Daytona ... the Thanksgiving trip (heavy on the pics!)

Well I just got back from a week in Daytona. I had a great time with my sister, her husband and four kids, my dad and my grandparents. Oh and of course my husband and two kids as well. ;) It was AWESOME.

First off we spent some time on the beach. Fortunately the weather was pretty nice. Mostly in the high 60s and low 70s. It was GREAT!

This pic was taken at the park right above the beach, of my broken child with the freaky elbows. It's just not normal.... eh. :oops:
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k1...eirdelbows.jpg

We found like 10 of these starfishes and a couple others of another species... I've never seen one so purple!
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k1...p/starfish.jpg

Here's a bunch of the rugrats playing on the beach!
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k1...08-12-1025.jpg

Then my sister, her husband and I hunted down lizards in my grandparents backyard... we finally caught this teeny little guy.
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k1...rip/lizard.jpg

This squirrel is such a fatty. My grandmother spoils the little boogers rotten! :rolleyes:
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k1...p/squirrel.jpg

We took a trip to Blue Springs Park and saw a LOT of manatees!!!
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k1...p/manatees.jpg

http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k1.../manatees2.jpg

We saw quite a few Cormorants...
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k1...courmarant.jpg

This grackle was pretty cool
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k1...ip/grackle.jpg

On our little hike we saw this little fellow too... What a cutie!
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k1...ip/raccoon.jpg

I just had to post this pic, because it was pretty...
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k1...0trip/tree.jpg

And this one too!
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k1...trip/plant.jpg

Here's the actual spring... (it's the dark spot next to the manatee)
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k1...rip/spring.jpg

Here's a HUGE gator that was hanging on the opposite bank. Never did see his face.
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k1.../alligator.jpg

We also saw two alligators just swimming up toward the spring. It was so cool!
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k1...alligator2.jpg

We also took a little trip to the Ponce de Leon Lighthouse and the science center next to it.
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k1...lighthouse.jpg
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k1...ouseshadow.jpg

Here my first wild snake pic! WOOHOO!!!!
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k1...trip/snake.jpg

This Red Tail Hawk was very irritated, but still gorgeous. Most of the animals at this science center were rehabs.
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k1...0trip/hawk.jpg

This owl wasn't impressed with us at all.
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k1...20trip/owl.jpg

I couldn't imagine how this little guy had survived the injury.
http://i84.photobucket.com/albums/k1...rip/turtle.jpg

All in all it was a wonderful trip. I did take over 400 pics so this is just a teensy samply of all the pics I took. :oops:

Looks like the turtle got hit by a boat prop. Hope they can rehab the little guy.

Looks like a wonderful trip!! Great pictures - I'm lovin that purple starfish! :cool:

Wow so many great pics! You really did get to see alot of wildlife:snake:
Looks like a really nice weekend. The manatees are soo cool! and the alligators are always a thrill to see in their own enviroment, thanks for sharing.

Awesome shots, Christie! Looks like a fun time!

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Originally Posted by Slim

Looks like the turtle got hit by a boat prop. Hope they can rehab the little guy.

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Yup, that's what we figured. I hope the little guy pulls through, if he has made it this far I hope that bodes well.

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Originally Posted by nwheat

Looks like a wonderful trip!! Great pictures - I'm lovin that purple starfish! :cool:

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It really was a great trip. Thanks Nancy.

I never knew starfish could be that purple. My pic doesn't do it justice! :no:

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Originally Posted by West Coast Jungle

Wow so many great pics! You really did get to see alot of wildlife:snake:
Looks like a really nice weekend. The manatees are soo cool! and the alligators are always a thrill to see in their own enviroment, thanks for sharing.

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I know! It was awesome.

This was my first time to see a gator in the wild and I saw THREE!! Then the snake. I was in total animal heaven. My family was all making fun of me, and my husband threatened me when I went after the snake. I so could have had it! :mad:

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Originally Posted by python.princess

Awesome shots, Christie! Looks like a fun time!

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Thanks Melanie! It was fun sharing it all with my family too.

Wow! That looks like way too much fun! We never do stuff like that...we're so boring! LOL

Looks like you had a great time!! The pics are great. Thanks for sharing..

Alan

Awesome pictures! It looks like you guys had a blast! I love the picture of the shadow of the light house and the one of the giant leaf...too cool!

those are some excellent shots. are you from florida? if not thanks for stopping by!

i hope you didn't keep those sea stars!!!

