Larry & Penny Thompson RV campground - Miami

 

The Larry and Penny Thompson Memorial Park is a beautiful, scenic and for visiting my granddaughter, Sara, most convenient campground. Well, sorta. More convenient than having her drive over an hour to visit me in the Everglades like she did last year. Still 30-minutes away, it's a better drive (?). 

This should be easy, right? Part of my route...just follow the GPS and the signs and the other drivers. Some time, let me tell you about Miami drivers...well, "they're nuts" aptly sums it up. I know, it's the same everywhere; speeding, weaving, no signals, no courtesy. Oh well, life goes on, so keep this in mind

Always good to be reminded now and then.

This county park is set in 275 acres of woodland, complimented by pine, lychee, mango and avocado trees of which 60 acres are dedicated to the 240 shady, RV sites with full hookups. As expected, nature trails, bike paths, kayaking, bridle paths, a beach with water slides and a freshwater lake populated with bass. Truly something for everyone.

Don't know why I was assigned a handicapped site.

Some views surrounding my site:

Clean, spacious and well maintained

Sara stopped by for a visit and prior to our leaving, she drove me around the non-camping area to see the mango groves and lake. After their death, son, Carl, petitioned Miami/Dade County to rename the park in honor of his parents. Larry Thompson was a Pulitzer Prize winner and humor writer for the Miami Herald. His wife, Gladys ("Penny") was an aviator pioneer in the 40's & 50's and flew blimps over the Gulf of Mexico searching for German submarines.

The property adjacent to Zoo Miami was originally a part of the Naval Air Station Richmond that housed the Navy's blimps.  

At the south entrance to the park there's a large concrete directional arrow in the ground, pointing north – a guide for blimp and airplane pilots who landed at the Naval Air Station.

In September, 1945, a hurricane and subsequent fire destroyed all three 17-story wood hangars and everything inside: 366 military and civilian aircraft, 25 blimps and more than 100 vehicles.

For the next 30 years, the land had varied uses including serving as the University of Miami's South Campus and a field research lab for 350 acres of fruit trees for the university.

The parcel for the Larry and Penny Thompson Memorial Park and Campground (and Zoo Miami) was acquired in 1974 as part of a 1,010-acre land transfer from the U.S. government to Miami-Dade County.

At Sara's apartment I was surprised to see another side of my marine biologist granddaughter. She dabbles in art. Some of her work.

And for those who have forgotten or never read my blogs of seven years ago, I dedicated one of them to Sara's younger and also talented sister, Beca and her art work. You can read that  BLOG HERE. Yup, there's good reason for my pride in both my children and their children.

Friday night we went to dinner at Plenta Queen. Be sure to check out their website. Their story from the website:

"At PLANTA, we see plants differently."

"Led by Founder and CEO Steven Salm and Co-founder and Executive Chef David Lee, PLANTA was born in 2016 to expand the accessibility and acceptability of plant based dining; dining as it should be — an unguilty pleasure. Creating a premier hospitality collective of 100% plant-based restaurants, PLANTA reimagines, reinvents, and revitalizes, providing flavorful proof that the power of plants can change the world."

Doesn't tell you anything about their offerings other than they're plant-based, surely Word Salad. I've added details to our menu choices in the captions below. It was a sharing evening...and quite delicious. I enjoyed it all. Thank you Sara for choosing your favorite.

• CRAB RANGOON (3 PIECES)

  spinach, hearts of palm, thai basil, sweet & sour

• CRISPY MUSHROOM HAND ROLL

  crispy mushroom, tamari, wasabi

• BAKED CRAB ROLL

  hearts of palm, spicy mayo, ponzu. This is my half

• SCALLION SESAME PANCAKE

  chili oil, hoisin

Dumplings contain:

Chickpeas, Garlic, Cilantro, Lime Juice, Curry Powder, Turmeric, Paprika, Coriander, Black Pepper, Cumin.

Tzahziki Sauce contains:

Sour Cream, lemon juice, garlic, mayo, canola oil, xanthan gum, chickpea, flour, pineapple, chili sauce, Fresno peppers, cilantro, vinegar, agave, salt, bell pepper.

Thank you, Alejandro, our server, for providing the ingredients.

After a very early start of their day, Aaron, Silvia, Chuck, Ryan and Sara went to Key Biscayne to participate in a 5K Fund Raiser on Chuck's birthday which he dedicated to the Wildlife Center of Silicon Valley. Hopefully, you can open the link and donate if you so desire.

