"And those harbor lights, Aw they're coming into view; We bid our farewell much too soon. So drink it up, this one's for you. Honey, it's been a lovely cruise." ~ Jimmy Buffett
I'm pleased that the weather forecasters in southwest Florida sometimes miss their mark as severely as their counterparts in North Texas. We awoke this morning to heavy gray clouds and rain - not an auspicious start to our final day on the beach. Having reserved our prime sunbathing spot, we prayed that the rain would stop and the clouds would break. So strongly did I believe our prayers would be answered, that when the beach concierge asked us if we still wanted him to set up our spot ("weather forecast is for 60% chance of rain, Mr. Strege," he said), I said "Of course!" We're going to catch some rays. And, thankfully, the day transformed into a clear, sunny, perfect day on the beach.
The day concluded with a dip in the pool, followed by one last sunset and a nice dinner on the hotel restaurant's veranda overlooking the pools and out to the darkened Gulf beyond. Upon returning to our suite, DeLisa gathered most of our clothes into bags for the trip home and we called "lights out" by 10:30. Tomorrow we embark on a 12-hour drive to southeastern Mississippi to visit DeLisa's aunt and plan to arrive at our lake house by late Saturday afternoon.
I'm a bit down about having to leave in the morning. Truth is, I needed this break and I would love to have a day or two more. I sometimes think that we Americans place too much emphasis on work, sometimes to the detriment of our families, our health, and our personal well-being. Hearing more than one European visitor talk about their 10-day stay here as a subset of their longer holiday in the US gets me to thinking that perhaps this aspect of American life offers room for improvement.
The Edgewood exceeded all expectations, and I look forward to writing a 5-star review on Yelp. We are already discussing a possible return visit next year, but flying the friendly skies rather than driving which will allow us an additional day or two to enjoy this beautiful place in this wonderful part of our country. Fantastic: this gives us something to look forward to!
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