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A photo of a heron fishing for lunch at the water's edge

32 Days in America, Day 8

Stats

  • Miles traveled: 70.8
  • Miles traveled to date: 1785.5
  • States visited today: 1 – Florida
  • States visited to date: 9
  • Tanks of gas pumped to date: 6
  • Meltdowns: 8
  • Loads of Laundry: 5
  • Illness: 1

Daily recap

We spent the morning lounging around the pool and doing school work. After a light lunch we headed over to Sanibel Island. Sanibel Island sustained an enormous amount of damage from Hurricane Ian last fall, so this trip was more science/history than tourism. We met and chatted with a police officer who was one of the last people off the island the night before (by car- they drove all the police cars to the mainland for protection), and of of the first back the next morning (by boat because the causeway and it’s bridges had been destroyed by the wind and water surges). The destruction is almost unimaginable even while seeing impacts and beginning of recovery.

Highlights

  • The kids have been in the pool almost constantly.
A photo of Grayson and Dillon in the pool with the canal in the background
Checking the water temperature on the rubber duck thermometer. It was warm.
  • Rayleigh felt good enough to swim after breakfast.
A photo of Rayleigh and Ainsley in the pool with the canal in the background
Going for an afternoon dip in the pool.

Bronze dolphin statues injured from the hurricane.

A photo of bronze dolphins with fountain spouts in their mouths that had parts ripped off by hurricane Ian
Hurricane Ian even damaged this fountain. The flippers on the bronze dolphins were ripped clean off.
  • Checking out a pier on Sanibel Island.
A photo of Ainsley, Dillon, Grayson, and Rayleigh in sunglasses standing on a pier with boats in the background on trailers.
They look like they’re ready to drop the hottest album of 2023.
  • Shells galore
A photo of a large number of intact seashells on the beach
This beach had a huge number of cool seashells.
  • Ocean days are always a treat
A photo of Ainsley and Grayson jumping in the surf
A visit to the ocean is good for the soul.

Other photos from today

A photo of devastated palm trees in the aftermath of hurricane Ian
Even six months after Hurricane Ian, there was a lot of damage visible.
A photo of Ainsley splashing in the ocean
“No, mom, I’m not IN the ocean, just my feet are”
A photo of Dillon holding the husk of a coconut on the beach
Dillon wanted to find a coconut while we were at the beach, and he succeeded!
A photo of Grayson on the beach looking into the distance
I can’t tell if Grayson is being pensive or if some sand blew into his mouth.
A photo of dead fish that washed up onto the beach
There was a red tide while we were here, and a bunch of dead fish washed up on the beach.
A photo of Ainsley, Dillon, and Rayleigh reading books on the pool deck
When we got back to the house, the kids took a reading break.

And now for your moment of zen…

A photo of Grayson standing under a four foot tall traffic light with the yellow light lit up and his hands in the air
Grayson’s favorite part of the coffee shop was the huge (working) traffic light.

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Kelsey Ernst

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