Off the Beaten Path with Aliens

Chris with Alien Model
Outpost 51 Alien Museum
Boulder, NV
June 22, 2026

 After completing our visit to the Hoover Dam, we had extra time before heading off to the airport. In searching for attractions near our location, I uncovered the Outpost 51 Alien Museum in Boulder City. 

Roswell Exhibit
Outpost 51 Alien Museum
Boulder, NV
June 22, 2026

What better way to spend some time than exploring the other-world possibilities and conspiracy theories regarding alien visitation? And it is just fun!

We decided on the Alien Museum because the Nevada Railroad Museum, also in Boulder City, closed before we got there.

The museum is in a typically rundown looking building near the edge of town. Almost what a stereotypical alien museum should look like. The displays are interesting and I learned some new information. The museum is small and they offer a combo ticket with a monster museum across the parking lot, but we did not have time to do both. 

The alien museum has both a serious and fun aspect to its exploration of the alien phenomena. There is the classic Roswell conspiracy theory and Area 51 discussion as well as aliens from films and theater.

Short Grey
Outpost 51 Alien Museum
Boulder, NV
June 22, 2026

The museum is open until 6PM, which made it a perfect stop after an early afternoon visit to the Hoover Dam.

Sometimes, you just gotta have fun. And even better, there is a Dairy Queen right next door to satisfy the ice cream urge which sets in after a busy afternoon of touring! I had a Blizzard. 

I gained a good appreciation for the Boulder City, NV. We stopped for lunch at the number 1  Trip Advisor rated Coffee Cup Cafe. We were not disappointed. It was good to be away from the inflated prices of Las Vegas and to enjoy a well-prepared lunch. I was surprised at the extensive menu. 

It turned out to be a great travel day exploring Nevada!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Hoover Dam

Starting the Tour
Hoover Dam, Boulder, NV
June 22, 2026

 It was a scalding hot 106 degree day at the Hoover Dam when we visited. Ouch! During our visit to the Las Vegas area, we quickly learned not to touch anything that was exposed to the sun because it was burning hot! This was true at the Dam as well. 

Nevada Generator Hall
Hoover Dam, Boulder, NV
June 22, 2026

Because we were heading home on a 10 PM red-eye, we had time on our last day, after checking out of the hotel at noon, to visit additional sites in the area. Actually, I was looking for things to fill our time and had planned this visit to the Hoover Dam as means to spend a few hours. 

We took the long, one hour, tour and were not disappointed. Until the very end of the tour, we were inside of the Dam or one of the generator halls and out of the sun. I was amazed at the sheer size of the Dam. Larger than life. At the beginning of the tour, where we took the first selfie, the docent pointed out the air intake window where we would subsequently be standing to take the image looking out from the dam. It is about 1/3 the way up the dam on the Nevada side. 

Stairs Leading Up
Hoover Dam, Boulder, NV
June 22, 2026

The passageways were very narrow in places and we had to carefully pass members of the group returning from viewing a portion of the dam. The tour gave us a good sense of the magnitude of the construction project and reminded us that in the 1930's construction planning was done with pencil, paper, and slide rules! I used to be very proficient at using a slide rule. 

Looking out the air intake in the dam
Hoover Dam, Boulder, NV
June 22, 2026

The tour took us to the Nevada generator hall alongside the river and then worked up through the inside of the dam ending on the top. Fortunately, there was an elevator given that the dam is over 700 feet tall.

I was reminded that as part of a naming schism, similar to what we are seeing now, the Hoover Dam was renamed Boulder Dam in 1933. Boulder is the name of the Nevada town that the dam is situated within. Subsequently, the dam was renamed Hoover Dam in 1947. 

While we were at the Dam, we managed to drive across it to the Arizona side. We also walked along part of the topside of the dam. 

