The first thing we wanted to do upon awakening was check the weather forecast. It looks like Nicole is going to go farther north. There are still no watches or warnings for this area and so we breathed a sigh of relief. There were still wind advisories for the day. We stayed in doing not so much.
Tim took his walk out on the bridge today.
We took dinner to Annie’s Beach.
When we got back to the resort, we took a glass of wine out on the point.
We are thinking of all of those in the path of the storm.
There was a great breeze this morning and it was delightful walking weather.
Tim and I both went to the Total Body Stretch class. We did some easy stretching and then more dynamic stretching. I am so glad we went. My hips and joints felt looser all day.
I spent lots of time today catching up on paperwork. Sometimes we just must pause and take care of business.
Late in the afternoon, I found myself in the laundromat.
We walked to the point to watch the sunset. By then, the wind was blowing steadily at about 20mph.
Our site is tucked in with high hedges behind us. We are well protected from the wind here.
We have been watching the weather channel and Subtropical Storm Nicole. It looks like the storm will make landfall somewhere along the east coast. So far, it looks like we will have wind and rain but we are not currently in any watch or warning areas for wind nor storm surge. We will keep watching and we will do whatever we need to do. Being in the Florida Keys and watching the predicted path of the storm, we feel limited in our ability to move.
Waiting for this storm and not knowing where it will go or what it will do feels different than watching a snowstorm come to the northeast. Somehow this feels more imminent and dangerous. We know so often that the forecasters are wrong. We are hoping that people can prepare and stay safe.
When I went out to walk this morning there were some light sprinkles. The rain stayed offshore out over the water.
We drove to Islamorada this morning. First, we biked around town. We found a small beach area at a dead end.
We visited the Farmers Market and today we found some fresh produce, focaccia, and empanadas.
On our way back to Fiesta Key, we stopped at Annie’s Beach and walked the boardwalk.
It is Sunday and so it is chore day and football day and today is also the final NASCAR race of the season.
The race was exciting but only because Joey Lagano stayed out in front and finally won! It is his second championship.
We walked out to the pier to watch the sunset. We almost missed it because of the time change. There was a rainbow with a nearly full moon in one part of the sky while the sun went down. It was hard to choose which way to look! Simply beautiful!
After my walk, I headed to Islamorada. I had an appointment to get my hair cut and it was so nice to be pampered! The hairdresser is also an avid traveler, hiker, cyclist, and walker so we had lots to talk about. I asked her about the effect of Hurricane Ian on the Middle Keys. She said that the officials did not even evacuate tourists. If they are concerned at all, they mandate that tourists leave. No one wants a bunch of people in the way if circumstances change quickly. The winds during the storm reached 40mph here but natives are used to wind.
I did a few errands in town and got back in early afternoon.
We packed salads for our dinner and drove back to Veteran’s Park at Seven Mile Bridge. Tim took the top off the Jeep!
There was a squadron of 8 pelicans fishing. I love watching their acrobatics as they soar and dive. The violence with which they plunge into the water is astounding. The light was changing as I continued to take pictures. I discarded a ton of images but I kept lots too. I may be posting too many…but I like them!
I walked from the Ibis Bay Resort to the junction of Route 1 and A1A and then back again. It was a little cooler and less humid this morning. I saw a pair of small sharks in the shallow water along the seawall.
We packed the car and left Key West behind. The drive is just so pretty; every single time!
We stopped at Veteran’s Park before the Seven Mile Bridge. We both waded into the water.
We got some groceries in Marathon and we were back at the RV in early afternoon.
We took our dinner out to the beach here at Fiesta Key.
It was really windy and the water was coming up over the wall.
We walked to Sunset Point to witness the end of the day.
Austin’s school picture. This boy always makes me smile <3
838 November 3, 2022 Fort Zachary Taylor State Park
I began the day with breakfast by the water. Does anyone else see the irony in having the paddleboard rental right next to the shark feeding station…feedings at 1pm and 5pm…if the sharks show up!
I walked on the northern edge of the island along the seawall.
I saw a guy on a trike cycling toward me. He was trying very carefully to put his beer bottle down on the walkway. As he did so, he tipped over and fell off his bike. I was still a way off but I was watching to see if he needed help. He struggled to his feet and got himself back on his bike. As I got closer, I could see that he had cuts and scrapes on his legs. I tried to reach out but he was not interested in help and gave me an angry response. There are a lot of homeless people here in Key West and it is very clear that many of them have mental health issues. I wish there was something that we could do to change their circumstances.
When I got back to the hotel, I was hot and sweaty. I sat on the small beach at the resort. The tropical breeze cooled me down. The ibises were out looking for breakfast.
We took the Jeep and our bikes to the Truman Waterfront Park. We biked into Fort Zachary Taylor State Park. We tooled around, riding on the various paths. We found a bench in the shade and sat. We saw a manatee feeding in the seagrass near the rocks. We saw lots of silvery skipjacks thrashing and jumping around in the water. We saw some bigger fish swimming through the schools of smaller bait. It is rare for Tim to sit still, but we stayed there for 45 minutes.
We watched this shrimp trawler move across the water, followed by a huge flock of gulls.
