This is a video 'Birdseye View" filmed in Destin/Fort Walton Beach on the Gulf.  Destin is about 4-6 miles from us across the Mid-Bay Bridge.  We have a lot of local stores here but to go shopping or Lowes/Home Depot we have to cross over the Choctawhatchee Bay on the big bridge.

https://www.vimeo.com/209949290

Jack.  I also just love that video. Its a keeper.  Nature is fantastic. Seems like half the world has been destroyed now in a lot of countries all the beauty they had has Gone. You see places like that Video and makes one sad.  Soon you will be out there again. Bet you can't wait. 
It is 74 deg. here right now and feels so good.

Jean.  Looks like those few people had the whole area to themselves that day. How lucky you are to have sights like that to see every day. 
My mind is made up now. Have to get down to that area this year and spend some time.

Jean that is a beautiful area, show us more.

They didn't have sports like that when I was young.  I'm sure it must take a lot of practice to be that good.  The sand on the beaches in this area is unusual.  It looks like white sugar and feels different on your feet.

Jean - I like that video.  What a beautiful area you live in . . . it looks so clean and modern.  I've never been to Florida, but would sure love to see it!

That is amazing, Jean, I would love to hang glide but NOT over water.  I have a fear of water & always have.  I don't recognize the area at all from when we were there, must have been about 1999 or 2000.  Think it was the first trip south with the Rialta.  We found a state or county campground that was really nice, and saw lots of waterlilies, big fields/lakes of them.  Did not seem to be far outside of the city of Ft.Walton Beach.

I had found online a place that was supposed to be a replica of Monet's garden, it was closed and a ruin when we finally found it, but still had a sign on the door for sale some kinds of seeds. We didn't find anyone to talk to.  Can't find anything that looks like what we saw, but there is a photo of the house we walked behind to see the "bridge" and all.  Had dead potted plants at the each end of the bridge. I was really disappointed since I hoped to take photos to paint.  Looks like someone has remodeled the place for weddings....  Anyway, we did find a campground not far away that was very nice.  http://www.visitsouthwalton.com/listing/monet-monet   

Mary Ann, my father lived to 95 & his mother to 96 and they constantly checked to make sure their memories were not slipping.  I have a box of little note pads that my gr-mother had written birth dates, president facts she had memorized, and Dad would pick up & recite any number of the classics we had to learn in high school. My gr-mother was born in 1871 and Dad in 1898, only one of my kids inherited their type memory. Sure passed me by. 

Surprised I did get to see the video on a Sat. night....

Larry and I went to the park this morning.  A beautiful day and a nice pleasant breeze.  We were surprised to see the big barge unloading gasoline to the terminal for our area.  We had never seen it before so thought we would take a few photos.

https://vimeo.com/216742565

Lovely picture, beautiful day in Niceville (or perhaps nearby), FlaJean!

Thanks for sharing.
SCFSue

Jean and Larry your usual great work, show us more. Love that name "Niceville"  The barge was huge would keep me in gas for 20 years.

Thank you Sue and Jack.  This park is in Niceville on the Boggy Bayou which flows into the Choctawhatchee Bay.  We've been there several times but had never seen the barge.  It was really long and I imagine held a lot of gasoline.  Don't know how long it would take to transfer to the tall tanks that were across the road.  The weather was so nice there by the water.

That is a huge barge, Jean & such a nice area!  I was talking with someone not too long ago & they were explaining that barges and ships that carried oil had to have such thick hulls & more than one if I understood right, so they couldn't leak into water if damaged.  Great show.  I can't leave messages on Vimeo until I find my password again.  Always something ~

I didn't make this video but it gives an idea of what this part of Florida is like.  I was raised just a few blocks from the Hampton Roads so like being near water.  (Just hoping we get thru the hurricane season without a hurricane 😀)  Jack, we aren't trying any of those flips.

https://vimeo.com/146170814

Beautiful water, Jean,  and as much as I love the beach,  that is too crowded for me.    I guess ok if your young and adventurous,  but I don't like to be that close to the next person.

Love the blue water, tho.

Thanks!

Joy

Jean that was wonderful.  Clear shallow water.   Would love living near and watch out for the hurricanes.

Jean, that's an awful lot of water!  I much prefer your videos of surrounding areas. 

Mary Ann

Jean.  So lucky to be able to see the ocean all the time.  I was raised close enough in UK that could get to see it also.  Still do not like living inland here in Illinois where only time to see water i in Chicago.

Not much going on in this forum these day. How I miss many of the people.

I will post this part of Indiana. That Sharon had in Facebook of her State of Indiana. At least I am close enough to visit some of their great place.  Every State has things to be proud off. Sharon.  Saw your posting in Facebook. I only have seen 3 of these place. Going to start making more short trips into Indiana. Such a great State and use to go often until my friend passed away.  Lets post it here. Maybe get some to visit.
Indy has curving roads that I like. not as flat as Illinois  http://www.onlyinyourstate.com/indiana/best-day-trips-indiana/

I will put it over into the Photo forum also.

