See you later ALIGATOR

Anyone who thinks that a family holiday in Florida is boring has no idea - a) about family holidays with young children and b) about Florida. There is such a wide range of activities to do here, whether it's being active with surfing in the sea or kayaking through the Everglades or going fishing on a boat out at sea. Or if you prefer a more relaxed pace, you can go snorkeling, sunbathing, collecting seashells, bird watching, dolphin watching, and observing manatees, or simply strolling through towns and malls. And for the more adventurous, you can take a fast trip through the Everglades on an airboat or go alligator hunting without a guide and off-road.

We have already crossed many of these activities off our list, each time becoming more daring. So dear grandparents, now is the time to take a deep breath or simply stop reading!

We decided to go for the off-road option and drove about an hour south into the Everglades with two large coolers full of food. We turned off the highway and continued on an unpaved road. After about 3 miles, we came across a picnic area with a restroom, which seemed like a nice spot to have a little snack in the morning. We all got out of the car, grabbed our supplies, and started walking. But after ten meters, we realized that this plan wasn't going to work because suddenly we were on the menu for at least a gazillion mosquitoes. They were EVERYWHERE!!!!! So we quickly hurried back to the car. Frederik was thrown into his seat rather than being placed in it, then we quickly jumped back in and slammed the doors shut. Unfortunately, we weren't alone anymore, so we had to fend off and disable as many attackers as possible from inside the car!

Then we continued. Further and further along the unpaved road. Of course, after a few more miles, we encountered another person. A older gentleman was standing by his car on the road, taking pictures into the swamps. Right at that spot was a small river - and AN ALLIGATOR!! We tried again - everyone got out, camera at the ready, with the kid in my arms.

And believe it or not, we struck up a conversation with the man and he told us that he often roams this area, taking many photos of nature, alligators, turtles, etc. He even pulled out his notebook to show us his pictures and told us where and how we could best see more alligators on the road that leads straight ahead and then loops back to the highway further south.

The first alligator in the wild was quite exciting! As we continued driving, we could hardly believe our eyes - there was actually a guy lying by the side of the road, sunbathing. We stopped and Marius had the courage to get out and take a photo of him, while I, of course, had to capture his bravery.

As suddenly six large alligators came towards us in the water, Frederik and I quickly got back into the car, who knows how many more were hiding in the bushes around us.....

All in all, this round lasted about an hour and we saw about 15 alligators. Frederik was overjoyed - as were we. You can imagine it similar to taking a walk in the forest and seeing deer here and there. Unfortunately, it also has a similar situation with the traffic on the roads that pass through the Everglades, and you see the occasional roadkill alligator. It's completely foreign to us, but totally normal here.

By the way, another way to distinguish between a crocodile and an alligator: Crocodiles show their teeth at the front of their mouth, making it appear as though they're smiling.

On the way back to Naples on the highway, we stopped at a visitor center and got into a conversation with two German couples who were traveling together. One couple is from Gießen - it's a small world after all.

When we arrived at the apartment, it was almost afternoon and we rested and cooled off before going out to eat after showering. But not just anywhere, we went to an American restaurant chain that is now widely spread all over the world. They have found the secret recipe to make men of all ages happy. They combine everything that interests men: SPORTS, HEARTY FOOD, and of course BEAUTIFUL WOMEN! So we went to HOOTERS to eat. And I thought to myself, once you've overcome your aversion to the food, you should stick with it and do it again, so I ordered Crab Legs! With all the means at my disposal, I patiently cracked, picked, and enjoyed those skinny little legs. It was almost fun to take on the challenge.

Now, some readers might be thinking what about the beautiful women??? What can I, as a woman, say about that? Yes, there were very beautiful women - on posters, in newspaper articles, in the TV show that showed the Miss Hooters Bikini contest or something similar. Those were very beautiful WOMEN. I emphasize that because the female staff in this restaurant were probably on summer vacation and wanted to earn some extra money, and they could be Frederik's sisters in terms of age. We thought to ourselves, MAN, ARE WE OLD!!

They were all nice, of course, and Frederik felt quite comfortable.

We finished early and decided to once again enjoy the sunset. And once again, we succeeded.

After an exciting and long Wednesday, we spent Thursday in a cozy way, starting again in the morning at the beach. I was able to take a sharp photo of the sign at the turtle nest.

We had lunch at the apartment, took a nap, and tried to pass the time until the afternoon (including with a delicious homemade banana shake) because we planned a visit to a playground.

We found one and we really liked it. There is so much to discover and play with, and there are no limits to imagination. A big plus: it's covered! And what makes it even better: there's a water fountain area where the kids can jump around, play, and most importantly, COOL OFF! There is a column with a button that the kids can press themselves to start the water. Then it sprays, sprinkles, and drips everywhere for a few minutes. Simply fantastic, and we will definitely come back.

Climbing, playing, and water hopping exhausted Frederik to the point that he fell asleep in the car. But us mean parents still wanted to make a quick trip to the pier and look for dolphins - as recommended by a gentleman we met on the beach the evening before (he is traveling to Germany with his wife on Saturday and will be visiting Europe for the first time).

So with the sleeping and half-asleep child transfered from the car to the stroller, we applied sunscreen for safety and went to the pier. There were many anglers again, and it somehow reminded me of the atmosphere of a Sunday in a handball hall. It's not just about the sport, but also about intergenerational contact and social interactions. So it's the opposite of the image of a solitary, almost meditative angler in a quiet wilderness. The pier was bustling with activity and the fishing rods were perhaps more of a decoration ;)

By deciding to let Frederik sleep in the stroller during this time, we unfortunately shot ourselves in the foot and ended up with a tired, half-asleep child hopping around in our living room until we all went to bed around 22:30.