Water Intake Towers
Hoover Dam, Boulder, NV
June 22, 2026

The gift store is nicely done with locally themed items. At the end of our tour and time at the Dam, we gained a better appreciation for the impact of the dam in terms of electrical generation capacity and employment opportunities in the area. We got a sense that the Dam is not generating electricity to its fullest capacity. Also, as can be seen in this last image, the lake is low on water although it is not at the lowest level ever recorded since it was filled. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Valley of Fire

 

Valley of Fire State Park
Nevada
June 21, 2026

During our trip to Vegas, Chris and I tried to get outside of the Strip area and visit the surrounding Nevada area. We found a gem less than an hour from Vegas: the Valley of Fire State Park. 

Rock Formation
Valley of Fire State Park, NV
June 21, 2026

The Park is easy to access and does not have any of the surrounding tourist trap towns like those around Zion National Park in Utah. But a note to self, that also means that the visitor must be prepared with nearly everything required for outdoors activity on a blast furnace hot day. We visited on just such a day. 

The sandstone geology is magnificent and the features are accessible--again unlike many National Parks. The are walking trails, rock formations, and petroglyphs. And we only scratched the surface due to the hostile weather conditions on the day we visited. 

Petroglyphs
Valley of Fire State Park, NV
June 21, 2026

Did I mention it was hot? Dry, desiccating, 105 degrees hot. We saw a sign reminding us that the heat can kill the unprepared or stupid.

Big Horn Sheep
Valley of Fire State Park, NV
June 21, 2026

We also saw big horn sheep. We were very surprised by them and we saw two small herds of the sheep during our visit. One family grouping crossed the road in front of us and we sat in the comfort of our air conditioned vehicle and enjoyed an up-close view of the magnificent animals. And this ram was magnificent. He was also large and in-charge.

The park is easy to access in a vehicle and offers a multitude of hiking trails. Some are short enough for enjoying and just bringing a couple bottles of water along. Others are real hiking trails with many closed due to the heat. 

Rock Formation
Valley of Fire State Park, NV
June 21, 2026

The park provides minimal services. There is a very nice, new visitor center but that is also the only water stop.

Looking out to the Horizon
Valley of Fire State Park, NV
June 21, 2026

We learned that parts of one Star Trek Next Generation movie was filmed in the park. The park provides an out-worldly setting.

We, I hesitate to use the word hiked, walked a few hundred yards down one trail to see petroglyphs and were not disappointed. We were told that there were more further along the trail, but aside from water we were totally unprepared for hiking in lose sandy soil conditions.

I am going to make an admission here--we enjoyed this park a lot more than Zion National Park. Why? Because we were not suffocated with throngs of people and unreasonable prices. I cannot believe I paid over $12 for a 6 inch Subway sub at the town outside of Zion.

Do not be surprised by this State Park. It is not small and you can easily spend a day or more exploring the park's treasures. The Big Horn Sheep were not the only animals was came across. We also spied a small common spotted lizard hanging out in a crack in the rocks. 

My recommendation--put this park on your must do list when visiting the Vegas area. It is a good way to escape the manufactured fun of the Strip and find some authentic enjoyment. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Two Flights on Three Jets

 Mike, Nicole's husband, said it best--"Time to leave the red-eyes behind you Bob. That's a young man's game."

Truer words have not been written.

Broke Jet
Atlanta, GA
June 23, 2026

It was a plan and I thought it a good plan. We would get to spend a whole day in the Las Vegas area doing activities and then fly a red-eye to Atlanta and from there to West Palm Beach (PBI) on an early morning flight. It was a great plan, but it did not get executed as planned.

We had a great last day in Nevada. We left the hotel about noon and headed to Boulder City for lunch and a tour of the Hoover Dam. More about that in another blog later. After the dam tour we visited the Outpost 51 Alien Museum  and had a Blizzard at a Dairy Queen back in Boulder City on our way to the airport to begin our journey home. 

