may we go back to may? part 1

okay, so may was a very full month, although you wouldn't know it by my posts.

the month started out with one of the adventures that i'd been wanting to knock off of the 'things-to-do-list'. i'd purchased a groupon to go snorkel with the manatee awhile back, and i knew it was to expire at the end of may (and with so much going on at the end of may, it was wise to go early on). so we went on may 5th..also known as cinco de mayo, celebrated oh-so-incorrectly as mexican independence day, which it is NOT.

i booked this particular adventure for 8:00 a.m. it was a 2 hr 15 min drive north, and they wanted us there about 45 minutes prior. so i woke up SUPER early and picked up my explorer-in-crime, shea, and we made a pit stop at starbucks when it was finally open! we arrived prior to the 45 minute time-window, but they'd already started the intro video (which was required, to make sure one knows how to treat the manatee, as they are definitely protected [ahem, *cough,cough, alicia]). 

after viewing the video, i managed to put the wetsuit on backward...brilliant. try again. then they sent us off to find the landing where the captain would be waiting for us with his pontoon. after we parked the car, found the office to pay, i had to go back to the car to place the parking stub...all the while, there were 4 other girls on the boat waiting. the captain just didn't seem super nice, but he wasn't my type anyway! once we got out to the springs, we made our way around looking for sightings, when he noticed a dog on a dock barking, and that was our cue to slip into the water and make our way over. there was a large sea cow, and we were all pretty excited. the algae floating at the top was rather distracting, and out of nowhere this dad and his obnoxious little child came splashing across the surface making so much noise that i'm pretty sure made the manatee 'run' to hide (in a swimingly way) ..and i'm sure if the sea grass could've uprooted itself, it would've run too! it's not that i don't like children, i do, but it's more that they were children of someone i don't know which made them annoying. (hey, you either understand or you don't, and either way, it's no skin wetsuit off my back!).

while i was fumbling around trying to make my phone-camera work, inside the plastic water-proof cover, i missed some great shots! (this was when i officially decided that it would benefit me to get a go-pro using points from a travel program) but fortunately shea had her go-pro and got some great shots and video! we moved from that location into another inlet, and there were 3 more in there! of course, who was in the same area as if we were playing cat and mouse, but the other guide with the family of kids...whatever, we did see three more manatee there, and it felt like being jacques cousteau. as the manatee came out of nowhere and swam right beneath me, i was legally able to touch his back (almost couldn't help it, he was so close!). 

we made one more stop at the first spring, and being the first one in, the captain pointed me off toward the spring...unfortunately once i was off, i couldn't hear a thing, and apparently there were a couple more manatee in the opposite direction-which i missed. sad day.

it was good timing, as all of the gentle giants we saw seemed to be on their way back out to the gulf, now that the waters are warming and they can tolerate the temps. i would love to go again in november or december when they huddle in the larger masses. it was certainly a memorable adventure!

from there, we headed back, and stopped in st. pete's on the way home. it was an early lunch because we'd had such an early start. we tried a new spot across from the beach, which had an amazing view...and great food-plus, it may have been the only way to park for 'free'. we had to pay $20 for parking around back, but then you turn around and use the ticket for $20 in food, so it's a wash...BUT because we were on the rooftop, and it was a breezy day, i had pulled my ticket out and it slipped away! i'm pretty sure it was a bit comical as people were watching me chase after what seemed to be an invisible something or other! fortunately i was able to pounce on it (quite literally, it seemed like i was frog-chasing or something-not that i have ever), and the discount was ON!

when we got back into town, we thought we'd hit up the downtown bradenton 'festival', thinking there would be food trucks. there were not. but they did create a guiness world book record for nachos...we did not partake. instead, we went to a mexican restaurant in palmetto that i'd read about in a review, and it was decent.

shea making friends with the table art

and that wrapped up a day of adventure...up next: collaborating for mock training, and when friends come to visit.

(and once again, i've fallen behind- i meant to get this out last month!)

julie