Our Weekend Wanderings

Today I was solo. Brett had the luck of working all weekend so it's just me and our baby (our dog, Fiona). That's not such a bad thing though! It's nice to go off and do your own thing every once in a while and just be alone and get lost (literally...I got lost for 3 miles). Anyway, I randomly found this preserve in Bradenton (Fl) called Robinson Preserve. Very nice! It's a little weird feeling to me to just take my camera and dog and hike on my own, but after about 20 minutes it becomes less awkward and more peaceful. It's incredible how many things can grab your attention when you're not chatting the ears off someone or frolicking through meadows (confession... I can be embarrassing). The preserve was free to get into, dog friendly, and had all paved paths perfect for a bike and running (or walking like me and Fee). There's a kayak/canoe launch and it looks like it would be awesome for that because there are so many mangrove looking trails and pull-off bea...

We are just like those "normal" people out there. We work 40 hours a week and look forward to our Friday nights. We get a little anxious Sunday nights and a little edgy too with thoughts of going back to work for FIVE WHOLE DAYS. We like our jobs but would like it more with a day or so extra each week to just "be" and enjoy the world around us with a little less deadlines and business vibes. Brett works at a hospital and I work in an environmental lab. We genuinely like what we do but some days we look forward to ending a rotten day with something breathtaking... Like an outstanding sunset. Goodness, we are just way too lucky to have access to such beautiful views, wherever we might be. You'd be surprised what you see if you step outside!! Check it out! 

So this weekend we decided to get up and go somewhere local-ish. We discovered a little preserve, Emerson Point, right off the manatee river in Palmetto, Fl that had so much to offer... Like a tree knot that looked like a hippo face, shown in one of the photos below! We packed up our things (and by that I mean our cameras and dog) and hit the road just in time to catch a good view of the Bay Area and some local birds doin their bird thing. We also ran into a bee hotel... Which was not by any means relaxing. This place was great and incredibly dog friendly with allowing our little furry child to play in the private beach areas, run along nice trails, and catch a break under some beautiful banyon trees (with a leash attached). There's a lookout tower to enjoy some views of the area as well as many opportunities to see amazing wildlife including some playful Dolphins (they were just not into being photographed by us). Take a look for yourself though, it's definitely deserving of m...

It's a pretty short story for this one: We wore out the pup with some play time after Mother's Day brunch, then we decided on a direction to drive to find a place to watch the sunset.  Direction: South(ish)  We found ourselves driving down random side roads we've yet to go down, and ended up over the Sunshine Skyway Bridge. If you're in this part of Florida, it's wayyy worth the drive to not only go over the Skyway Bridge, but also take advantage of its Rest Areas because they're surprisingly unique and include some beautiful views overlooking Fort Desoto or Anna Maria Island. Rumor has it that there are some excellent fishing spots around the area too and you can drive your car out on a pier, if you choose.