The initial flight on Jet #1 was perfect. It departed early and arrived early. I got a couple hours sleep and was not too groggy when we deplaned into Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport at 4:46 AM. Our flight to PBI was scheduled to depart at 7:05 AM. 

We boarded Jet #2 on time and without incident. The jet pulled from the gate on time and that is when things went awry. We stopped on the tarmac for more than a few minutes before the pilot announced that there were engine fumes gathering in the aft portion of the cabin and that we were going to have maintenance check the aircraft, possibly deplane and wait for another jet. 

After a while the jet began moving. I hoped we were going to take-off, but that did not happen. We taxied for a long time before arriving at a new gate. Now for those familiar with Atlanta, we originally landed at gate F09 and traversed nearly the entire airport to gate A09 where we boarded the jet which ultimately broke. We subsequently taxied around Atlanta before arriving at E16. Time was passing. 

I felt the Delta crew and ground support were great. We deplaned and waited in the gate area for about 15 minutes before they announced we would be boarding another aircraft which was at the E18 gate. BUT, there was a problem. The pilots were fine, but two of the required 4 flight attendants needed to be replaced for an unspecified reason. That took well over an hour and then we were ready to board the Jet #3. 

Things went smoothly and we took-off and flew to PBI, landing just after a thunderstorm had forced a ground stop at the airport. That caused us to taxi around PBI a bit because the originally assigned gate had a jet still engaged because of the ground stop. Our bags were also slowed arriving in the terminal, but after being on three different jets, they arrived!

But all ended well. We got home about 2.5 hours later than we had planned. Tired, but happy to be hope. Even the high humidity of the post storm was welcome because we had been drying out and baking in Nevada. It was 106 degrees Monday while we were at the Hoover Dam.

Delta did a great job keeping us informed of the situation verbally at the gate and through messaging on our phones. Panic never ensued. I know that more than a few people were able to change their flight. It was a bit of a mess at PBI with our flight arriving so late.

I was a bit amazed that we boarded three jets to complete two flights. But I learned: no more red-eyes for Bob and Chris.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay Las Vegas

Bowmouth Guitarfish
Mandalay Bay Hotel, Las Vegas, NV
June 20, 2026

 One of the attractions that Chris and I visited while we were in Las Vegas was the Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay. I admit that I read the description and felt that it might be a bit overstated. 

Not.

Green Turtle in Coral
Mandalay Bay Hotel, Las Vegas, NV
June 20, 2026

The aquarium and displays are every bit as interesting and dynamic as the write-ups make it seem.

The huge aquarium is both big and accessible. We were able to see many different fish, many sharks, and there were also displays of freshwater fishes. The aquarium is based around an Aztec temple and that adds to the fun.

I can't begin to detail all of the different fishes and marine animals. 

Blacktip Reef Shark
Mandalay Bay Hotel, Las Vegas, NV
June 20, 2026

The highlight of the visit is, of course, the tunnels through the ocean tank. It is teeming with sharks, assorted fish, a big sea turtle, and they are constantly on the move. The tunnel system puts the viewer in the middle of the aquarium with fish swimming above and around. It was very interesting to see the underside of some of the fish--for instance the Bowmouth Guitarfish expels water from its gills downward under its body. 

As can be seen from my images, the fish get very close. 

The price point for the aquarium is really good. It was $30/person. Given the cost of other attractions in Vegas, this is a bargain.

-- Bob Doan, Atlanta, GA

Wizard of Oz on Steroids

Scene from the Wizard of Oz
Sphere, Las Vegas, NV
June 19, 2026

 Although we will be heading to the Sphere tonight for the Kenny Chesney Concert, we wanted to get a sense of the venue and went to see The Wizard of Oz yesterday. 

Wow, what AI can do to an old movie. 

The Wizard's Balloon
Sphere, Las Vegas, NV
June 19, 2026

Of course, Sphere is a unique movie format which is similar to to IMAX in perspective but the increased visual resolution combined with special effects including real snow, leaves, wind, and lightening during the appropriate scenes, added to the experience. In short, it was WOW!

