1254 April 6, 2025 See You Later Alligator!

I walked laps at the Midway Campground.  We packed up and left shortly after 9am.  Today we said goodbye to Southern Florida.  No more Everglades until next winter.  Tim wanted to drive up through the center of Florida.  We traveled through Big Cypress National Forest.  Then we drove through panther country.  We drove through farmland and arrives in a small town called Immokalee.  We were looking for a place to pull over and take a break.  We saw a park but we couldn’t find the way in.  We drove a little further and found a large empty parking area near a tomato packing plant.  We stopped.  Outside the garage door, there was a large bin of free tomatoes.  Tim picked out 3 beautiful, perfect, vine ripened tomatoes.

I worked on the blog while we were in an area with service.  Tim went walking in the town.  He came back excited.  He said we had stumbled upon a huge Farmers Market.  We drove across the street and found a large industrial complex with huge warehouses for sorting and packing produce.  We didn’t see any retail sales and we were a little disappointed.

We turned back onto New Market Road and saw a nice produce stand.  In the parking lot, several men were loading a pickup truck with hundreds of watermelons.   The guys sliced one open and handed us a sample of the most delicious red and juicy watermelon.  There were thousands of melons in boxes on pallets.  We purchased a whole watermelon, corn on the cob, and mangoes. 

As we walked back to the RV, we saw a small alley that led to more than a dozen other produce vendors.  We had fun walking through and choosing some avocadoes and pepitas and Tim got a mamey.

We continued our journey.  The smaller towns gave way to larger towns with all of the big box stores and fast-food restaurants that we see in every larger town across the country.  We stopped and did a Walmart run for RV supplies and staples.

Tim asked me to start looking for a campground for this evening.  I began making calls.  I eliminated the resorts with 1-star ratings.  The state park was closed for reconstruction and renovation.  I called 8 RV parks before I finally found one that could accommodate us and then I was just really lucky!  This place, Lake Glenada RV Resort doesn’t usually take phone calls on Sundays but she answered and she helped us!

We got settled and by that time it was late afternoon.

We both took turns walking around the park.  It is a cute little place.  We have a lakefront site. 

We enjoyed a great meal…a fresh tomato, nice bread with fig balsamic and olive oil for dipping, and fresh mangoes.  We haven’t had a tomato that delicious in years!

1253 April 5, 2025 1253 April 5, 2025 Snowbirds In Flight

I walked one last short walk around the campground and along the seawall.  It was balmy, 79 degrees, hot, and windy.  I was glistening!

We prepped the RV to move and away we went.

We traveled on the Overseas Highway all the way to Homestead where we hopped onto Krome Avenue.  We took Krome all the way to the Tamiami Trail and drove to Midway Campground.  We were settled in early afternoon.  We had intended to stay here for two nights but the forecast for tomorrow is for 89 degrees and windy.  We had wanted to bike the 15-mile loop at Shark Valley one more time but it is no fun when it is windy and hot.  We changed our reservation for just one night.  This turned out to be a good decision for another reason.  Tim noticed last night that he had another flat tire on his bike…boo!!!

Tim did some walking here in the campground.  I sat outside for a while this afternoon.  It was less humid here than in the Keys and the breeze made the warm air feel pleasant.

We packed dinner and drove to Monument Lake.  We saw a gator sitting atop a rock in the water and then a huge gator resting on the bank.

I saw this cool Florida Lubber, a grasshopper, in the gravel road.

After eating, Tim was wandering along the vegetation near the water.  There were hundreds of skimmers rising up from the grass and fluttering around him.  I wish I had my new camera.

We saw dozens more grasshoppers climbing the trunks of the palm trees.  We saw birds munching grasshoppers too.

We found these eggshells beneath a tree.  I don’t think that they are bird shells.  The eggs are very round and larger than most bird eggs.  They also felt more leathery.  I am thinking they might be turtle eggs or even gator eggs…but that is pure speculation on my part…I don’t know to whom they belonged!  I also think that a bird got into the nest and had a little snack…but again, I may have made that up as well!

After so many days and nights in the Keys, it was quiet and relaxing in this beautiful and peaceful place.

1252 April 4, 2025 Last Day

I walked in the campground and then went into Marathon with Tim.  He went to the gym and I went to the grocery store. 

