Weekly Update

If you read last Saturday’s post, this one will seem the same.  We played Pickleball, rode our bikes, walked, ate good food and enjoyed the laid back lifestyle of Key Largo.  The wind has been bad this week so we have not tried to get the kayak out in the water.

Here, Fishy Fishy

Following church this morning, we geared up, ate lunch and headed to Keys Divers for a snorkeling adventure about five miles off-shore on the reefs of a protected national marine park.  It was still a bit breezy but warm and the water was a cold 70°.  We were glad we had our full wet suits and our own gear.  The rental stuff was okay but their wet suits were the shorty kind and some of the folks chose not to wear anything. Brrrrr! 

The reefs are protected so there is no touching the choral or standing on the bottoms, even if it is just sand.  We saw lots of barracuda, parrot fish, little tiny Nemo fish and some bright neon fish with no name that we know.  The coral is not as colorful as in more southern waters but it was pretty.  One large brain coral hid a 300 year-old cannon dropped from a beached ship. We snorkeled for an hour, moved to a new spot and swam for about 40 minutes.  It was an hours ride both going and coming back.  Great Day!

Typical Week

As I said in the last blog we tried to play pickleball on Monday but got rained out.  Tuesday and Thursday we got the kayak out. We paddled down the coast about a mile and a half one day but there was not much to see other than abandoned sailboats and barges full of sponges or anhinga (a cormorant like bird). The other day we paddled into the wind and out to the mangrove islands.  It was fun going up and down streams and exploring the various paths through the trees.  We saw a few small fish and some other kinds of sea creatures but not much else in the way of wildlife.  The wind pushed us back so we didn’t have to paddle much.

Wednesday and Friday we played pickleball.  We really like this game!  I walked the two miles to the court then John drove so we could run errands or dine out for lunch.  Both days we rode our bikes short distance in the afternoon.  It makes for a very active time.  Our next door neighbor hosts a BYOB on his front porch on Friday nights so we met Sammy, Clark and Martha, David, Diane and her friend from MI, and a couple of other guys whose names we didn’t catch.

Saturday we tackled a longer bike ride - over 26 miles!  We rode down the highway to Islamorada where the Rotary had sponsored a Giant Marine Flea Market.  The traffic headed toward Key West was backed up about 2-3 miles when we went into the market around 11 but extended another 2 miles when we left an hour later.  It was your typical huge market of marine, fishing and boat gear with crafts, jewelry, clothing and other stuff sprinkled throughout.  And lots, and lots of people!  The hard part of the ride was the wind in our faces on the way home.

We anticipate next week being much the same.

Blowing in the Wind

Saturday afternoon, the wind quieted down a bit and the sun warmed us up a bit so we blew up the new kayak and went for a paddle.  Before we left Fort Meyers Beach, John ordered us a new inflatable kayak, one that will seat two or three people.  It is just like one we used in Costa Rica.  Despite it being the first time to use the boat, it did not take long to inflate and assemble all the parts.  We launched it here at the marina and headed up wind along the shoreline, exploring the made-made canals and a couple of mangrove islands.  We were on the water for about an hour, maybe longer but that was enough for our weak arms!  Then the wind picked back up Sunday and Monday so we haven’t been able to get back out yet.

After church we rode our bikes to the Pilot House for lunch.  When we got back I realized I had left my glasses on the table so I rode back to get them,  That gave me 10 miles on the bike!

Today we had hoped to play pickleball again but the weather did not cooperate and it rained us out after one game.  With 20-mph wind gusts, it was not much fun being outside so we got in the Jeep and drove about 20 miles down the keys just to check things out.  We got as far as Islamorada but it took almost a hour to drive because of all the traffic. We shopped a few junk/t-shirt shops, checked out a couple of parks, looked at venues for a few restaurants and drove home.  The drive back was much quicker.  For some reason there were a lot of people heading toward Key West.

Miami International Boat Show

John was so excited today as we drove up to Miami to attend the Boat Show. He got special parking passes and VIP tickets so we could get in on the very first day, hoping to beat the crowds. Unfortunately, this is a new venue for them and they had some kinks to work out. We had a long line to get into the parking lot and a long wait to get a shuttle bus so we walked to the entrance.