JeanneP  Indiana looks great to me, good group of photos. 

Jack.  Yes. People make fun of Illinois, Indiana thinking to flat and nothing but fields of Corn, Beans all summer long. Both of quite a lot for Tourist to see really.
Just no Ocean.....

Jeanne, I've been to several of those Indiana spots mentioned.  Jim and I would always go to the cheese factory and we'd always buy a couple kinds of cheese - maybe more.  Probably because it is mentioned more, and not included, is Shipshewana, which is east of Middlebury.  South of Shipshewana is a Hudson car museum.  At Nappanee is the Amish village.  Over near the IN/IL state line is the home of Ernie Pyle but I believe that is closed now. 

One time heading for Indps, I was going to take IN15 and when I got to it, it was closed for construction.  A sign gave the detour which I took.  I drove and drove and drove and didn't see the detour (found out later I didn't go far enough - to Elkhart) so I turned around and went to IN13.  I don't know how far I went before that road was closed because of construction.  I hit one more piece of construction with a detour.  I think I got to Indps an hour late, but I had taken time to call Jim to let him know what was happening.  I felt I had driven all over northern Indiana before I finally got on state highways that were not under construction.  I love to see Indiana because it has so many scenic and historic places.  Jim and Joan (my cousin) used to make sure I saw something different every visit.

I haven't had the opportunity to travel in Illinois, nor will I now.  My mother's sister and family (cousin Joan) lived in Downers Grove for many years.

Mary Ann

MaryAnn,  the mention of Shipshewana brought back some great memories.

When my husband and I were campers, we took a trip out to Indiana to go to the HUGE  2-day flea market at Shipshewana,,  At that time, we had a craft business and somewhere while doing craft shows, someone mentioned the flea market there.  Wow !  what a place.  We found so many different kinds of crafts that we bought to bring back home to make.  We also visited a lot of the Amish villages.  Went to a Blueberry Festival in one of those towns.  Went to Nappanee, and Middlebury.  I am thinking that the Blueberry Festival was in Middlebury, but not sure.

At the flea market, we bought a long wooden bow!  Maybe about  2 or 3 feet long.  My husband made a few for one of our craft shows and they sold so quick.  Nobody in our area had ever seen them.  I am sure over a couple years he made several hundred of them and they sold out every show we did.  Then, over the next couple years, different crafters started making them and the idea eventually faded out.  Some he just stained and others I would decorate with a flower arrangement.  A couple years ago, I found one at a local thrift store, and thought maybe it was one that he had made, but it wasn't . I had to buy it just as a keepsake.  Most of the crafts I made, I never kept many for myself.  We were able to buy a lot of craft supplies out there, also.  It turned out to be a very profitable trip.  And, we could deduct some of the expenses for the business. 

At one of the Amish restaurants that we stopped at to eat, we saw several Amish girls out in the back of the restaurant smoking.  We also visited several big RV factories in the area.  Visited South Bend, 

In one of those little towns, I found a fabric outlet.   I think I went back there 3 different times to buy fabric. That was sure a fun trip.  We wanted to go back, but never made it again. But that flea market in Shipshewana was really something to see.  It was so big that even with it being open 2 days, you couldn't see it all. 

Thanks for the memories !

Joy

Iwould love to visit the cheese and chocolate factories.  Years ago we visited the Hershey factory in Penn. and that was interesting.  Every state has its own beauty and interesting places.

Joy, Yoder's in Shipshewana carries a large assortment of fabrics.  It's kind of "if you can't find it there, you don't need it".  The store carries a lot of things other than fabrics, but I think few of what they carry are Amish-made.  It still is fun to be there because so many Amish come in with their horse and buggies.  When you are on the roads, you have to be very careful because there are so many horse and buggies on the road and they have only one speed.  It is not unusual to read about accidents involving cars and buggies.  We have an Amish community north of us and we read about accidents there too. 

If you are familiar with Vera Bradley bags, they are made in Fort Wayne IN, but they are sold at a restaurant in Shipshewana - and I can't think of the name but I've eaten there a few times. 

At Nappannee Jim and I took the walking tour and ended up in a typical Amish house.  When we got to one of the bedrooms upstairs, there was an Amish woman working on a quilt.  We were the only people there for some time and we could talk with her.  Finally, I mentioned photographing and she said she could not pose for a photograph, but there was no rule against my taking a picture while she was working.  So I did.  She was a delightful lady but when others came in, we left.

I've seen a lot of covered bridges in Indiana.  One, at Moscow, was destroyed by a tornado several years ago and was rebuilt.  Credit was given to the original builder of the bridge, but also the builder of the new one.  Another, at Gowdy, we would have to drive off the main road to get to, but I loved to see it and ride through it.

