During the night, we had some pretty intense wind. It lasted for hours with sustained and relentless pounding. I was awake for a long time. Finally, sometime early this morning, the winds calmed and sleep came.
This morning, the wind was still stiff and the water was choppy.
I walked in the campground again. I was doing laundry and running back and forth to switch clothes from washer to dryer.
I rode my bike later in the day.
This afternoon, we went to sit by the water. I took a book and read and took pictures and soaked up these beautiful surroundings.
I grilled shrimp and made rice bowls with black beans and avocadoes. We packed a cooler and drove to Anne’s Beach for dinner.
The water was warm. Tim saw a 30-inch sawfish.
We saw gar.
We saw crabs in shells crawling along the sandy bottom.
We watched brown pelicans diving for fish.
We left during the golden hour. The almost full moon was rising. I am having a lot of fun with my new camera!
I walked in the campground today. I wasn’t sure how I would feel after my long walk yesterday but I was absolutely fine. Lesson relearned…sometimes I just need to push a little harder!
I spent the morning making phone calls and scheduling appointments. Then, I was able to upload all of my tax documents to the accountant’s portal…YAY…taxes done!!!
As a reward, I took my book down to the beach area. There was only one other couple there. I found shade under a palm tree. It was peaceful and quiet. There was a great breeze off the water. I sat there for a long while and then Tim joined me.
We went back to the RV. I got a message that a package had arrived…my new camera!!! Months ago, I had dropped my other camera and broke the screen. It hasn’t been “right” for a while. I was looking for the same camera because I really like the pictures I can get. That camera is no longer being made. I could still get it but it was going to cost a small fortune. A week or so ago, we were out and about and we met a woman and she was taking pictures with a Canon PowerShot. She just got it and was happy to talk about it and show me its features. This camera, the SX70hs was on my short list. Do you know that it is nearly impossible to buy a camera in a store??? I have learned that since most people use their phones for pictures, there is not the same market for easy-to-use mid-price cameras and I do not want or need a professional grade camera. At this campground we are able to receive packages and so I ordered it. I occupied myself with all the buttons and levers and got it set up. I took a few practice shots.
This evening, we went to Veterans Beach with our dinner and new camera in tow! Tim had taken the roof off of the Jeep. As we got in, we looked up and saw some very dark storm clouds above. Tim did a quick radar check and we decided to go! There were a couple of sprinkles when we got to Marathon but we were otherwise unscathed,
We enjoyed dinner by the sea at Veterans Beach.
I took a bunch of pictures just to play.
The clouds got dense and stormy looking again and the winds picked up. There was not going to be any showy sunset tonight.
We were going to stop in town for a few things but in deference to the weather we decided to go straight home.
I wanted a new walk, a beautiful walk. Tim wasn’t going to the gym this morning so he encouraged me to take the Jeep and park at the end of a bridge and walk on the parallel fishing and pedestrian bridge. I parked at Tom’s Harbor Channel and began to walk. It was less than a half mile to the end of the bridge. I went to the wrong bridge! So far, I had walked about a mile. I got back to the Jeep and drove further north to the Long Key Bridge. Tim thought that it was about a mile. In the meantime, he decided he wanted to go for a long bike ride. He called to say that he was leaving and he would meet me along the way. I walked under the warm Florida sunshine. The sea breeze felt amazing. I passed lots of people fishing.
Magnificent frigatebirds were flying overhead. They have an 8-foot wingspan and are lovely in flight.
There were ruddy turnstones, a species of sandpiper on the rail.
When Tim passed me, I had walked 1.58 miles. I was still not at the end of the bridge but I could see it. I was determined to get there! He decided to keep riding on to the State Park and he wanted me to meet him there with the Jeep. I walked 2.38 miles to the end. Then, on tired legs, I turned around and walked back to the car. I walked a total of 6.01 miles this morning.
I drove to Long Key and we put his bike on the rack. We drove to Islamorada. I had not eaten and we were both hungry. We drove to Lazy Days but it was packed. We drove further tot eh Green Turtle. We had an excellent lunch there.
We went to Publix for produce and a few other groceries.
We got back to the RV park at around 3pm.
We had a quiet afternoon and then a simple dinner, fish dip and crackers with a nice green salad and n=mangoes.
Since today is daylight savings, sunset was not until 7:30. We walked down to the beach and watched the sun go down.
17,913 steps today…hopefully I will feel like walking tomorrow!
I walked laps and laps again this morning. Tomorrow, I plan to find a new route for my walk.
This weekend, Marathon is hosting a Seafood Festival. This is a huge event and 15,000 people are expected to attend. The festival opened at 11am and we got there shortly after that. Already hundreds of guests had arrived. We paid $20.00 to park in a church lot.
We wandered through the many stalls. In addition to a bunch of craft vendors, lots of community groups and organizations were represented.
We ate conch fritters, a local specialty, with mango smoothies.
