I'm ba-ack!

Yes, I am home again after a week in sunny Florida. I had a great time with my brother and touring the Sunshine State.

I am glad I am home, despite the 30 degrees difference!

The next week or so I'll try to post my photos and talk a little about my trip.

I traveled all day Wednesday -- flying from Rochester to Chicago to Miami to Orlando. My flight from Miami to Orlando was delayed so we didn't get to my brother's apartment until about 1 a.m. on Thursday.

Thursday we decided to head down to the Keys. We stopped a couple places on the way down.

The first was the Manatee Observation and Education Center in Fort Pierce. This one was a little disappointing. I was hoping we would be able to actually see a manatee but you had to buy a ticket on a boat tour for $30 or so. The observation area of the center was being dredged, so no manatees.

It did have some fish aquariums and a lot of good information on manatees. For instance, did you know that today manatees have no natural predators? Also, manatees are curious animals and have no real fear of humans.


The second stop was the Navy UDT-SEAL Museum also in Fort Pierce. I found this museum to be very interesting. I have read about and seen movies on the Navy SEALs but this museum was truly a learning experience. The SEALs are an amazingly trained and skilled unit. Not only in military arts but in all areas of knowledge. They are scouts and demolition experts, skilled in languages and martial arts. They have been instrumental in key battles during WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and the Persian Gulf wars.


This memorial is to the left of the museum entrance and its plaque reads:

In memory of our fallen comrades who have sacrificed their lives in the service of their country while serving in the United States Naval Combat Demolition Units, Scouts, and Raiders, Underwater Demolition Teams and Sea, Air, Land Teams.

Above is a photo of some of the military equipment the SEALs units used in training and operations. One of the most interesting things I learned was these specialize units roles in D-day. If you look at the lower right corner of this photo you see some concrete and metal fragments sticking out of the ground. These were pulled out of the Atlantic Ocean of the coast of Florida. The teams had embedded them into the coastal floor to provide a training ground. Their job during the D-day operations was to explode as many of the obstacles along the northern European coastline as possible to allow the troops following behind them easier access to the beach.

Skilled men. Brave men.

I can say that I respect and appreciate them more after visiting this museum.

For more info on the history of the SEAL and special forces teams click here.

Tune in next week for more of my exciting Florida adventures. (As tomorrow is 5 things Friday!)