The Best of the Keys

Location:Bahia Honda State Park, Fl...official beach bums

Today was definitely the highlight of not only the Florida Keys, but our trip so far. The winds and choppy water had died down enough so that the snorkel tours were once again running. We tried to do a last minute Dry Tortuga tour, but unfortunately it was already booked. In retrospect this was the best thing that ever happened. Turns out one of the Keys best reefs is a short boat ride from Bahia Honda and the snorkel tours there are about 1/8th the cost of going out to the Dry Tortugas. Also, the Tortuga snorkel trip takes 10 hours, the one today was 3. Just about perfect. Now we'll have enough time to do BOTH the snorkel tour and play around Key West, one of my favorite places. Here I am so darn excited about going out on the tour.

It's only about a half hour boat ride to the Looe Key Reef and Natural Marine Reserve. The calm, blue, crystal clear waters were amazing. Here's Ned enjoying the boat trip back from a fun morning of snorkeling. I think he's still in awe of what we saw.

I've done my fair share of snorkel tours, Maui, Belize and Malaysia, but I can honestly say that today's snorkeling was the BEST ever. The minute we dived into the water and looked down we saw hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of different fish. All you really had to do was just stay put and everything would come to you. We swam over a shark,

 

but the coolest thing was when a school of about hundred yellow-gold and white fish, about 8 to 10 inches in length, swam around and between Ned and me. They were sparkling in the water and just swimming around and around us. Unbelievable. We were just euphoric with the experience. The camera just couldn't adequately capture this moment. Ned said that it felt to him like the fish were saying, "Hey Ned, come join the club!" Here's one of the fish, without the crowd.

 

 

 

All the fish we saw were really so colorful it was hard to believe they were real.

Yeah, I loved every single moment of this snorkel trip!

We cleaned up and headed to Key West. It was hotter than hell...(who better to judge than me?) and even though we tried an iced coffee drink, it didn't seem to help much to cool us off. What a great excuse to hit all those air-conditioned shops.

 

 

 

 

This isn't our first trip to Key West, so we skipped the Truman White House Tour, Hemmingway's Home and Southern Most Point. All things we've done before. Instead we decided to just walk around and take in the vibe. Sooooo, there are so many pictures I could post. Do I post the sweet, romantic vibe of Key West. Like this one?

Or the touristy things that were so indicative of Key West?

 

 

 

 

 

Perhaps I should focus on the Cuban connection, like watching handrolled cigars being made?

Well actually my favorite thing was all the crazy, off the chart, kooky wackos. Like the guy who was wearing JUST a blue "sack" over his sack. He then put on a tutu to cover up when riding his bike. Yeah, that happened. Ned took a picture of me, but seriously focus on the guy in the tutu on the bike in the right.

 

 

 

I have so many more pictures of this wonderful, ecclectic place. Okay, just one more of the wackiness. Mad Max with a spear gun while riding his bicycle. Why not?

We finally settled on dinner at a fun Cuban restaurant. Dang, they sure make their mojitos here a lot stronger than at my house. Just sayin'.

 

 

 

 

 

I'm already thinking about our next trip. Who wants to come? They grow cacao there so it would be a legit trip...sorta;)

What a great day!!

 

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Paradise Found Redux

Location: Bahia Honda State Park, FL...still!

Today was all about hanging around the campground and enjoying beach life. Not too exciting, but very relaxing.

Debi enjoying the early morning before the sand, salt water and hot sun kick in.

 

 

 

 

 

We did the usual: snorkel...

 

...practice using iphone as underwater camera (in encased waterproof pouch).

 

 

Got in some exhilirating and cardio floating:)

Enjoyed the local wildlife.

This guy keeps coming around. He's about 14" long.

 

 

 

 

 

Ned became fascinated with this miniscule spider. It's about the size of a pencil eraser (maybe smaller) and looks exactly like a crab.

The stork and the dork

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And we had to deal with the perils of beach life. What happens when you go swimming with your wallet...oops.

 

After our nightly bike ride we ended up on top of the Old Railroad Bridge this evening. This picture is looking down on our little beach.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Paradise Found

Location: Bahia Honda State Park, FL

Poor Ned had a rough night. Too much smoked fish? Needless to say, the thought of riding the waves in the rough seas for an hour, then going snorkeling...with no bathrooms on the boat made him turn green. So the sad news is no snorkel tour this morning, but the good news is Ned promised we'd come back again some day. (Road trip!!). I figure this will also give us an opportunity to try and buy another underwater camera. The main thing is Ned is on the road to recovery so all is good. It was also nice to leave Key Largo, the cheesier side of the Keys...(Home of the Original Tuna Nachos anyone?!)

