Monday, April 11, 2016

Florida Trip Day 10 - Tampa


We started our morning with a brunch at a local delicious healthy breakfast joint that Heather and Anthony picked for us. It was the perfect way to start the last day or our trip. We were sad it was coming to an end but we were going to maximize our last day since our flight wasn't until later that evening.

What is a trip to Florida without seeing alligators? We did see some at the Space Center but I wanted the boys to see them up close. We found a place called Croc Encounter in Tampa. It's a little hole in the wall rescue site that is only open to public on Saturday mornings and for private tours. We had scheduled a tour for our group of eight and it was a perfect little close up setting for the kids. We saw giant gators and huge crocodiles. The guide fed them big chunks of meat so we could see them move and eat.  We also saw snapping turtles and other turtles that we all got to feed lettuce to. The highlight was holding a three foot gator. The boys were so brave. Lincoln immediately volunteered to go first and Logan followed. Heather and I even both held it. Even with the mouth taped closed, it's still a bit scary. I was most afraid I would drop him and he'd get away. 

After an hour of time with the animals, in the roasting sun, with mosquitos trying to eat us, we were ready to cool down with some frozen yogurt. I don't think I've seen the boys eat so much ice cream in one sitting but it was so much fun to relax and visit with the Schneider's face to face for the last time for a while. We finally had to say our goodbyes and head to the airport. 

On the way to the airport we made a slight detour to drive by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers stadium for Lincoln to see it. We got to the airport with plenty of time to return the car, get through security, sit down to dinner at Chili's and then hang out for a bit waiting for our plane. The boys had another great flight. Lincoln played iPad and watched movies while Logan watched a show or two and then slept for the second half of the flight. We got home about 10:30 pm and then had to drive home. 

am so glad that we took the time and money to invest in this trip. It was a very successful trip that created a lot of wonderful memories for our family. Yes, it was a lot of work, and not necessarily relaxing, but it was all worth it. I love to travel and experience new things and it's the best when I can do it with my family! 
 These boys were inseparable for the two days they were together and they got along great. 
 Hands on tour. 
 Lincoln braving the alligator. 
 
 For some reason I thought Logan would be hesitant to hold it but he didn't flinch. He stepped right up and happily took his turn. 
 
 I was very nervous about hold the alligator because I didn't like the idea of it squirming and me potentially dropping it. 
 Heather was as hesitant and nervous and I was. You can tell in our face. 
 Marley was absolutely terrified and I think the alligator could sense it. She is not a fan of these things. 
 
 
 
 Lincoln feeding the turtles. 
Me feeding the turtle. 
 
 Logan feeding the turtles. 
 
 We stayed with the turtles for probably 20-30 minutes. I was surprised how much the boys enjoyed it. They wanted to make sure every turtle got some lettuce from them. 
 Nasty....just nasty.  There were about 25 gators in this pond. 
 These are the crocodiles. 
 When you're on vacation you tend to be more relaxed about the amount of ice cream and toppings consumed so these boys were loving this stop. 
 New York Yankees Spring Training Fields.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Stadium

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