The original movie was shortened about 27 minutes and I remembered most of the scenes omitted or shortened. Some were my favorites, like the horse of a different color which was shortened, as well as the chase scene with the wicked witch in her castle which was also edited and shortened. True Wizard of Oz lovers will recognize many of the other scenes which were shortened or even omitted. 

Forest Scene from The Wizard of Oz
Sphere, Las Vegas, NV
June 19, 2026

The AI restoration was incredible. One aspect that stood out was the vibrant colors. 

We were seated in the uppermost section about 12 rows from the top, but the view was fantastic. I got a bit of vertigo from the height and steepness of the stairs and the seats. Once the show began, we were fully immersed into the movie. 

Just one other positive note, we bought our tickets about as late as possible and we had to use a reseller. We were rewarded by getting seats at about half-price. Most of the tickets were astronomically priced, because the show was sold out, but we got lucky!

There are still deals out there!

For the Kenny Chesney concert tonight we are not in the nose-bleed sections, but on the floor.

-- Bob Doan, Las Vegas, NV

Zion and Return

Happy Juneteenth 

Virgin River Gorge
I-15, Arizona
June 18, 2026

I wrote yesterday about the early morning alarms in the building. Well, there was another alarm about 7:30 AM or so and Chris and I evacuated the building as directed. Before evacuating we gathered our supply of water and sunscreen to head off to Zion National Park! Although the trip to Zion had been planned for today, we had been awake since 4:30-ish AM and determined that an early start to the trip would be advantageous. 

Selfie
Zion National Park, UT
June 18, 2026

And so we were off, like a herd of turtles!

The drive was about 2.5 hours. There are parts of the drive which are boring, but as we approached the mountains, about an hour out of Vegas, things got interesting. We drove I-15 through Virgin River Gorge on our trek to Zion National Park. We were surprised at the gorge. It was a beautiful drive and we did stop at one of the few pull-offs for pictures. 

Zion National Park
Utah
June 18, 2026

And then onto Zion. The drive through Utah to the park is fun. There are vistas to enjoy around every turn. It was a busy day at the Park. Parking space was almost non-existent, even at the pull-offs to enjoy the spectacular views. But we managed to enjoy the park despite the crowds. And there were crowds. 

I overheard a ranger telling a group that June was the busiest month, as well as the hottest month, at the park. Note to self, if ever we make a return trip we will aim for October!

We enjoyed our trip very much and are thankful that we made it to Zion. We are not hikers, but we saw there are many opportunities for hiking. We followed one trail for about a quarter mile just to see around an outcropping and the view was worth the effort. Yes, we took water and stayed hydrated. I was about 8 degrees cooler at Zion than the 100+ temperatures in Vegas.

-- Bob Doan, Las Vegas, NV

Our Early Wake-up

Out the Hotel Window
Las Vegas, NV
June 18, 2026

 Chris and I were awakened in the wee hours of the morning to the sound of a loud emergency horn and an announcement advising us of an emergency in the building and that we should evacuate. Jolted awake and mildly disoriented, we began the process of departing our room in the middle of the night. Before we could leave however, another announcement confused us by suggesting that the alarm might not require evacuation and was being investigated. It stated we would be advised. I took that to mean stand-by for further instructions and so we did not evacuate. A few minutes later we were advised that the emergency was minor and had been resolved. Like we are going to be able to go back to sleep?

From the Hotel Pool Deck
Las Vegas, NV
June 17, 2026

Our travel day was great. The flights were on time and relatively smooth. I am becoming a fan of flying Delta. Upon arrival in Vegas, however, we were greeted with a wall of oppressively hot heat. The temperature was 108 degrees. And even though it is a dry heat, it is so very hot. We were pleased to find that, unlike Florida, the indoor air conditioning temperatures are a bit warmer and less of a shock to the system when heading inside. In Florida, it seems that the air conditioning is set very cold to combat the humidity which is conspicuously absent here in Vegas.

