flo-ri-da, part I

hey peeps! just got back from a wonderful 5 day vacay in sunny florida!!  my dad recently bought a house out in bradenton, fl and a visit was in order.  we'd been planning the trip for weeks, and finally were able to snag tickets out there this past weekend.

what's in store for us this weekend! beautiful, sunny florida.

we left our house very early thursday morning, and headed to the airport.  no traffic on the road, not a care in the world except making our flight on time.  we zoomed through security, and arrived just in time to board the flight.  traveling with andrew is always this way, and does not sit well with me, but i guess i'll have to deal.  the girl who was once early for everything is now pretty much late! bummer.  flight was from denver to minneapolis.  it was a quick/easy flight. arriving in minneapolis, we had a 3 hour layover, which is pretty long and boring especially when you're heading to the warm beach and you're wasting a day traveling!  no bueno.  finally it was our turn to board and we were off to tampa!  again, another easy flight and we were there. 

up-up and away

my dad was waiting for us to arrive and we were starving so we figured a nice dinner on the beach would get the trip started off on the right foot. 

view from the car, tampa bay

crossing over the huge bridge in tampa bay.  very high up and long.

zooming past the palms!

my dad suggested heading to a nice restaurant that i'd seen on the beach there before, but never eaten at it.  the beachhouse restaurant gives guests waterfront dining on anna maria island offering a plethora of delicious meals!  check out the site.  if you're ever in the area, i suggest checking this place out!  it was just before sunset upon arrival, so we snagged a table outside on the beach to catch the views to come.  this night they had a singer with a jimmy buffet sounding voice. made for great entertainment.  we each ordered something different and everything was equally as good!  here are some pics:

daddy and andrew at the beachhouse for dinner. great food, great company

nearing the time of sunset. what a view!

my dinner, coconut shrimp, because there were too many choices, i went with the easiest.

lovely

sun has set, taking it all in!

after dinner we went to my dad's place to check out the new digs.  it's very quaint and so nice!  pretty large for just him, so if you need a place to stay, i'm sure he'd love to have you!  so many rooms, a beautiful large patio, with outdoor kitchen and pool.  very comfortable.  i'm glad he was able to find a place he liked so much! after catching up and just hanging around, we were off to bed, ready for a new day!