Our friend Robyn told us we must enjoy Silver Springs State Park and take a Kayak trip. We decided that was the perfect way to celebrate Valentine’s Day.

The Silver River flows five miles from the head spring to its confluence with the Ocklawaha River, completely within the confines and protection of Silver Springs State Park. The river offers a wide, wild, and scenic paddle through Florida’s heartland. There have been movies filmed here.

I’ve always heard how amazing the Keys are and we wanted to check them out for ourselves. Wow! They didn’t disappoint. We heard we were lucky to come during COVID as it wasn’t as crowded.

Key West was the only place where I saw strict mask requirements. Even the police were patrolling the streets and reminding everyone to put on their masks as it was the only way they were going to stay open. We saw signs that said, “No Shirt, No Shoes, No Mask - No Service”

We wanted a unique experience! I was yearning for a beach, sun, and a tropical location, but it was going to be hard to do a day trip to the Bahamas due to COVID travel restrictions. I hadn’t heard of the Dry Tortugas before and it finally hit my radar.

The Dry Tortugas National Park is made up of 7 islands and is one of the world’s most unique eco-attractions. It’s about 70 miles west of Key West, FL and they give you a discount for your day trip when you have a National Park Pass.

We were in for quite a treat!

We heard if you go to the Shark Valley part of the Everglades National Park, you can get up close and personal with the alligators. I brought my longest lens, my 600mm RF lens, but also my RF 70-200 mm because I heard these alligators even like to hang out on the bike path. I wanted to be ready for long shots and not-so-long shots and I got them all.

We went on the bike path and then returned the way we came because we heard you see the most gators next to the canal. These gators seem to know that their purpose is to thrill! Enjoy!

I was going for a morning walk with one of my best friends. We saw these 3 beautiful free spirits and exchanged morning pleasantries. A little bell went off in both of us. We quickly talked about it and then promptly turned around.

I asked them if I could photograph them. It is so funny because the reaction is always: Who me? Why me? All the gremlins about getting your picture taken instantly come out.