We managed a short walk in the heat to a restaurant for dinner and then retired to the hotel to enjoy the evening. 

The adventures begin! And a bit earlier than originally planned. 

-- Bob Doan, Las Vegas, NV

Out the Cabin Window

Out the cabin window
West Palm Beach, FL
June 17, 2026

  And we are off. As I like to say, “like a herd of turtles.”  

The adventure to Nevada begins.  We have a lot planned and the trip is off to a great start. Boarding on our first flight, a Delta flight, went smoothly and we will soon complete the short hop to Atlanta to board our flight to Vegas. 

The morning here was humid. I think the humidity was 100 percent. Ugh. But we are flying in air conditioned comfort. 

It is tough blogging on my phone. But that’s what I have at the moment. I want to send out a very high thank you to Cody, Angie, and Kaya for taking care of Finn while we travel. You are great. 

I made some edits in Atlanta to make the blog a bit easier to read and understand. 

— Bob Doan, airborne over central Florida 

Preparing to Go

The Sphere
Las Vegas, NV
October 29, 2024

 Chris and I are excited about our upcoming trip to Vegas. The original purpose of the trip was to see Kenny Chesney at the Sphere. I bought tickets to the the show a long time ago. In addition, we are going to visit a couple National Parks and the Hoover Dam. 

We had seen the Sphere during our visit to Vegas during October 2024 and I never thought we would actually attend a concert within it. But, it is going to happen!

We are making the final preparations. It is gonna be HOT! The weather forecast is for temperatures in the mid- to upper-100s the entire time we are there. Ugh! We are gonna need a lot of water! And writing of water, I am hoping that the winds are not too strong and we can see the dancing water show at the Bellagio. 

We depart next week and so I am still doing some planning for the excursions. But excitement is mounting. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

A Flamboyance

 

A Flamboyance of Flamingos
National Zoo, D.C.
June 4, 2026

What is a group of Flamingos called? A flamboyance. 

I observed a flamboyance during our trip to the National Zoo last week. They were stunning. Even more interesting is that the birds were nesting--on fake eggs. We talked to one of the keepers and learned that after the Flamingos lay eggs, the eggs are harvested and put into incubators to ensure they make it to hatching. It seems that Flamingos in captivity are clumsy and many eggs are lost during the roughly one month incubation period. Fake eggs are placed in the nest and the birds continue nesting. About a week before hatching the real eggs are redeployed into the nests so that the hatchlings hear and see their own kind when they break free from the eggs. I thought that was really interesting. 

As the keeper said, "we don't want the birds to think they are human."

Whooping Crane
National Zoo, D.C.
June 4, 2026

Among other birds that we saw during the trip, I was able to capture good images of a Whooping Crane and a Red-shouldered Hawk.

Red-shouldered Hawk
Odenton, MD
June 3, 2026

The Whooping Crane is a sad, but interesting story. The species declined to about 20 birds during the 1940s, but today numbers around 600 due to conservation efforts. I learned that the Sandhill Cranes, which I see around Tequesta, are related to the Whooping Crane.

And then there was the Red-shouldered Hawk. I captured this image in the wild. Well, maybe not wild, but suburbia. The hawk flew into sight and landed on the fence as I was on Nicole's back deck chatting with her after Jax's graduation. He sat there for a while before flying off to find a better hunting ground.

I enjoyed the birds and of course we saw many more at the National Zoo aviaries, but the ones here are those that I most enjoyed watching. Of course, I could have remained at the Flamingo enclosure for a lot longer than we did--but I like Flamingos. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

And we are Home!

Beck
Glen Burnie, MD
June 6, 2026

 It was a different travel day. We were on a Saturday mid-afternoon flight. The Southwest flight from Baltimore to West Palm Beach was not full and the flight attendant came buy and asked the third person in our row if he wanted to move to a row with only one person in it so we all could have a more comfortable flight. 