When people ask me what's the single most thing you are looking forward to on this trip, it's such a hard question to answer. However, I can tell you that the one camping spot I have been looking forward to more than any other is at Bahia Honda. It's rated the #1 place to beach camp in Florida. Many years ago we camped in this park, but next to a dumpster and a parking lot. Apparently, the coveted beach spots are really hard to come by. So, I made it my mission to secure us a beach site. Voila! June of 2014 I was able to get one for today!! (In fact planned a lot of our trip around arriving here on this date). Here's a pic of my little piece of heaven.

Bahia Honda is a little more than half way down the Keys. Getting here is truly one of the most beautiful drives. It's hard for my brain to take in the endless blue-green, turquoise water on both sides of the highway. Seeing sailboats, fishermen casting out their nets and even the trailer parks along the road were just so picturesque.

 

 

 

Arriving at Bahia Honda and pulling into our little site Ned seems so much a happier camper than this morning!

Where's Debi? Floating half way to Cuba about now, I'd guess.

The great thing about Winnie is she comes prepared for most situations. Love that we have our own little in-house shower. Great for dealing with those pesky sandy toes.

We went for an afternoon bike ride and Ned managed to eat something after-all today.

 

 

 

 

 

Early evening and it's drinks on the verdanda.

In the Florida Keys watching the sun go down is a big event. Everyone comes out and watches the sun slowly sink behind the water. We took a sunset spin on our bikes and enjoyed watching the people as much as the sunset. Here's a section of the original railroad built by Henry Fagler. The railroad was eventually converted into what today is knows as U.S. Highway 1. The Old Bahia Honda Bridge serves as a reminder of Fagler's dream.

 

 

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The key to my heart

John Pennenkamp Coral Reef State Park, FL

We pulled out early this morning continuing our journey South. Four years ago we drove through the Everglades and really enjoyed it. Being that this trip is called "The Greatest Hits" another trip to the Everglades was in order. This time however, we decided to explore the Big Cypress National Preserve. We stopped at the Visitor's Center and one of the things that took us by surprise was the display on animal noises of the swamp. Of course I was pushing all the buttons and dicking around with all the exhibits. When we listened to the "alligator sound" we were shocked! What we thought had been bullfrogs at several campsites were in fact alligators. Actually, I'm SO glad I didn't know that. Kinda creepy knowing those big jawed creatures were calling out to each other so close to us! Here's a picture of Ned outside the boardwalk area of the visit center, overlooking the alligator area.

Hey Megan and Josh take a look at this picture. If we were playing "Geoguessr" there is no way I would have said the Florida Everglade region. It looks so much more like Africa! We also passed several Indian villages with thatched roof dwellings. I was living in the moment too much and forgot to snap a picture, but the thatched roofs and this landscape just added more to the African theme.

 

Driving through the Everglades you also get some touristy tacky Indian stuff like this too.

 

 

There were also lots of "authentic" and "original" airboat ride operators. We thought about stopping and taking a tour, but it was so hot and muggy that the Florida Keys kept calling out to us.

After taking a moment to check out some exhibits, we stopped to have a picnic lunch in the Everglades with, you guessed it, smoked salmon from our Smoked Fish adventure yesterday with some watermelon. Delish!

 

 

 

 

After leaving the Everglades behind, we finally crossed over into Eastern Florida. About 12 years ago, when I was working at Apple, Ned joined me for a business trip to Florida. In our free time we visited a Fruit and Spice Park. It was so fascinating and also the first time I ever saw a cacao plant. Wow, who would have thought back then that I would one day be making chocolate from bean to bar and visiting awesome cacao growing countries...and making wonderful friends as well. I'm talking about you Sarah, my Trinidad traveling buddy! Anyway, we decided to take a trip down memory lane and drive by the Spice Farm. Special memories and funny how life comes full circle.

We finally made it to the iconic Overseas Highway One! It's such a thrill to drive this highway, with the aqua colored barrier, especially as you come over the bridge and look down on the crystal clear green water and see boats bobbing up and down. This picture does not do it justice, but hope you get the idea.

 

 

Tonight we are camped in Key Largo (cue Beach Boys song) at the John Pennenkamp Coral Reef State Park. The camping is a bit of a joke. The land part of this park is basically one big marina with campsites that are more like a parking lot. However, it's the coral reef and the associated marine life that brings most visitors to the park. It's the only tropical living coral reef in the continental U.S. and was the first undersea park in the U.S. I reserved this spot in August of last year and glad I did. We have just about the only shady spot in the park. What you can't see are the two campers parked just a few feet on either side of us.

