Our first stop of the day was the FPL Energy Encounter in Jensen Beach.
We like science museums and this one had free admission and parking and was lots of fun. When we walked in the door I told the receptionist we had come to play with their toys. She laughed and gave us pass cards to use as we explored their exhibits. You study an exhibit then scan your card and answer a multiple choice question. If you get the answer right, it gives you a secret word. At the end of the exhibit you tell the receptionist the secret words and she gives you a prize. We got magnets advertising the FPL Energy Encounter. We’ll put them in a geocache somewhere. Maybe someone will read them and go there and have as much fun as we did.
We then snacked in the car instead of taking time for lunch so we could hit another museum before it closed. The down side of starting our day so late then finding a museum to be so much fun we stayed longer than we expected is it can really mess up your meal times.
But we did make it to the Smithsonian Marine Ecosystems Exhibit before it closed.
The receptionist there recommended the touch tank for a manicure.
There are six ecosystems included in this exhibit: 1. Seagrass, 2. Mangrove, 3. Lagoon Hardbottom, 4. Coral Reef, 5. Nearshore Reef, and 6. Oculina Reef. Here’s a bunch of photos I took but I no longer remember which aquarium goes with which ecosystem so take your own best guess.
Other exhibits included these:
Look at the size of this clam shell! I had Dave stick his toe up there to give some perspective.
The we went to the Savannas Recreation Area only to learn their campground closed last week and won’t open again until August. It’s no longer tourist season in Florida. Too hot, I guess, and the campgrounds don’t want to pay for the electricity for all our air conditioners.
Then we got a chance to be glad for GPS. The cops closed our road. Fortunately we instinctively turned the right way and Dave’s iPhone has mapping software that shows us where we are so were soon back on our route.
We got to see some sights in Vero Beach, though. “Bail Bonds.” “Pawn Shop.” Our U.S. Highways don’t always take us through the best parts of town.
We camped at Sebastian Inlet State Park. Most of the sites were not level but we found one that was. The place was full of bugs, though. Biting bugs. I got little sleep and now I look like I have the chicken pox. That’s part of the reality of a camping lifestyle.
TTYL,
Linda