Bullock Tradition Continues

I walked down to the beach one evening to join those partaking in this spectacle

The Bullock family now has a three-generation tradition of spending winters in sunny Florida. Okay, we were only there for the month of April - technically not winter. 😆 But we did miss wintery April Iowa weather while basking in the sun. 

Momo and Bubba 

My dad's parents Wally and Zora Bullock spent winters in the St. Petersburg area for as far back as I can remember. They summered in our town, Atlantic - in Cass County, Iowa. Five generations of Bullocks called that place home. Momo and Bubba (as we called our grandparents) gathered with old friends and met new friends at their Florida hotel on the beach. They looked forward to going back annually to hang out with fellow retirees who enjoyed fishing, sunning, playing cards, and socializing over food and drink. 

A pic from a summer visit to Pops and Grandma in Dunedin, Florida

In the late sixties, my mother's parents, Bert and Nellie Morehead retired to Dunedin, Florida, just north of Clearwater. During two summers - 1967 and 1968, Mom bravely drove her four daughters to Florida in the family station wagon. Dad was busy in Iowa, marketing ladies' lingerie across the state. He flew in each year for a short stay with us.  

Those years are my first memories of the Sunshine State. We stayed at the Castaways on Redington Beach for two weeks after taking a week to travel south. I have great memories of those trips. Mom planned visits to Civil War sites, Ruby Falls, Lookout Mountain. We mostly stayed at Howard Johnson hotels - swimming pools were a necessity after all of those miles (not buckled) in the back seat. We had a stack of comic books and coloring materials. My love of car travel and the Florida Gulf Coast was born! The trip home wasn't nearly as exciting, but reuniting with our standard-size wiener dog Jud was sweet. 

Marco Museum Island map

Tan Mom and Dad at a Gulfview party

Fast forward to my parent's retirement. They checked out Arizona - a popular winter place for Iowa folks. But our Mom was always a water person, as are her daughters. Mom and Dad visited Marco Island, Florida in the late 1980s and fell in love with it. Marco was mostly a swamp until the 1960s when developers saw the potential. Our parents purchased a unit in the Gulfview, a highrise on the beach. Great view, lovely grounds, next to a public green/beach space. 

View from parking ramp - pickleball has taken over tennis courts

Mom and Dad loved Marco Life at the Gulfview. They invited us to share their sunny beach happy place many times through the years. We took both kids for the first time when Amy was five and Jud was turning two - introducing yet another generation to the beauty of Florida. My sisters and their children also visited the place often. 

After Dad passed away, we sold their unit in the Gulfview. We love the place but didn't want to be landlords from afar. Since then, except for the Covid shutdown year, at least two (Cindy and I) of us have rented a place in the building. Susi and Betsy have also vacationed there. 

Jud with cousin Colby and pal Connor

 

Amy and Jud with Kohan boys

Cindy, Paul, and I visited the Marco Island Museum this year. It's small, like the island, but filled with archeology, Native American information, and information on how the swampy place became a fabulous destination. We enjoyed a relaxing time on the island. Now...how to get the kids back down there - and the nextgen - grandkids?