Tampa.  We arrived back in port the following morning under the moon’s Full Monty of the city.  The photo ops were abundant.

[This is the room where we started a week ago.]

[Hooked up and ready to go.]

[Hared took care of us – we forgot him.  The supervisor thought I left the tip, I thought she did.  Oy!  She tried unsuccessfully to locate him in the gargantuan that is the cruise world.]

[It was time for grandma to say good-bye to the boy.  We’ll see him again next month in Indiana for his high school graduation.]

[ . . . the right shirt for every occasion!  😉  ]

[Off the ship, and adios to the whole famn damily.  They had a long trip ahead to get back for school and work.]

So, as we bid adieu to the cruise, some final memories:

[Tom found his niche . . .]

[Gee, I guess he had fun?]

[So did Mom & Dad, who apparently participated from a distance.]

[OK, we all did!  🙂  ]

[Then The Biddies and I got a rental car – but not without the usual trip hassles, this time for Rita – and went in search of Ft. Myers, about 2 1/2 hours south of Tampa.  First photo op stop along the way was for the Sunshine Skyway.]

[Well, actually this was the first, and most important, stop along the way.  And the first photo op for Rita.]

[The Biddies join the party, disembarking from the much price negotiated Jetta.]

[Rita captures Mr. Excitement in full bloom.]

[Rita photo of parachute of surfing.]

[This was our first dining in Ft. Myers – as I recall, the Three Fishermen.]

[The views therefrom.]

[Fig tree roots . . .]

[. . . at the entrance to Thomas Edison’s winter estate on the Caloosahatchee River.]

[And Henry Ford also had a place on the Edison compound.  Apologies to Rita for cutting her in half.]

[The Biddies dial in their audio tour guides.]

[Edison’s house – I have to admit to not knowing of the existence of this place.  Pretty impressive, I would recommend a visit if you’re ever in Ft. Myers.]

[The Caloosahatchee at the end of the entry walk.]

[A rather impressive fig tree.]

[An Edison light bulb . . .]

[The estate was the first place in Ft. Myers to have electricity.]

[The view of the river from the house.]

[The walkway from Edison’s to Ford’s.]

[Edison’s]

[Ford’s]

[The Biddies window peep under the gaze of a tarpon!]

[Go stand by Henry.]

[Henry and me.  He was known to be quite the dancer as they had a great place for entertaining.]

[Edison’s on the left; Ford’s on the right.]

[Rita peeping in on the Fords.]

[Probably not the riverfront view in Edison’s time.]

[Mrs. Edison makes The Biddies a threesome!  🙂  ]

[Thomas Alva and me.  And a new hat for me, purchased at the museum (always willing to contribute to the arts!).]

[Befitting their status as guys who like to find out about stuff, they also had a botanical lab on site for research.]

[The Biddies were ready to take us to our Ft. Myers lodging.  Thanks again to Rita’s friend, Reva, for providing such.  On the morrow, we would be off to Sanibel Island and Captiva.]