Aaron, Silvia, Chuck, Sara, Ryan

Saturday night it was dinner at the Green Street Cafe, a very busy venue with a European feel and outdoor dining; "Coconut Grove's premier 'seen and be seen' restaurant founded thirty three years ago by Sylvano and Maida Bignon." Their MENU reflects the diffiuclt choices. I, of course, went with an old stand-by.

In addition to a lemon-touched Hummus bowl, Chorizo Macaroni & Cheese were
the appetizers for the table - thought too late to get this photo; sorry for the dirty plate.

Lobster ravioli with red pepper pesto

Vegetable Lasagna: Eggplant, red pepper, portobello, zucchini, goat cheese, pesto 

A proud Poppa with a terrific grandson who will be studying on exchange at Bocconi University in Milan. He also picked up the tab for his old man's birthday. Thank you, Aaron.

And to conclude my all too short visit here in the Miami area, I'll share yet another terrific dining experience with loved ones. Our Easter Dinner get-together (Silvia, Sara, Aaron, Ryan, Chuck and me) was at Doya Restaurant, a Modern Aegean restaurant in the Wynwood section of Miami featuring the cultural cuisines of Greece and Turkey. First impressions when entering: Friday night crowd, a packed house. The high ceiling acoustics made for a very loud environment with a young crowd (for me, that's anyone under 60). Upscale warm feeling with tight seating and a large wait staff. At night, the very low lighting made for difficult menu reading especially for the Turkish cold/hot meze (small dish) specialties. Our server explained the concept and recommended an approach for our selections. This included treating the menu like you would tapas, ie, small plates or portions for snacks or appetizers. A good choice as we were able to choose one we liked but shared and tasted everyone else's. Three photos that follow are from Internet which show the beautiful but empty dining areas.  

Arrow points to our cozy corner table

The restaurant boasts over 100 different types of gin;
even a book of mixed drinks was available.

View from my corner of the world

Sara's Espresso Martini

It was too dark to get some of the photos of the meze choices for the table. But from the menu and memory we tried small portions, shared and enjoyed:

BRANZINO CEVICHE: orange and lime zest, mustard sauce

DOYA OCTOPUS: garlic, Cretan extra virgin olive oil

SPICY TOMATO: tomato, onion, walnuts, parsley, sumac, isot, mint, pomegranate

ROASTED BEETROOT: pureed with Turkish pistachios, Greek yogurt

KOFTE: grilled Turkish meatballs

BUTTER SHRIMP: mozzarella cheese

Closer to the center of the table, Sara was able to capture these for me.

GRILLED HALLOUMI CHEESE

Arugula, cherry tomatoes, fresh mint

KOPOGLU

potato, eggplant, pepper, zucchini, garlic yogurt, tomato sauce

MUSSELS

white wine butter, garlic, parsley

YOGURT MOUSSE

Kadaifi, White Chocolate Yogurt Mousse, Fresh Citrus Salad,

Cassis Foam, Thyme Ice Cream

MASTIC PUDDING

Mixed Berries Compote, Mastic Pudding, Balsamic Honey Caviar,

Sable Cookie, Fresh Berries

PISTACHIO BAKLAVA

Homemade

And a big thank you to my wonderful granddaughter, Sara, my sea turtle marine biologist and Education Manager for the Miami/Dade County Sea Turtles Conservation Project, for the use of her car that allowed me to come and go the 16-mile trip to be where the action is.

I hope you enjoyed my Easter Weekend. My next week-long stop will be Long Key, FL at the Fiesta Key RV Resort and Marina. See you there. Meanwhile, stay safe and happy.

Love is a fruit in season at all times and within reach of every hand.

~~Mother Teresa

Delray Beach

Del Raton RV Park  is family owned since 1973. This is my fifth year visiting.
Head of the family, Arthur, helpful, knowledgeable and always friendly.

Sites are tight. Amenities includes water, 30/50 amp service, sewer, laundry, showers.
A shopping center including Walmart across the street as is Tim Finnegan's Irish Pub

Morning coffee outside is pleasant and quiet. Ray and Walter are missed.
I have yet to catch a glimpse of neighbors but I do hear a yapper on the other side.

The morning breezes are to be enjoyed; the afternoon heat enjoyed inside with the AC

Lizards (could be a curly tailed lizard) grow a tad bigger down here in Delray Beach

My stay here is the closest I get to my cousin Norma who lives in Boca Raton, 11 miles to the southwest and my main means of transportation. The other highlight of my week-long stay is getting together with fellow retiree from BMMS, Jim and wife, Missie, who live in Boynton Beach, 15 miles to the north. My annual get-together with each is something I look forward to each year. How interesting would it be for me to describe or share my enjoyment of cozy living while traveling in Winnie? No, not interesting at all. The joy is sharing the adventures with my company and best of all, the wonderful dining experiences. And so it continues. Be sure to click on the links to get the full flavor of what I experienced so as not to make these blogs any longer than they need be.