We sat and listened to the opening band, John Bartus & Adrienne Z. They played their own original music; acoustic guitars and pleasant voices.
On our way back to the Jeep, we passed a couple of women with a food table. They had barbecued chicken and Tim chose some for our dinner.
We went back to the RV and had a quiet afternoon.
This evening, we spent some time by the water. It was so calm and beautiful.
I walked laps and laps this morning. It was 63 degrees with a feels like temperature of 53 degrees. It felt quite chilly and I started out with a sweatshirt on. As I walked, the sun became warmer. The wind laid down and it was perfect for walking.
We packed a lunch and took the Jeep with our bikes to the Old Seven Mile Bridge. Shark Valley and this bridge are my two favorite places to ride bikes.
It was a really lovely day. The sky was so blue with a couple of feathery clouds.
The water was every shade of blue.
We pedaled the two miles to the end of the bike path. We saw some bigger fish, probably tarpon, in the water.
We biked back and sat on a bench for a while. We decided bike it a second time. When we got to the end, we watched 3 people snorkeling in the shallow water and gathering lobsters.
We found a shaded picnic area and had our lunch right by the water.
On the way back to the RV, we saw the Marathon Farmers Market. We bought some bread and some mangoes. We shared a cup of mango passionfruit juice. It was cold and delicious.
This evening, the campground hosted a paella dinner. We had saffron rice with calamari and fish and shrimp. There was a nice green salad and plantain chips. We sat with two other couples who are also staying here until April. It was fun sharing travel stories. It was fun to talk to people who have visited some of the same places we have and who enjoy a similar lifestyle.
We watched the sunset. As the sun went down someone on the next pier was playing Amazing Grace on the bagpipes. We slowly walked home.
There is no really good place to walk from this new campground. I was forced to do laps and laps and laps here. Look at the path I took!
Listening to a book and talking to my mom really do help to pass the time! I did 2.99 miles.
We had planned to bike on the Old Seven Mile Bridge today. The weather forecast told us that the winds were sustained at 18mph with 33mph gusts. It is really hard to bike in that kind of wind. We would have been over open water. We will save that ride for other days!
We packed lunch and went to Curry Hammock State Park for lunch. Despite the wind, the sun was warm and it was a pretty day! This park usually has lots of kite boarders when it is windy. Unfortunately, the wind was blowing the wrong way! We stayed until a busload of middle school kids arrived with their lunches and beach towels!
We drove into Marathon and went to the docks to look for fresh seafood. We wandered the side roads. We decided that not to many visitors to the Keys get to see this gritty side, the lobster traps and work boats and docks. We found Keys Maritime Seafood. We got some smoked fish dip, some sea scallops, and some pink Key West shrimp.
Tim walked in the campground and took this video…the wind though!!!
The wind is whipping sea water and sea grass up onto the seawall. The RV’s on the edge are surely getting blasted with sea spray.
This evening, I grilled the scallops and made a salad and broccoli and we had a nice dinner at home.
We walked to the campground pier to watch the sunset. This is a popular activity and there were lots of people gathered. There is a nice pavilion with plastic side panels that kept us warm enough. I did go out to get a picture.
I went back and took my last walk to Bernstein Park. As I walked laps, I saw these small lizards. They were popping up and down out of the joint in the sidewalk. As I approached, they ducked down. As I walked away, they popped out again. On my next lap, they were back out! It was like a Whack-A-Mole game.
We were packed and ready to roll before the 11am checkout time. We had several hours we could check in at Jolly Rogers and it was only about 70 miles away. Tim had a genius idea. He drove the RV to Bahia Honda State Park. We parked in a lot right along the beach. We took our chairs and sat by the water. It was a breezy, pleasant morning. Moving day is usually not that fun!
These birds were scampering along the wrack line hunting for lunch.
After lunch, we drove the last 23 miles to Jolly Rogers, just in time for our 1pm check-in.
This afternoon we explored the amenities of the campground.
There were dozens of pelicans waiting by the fish cleaning station.
This evening, we packed food and drove to nearby Long Key State Park. We found a tiki hut and enjoyed our dinner.
More little little lizards joined us.
Portuguese man o’ war jellyfish.
The park faces the Straits of Florida to the south. We couldn’t see the setting sun from where we were.
We were driving back and pulled over to watch the final moments of the day.
I took my walk to Bernstein Park. I went inside the fence and walked laps on the nice paved path.
There was this library book vending machine…a cool idea!
Tim went to the gym and then he went for his walk while I did laundry. We went to Publix for a few groceries.
We had a quiet day; reading and relaxing.
This evening, we drove into Key West. We parked near Upper Duvall and walked the part of town that we hadn’t yet.
Tim found a restaurant, Mangoes, with “island cuisine.” We had a nice meal.
We ate and then we walked some more.
It was just after sunset and there was a tidal wave of people coming up Duvall from Mallory Square.
We took a quieter side street and Tim saw this store, Lost Boy Creations. We browsed but didn’t buy.