You would not believe how many boats were in and out of the water, motors, gear, radar, sonar, radios, ropes and lots more stuff. We boarded some $500,000 yachts, looked over pontoons and fishing boats, ogled racing boats and beautiful wood boats. The sister boat to Earnest Hemingway's boat in Cuba was on display. The Miami Vice car and cigarette boat were there.  The paint jobs on the go-fast offshore racing boats were awesome.  

By around 3:30 we were ready to head home. We got on the shuttle bus for our parking lot which should have been a 10 minute ride and didn't get to the car for an hour and  fifteen minutes!  The police would not let the bus make a u-turn so he had to go all the way into Miami across the causeway in rush hour traffic and then back!!  That put us smack dab in the middle of rush hour so a 90 minute drive home took three hours!  Not a very good end to an otherwise nice day. 

Bike Riding and Pickleball

Thanks to a cable box we were able to watch the Super Bowl Sunday night while dining on shrimp and sipping Gin and tonics.

The weather has cleared up somewhat and is warming into the mid-60's by the afternoons so we have been walking or riding our bikes almost every day. Monday we rode towards the town of Key Largo, exploring some of the neighborhoods along the way.  As we cruised around the city park we followed the sound of Pickleball being played on an almost hidden unused tennis court. A warm greeting drew us in and before we knew it, we had committed to joining this group of 8-12 people to play the game on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday's for as long as we are here. One couple has painted the stripes and provided the net.  There is a donation box to help them with the costs.

Tuesday we rode our bikes the other direction (towards Key Wesr) for about a 14 mile round trip. After a vigorous 2-hours of Pickleball on Wednesday we rode again just a short distance to run a few errands. I have also been trying to get in some long walks. 

Blue Fin Marina

We are now ensconced at the Blue Fin Marina and RV Park in Key Largo for the next month. You may (or may not) be curious about what we have been doing for the last week so lets flashback to Feb. 1.

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday were unseasonably warm for south Florida, or so we were told, but we enjoyed the warm weather by taking long walks on the beach or riding our bikes.  We had originally planned to be camped somewhere near Marco Island this week but decided to stay at the Red Coconut in Ft. Myers Beach.  We only moved a short block away but the site is squeezed in-between two park model homes on a corner with a tree and lots of ferns. Then John insisted that he HAD to go shopping for a new hat or some such item.  Each evening found us on the beach celebrating the sun setting into the gulf but when that sun is gone, it gets cold!

Tuesday we drove down to Naples to visit our friends, Mickey and Dave.  We drove into downtown Naples, shopped, ate ice cream and drooled over the monstrous mansions.  Later, friends Jim and Lisa came down from Sanibel and joined us for dinner . We watched the sun set from Mickey & David's balcony but the elevation did not help us in seeing the green flash as the sun disappeared.  Dinner was a lively affair at the Claw Bar.

Thursday and Friday were not very good beach days as it was windy and cool so we rode our bikes across the bridge and explored that area, and on Thursday we had breakfast with my high school classmate Susan and husband Dave, who live on Sanibel Island. One day we shopped a landscaping center to get ideas on surfaces for our new patio.  We think we want something besides stained and stamped concrete like paver stones or brick, or rock. Friday was spent catching up on chores and balancing the checkbook (I hate that!).  Friday afternoon we went back to Mickey and David’s in Naples so we could eat an early dinner at a very fine restaurant and then shop and bar hop.

Yesterday was moving day.  Key Largo is at the top of the Keys, about 100 miles from Key West and about an hour from Miami.  Our RV site is butted up against the back of a building and if we crane our necks just so, we can see the ocean and the boats in the marina. We are about 10 miles from the Pennekamp State Park and there is not much to see or do within walking distance of the RV park, at least that we can tell after a short exploration. We are next door to a Tiki Bar so hopefully we will be able to meet some people there as time goes by.  It looks like it will be a cold and windy day here for the Super Bow that we cannot watch since we have no TV reception and our cable hookup is not working. The Tiki bar may be the best place to watch the game.