in florida

Vintage overalls, embroidered blouse, southwestern bag
Handmade clay bead necklace
Madewell sunset sandals

Our vacation to Florida a week ago was a rush of back-to-back theme parking, as Neil and I have discovered that we've grown into major trip planners - writing out full day itineraries and packing meals in advance. I wouldn't have it any other way (could it mean we're nearing responsible adulthood?). Disney World was short on rest but high on roller coaster riding and tons of surprisingly good meals, including a splurge night at the Brown Derby which involved duck, grapefruit cake, and scotch. And being a grown up at Epcot meant bringing home a bottle of sake, plus the obligatory ornament to commemorate our trip come Christmastime (old-fashioned glass candles from the Germany pavilion). Favorite ride? Expedition Everest in Animal Kingdom (we rode it three times). Favorite park? Epcot, probably. Although if Harry Potter World were a park in itself, I would spend a week there just camping out in Hogsmeade (so much for responsible adulthood).

The rest of our trip was a blur as we drove along central Florida and back up the coast toward home. We made a stop at the Strawberry Festival, which was a bit of a letdown, but we loved the strawberry shortcake at Parkesdale Farms (which you can get all spring and summer long). Hunahpu's Day was packed with beer and dog lovers, and we made friends with happy strangers while waiting in line for delicious pours from Tampa home brewers - definitely the highlight of the trip remainder for me. And Sunday afternoon, we stopped in Saint Augustine and took these overall photos. While I've had my fill of theme parks (and Orlando) for a good while, I would go back to Saint Augustine tomorrow and explore its every side street if I could. Driving along Daytona's coastal highway and passing by motel facades painted in gaudy pastels, you could never guess that in a short 45 minutes, your drive would take you through the cobblestone streets of an impressive Spanish town nearly 500 years old.




Anole sighting in the oranges! My favorite kind of lizard, I had one as a kid. Brown anoles are everywhere in Florida.

We listened to Gillian Welch on our drive home, homesick for Nashville. Funny but it's true.. Florida is a rare regional breed, it seems almost too southern to be in the South - as though the state was really intended to be its own island but it never made the split. Happy to be home.