Florida's gulf coast has some of the whitest sand we've ever encountered.
Rivaling Whitsunday's Whitehaven Beach for whiteness, the pristine sand stretches across hundreds of miles of coastline.
It's easy to see why Floridians love their sunshine.
What's not to love about that super squeaky sand between your toes, dolphins at play just out from the breakers and amazing birdlife.
Topping off our trip to the Gulf Islands National Seashore, where we camped for a couple of nights, was the fact that the Blue Angels, America's naval aviation superstars, took their F/A-18s up for practice runs over our heads.
On the very day we visited the National Naval Aviation Museum (which is itself a plane-ogling extravaganza) the Blue Angels took off for the first time in months (having been previously grounded thanks to the politics of the US Federal Shutdown).
At close range, we watched their amazing aerial acrobatics - marvelling as they flew straight at each other, then in close range side by side, then rapidly shooting straight up and straight down, leaving jet trails and gut-vibrating soundwaves in their wakes.
The next day, on the National Seashore, they entertained us once more, this time as we relaxed and played on the beach.
Moving further eastwards along the coast, we dropped into Saint Marks National Wildlife Refuge and learnt about the amazing ongoing effort to repopulate the area with whooping cranes.
You might have heard of them before - they're the birds that follow an ultralite 'mummy' south for their first migration!
We also saw a few more alligators - this time baby size - awwwww so cute!
