitor centers. Since we were going to the Everglades, we visited Nathaniel P. Reed Visitor Center in Ochopee. Due to some unforeseen issues, we didn't spend much time at the visitor center but instead decided to drive through the preserve on our to the Everglades. I had several stops I wanted to do.

There are two boardwalks and a scenic drive along US 41 that you can explore Big Cypress. Knowing the scenic drive is a dirt road, we skipped. We didn't want to deal with all that dust. 

We stopped at H.P. Williams Wayside park which has a short boardwalk. The boardwalk was the perfect length for the hubby who is not all about hiking or walking much. We saw several alligators, a really large bug, and some birds. It was actually a very nice boardwalk to check out.

The other boardwalk we did not check out due to time was Kirby Storter Roadside Park. This one has a longer boardwalk (about 1 mile round trip). If we ever get back down here, I would check it out. 

I would have loved to spend more time in Big Cypress but we had to get to the Everglades National Park. You could spend the whole day explore the scenic trail, boardwalks, and check out the visitor center. It was definitely worth the detour on our way to Port St. Lucie.