I wanted to dip my toe into the Atlantic Ocean so I asked my brother to take us there instead of the Gulf Coast.  I knew that I would have my chance to see the Gulf Coast later in my trip and I really wanted to go to the Atlantic Ocean.  I had been on other beaches on the Atlantic but the water was way to cold to walk into.  So Vernon and Jeanette took me to Fort Pierce so go to the beach.  Yippee!!!!

Before we went to the beach we stopped at the St Lucie County Aquarium and Museum.  The aquarium is used by the Smithsonian for their research on the marine ecosystems of the Florida coast.  Even though it was small, it was a treasure.  So many fantastic things to see there.  There was a different display for each type of ecosystem on the coast of Florida.   They had guides to personally take you through the displays and explain each system.  At the first display they had a touch tank with a small stingray, some hermit crabs, starfish, sea cucumbers, sea urchins,  and other small fish.  They even had fish that can give you a manicure.  They had slots for you to put you finger in and they would nibble off the extra skin on you cuticles.  My brother stuck his finger in and they did actually nibble on his fingers.

Then they main display had a large variety of sea creatures and fish.  They were so interesting to watch.  Some of them swam so fast and didn’t stop so I had a had time catching a good picture.  However, between us we did get their picture.  They are the small ones with the orange stripes.  So many different ecosystems and each one has a different type of life.  One tank has mangrove trees and different fish.  You have the coral reef with bright-colored fish.  One of them has lots of seaweed and small fish.  Some have crabs and other sea creatures.  They even had a shark egg and are trying to hatch it.  They also have Nemo and Dory.  Enjoy the pictures.

After we were done at the Aquarium we went to the Historical Museum that was on the same property.  There was a lot of interesting things there about the history of the state of Florida.  Information about the Indian, their culture, and how they lived.  Tools of the different trades, fishing, farming, medical, and many more.  They had a model train set in the lobby that was fascinating.   I couldn’t put everything but I did choose some that I thought you would enjoy.

After we were done with the museum we had a picnic in the park between the aquarium and the museum.  We barbecued hot dogs for lunch along with vegetables and chips.  It was such a nice warm day and we had a great time enjoying the beautiful scenery on all sides.

After lunch we headed to the beach.  The day was so warm I took off my shoes and socks and walked in the surf for a while.  It was a little cold at first but when I got used to it I felt fine.  The beach was so beautiful with the Florida white sand.  We had fun watching the surfers.  Don’t be jealous, walking in the surf in December…..   LOL

Well I hope you have enjoyed all the adventures that we had while staying at my brothers community in Sebring.  The SIM retirement community had some RV hookups and we were able to stay at home and still be close to my brother’s house.  We really enjoyed being there with them and hated to leave.  But we have to be home in time for Maya’s graduation in June so we needed to be on our way.

Next adventure will be from Zephyrhills where my niece Annette lives with her family.  See you soon….