Driving to Port Saint Lucie

After dropping Andrea off we began our drive down to Port Saint Lucie where we would stay with Angela's parents and use their house as our HQ for the rest of our vacation. The drive down the Florida coast was beautiful as we drove on out to Cocoa Beach (pictured above) and relaxed there for a while and then drove on down the coast to Angela's house. I must say I LOVED seeing new country as this was my first time in Florida. It is SO GREEN and lush everywhere. VERY different from the west.

As we pulled into Angela's neighborhood. This long legged fellow (a Sandhill Crane) was just crossing the street like he belonged there. I was fascinated by all of the beautiful birds we saw. The birds here are MUCH bigger! :) Another day we saw a Sandhill Crane with her babies by the side of the road. Very fun. The neighborhood where her parents lives has wetlands scattered between homes so it doesn't feel like a crowded neighborhood. The wetlands kind of create a natural barrier between homes and properties. I LOVED the feel of the area. Feels like you're in the wild...but you're in town! :)