Keys Trip

The road sign on the road out of Key West said, “Drive Carefully. So Far, 14 People Have Lost Their Lives in Traffic Accidents”. Since it was only January 14th, we assumed that was left over from last year. I changed my mind the second time I had to slam on my brakes and pull off the road for a jerk passing in the other direction and almost hitting me.

Our stay at Bahia Honda confirmed I prefer warmer weather to go to the beach. The water is just too cool for me to enjoy a swim. I’m going to make reservations or go back to Venice Beach in late spring.

Because all the days blur together:

Thursday: Drove down, lunch at Chicken Chop Chop at Fort Pierce Plaza on the Turnpike; saw invasive African rainbow lizards in the palms there; arrived at Bahia Honda State Park, Cabin 2, handicapped accessible; dinner of barley and mushrooms; exercised. Really windy but clear.

Friday: Windy and clear, 70’s. Breakfast in cabin; morning walk along Atlantic-side beach while Grant sat; lunch of leftovers; napped; exercised; drove up to Marathon to shop at Publix; walk on newly-opened restored old Seven Mile Bridge (second attempt, no parking on our way to the grocery store); Grant cooked shrimp fajitas for dinner.

Saturday: Drove to Key West; on way, checked out No Name Key, saw 7 Key deer, 6 bucks with antlers, 2 listlessly fighting; parked at garage waterfront $25 (for those who need to know, Dockmaster’s office has bathrooms); walked around downtown, window shopping except at Lilly Pulitzer’s where I tried on pants to no avail (the Jams World capris I bought before Kristina’s wedding 7 years ago split on the leg as we drove), lunched at Bagatelle where we ate with our camping friends the night Remi was born; bought expensive rum ($63) for Patten at the First Legal Rum Distillery, the guy wouldn’t give me the advertised online special of 3 free mini bottles with purchase (really?), so we didn’t buy rum mules to walk around with, will post survey to that effect; dinner in cabin of curried chicken and rice we’d brought from home.

Sunday: Windy, predicted rain arrived, 70’s. Walked over to marina, seeing spotted sandpiper with characteristic tail wagging and 2 western sandpipers along the bayside shore; exercised after breakfast; Grant cooked eggplant rotitini; thunderstorms; drove to Marathon Grill and Sports Bar for Buccaneers vs Eagles wildcard, leaving after 3rd quarter when the Bucs led 24 to 0.


Monday: Windy, cool, cloudy. Walked over to bridge, which my family had driven on when we came to the Keys in the 1950’s or 60’s; a young red tailed hawk siting on a snag facing the ocean, kestrel on wire, fighting the wind; I bought gold plated earrings with small shell, sand dollar and starfish dangles (made in the USA) at the park concession stand; read; we worked on my phone photo attachment for my scope which now works but is big and awkward, may be replaced; late lunch at No Name Pub, fried cod basket for me, fried clams for Grant, hamburger for Bets, Key deer walking through parking lot, others grazing in yards, assume the cooler weather encouraged them to be out mid afternoon; chocolate covered frozen key lime pie on a stick from the park concession stand for dessert; more reading/lazing about; dinner of leftovers (G) or peanut filled pretzels (B and me) plus Tillamok ice cream.


Tuesday: Windy and cool. Packed up to leave since I’d sold the rest of our time there to friends with a son in a wheelchair; met them for lunch at Key Fisheries (lobster mac for me, lobster Reuben for Grant); finally stopped at the red pyramid which turned out to be not an ode to the Calusa or a place for Hippies, but a piece of art created a few years ago in New York and for unknown reasons, moved to Marathon as part of the Key Sculpture Art Trail; stopped at the Blond Giraffe Key Lime Pie Company for slice of pie, so much better than previous; easy, long drive home; deer in the dusk along the turnpike; lovely sunset.


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