Jim was born in Milroy IN, a very small town (if you blink, you miss it) and we would go there every year.  Even his son Tom takes me there.  We usually visit the cemetery, but always eat at the Takshemoka (not sure about the spelling, but I'm close) restaurant.  The house Jim was born in was on the parking lot of the restaurant and Jim would always point that out to whoever might be interested. 

I guess I got carried away about Indiana, didn't I?

Mary Ann

MaryAnn,  No,  you certainly didn't get carried away.   I love hearing about all the kinds of things you mentioned.  I don't live too far from Lancaster, which is a lot of Amish stores, markets, etc.   I was always thought that that area was a big Amish community,  but I was really surprised that the community in the area of Indiana where we were,  was even bigger.  We were surprised when we went to the RV factories, that most of the workers were Amish.  We had taken a tour, and I questioned the lady doing the tour, how come they were all using the power tools.  She told us that as long as they didn't belong to them, they could use them.  A little odd, I think.  One time we did do a tour in Lancaster, and in one of the sewing factories,  there were tubes and tubes of of pipes covering the ceilings.  These were air hoses supplying the power for all the sewing machines, since they couldn't be using electricity.

The place I went to for the fabric was in a factory outlet, right in the factory.  And, it was one of those places where you could find any kind of fabric you needed.

I know that the Yoder name is a very common Amish name. I am pretty sure I have been to several businesses up in Lancaster that had the name Yoder. 

I just heard not too long ago,  where it was ok to take pictures as long as they weren't actually posing for the picture.   And, we have been behind an Amish buggy with no way to get pass them.  Most of the time, tho, if possible they will get as close to the edge of the road to let people pass. 

We had a friend years ago, who was a Dunkard lady.  Not near as strict as the Amish, but she wore her little bonnet and drove a car.  Her father was a Dunkard preacher. She had some of the similar rules of the Amish.

I always enjoy hearing about different nationalities and their customs.

Joy

I have gone over into Indiana lots of Time. Never missed the Covered Bridge Festival every year. Now its been about 4 years since I have even crossed over the Ill. Ind. border.
As I live very close to a large Amish area here then I am use to seeing them but keep meaning to get over to Shipshewana. Indiana. I hear it is a great area for shopping.   
Now my 2 daughters and I   stopped in the Amish areas of Pennsylvania  thinking would enjoy the Amish Areas. Very Disappointed . Very commercial there. I enjoyed the Hershey Factory and would really love to live in Hershey.  Of all the area in the USA I have seen that has to be the one I would pick.  All that Hershey has done and still doing for the are is unbelievable.  It is a good trip all through the East. Would like to do it over. Grandaughter lives in Connecticut so will most probably head there soon.

Joy, a lot of the people who work around northern Indiana are Mennonites, an offshoot of the Amish.  The girls who wait on people in the Nappanee restaurant in the barn are Mennonites.  You can tell them by the fact they wear pastel colored dresses whereas the Amish girls are more likely to be dressed in dark colors.  I too had heard that they could use electric tools as long as the tools did not belong to them.  They also can ride in a vehicle owned by someone else and use a phone; I don't know how they manage with so many cell phones today.  I think up by Big Rapids is a store that carries Amish-made furniture.  I have not been in it so I don't know if the Amish run the store or not.

Mary Ann

MaryAnn,  we go to a big Farmers Market and there is a big outdoor area where they sell every kind of anything made of wood for the outdoors.  Sheds,  children's playground equipment, picnic tables, out houses, etc.  And it is Amish people that own it and sell the items. This same group of builders built a 4 or 5 car garage for my son.  They would have a driver bring them to the job site each day, and pick them up to go back.  They must have had some non-Amish workers who owned the tools that they used.  My son said he could not get a local builder to do as good a job as these Amish workers for the price they charged.  They do excellent work.  And, it only took a couple days to build.  It is a beautiful building. Almost as nice as their house.

And, yes, I am familiar with the Mennonite sect.  And, I know they are not as strict. 

Joy

Joy, I have heard too what good workers the Amish are.

Mary Ann

Over the years we visited Lancaster and Hershey several times, the Pennsylvania Dutch country.    About an hour away in Ohio is the Amish area - Sugar Creek, Walnut Creek (with a Yoders store), Millersburg and stopped at an old Amish Antique store in Charm,  that had no electric, it was lit with gas lights. 

I once had the Amish build a large shed for me, they had a big new truck, and the latest equipment.  Offered to feed them but they only wanted a glass of water and did not want to come in to use my bathroom.  They did a great job.

Another group, the Mennonites have a large University in Harrisonburg, near my daughters. 

Must offer this little  joke.   Have you heard about the Amish Girl that had 3 Mennonite, and they drove her buggy.

Jack.  I bet you have known that one for years.