And back to the car.
Today is our last day here. We move tomorrow to the Middle Keys. We had a really good time. We got to see lots of beautiful sunsets, we had some beach time, we did lots of walking and pedaling. We had lots of good meals. We enjoyed our time so much that we have reserved this campsite at Leo’s for the same block of time next year…so until then…goodbye Key West!
Happy 38th Birthday, David!! We love you and you make us very proud.
I woke up to the news that we had ants…tiny itty-bitty ants running along the grout in the tile under the table. Tim had cleaned them up but they were still coming. Before he left for the gym, he put out ant powder by our wheels and power cord and hose and tires…anywhere that the ants might be climbing to access the inside of our RV. While he was gone, I cleaned the floor with white vinegar and put out ant traps. By later in the day, we were not seeing any more ant traffic…hopefully…crisis averted!
I went for my usual walk through the neighborhood. I was about to turn around at my usual place when I saw a sign for a waterfront boardwalk. There was public access through the resort. I followed the signs to a channel.
It was nice to stumble upon something new today!
I got back and tried to plug my charger into my IPAD. I could not make it work. I found a place called Keys Technology just a couple pf miles away. I called and they said they could help. I drove the short distance ad the woman took my IPAD back. I had taken my charger with me and she showed me how a piece of it had broken off and she suspected it was lodged in the port. I waited just a few minutes and for $29.00 I was out the door with my IPAD fixed. I was thankful because that is how I read my library books…I would have been very sad to lose it!
Tim wanted to go for a long bike ride. My legs were tired. I stayed back and read and did some writing. Tim did the 13-mile loop around Key West.
This evening, I grilled chicken and put it on top of greens with kalamata olives and tomatoes and cucumbers and feta. We put our dinner in the cooler and drove to the state park. We had our picnic. There were at least 14 party boats out in the water for their various versions of the sunset cruise. We watched the sun go down. Every night, a different show. From the nearby naval station we could hear a bugle playing Taps…chills!
I took a morning walk along the side street. I walked about a mile, chatting with my mom and then my sister, before turning back. I knew we were riding bikes today and I wanted to save my legs.
We pedaled from Stock Island and made a left toward the beaches. As we rounded the first big bend, the water came into view, variegated blues and greens. The sight of the ocean never fails to take my breath away. As we went along the water, my thoughts turned inward. Today was a great day to be here and to be breathing in this salty air and to be feeling alive. I thought that I always want to retain my sense of awe and wonder. I was reminded to be grateful always for the time that I am granted and the life that I have. Key West is all about excess; excess food and booze and money. This party vibe is contagious and it would be really simple to lose track of values and gratitude.
Our destination was Higgs Beach. We knew that there was an Artisan Market there. We found some fresh tomatoes and mango.
We stopped at an Indian food vendor and sampled the butter chicken. We got that and some pakoras for our dinner tonight.
There was live music.
We found a bakery with some whole grain sourdough and we grabbed the last loaf.
We wandered among the various craft and art stalls…such lovely things…but again, we don’t need things.
This guy was creating art with such wonderful and positive messages. I was going to take a picture of one of his paintings…he asked me not to. He said that people will take a picture of his work and then create a photo and then sell them online…oh so very wrong! I apologized at once. I told him that I loved the positive messages that he was conveying in his work. He called me back and said “Please come and take a picture!” I replied “Only if I might take your picture as well.” With a huge smile, he flipped over the art that he was working on to show to my camera…yes…life is a beautiful adventure!
We stuffed our bike bags with all of our purchases and rode out onto the pier.
We continued along the water, back the way we had come.
We stopped to watch this woman on a standup paddleboard with her dog. I zoomed in to snap a picture and I swear that I could see that dog smiling.
As we made our way back to Stock Island, we saw a fenced in grassy area where at least 5 iguanas were sunning themselves.
Rest time this afternoon.
We enjoyed our Indian dinner and then we drove the Jeep to Key West. We found parking and walked to Mallory Square. This street performer was just beginning his act. He was smart and very funny and quite entertaining. I was taking his picture and he caught me…”Hey lady, are you taking my picture?” and then “Let me pose for you.”
When the show was over we stood with the throng along the seawall and we watched the sun go down. This shared sunset experience made me feel warm and connected in a way that I haven’t in some time.
We walked toward Captain Tony’s Saloon and we could hear good music and so we entered the dark and gritty bar and we each had a drink and we listened to a really accomplished musician. He could really play the guitar, he had a great voice and he played lots of old stuff.
The bar stools had names engraved in the top.
There were also stools for John Candy, Tom Walker, John Prine and others. We aren’t clear if those famous people actually sat here or if they were being remembered.
Andrea ran today in the Atlanta Publix Marathon. She placed 2nd for female in her age group. She is amazing!
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I didn’t run a marathon but I did walk 11,733 steps and we did about 9 miles on our bikes…a good and active day!