That was unexpected. 

To make the flight even better, Chris and I decided to have a glass of wine. Surprise, I had upgraded to the more legroom seats and we were told that drinks, even alcohol, were included. Yay!

That made the flight one of the best we have experienced lately. We were in boarding group 2, but there was only one A-list and two Group 1's. That was also weird. 

Although it is good to be home, we will miss our family in Maryland. We had a great visit and spent time with all of them. We especially enjoyed our time with Beck. We went to Costco with him yesterday and I had forgotten how interesting it could be to shop with someone who wants to be a part of everything happening around them. We had fun and he was in a great mood. 

We will see him soon, I hope.

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Something tells me it's all happening

 

Linh Mai
National Zoo, D.C
June 4, 2026

At the zoo!

During February, the National Zoo welcomed a newborn Asian Elephant. Chris loves elephants and we heard about the birth of Linh Mai when the zoo announced that she was ready to receive visitors during April. Well, being in the D.C. area, we had to go to the zoo to meet the young pachyderm. 

Yesterday was zoo day.

Panda
National Zoo, D.C.
June 4, 2026

I was fortunate enough to obtain parking and entrance passes in advance, so I saved $10 off the parking cost and admission was free, but entrance passes were required. The actual process of parking was smooth and easy. We parked very close to one entrance to the zoo.

Getting to the zoo is, however, a process. Driving across the D.C. metro area is a scary slog. Using the Metro would solve the driving issue, but the closest station is a long walk from the zoo entrance. Once at the zoo there is a lot of walking to access the enclosures and exhibits and it is up and down hills. Wear appropriate shoes/sneakers. We walked about 2.67 miles while we were in the zoo. Yes, I turned my tracker on.

Baltimore Oriole
National Zoo, D.C.
June 4, 2026

The Zoo is great! We had a fantastic time and were able to see Linh Mai as well as both pandas, which are of course the marquee attractions. There is a lot of construction at the zoo as many enclosures are being upgraded and that is good, but it did limit some of the viewing. I thought the aviaries and bird displays were spectacular. We got up close to some birds and even those in outdoors enclosures were close enough to be enjoyed. I spent a lot of time getting an image of the Baltimore Oriole, the bird was very busy flying around the aviary.

The zoo offers an overwhelming array of attractions that are simply too many to experience in a single day. Despite spending three and a half hours there, we barely managed to scratch the surface of what the zoo has to offer. Exhausted and eager to avoid the traffic congestion in D.C., we decided to leave.

I highly recommend a day at the zoo!

-- Bob Doan, Glen Burnie, MD

Welcome to Rural Western NY

 

Delta MD-80 Landing at Atlanta
Atlanta, GA
May 29, 2026

Travel yesterday went mostly smoothly. The flights were on time and very nice. Chris and I enjoyed an airline other than Southwest where the boarding in not chaotic and it seemed that we were actually appreciated as passengers and not self-loading cargo. 

We landed in a driving rainstorm at Atlanta, where we had to change planes to continue onto Rochester, NY. I watched a jet land on a parallel runway. I had forgotten how huge is Atlanta Hartsfield, we taxied for what seemed like 20 minutes after landing to get to the gate. 

Out the Hotel Window
Henrietta, NY
May 30, 2026

The concourse at Atlanta was, as usual, a nightmare. People everywhere. The mix was humorous. People from the north were wearing coats and those of is from the south were in shorts. Fortunately, I brought a coat.

We had just enough time to traverse the concourse as we arrived at one end and were departing from the other. We did not need to hurry, but we also did not have time to explore. 

Arriving in Rochester, we had a terrible tome at the Hertz rental counter. I'm a gold member and for some reason they did not have my reservation tagged properly. But, it seems that I was not the only person with issues. Long after all of the other auto rental desks were empty, there was an hour long line at Hertz with two harried employees trying to process people! Ugh.

