Liz starts a second decade

After a special Krispy Kreme breakfast treat, and getting out of the condo early this morning, we took the kids to visit Florida's Gulfarium in Fort Walton Beach - just down the road. It was Elizabeth's 10th birthday, and we wanted to do something special.

Honestly, the Gulfarium is exactly the sort of place you would expect from a Florida beach town - sort of hokey, lowish budget, and not all that huge. Lets just say that Seaworld doesn't have to be concerned for the competition.

We watched a sea lion show, a dolphin show, and a combination dolphin/sea lion show. They were all very similar. The kids and their Mom really enjoyed the dolphin show, which featured two female bottlenose dolphins in a tank that was maybe 50 feet across. There was a lady with a broken leg seated in the first row, next to the railing. At one point in the show, someone stumbled over her crutches, which had been lying on the ground in front of her, and they fell into the tank. The trainers stopped the show, and began to suit up to retrieve them. But the dolphins did the work for them. They swam over and nosed one crutch, and then the other, up toward the stage where the trainers were waiting. Just like that, the problem was solved and the show continued.

After the dolphin show, we lingered for a long time, just watching the dolphins play with a soccer ball in the tank. The crew finally asked us to leave, and we descended the stairs that ran along the side of the tank. There was a window in the side of the tank, to which the girls were immediately drawn. The dolphins, swimming in circles, peeked out through the window at the girls with every pass, eliciting squeals of excitement. I think we hung around there for at least 45 minutes after the show had completed.

There were other, less performance-oriented exhibits. We watched the penguins being fed, and also got to see them feed the otters. There was a tank that held several different rays and skates. (I'm always interested in these animals.) One area was roped off as a makeshift sanctuary for sea birds, mostly pelicans, and we happened to be there during feeding time also. The alligator/crocodile area was fairly extensive, and in the process of being expanded.

A tide-pool exhibit at the Gulfarium, under a canvas tent, was being fed somehow with water from the gulf. We walked through the transparent flaps, and had a quick look around. Several people in the tent were coughing and fighting to get out. I personally didn't have a problem (and I do suffer from allergic asthma at times). The girls started complaining about burning throats and started coughing while we were there. We exited quickly. Red Tide strikes again - however, we still didn't know that what we had witnessed was Red Tide. We just thought it was odd and somewhat scary that people were distressed by something in that tent.

On the way out, we spent quite a bit of time in the gift shop. The girls each bought a trinket to remember the morning.

We went back to the condo for a late lunch, and then hit the beach. The water looked fairly clear, and the purple flags were gone, so we figured it was safe for the girls to swim today. And swim they did. They went way out into the gulf, so far in fact, that I was concerned they may have been in the shipping lanes. On the beach, one or two dead fish were present. The folks next to us had buried a couple of casualties in the sand to keep the flies away.



After our beach time, we retired to the lanai to enjoy another stunning sunset (camera-shy Katie hid behind her Florida shirt). I got cleaned up, and went into Destin for Liz's chosen birthday dinner entree: pizza. I visited Ciao Bella Pizza, just across the Destin Pass Bridge and right next to our favorite Destin eatery, McGuires. I ordered a Margherita pizza for Mom and I, and Italian Sausage and black olive for the girls. I sat at the bar while they baked our pies, and sort of enjoyed the people-watching opportunity.

The place was packed, so I knew the food was going to be good. I was seated close to the gelato case, and it took a copious quantity of willpower to avoid a pre-dinner snack. Several kids came up while I was waiting and ordered a dish of gelato. I was dying to sneak a taste - but of course I did not. The group seated at the table behind me, who I believe were from Alabama, found themselves finishing their dinner with extra wine in their carafe. These folks were so friendly, they actually offered me a glass of wine, which I thought was incredibly generous, but I did gratefully decline.

Driving back to the condos with those two pizzas made the short drive nearly interminable. The odor of them was so enticing. Once back at Destin West, we were not disappointed. The pizza was great - and especially so for St. Louisans - it was on a crispy, thin crust with a softer cheese (provel instead of mozzarella?). Highly recommended.

After dinner, we brought out a Publix birthday cake with candles for Liza, and enjoyed another surprisingly well crafted dessert.