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.
After morning exercise, we took the Jeep and drove to the Islamorada Farmers Market. We found chicken tamales, Greek goat yogurt balls marinated in olive oil or labneh, pita, and zaatar seasoning and a fresh loaf of multi grain bread.
This afternoon Tim watched the NASCAR Final Four race. I was able to use the rec hall WiFi to post the blog and backup our phones. I did some laps on my bike through the campground and I read and cleaned.
We took our tamales and some fresh mango to the beach area and enjoyed our dinner by the water.
We biked more laps and then took time to watch the sunset.
I took a shorter than usual walk this morning. My legs were tired and I felt like I was just trudging along!
I took my yogurt and a book across the way to a hammock. I sat in the shade of a palm tree enjoying the balmy ocean breeze…life of Riley indeed!
We packed plenty of water and hopped on our bikes. We cycled the three miles to Long Key State Park. The park is currently not charging admission because the area has been so decimated. In 2017, Hurricane Irma completely wiped out all the campsites that used to sit along the water. The park had made a lot of progress and then just weeks ago, Hurricane Ian happened. Much of the park is closed. We walked through the devastated mangrove trees. Scientists estimate that these mangrove swamps will take 40 years to recover.
We walked to the left and after a very short distance the trail was closed.
We walked to the right and soon that trail was also closed.
We saw a boat on the beach.
We had hoped to spend the afternoon here but there really was not much left.
We had some quiet time and then dressed up for dinner. We drove to Lazy Days in Islamorada. We sat out on the deck. We watched tarpon and rays and sharks out in the Florida Straits. I had a key lime colada and a Key West salad topped with coconut shrimp and Tim had tuna.
After our meal, we sat on the beach.
We walked to the pier. There were more than a dozen tarpons there in the water waiting to be fed. We could also see two nurse sharks sitting on the bottom.
The pelican posed for us.
The sun was setting as we headed back home.
We took a walk in the RV park enjoying the light wind and the slightly cooler evening temperature.
We had some early morning excitement. We had two small frogs in the RV! Tim was able to get both of them outside.
I did my morning walk while simultaneously washing clothes in the campground laundromat.
We took the Jeep with our bikes to Marathon Key. We parked at MM 53 and parked. We cycled seven miles to the Old Seven Mile Bridge. This old bridge segment was recently converted into a beautiful walking and biking path. It is 2 miles long and a lovely ride.
The path ends at Pigeon Key. This was the site of a work camp for the men building the original Overseas Railroad from 1908-1912. It is a National Historic Site and there are tours available there.
We biked the 9 miles back to the Jeep with a headwind. It was hard work, especially on the bridge where the breeze was stronger.
Lots of iguanas along the way.
This iguana was in a staring contest with a raccoon when I passed by. The raccoon ran away.
We were about a mile away from the Jeep when Tim pulled into this parking lot.
I was puzzled until he pointed at this sign.
We went inside and purchased two very decadent key lime pie ice cream bars which we enjoyed on the front porch.
We got back to the RV at 4:30 after biking for 18,5 miles and we were tired!
We just made omelets for our dinner.
Tim went out to watch the end of the day while I worked on the blog.
We got our morning exercises done and got the RV ready to roll. We stopped at the dump station and then drove through 43 miles of Everglades, saying goodbye.
As we drove Tim noticed a bigger frog. He had crawled out from behind the mirror and was suctioned to the surface of the mirror for miles. All at once at 55 mph…he couldn’t hold on any longer and he was gone. A second, smaller frog crawled out. He tried making a leap to the window of the RV and he was grabbed by the wind.
We stopped at the Ernest Coe Visitor Center for breakfast. I had gone around the RV looking for the frogs in the unlikely event that they had caught the side of the RV. Moments later, Tim was walking around with his breakfast when he saw a snake beneath the RV. Had he come from our basement or was he interested in hitching a ride? Tim used a shovel to move him away from our rig and into the grass. He was rather unhappy with his handling and writhed around frantically, finally finding the tree and climbing and then settling.
We stopped at Robert’s and bought more papaya, mangoes, mamey, and avocadoes.
We stopped to gather some groceries at the Winn Dixie in Key Largo.
We stopped at Holiday RV and Marina where Carlos helped us to replace some breakers in our breaker box.
Finally, at 3:30 this afternoon, we arrived at Fiesta Key. I was a little disappointed when I realized we were in a giant parking lot but then we got to our site.
This is our view for the next month.
There is a restaurant, Oceans 305, right here in the resort. We walked across the street and enjoyed a really good meal. I may have also enjoyed margaritas! After 3 weeks in the outback, it was nice to have dinner out!
We are looking forward to spending some time here in the Keys!