But, we finally secured a vehicle and joined up with family for the afternoon and then back to our lodging for the night. 

Today, we go to the cemetery for Dad's inurnment and then back to my sister's for afternoon festivities. We had waited for the inurnment, hoping for warm weather. Well, we see how that worked out. The high today is forecast to be all of 60 degrees in this region! So much for shorts and sandals.

-- Bob Doan, Henrietta, NY

Three-Day Weekend Blues

 

The unofficial start to Summer has arrived! 

Travelers, start your engines. 

It is going to be quite a weekend and I am glad that we are not traveling until next weekend, maybe the craziness will subside. 

Today is a boat day. Chris, Finn, and I will be heading out on the ICW for some enjoyment. It should be a beautiful day and we will enjoy some beach fun on North Jupiter Island followed by shopping and lunch in Stuart. 

I was encouraged by some things that happened in the Congress yesterday, especially concerning the $1.8B slush fund that the Acting Attorney General and Trump want to establish. It was reported as follows:

Republicans were angry they had no advance warning about the plan, questioned the legal basis for the fund, were unhappy with Blanche’s descriptions of how payments would work, and said they wanted no part of it. As former Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) put it: “So the nation’s top law enforcement official is asking for a slush fund to pay people who assault cops? Utterly stupid, morally wrong—Take your pick.”  (Letters from an American)

Then, Congress departed for the holiday weekend a day early.

But before they left, the House Republicans managed to cancel an important vote on the Iran War. 

House Republicans on Thursday abruptly canceled a vote on a resolution directing President Trump to withdraw U.S. forces from Iran or win approval from Congress to continue the war, after it became clear they lacked the votes to defeat the measure.

The retreat was a striking setback that exposed fractures within the G.O.P. over the conflict at a moment when the party has begun pushing back forcefully on Mr. Trump and his agenda. (NY Times)

Maybe there is some positive change afoot in Congress.

But then, as I wrote, they departed a day early. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL 

Everglades Elevated Boardwalk

 

Everglades Elevated Boardwalk
Ft Lauderdale, FL
May 20, 2026

Chris, Finn, and I took a day trip yesterday to check out the Everglades Elevated Boardwalk. 

I had read a lot about this relatively new attraction right in the Everglades and I determined it was well within a full-charge of our EV.  So, we headed out on an adventure to discover the attraction. 

View of the Everglades
Everglades Elevated Boardwalk
May 21, 2026

It was about a 90-minute drive, each way, using the Florida's Turnpike. Fortunately the traffic was normal and there were none of the typical traffic disasters to slow our journey yesterday. The boardwalk is located off I-75, Alligator Alley, and we had never driven on this portion the road. I was unaware of the toll, but since we live in a state with no personal income tax, I have come to expect a lot of pay-to-play opportunities.

Finn and the Gator
Everglades Elevated Boardwalk
May 21, 2026

The boardwalk was well marked on my Apple Maps and it directed me right to the parking lot. The boardwalk is located at a large rest stop, which is great because there are restrooms and vending machines available. The site is nicely maintained and almost beautiful. It is not authentic Everglades, however. It borders on the Everglades and does provide some nice views of the real authentic Everglades. Some people think the Everglades is a lot of nothing, but the density of wildlife and plant-life is really astounding.

There were plenty of dragonflies keeping the mosquitos at bay. We did not need bug spray, although we had packed some, just in case. The Everglades can, at times, be overwhelmed by mosquitoes and other biting insects. There is precious little shade, however, and sunscreen is a must!

A view of the boardwalk
Everglades Elevated Boardwalk
May 20, 2026

Walking the elevated boardwalk is interesting and fun. There is signage to help visitors understand the what they might be seeing. It being late-May, the animals were scarce. We saw a small 4-foot gator swimming in the lagoon, but aside from a small turtle and some mosquito fish as well as the usual birds, there was not a lot of wildlife happening.