My first day, Norma picked me up and we drove to  Bedner's Farm for lunch at Cheri's NY Top Dogs. Daughter Cheri is enjoying her 17th year at Bedner's on weekends providing delicious Sabrett hot dogs and all the topping choices you can imagine. To me, hot dogs always taste better when eaten outdoors.

The menu

Once again, I enjoyed the company of Jim and Missie for our annual dinner. The choice this year was Latitudes at Highland Beach, a part of the Delray Sands Resort; an oceanfront restaurant and lounge that has five distinctive dining spaces including the outdoor Ocean Terrace, the Chef's Seafood Bar and the Wave Pool Bar.

  

While waiting for our Ocean Side
table, I enjoyed a Blue Pointe Draft Ale

Thank you, Yves, our server, for this photo. We're enjoying LaCrema Pinot Noir.

After sharing a Tuna Poke (raw cubed tuna with mango, macadamia nuts, scallions, crispy wonton chips), I enjoyed the Lobster and Crab-Stuffed Jumbo Shrimp entrée served with white corn polenta, sautéed garlic parmesan spinach, crisp onion rings.

A raspberry cheesecake with raspberry coulis for Jim and...

...Missie and I shared a Coconut Bombe Cake with raspberry coulis and coconut gelato.

Delicious and filling dessert

Monday's lunch with Norma was at JB's in Deerfield Beach 

JAMAICAN TWELVE SPEED

Don Q coconut, Midori, crème de banana, piña colada, Ron Zacapa floater

Our appetizer - LOBSTER FLATBREAD

Wood-grilled crust with fontina cheese, buttered lobster, tomato, garlic and micro basil

Norma's healthy meal - JANET’S LOBSTER & SHRIMP SALAD

Half of a steamed and chilled Maine lobster, topped with shrimp salad, served over mixed greens with hearts of palm, tomatoes, mango salsa, scallions, cucumbers, roasted red peppers and mango dressing.

My not-so-healthy Fish & Chips: Beer-battered Icelandic cod, served with citrus tartar sauce, French fries and coleslaw;
Cod was cut into three portions and taken home for future meals. Yes, I've got to get away from fried foods.

A Wednesday lunch at Carrabba's in Delray Beach, FL

The Lunch Trio: Minestrone soup, salad and...

...Four-Cheese and Sausage stuffed mushrooms

Yet another of the many treats I enjoy while visiting here in Delray; the opportunity to visit Norma at her home in Boca Raton. Before and since the passing of my cousin, Larry, many, many years have been spent enjoying their hospitality and her cooking which has always been  unsurpassed.

This is how I relax with a glass of wine in the screened in porch, called lanais in Florida, each time I visit. Today, we waited for Carlo who drove in from the west coast to join us.

Carlo, Norma and I returned to one of their favorite places, (with another on the agenda), Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza.

A cold, tall, Blue Moon Draft

Thin, well done crust, loads of cheese and small chunks of tomato.

While waiting for doors to open,
a view of the outdoor dining available but Happy
 Hour prices were inside...as was air conditioning.

And for my "last supper," we returned to Luigi di Roma Ristorante and Lounge, another of Carlo and Norma's favorite dining spots. I've been here before with Norma in years past and have always enjoyed the upscale atmosphere and many delicious selections. Be sure to click on the "Gallery" tab if you visit their website.  Even on a Thursday, the Happy Hour proved to be a popular gathering place. Arriving just before 4:00 pm, there were 8 couples lined up at the door waiting for that door to open as though it was Black Friday at Walmart. Although we weren't trampled, we were able to get a great table near the bar tended by their favorite, Brian. Later on, we ordered and enjoyed dinner. At 6 pm, the bar crowd  dwindled and the dining room became very busy.

Five-Cheese Ravioli in a marinara sauce before adding cheese. Half came home with me.

So, with a ton of thank yous to Norma for picking me up and allowing me more terrific dining experiences, this year's visit to Delray comes to an end. The weather has been perfect; warm, sunny but very dry. Florida is in need of a few torrential downpours...the natural type, not the hurricane type. I've been in Florida two months and have witnessed just one 15-minute soaking downpour event while in Clermont.

Next up is Easter weekend in the Miami area visiting granddaughter, Sara, who lives there and Chuck/Silvia/Aaron who will fly in for a few days. See you there.