It was really windy again today but we were undeterred.  We packed our lunch and drove to Curry Hammock.  The kiteboarders were enjoying the stiff wind and we were entertained for a long time.  It was fun to watch them zipping across the water and then catching air and doing tricks.  These guys were not novices.  The kites were whipping and the athletes were moving rapidly along the surface of the water.

A squadron of pelicans flying low.

We walked to the end of the beach and sat watching the ocean and the sky. 

We spent some time getting things packed and ready to move.  We have had the most wonderful time here.  The very best part was having Kyle and his family with us…lasting memories for sure!  The warm weather and sunshine and color are all excellent reasons to be in the Keys during the winter.  I have grown to dread the cold and greyness of the winters in Maryland.  Tomorrow, we will slowly make our way north toward home.  We have lots of stops to make and we hope to find some new places to explore.

A glass of wine and one last sunset at Jolly Roger.  We even saw dolphins tonight. Until next year…

1251 April 3, 2025 Winding Down

I took a walk in the campground again this morning.  This chocolate lab was laying on the seawall just watching all the people go by!

It was very windy again today.  Wind speed was at 20 with gusts at 24-28mph.  I had no interest in being pummeled by the wind and so I stayed inside.  I read and did stuff that needed doing.

This evening, we went to Islamorada. We saw these military jets flying overhead.

We wanted one more dinner at Florida Keys Brewing Company and Taco Jalisco.  We decided that Green Turtle and the taco truck were our best meals here in the Middle Keys.  We had another great dinner and listened to a musician playing acoustic guitar.  She had a pretty singing voice and we enjoyed being there.

When we got back to the campground, we walked down to the water to watch sunset.  There were lots of clouds again tonight but it was nice to be outside.

1250 April 2, 2025 Slow Day

I began my day with a walk in the campground.  When Tim was ready to drive to the gym, I went along and walked again in Marathon.  I found a pretty little marina.

We did some grocery shopping before heading home.

This afternoon, I spent time sitting in the shade at the beach area. 

Tim took a ride on his bike and then he went out to the beach later in the day.

We packed dinner and drove to Long Key State Park.  It was really windy but I managed to cook our omelets on the cookstove.  Finding a place to eat out of the wind was a challenge but we did just fine.  We sat watching the water for a long while.

As we drove back to Jolly Roger, the sun was beginning to go down. 

1249 April 1, 2025 Sea Life

Another campground walk this morning.  I saw people peering into the water along the seawall.  I stopped to look and saw spiny lobsters sticking their heads out. 

I also saw lots of bigger fish.

We packed lunch and drove to the Old Seven Mile Bridge with our bikes.  We had a great ride.

At mm1.4 I saw shadows moving through the water.  We stopped to look and saw about half a dozen rays.  We watched them for a long time before moving on.  On our return trip, the rays were still there.

We took our picnic and found a table in the shade and along the water.

This afternoon it was hot.  I put on my bathing suit and went to the pool.  I did about 10 easy laps and it felt so nice. This guy visited the pool to get a sip of water.

I grilled mushrooms and onions and peppers and shrimp and made tacos with black beans for our dinner.

We went out to watch the sunset and ended up talking with Norma from Michigan.  This is her first trip to the Keys and so we shared lots of fun ideas with her.

1248 March 31, 2025 Bahia Honda

Another walk doing laps in the campground.  It was already 77 degrees this morning.  The forecast was for a high of 78.  There isn’t as much diurnal variation in the temperature and the sun feels more intense than just a few weeks ago. 

We packed lunch and put the bikes on the back of the Jeep.  We drove to Bahia Honda.  We started with a five- or six-mile bike ride through the park.  We stopped under a bridge for a drink of water, glad for the shade.

We found a great picnic table under the trees and with a waterfront view.

We shared our picnic area with a lizard.  We have seen these everywhere.  He is a brown anole.  He was doing pushups as a display of his supreme physical condition.  He was either trying to attract a female or scare off another competing male.

The yellow flag was flying indicating moderate surf and current conditions. The purple flag was also out, signaling the presence of stinging marine life.

The tide was high and there wasn’t much beach. There were great piles of smelly seagrass along the shoreline. The park does not remove the seagrass. It is part of the ecosystem and shorebirds find their food in the tangled grasses. The seagrass also helps to prevent erosion of the sand.