Those are some amazing pictures. Wow.

beautiful pics!!!! Looks like you all had an amazing time!

I've never seen a purple star fish, that photo was amazing!

but my fave was the squirrel butt hehehe I love squirrels.

Hope that poor turtle makes it, those slices look pretty deep, poor thing :(

PS
I wanna go on your next trip!! throw me in the trunk, I wont mind lol

:clap: Those are AWESOME!

I can't get over the spring water... :O They are all just great, looks like an awesome time!

Where at in Daytona do the grandparents live? Im just a few minutes outside of Daytona.

Very cool! :cool:
I'm going to Orlando in February and these pics make me want to go even more now. :)

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Originally Posted by JLC

Wow! That looks like way too much fun! We never do stuff like that...we're so boring! LOL

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We're definitely NOT boring, and it was a TON of fun! :clap:

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Originally Posted by grunt_11b

Looks like you had a great time!! The pics are great. Thanks for sharing..

Alan

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Thanks Alan. I wish I could have stayed longer though.

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Originally Posted by tweets_4611

Awesome pictures! It looks like you guys had a blast! I love the picture of the shadow of the light house and the one of the giant leaf...too cool!

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Thanks Shannon. I love taking pics. I think this is the first time in a long time that I'm actually in a couple pictures. :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by Lucas339

those are some excellent shots. are you from florida? if not thanks for stopping by!

i hope you didn't keep those sea stars!!!

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I'm not from Florida, but I've been visiting ever since I was a kid. My grandparents have been living there for like 20 years though.

Nope, we didn't keep them. We did see a family that was just picking them up, so we picked ours up until they moved down the beach and tossed them back.

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Originally Posted by Melicious

Those are some amazing pictures. Wow.

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Thank you. :D

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Originally Posted by filly77

beautiful pics!!!! Looks like you all had an amazing time!

I've never seen a purple star fish, that photo was amazing!

but my fave was the squirrel butt hehehe I love squirrels.

Hope that poor turtle makes it, those slices look pretty deep, poor thing :(

PS
I wanna go on your next trip!! throw me in the trunk, I wont mind lol

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I love squirrels too. They're awesome!

It's a bit crowded when we travel, and we don't have a trunk but maybe I can strap you to the roof. :giggle:

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Originally Posted by Laooda

:clap: Those are AWESOME!

I can't get over the spring water... :O They are all just great, looks like an awesome time!

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It sure was Laura. Thanks girl. :hug:

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Originally Posted by FIREball

Where at in Daytona do the grandparents live? Im just a few minutes outside of Daytona.

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They live in South Daytona. I was just down the street from the Hilton. :D

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Originally Posted by panthercz

Very cool! :cool:
I'm going to Orlando in February and these pics make me want to go even more now. :)

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I want to back now too, because today it SNOWED. Big fluffy white stuff coming out of the sky when only a couple days ago it was in the 70s. :tears:

Great Pics.

Ouch, poor turtle!

Nope, we didn't keep them. We did see a family that was just picking them up, so we picked ours up until they moved down the beach and tossed them back.



awsome! i applaud you and the sea creatures thank you!

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Originally Posted by snakelady

Great Pics.

Ouch, poor turtle!

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I know. I still cringe when I think about that poor baby. It was amazing how well the little guy could still swim around.

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Originally Posted by Lucas339

awsome! i applaud you and the sea creatures thank you!

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It was very tempting, but I just can't kill the animal just so I can have a trinket that will likely get broken on the ride home and get thrown away. The one time I found a huge conch shell, I squealed and was so excited until I figured out it was still inhabited. Dangit! I had to throw him back too. :oops:

awesome pics Christie. looks like a great time was had by all. but I am definitely digging that purple starfish.

i forget the species name of that one. i rarely get those type of sea stars in my samples. but it is unique in that it doesn't have tube feet like other sea stars and it burrows in the sand. they are very awsome and very beautiful!

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Originally Posted by Ladydragon

awesome pics Christie. looks like a great time was had by all. but I am definitely digging that purple starfish.

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Thanks Doris.

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Originally Posted by Lucas339

i forget the species name of that one. i rarely get those type of sea stars in my samples. but it is unique in that it doesn't have tube feet like other sea stars and it burrows in the sand. they are very awsome and very beautiful!

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Yup, they burrow pretty quick too which leaves a cool looking pattern in the sand. The kids loved them, and I just couldn't get over how pretty they were!

I'm really starting to miss FL now. Blue springs is such a cool place. Great pics looks like ya'lls had fun.