Sea to Sea in Canada: A Welcome Escape From Winter

We are now in Naples, visiting with our friends, Paul and Toni, from Prince Edward Island who are actually from Florida but summer in Canada at their home in PEI. They were wonderful hosts allowing us to take advantage of the facilities in their gated community such as the gym, pool, tennis and special dinners. We had a lovely time visiting them and the surrounding areas.

At the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, a 21-acre site, their mission is to protect the unique natural environment. Our host, Paul, is one of several captains who works part-time steering a tour boat through the mangroves and educating the visitors.
We began with a tour of the Nature Center where we learned about native and invasive species of plants and animals.

There is also a wildlife hospital where they attempt to rehabilitate over 3,000 sick, injured and orphaned animals each year.

Our wonderful host and tour guide, Paul.

Paul took us through the many canals that go through the Conservancy and into the public waterways to observe how some of the development can make it more susceptible to erosion or flooding.

While driving home, we stopped at a traffic light and this bird landed on the roof of the car in front of us. Even when the light turned green and the car started to move the bird just stayed there. Very bold!

Next stop: Miami. First we took a lunch break at an old-style diner.

This piece of American history is a dining car classic that was showcased in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania, as an original Art Deco Diner. Built in 1948 by the Paramount Dining Car Company of Haledon, New Jersey, the diner was transported to Wilkes Barre where it opened that year. It continued serving traditional American food for 44 years, at which time it was dismantled and transported to the historic Art Deco District of Miami Beach, Florida. After many months of restoration and with the assistance of the people and the city of Miami Beach, the diner was restored to its original Art Deco form and opened on September 11, 1992.

We had a lovely lunch there.

Next, we headed for the famous South Beach. This is the "Hollywood" of Miami where the beautiful people go to be seen. The main waterfront street, Ocean Dr., includes the famous Art Deco District. The area was well-known as the district where Italian fashion designer Gianni Versace resided. It contains 960 historic buildings, many of which are now hotels and restaurants.

Art Deco is a style of design that began in France just before World War I. It influenced the design of buildings, furniture, jewellery, fashion, cars, movie theatres, trains, ocean liners and everyday objects such as radios and vacuum cleaners. During its heyday, Art Deco represented luxury and glamour and the buildings that remain today are typically upscale properties with high-end businesses inside.

Pastel colours are quite prominent and often hues clash with other colours, making them stand out even more. Also common are "eyebrows" - the ledges above windows.