Day 57: Driveway living in Boca Raton.

For the second time on our trip, we are sleeping on a friend’s driveway. Our last courtesy parking was only for one night in Arizona right before we headed out to Bisbee. Here in Boca Raton however, we are staying initially for 2 nights and Yoda will be holding down the fort alone in the trailer here for another 10 days while we fly home. Of course Paul has graciously agreed to keep an eye on her.

Boca Raton is a nice community just north of Fort Lauderdale that has loads of activities catered mostly for their residents. Starting with the beautiful coastline with pristine beaches, residents can buy an annual parking pass for about $30 that allows them to park anytime at the beach. Visitors on the other hand, have only limited numbers of free spaces while other non-resident parking spaces cost as much as $20 a day. Luckily for us, we are seeing Boca the way Boca Ratonians do.

Ava as you can tell is still sporting her glitter-laced wings from Butterfly World yesterday. Right next to Paul’s house, there is a nice little community park which is very nice to have if you have young kids.

The water on the other hand, just as any bodies of water in Florida, we tried to stay away from as you never know when alligators might decide to taste you for lunch.

Before our trip home, we had to make sure Yoda was well stocked and ready with food and litter so we made a trip to the Petco down the street. There Ava got to see some kittens and puppies up for adoption. Yoda was already well into adulthood when Ava was born so she was excited to see how little and fluffy these critters are as babies.

Back at Paul’s house, just as any Floridan house, he’s got a screen room on the back patio. Ava loved that Ethan had his own outdoor sandbox with over 1,000 lbs of sand to play in. But you know what, that’s gonna have to wait because mama is taking the girls to another Boca Raton gem mostly known only to locals: Sugar Sand Park.

Sugar Sand Park, like many kid friendly places in Boca (except for Butterfly World), is free of charge. Only certain things cost a little bit of money to ride like the merry-go-round that Ava got to ride on by herself. Since I had to stay back in the Airstream to do some work, Marlene had Mila sound asleep inside the carrier. The ride operator had a little bit of a freak out when she realized that the baby was not going to be strapped down except to her mother so she made Marlene sit at on of the carriages next to the horses.

Unlike the ride she got at New Orlean’s City Park, this time she got on one of the horses that moved up and down along with the ride which explains the happy look on her face.

Aside from this massive playground on the outside, there is a room full of fun and educational interactive displays.

“What!? The beach ball is floating in the air!!!”

Yeah Mila, isn’t this place fun!?! OK, we promise to take another trip like this when you are a big girl just like your sister so you don’t have to be trapped in the straight jacket that you love so much.

over and out,
dan