Sorry for the big delay in updating the blog, we have been busy having fun and travelling!!! So here is an update on what we have been doing for the last few days.

When we left Baton Rouge on Sunday, we decided to take a tour through the lower Ninth Ward of New Orleans - the area worst hit by Hurricane Katrina. I had heard and read reports that it was still pretty bad there so I was pleasantly surprised to see quite a lot of new houses and a lot of construction still going on - I wonder though, how much of it is affordable to the original residents. There was still evidence of Katrina's devastation even after 5 years with empty lots piled with building rubble and old trees. The houses that are still standing are battered and boarded up and still bear the signs of the search and rescue teams - it was very eerie and I had goose bumps.

Leaving New Orleans, we travelled east along the Panhandle and beautiful beaches of the Gulf Coast. This is the second time we have done this trip and it seemed there were just a few more condos and hotels and a bit less beach. Our first overnight stop on our epic 4 day drive was The Hard Rock Hotel at Biloxi. As with our first trip, we did not leave the hotel / casino all night!! The room was amazing with a three headed shower!!!! and the hotel had a great gym which we took advantage of (especially after the all you can eat buffet the night before).

Monday night was spent at Fort Walton Beach but as we had stayed so long in Biloxi we arrived quite late and just went to the hotel to sleep. Tuesday we continued along the Panhandle via Seaside to our next stopover which was Crawfordville - this was literally in the middle of no where. We ate at a local seafood restaurant that we had found on the internet (it was seriously the only place to eat in the area!!), where I ordered the grilled catfish. Unfortunately I forgot to ask how it came and when it arrrived I had 3 whole cat fish!!!! Luckily the heads had been removed.

Leaving Crawfordville we now turned south down the west / gulf coast of Florida towards our final desitination of Naples. We had one more stopover at St Pete Beach but first we called in to Homosassa Springs a Wildlife Park just north of Tampa. We had last been here about 10 years ago when it was just a small rescue centre or manatees - it is now a lovely little wildlife park for injured and rescued animals where they try not to keep them in cages. They have 8 captive manatees who have either been injured or born in captivity. The refuge sits on Crystal River which is fed from the springs and maintains a temperature of approx 72 deegrees year round. This means that in winter as the water gets colder around the Florida coast, which is the natural habitat of the Florida manatee, the manatees head north to Crystal River to keep warm - we saw loads of wild manatee waiting or the gates to be opened to give them access to the warm springs.

Wednesday night was spent at the Postcard Inn in St Pete Beach - a quirky hotel right on the beach which had surfboards in the bedrooms!! Again we arrived quite late as we had spent the afternoon at Homosassa so just spent the night chilling (or trying to!!!). The walls were quite thin and the people in the next room seemed to be having a party.

On route to Naples on Thursday we stopped and spent a couple of hours on the beach at Anna Maria Island. We are now at the Cove Inn Naples, our home for the next 11 days. We have spent several happy holidays here over the last 14 years and arriving here is like coming home. As yesterday was my birthday, I got completely spoiled (as usual!) and had breakfast made for me by my lovely hubby, followed by a trip to Barnes and Noble (my favourite bookstore) for coffee, a shopping trip to Miromar (where I bought a new outfit) and an afternoon on the beach. We had dinner last night at my favourite restaurant where I got to wear my new outfit.

The weather forecast for today is a cool and sunny 71 degrees (I know!! they think 71 is cool here!!) so we are off to spend the day at the local beach.