We went back to feed our parking meter and biked over to the cruise ship terminal.
We then cycled into town to see the Custom House. Built in 1891 with intricate brickwork, terracotta, and brownstone, Tim had dubbed this a masonry masterpiece. He is not a person to bestow this title easily. This building is magnificent.
Old US Coast Guard Building.
We found a Cuban restaurant, El Meson de Pepe, near Mallory Square. I enjoyed the most delicious Cuban sandwich I have ever had with plantains and lots of cold water.
This chicken sat on the table next to us. Was it rude that Tim was eating a salad with grilled chicken right in front of her?
We went back to the hotel and took afternoon naps.
We took the 6pm shuttle to Duvall Street. We had 6:30 reservations for dinner at Bagatelle. We sat on the balcony overlooking the street below. It was an excellent meal and great ambience.
We watched a rooster fly up and settle in the tree.
We walked across the street to listen to some live music at Hogs Breath Saloon.
We walked after dinner through town and to an empty Mallory Square. We caught the 9 o’clock shuttle back to Ibis Bay. The past two days here in Key West have been a real treat. A vacation for us. Staying in hotels and eating out so often is not part of our usual schedule. We enjoyed our time here and as always we are so grateful.
After completing our usual morning stuff, we packed the Jeep with our clothes and our bikes and we drove the 70 miles to Key West.
We parked along the seawall on the south side of the island along A1A. We took the bikes and cycled along the water.
We saw a few grounded boats.
We spotted this makeshift sea vessel made from metal 55-gallon drums with a 4-cylinder car motor adapted to fit into this boat, transmission with a stick shift and all. There were clothes and backpacks soaked and strewn on the boat bottom. How desperate would you be to cross the ocean from Cuba in this? It really makes you stop and consider all the freedoms we should be grateful for.
We stopped to get an icy mango smoothie. It was 88 degrees and we were hot. The shake was just the pick-me-up that we needed.
We biked for 3.5 miles and then decided to head back to the car. Our room was not ready at Ibis Bay and so we ate lunch at the restaurant, Stoned Crab, where we had good wraps and lots of iced cold water.
This resort is and old-time motor inn. It has been renovated and has a really neat retro feel. It is decorated with bright and cheerful colors and it is just fun! There is a sweet little beach area.
We stopped to look at the tortoises.
We took the resort shuttle to Duvall Street and walked until 6.
A rooster…there are chickens and roosters everywhere!
We headed to Mallory Square for the Sunset Celebration.
We saw a pirate boat.
We saw a yacht.
We saw several party boats.
The neat thing about Key West is its diversity. Diversity of people, food choices, activities, and shopping. Everything exists from one extreme to another. From pizza slices to 5-star restaurants. From 2 for $5.00 t-shirt shops to high end art and jewelry stores. There is something here for everyone.
We went to Smokin’ Tuna for dinner. It is a block off Duvall Street. They have live music. The tables are outside in a large courtyard. The food is pretty good. I always order the tuna chili and it never disappoints!
I took a good walk and the time passed quickly as I chatted with my mom and a good friend.
Tim walked out by the road towrd the bridge. He saw this small boat hidden in the mangroves. we know that people often try to cross the Florida Straits from Cuba. This boat looked like it had made a long journey. It had big sheets ofplastic inside. There was a dishevled man walking along with a pack on his back…
We packed a picnic lunch and drove the Jeep with our bikes to Bahia Honda State Park. We cycled over to the tent campground. There is a deep inlet there and we saw hundreds of fish scooting along the underwater ledge.
We walked the trail to the old bridge.
These baybean plants were lovely and fragrant.
We found a table in the on the beach and in the shade. We enjoyed our lunch wile talking to a couple from Ohio. They were headed to key West and were going to take the boat ride to Dry Tortugas National Park. This is something we would love to do. It is hard to get a reservarion and planning has to be done months in advnce. we also have to leave the RV somewhere. Camping in Key West is about 200.00 oer night!
Miles of beautiful beach here!
I did some laundry this afternoon in preparation for our trip to Key West. We are going to leave the RV here and stay at Ibis Bay for two nights.
We didn’t get outside for an evening walk until after sunset.
I walked and noticed this orchid garden for the first time.
I headed to the Rec Hall for the Total Body Stretching class. It turns out that I was a week early…misread the schedule…but Greta, the instructor, was going to do a practice class and invited me to join her. It felt good!
We packed the bikes and drove to Old Seven Mile Bridge. No matter how many times we ride here, the beauty takes my breath away. They claim that the Overseas Highway is one of the most beautiful drives in America and I agree. The bike ride on the old bridge is similarly one of the best bike rides ever; the water infinite of shades of blue and green. The pictures are so inadequate.
We did some errands in Marathon at Home Depot and Publix. When we got back to the RV it was 99 degrees inside. We turned on the AC and enjoyed some quiet time.
This evening, we grilled tuna and made a salad with the labneh and zaatar with tomatoes, kalamata olives, and cucumbers. We had fresh papaya for dessert.
There is no trick or treating for the children here tonight. We took some treats to the kids next door.
We walked outside and the sun had already set. We watched the sky change colors; apricot and violet.