We were lucky with the cloudy day, which kept the searing rays of the sun at bay. 

I had planned an hour or two for the stop based upon the website. In actuality, we were there for about 45 minutes. And that may include the restroom break.

Recommendation. This is a great rest stop activity while journeying along Alligator Alley, I-75. It is not a suitable as a destination for a drive of much over 45-minutes. This would be a nice stop for people planning an airboat adventure in the Everglades I noted airboat docks in the area. 

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL

Titanic: An Immersive Voyage

From the Deck of the Titanic
Boynton Beach, FL
May 13, 2026

 Yesterday's highlight was attending the Titanic: An Immersive Voyage in Boynton Beach, Florida. The location was a short 45 minute drive away and well worth the wait. I had hoped to have attended the experience during March, but it was sold out. I secured the yesterday's tickets well over a month ago. 

The Narrative

The timed entry was strictly enforced and we were ushered into the displays right on time. A nicely formatted 24-part audio narrative was provided on our phones with air pods connected. The instructions provided with the tickets advised people to bring headphones or AirPods to be able to access the additional historical information.

The voyage began by standing on a reproduction of the bow of the Titanic for a picture and then examining a number of static displays accompanied by a wealth of information about the ship. There were also images of the interior of the ship, but much of the information presented was from or based upon the movie. 

Scene from the 360 degree movie
Titanic: An Immersive Voyage

There are three unique highlights of the voyage. First was a 3D tour beginning undersea exploring the actual wreck and then progressing through the recreated interior of the ship through to the sinking. It was a mini Titanic movie. 

The 3D experience was unique but I felt it had a couple of flaws. The scaling for some of the video was too much larger than life and detracted from the story and in places the video moved too fast through the ship and was disorienting. Do not misunderstand, I enjoyed the 3D experience and wearing the special goggles, but I also noted that there were definite places where the program interpolated the scene causing some small disconnects. I give them an A+ for effort but only a B for execution. They could have ended the session better by transitioning back to real footage of the wreck and then resurfacing to complete experience that was started.

First-Class Dining Room
Titanic: An Immersive Experience

The second highlight was the 360-degree movie experience sitting in a comfortable room with an actual-size modified lifeboat. This was a true 360-degree experience and added a lot to the overall experience of the day. I learned a lot of factual knowledge from the movie, for instance the reports of icebergs from other vessels in the area were never forwarded to the captain for action form the radio operator. I also learned about the poor quality rivets that were used.

The third highlight  the experience provided was the name and information about a real passenger. Our task was to check their status of that person on the Memorial Wall which was the final exhibit in the show. That was a sobering experience. 

From the 360 Degree Movie

My assigned passenger was 18-year old First Class traveler, Daniel Warner Marvin. Checking the wall for his name, I searched the rescued area first and found an 18-year old woman with the same last name. I then found him among those who were lost. I surmised that they were married. But there was no information available at the exhibit to confirm that hypothesis. The hook is to go online afterwards to find out more about the passenger. And I did! They were newlyweds ending a three-month honeymoon. He is reported to have told his wife as he loaded her into a lifeboat: "It’s alright, little girl. You go. I will stay." His body, if recovered, was not identified. His wife was pregnant at the time and later gave birth to a girl.

My final observations about the experience concerned the physical space. The static displays were too close to each other, the gift shop was too large for the amount of items they offered and the Memorial Wall did not have nearly enough space. Adding a small research center for those wanting to explore more about their passenger or even about other aspects of the disaster would be a nice touch. 

So, my recommendation--this exhibit at $45 is a bit pricey given the total time to visit is about 1h20m. but, the senior discount made it worth the visit. Overall, I give it 4 out of 5 stars. Let me say that Chris loved the entire experience!

-- Bob Doan, Tequesta, FL