we exit SRQ

Last night we had our final dinner in SRQ with friends Gene & Mary Ann at Meliora. The night before we dined at Brine with Dave & Lisa. Tonight we will be having the first of outr Miami meals with Larry. We chose Drunken Dragon of course- our long time favorite Korean fusion place on Alton Road.

First, photos from Brine - where we ate the oysters before the photo- in this case the camera did NOT eat first. :-(

Then Meliora the next night-Thanksgiving Eve...

 

The Miami meals will follow in their own posts but I will add that the trip down went smoothly and we stopped with our Thanksgiving Jimmy John's sandwiches (that we bought the day before) to dine at a rest area along Alligator Alley. We dropped off the rental car an hour early and hopped in a cab to Miami Beach.  And we settled in on Thanksgiving - the hotel seems weirdly empty - we usually stay here at Christmas so this is a first for us.  Maybe it will be much busier tomorrow.... who knows?

more catching up with friends

 So on Sunday we had bagels at home (we don't eat out for every meal) Then later we met Dave & Lisa and Gene & Mary Ann for dinner at Selva Grill. On Monday we went to the Great Apes for a private tour and then had dinner at La Mucca Ballerina. Tuesday we had dinner at BRINE, again with Dave & Lisa (just the four of us so we could catch up with them.) 

Here are some photos - 

We spent several hours at the Center for Great Apes in Wachula FL, Monday afternoon. We spent the largest segment of time with Louie (the Orangutan we symbolically adopted this past summer) and his mate Ali (who doesn't have the use of her legs.)This is a very special place - a sanctuary and last home for more than 50 great apes, each of whom has past life experiences that would break your heart. Its idyllic setting on more than 140 acres of (mostly) wooded land in central Florida has grown in the thirty years since the founder Patti Reagan took the first five residents under her care. The resident apes can come and go as they please from indoors to outside and also along the trailways to visit with friends and explore the beautiful property. We always tell each other that despite their difficult backgrounds, these loving ape residents won the lottery when they found their way to this place they all call home now. Please note they are not "caged" - despite the close in shots not showing the entirety of their fabulous enclosures they have lovely individual rooms in their night houses (many like to sleep outside) and go back and forth as they wish. #happilyeverafter #IloveLouie

Louie and Ali in a photo from the sanctuary. 💗💗💗

So on the way home we had sandwiches from old favorite (from our first winters in Florida 2010-2012) Casa Di Pizza. and then relaxed until we walked to dinner at La Mucca Ballerina. 

Today I spent the day catching up with money stuff and photos and blogging but tonight it is dinner at another favorite BRINE - where they have real Maryland crab cakes and lots of east coast oysters. YAY! More to follow.