This evening, we went to Islamorada to try Papa Joe’s Waterfront Restaurant.  We enjoyed our dinner.

We have just a few days left here.  We were talking about the things we would like to do with our remaining time.

1247 March 30 2025 Bike Ride In Islamorada

I walked in the campground while simultaneously switching laundry loads.

After lunch, we took our bikes to Islamorada.  We stopped at the Sunday Farmers Market but we didn’t find anything we needed.  We cycled on a road parallel to Overseas Highway through neighborhoods with lovely and well-maintained beach houses.  There were cute cottages and waterfront mansions.  It was hot and we were grateful for the slight breeze.

The ocean was exceptionally blue…aquamarine…today. Pictures do not capture the true colors of the water.

We had another quiet day.  It just seems so silent without our company.  It feels a lot like the day after Christmas…a little bit of a let down after a wonderful week. 

We grilled bison burgers and had fresh mangoes and a tomato mozzarella salad.

We went down to the beach area.  There were a couple of fishermen cleaning their catch and tossing bones and tails to the waiting pelicans.  We realized tonight that we have never seen these pelicans fishing on their own.  They aren’t diving for their dinner.  They wait by the rocks and they are completely reliant on the people who come to use the fish station.  We watched one pelican, the one in the middle, struggle with a too large carcass.  He was unable to swallow the long fish remains.  He had it wedged in his pouch for a while.  He brought it back up and tried again…multiple times.  All the other pelicans left to roost for the night but this poor guy worked and worked to swallow his fish.  Finally, we saw him take off and fly away. 

We watched the sun go down while the bagpiper next door played Amazing Grace.

1246 March 29, 2025 Rainy Day

I took a short walk in the campground.  I wanted Tim to take me to Morton Road so that I could walk the loop while he did his workout at the gym.  It was cloudy and warm and windy and humid.  There was a forecast for rain later in the day but as we made our way toward Marathon, it started to drip rain.  I made the decision to walk in Marathon so that I would be able to go back to the car if I needed to.  At one point on my walk, I was walking back and forth under the awning of a strip mall. 

I did see this beautiful mural painted on the wall of a veterinary practice.

We spent the day inside.  There were periods of light rain and then we had several thunderstorms.  We watched a bunch of movies and read and napped.

We had chicken quinoa bowls for dinner and as I was cooking, the sun finally came out.

We walked down to the beach area to watch sunset.

1245 March 28, 2025 Crane Point Hammock

Another 2 mile walk in the campground this morning. 

We are starting to make some plans for next winter here in Florida.  We are also planning our trip north.  We spent some time making phone calls and reservations. 

This afternoon, we went to Crane point Hammock.  Tim decided that he wanted to ride his bike the 9 miles to the park.  It was very windy but the winds were coming from the east and so he had the wind at his back.  I drove the Jeep and met him there.  

We walked the gravel path. 

A desert tortoise.

Cactus blooming.

We stopped to rest at Crane House and I saw this beautiful golden orb spider. 

Tim taking a rest.

We sat for a while with our feet in a tidal pool, getting our fish pedicure.

We spotted a large iguana in the mangroves.

We walked to the Wild Bird Sanctuary.  It is brand new and gorgeous.  The gardens surrounding the enclosures are beautiful.  There were pelicans and wading birds and raptors and songbirds and a bald eagle.  All the birds were injured and are here at the sanctuary to either recover for release or in many cases to live out their remaining years.   The fencing was so dense that good pictures were impossible.

We treated ourselves to fruity popsicles at the Visitor Center and then browsed in the museum.

This evening, we took our dinner to the pavilion by the water in the campground.  Then later, we wandered down to watch the sunset.  The clouds were very dense and so there was no great setting of the sun however, the clouds were lavender and peachy and very pretty.

I got a few pictures from Allison today and I wanted to post them since this is where I save all of my memories!

And my favorite pictures of me and Wade from our week together!

And I have this song stuck in my head…maybe if I type it…I can let it go! I know that I sang this song to Wade more than one hundred times last week.

One little blue fish swimming in the water One little blue fish swimming in the water One little blue fish swimming in the water Bubble bubble bubble bubble POP!