The only way to really explore the coral reef is either by glass bottom boat or snorkel tours. We were hoping to catch a late afternoon snorkel trip, but the wind was strong enough that all the tours were cancelled. We reserved a spot for tomorrow morning, keeping our fingers crossed that it won't be cancelled. In the meantime, we decided to do some snorkeling around Cannon Park (yes, supposedly real cannons are underwater from a sunken Spanish ship). While snorkeling we saw some pretty amazing fish! Very colorful, but the scariest part for me was snorkeling over a flock (what are a bunch of jellyfish called anyway) of jellyfish, like 50 of them!! Well, I sure hightailed it out of there! We saw a baracuda too. Sadly, our underwater camera died. (Too many selfies broke the camera??). Here's Ned taking a little nap after a big day of driving and snorkeling.

Before hopping on our bikes and riding to several stores in the area in search of another underwater camera, we made sure we were well fortified.

Bummer, we weren't able to find a camera. Sigh. Ned has resorted to the "drop electronic device in bag of rice" trick to see if we can get it working by early tomorrow. Stay tuned! (P.S. believe it or not I'm terribly overdressed around here for bike riding! You should see some of the suits these gorgeous Latina women are wearing with pride. Dang, they own it!)

 

 

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Smoked Fish, Snorkeling and Sunshine

Location: Oscar Scherer State Park, FL

We've been so incredibly fortunate with the weather this trip. We missed the Texas floods by a couple of days and have been blessed with sunshine and just a few sprinkles here and there. Last night the skies opened up and boy did it pour! This morning, getting ready for my early morning run, the insects were thick. I couldn't find the bug spray and was thinking twice about the run then I remembered my Uncle Bud giving me a tip! He said try a fabric softener sheet. So, I rubbed one on my body and hung the sheet off my running pants. You know what?! It worked like a charm. Thanks Uncle Bug. Here's another picture of Manatee Springs before we pulled out.

Occasionally Ned and I check out the Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives TV show. One episdoe featured a smoked fish shop, Ted Peters Famous Smoked Fish, in St. Petersburg, FL. I LOVE smoked fish!! Of course, we put this on the agenda and headed there for lunch.

Ted Peters Smoked Fish is awesome! Alan and Patty I wish you could have joined us, you would have loved it. The restaurant has been around for over 50 years. You sit outside and it still feels like the 50's. Ned got the smoked mullet with German Potato Salad and I got the smoked mackarel with cole slaw. OMG! This was my favorite meal this trip so far.

Right next to the restaurant is the smoke house. We talked to Earl, the smoke master, who said he smokes about 500 lbs. of fish per day. The fish is smoked over red oak 4 to 6 hours depending upon the thickness of the fish. We saw some poor guy behind the restaurant splitting firewood in the hot sun. Earl opened up a couple of drawers to show-off his workmanship. We bought a pound of smoked salmon to go. Guess what we're eating tomorrow...and the next day.

Mid-afternoon we finally reached Oscar Scherer State Park. This is an awesome campground and our campsite is super sweet. I'd give this an A+. We're camped right on a small bayou, complete with gators. I think we'll just appreciate the wildlife and not go for a swim here.

 

 

Lake Osprey is somewhere in this state park so soon after getting situated we decided to "gear up" and pedal to the lake. Well...turns out the lake is more of a pond. And the swimming??? Mmmm, I'd give this swimming hole a C-.

 

 

 

Nevertheless, we decided to give it a try and play around with our snorkel gear, gators and all. Here's my fearless wildlife guide in front of our pond. The water was so hot in the lake that it was more like tepid bath water. We decided to find a ranger and ask him about other swimming opportunities.

 

 

The ranger said we weren't too far from the Gulf and there's a fun local place called Turtle Beach. We decided to bike on over, gear and all. After braving some freeway traffic the first mile or so, we finally made it to this lazy little road hugging the beach. There were all kinds of fancy houses and mansions here. Apparently, Stephen King has his "beach" house here. All the homes have their own private beach access and private boat docks. Swanky for sure. And here we were riding along in our bathing suits with towels over our necks and snorkel gear flung over our backs. Ha!

Well, our "little" bike ride turned out to be about 18 miles round trip. (We just hit the 100 mile point on riding our bikes). The beach was super chill. There was a drum circle going on and lots of aging hippies. Ahhh, my people! I felt so much at home!!

 

 

 

We couldn't wait to hit the glassy, crystal clear blue waters of the Gulf and do some snorkeling. Here's my Mr. Ned looking so much happier here than in front of the pond!

And me so much happier getting cooled off! There weren't a lot of fish to see snorkeling, but I want to get as much practice in as I can before we get to the Florida Keys.

After a hot bike ride back, some adult libations were definitely in order. Time to chill out and watch the gators.

 

 

 

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