[I kept a bit of a diary of our honeymoon 10 years ago. I think I will share it, sort of “as it happened”. There are 11 installments. Enjoy.]
Once again we go to Mel’s for breakfast/lunch (Sally has breakfast, I have lunch). We are now considered regulars. We show Christine the pictures Sally’s dad emailed us from the wedding and she gets all teary-eyed. We promise to send more pics after we get home.
We then go to Jungle Larry’s Caribbean Gardens (“The ZOO in Naples”; http://www.caribbeangardens.com). It’s not as hot and humid today so an outside walk is a bit more bearable. While we don’t take the cruise on the lake, we do get to see lots of big kitty cats. Caribbean Gardens was founded in 1919 and frankly looks it; this is an old-fashioned zoo like the Indianapolis Zoo used to be. They do however appear to be spending some serious money on updating the exhibits and making it a less “cagey” zoo. Interestingly enough this zoo did not start out as a zoo; it began strictly as a “tropical garden”, containing some 3000 different plant species. Tropical birds were introduced in 1954 but other animals were not displayed there until 1969.
After a run north to the only Bank One in Naples–Vanderbilt Beach Drive and Tamiami Trail–we grab some Haagen-Daas and return to the condo (it’s not very far from the Gardens; in fact I am beginning to subscribe to my best man Chris Hodapp’s observation, “Why does that town seem so small, but all you ever do is drive and drive and drive?”). We both decide to crash and read. I end up taking a nap and Sally talks to her mom on the phone, undoubtedly telling her all sorts of bad things about me, I can just imagine … anyway, about 7PM we run to the mall, have hot dogs at the food court (good hot dogs I might add) and do a bit of shopping. Then it’s home to read e-mail and generally laze about. This IS a vacation, ladies and gentlemen 🙂
A "surly curmudgeon[], suspicious and lacking in altruism." (Robert A. Heinlein)