Six days of tent camping at Bahia Honda. The weather was lovely, with nice breezes which meant mostly no bugs. One little bit of rain. Unfortunately, even though we know better, we didn’t zip our tent windows when we were away, so our sheets got a little wet. But we were able to dry them out on the wooden railing around our campsite.
Because the onshore wind kicked up the waves and moved the sargassum towards shore, we snorkeled on the bayside next to the rocks. Lots of minnows and quite a few reef fish whose names I have forgotten.
Thursday we drove up to Marathon to eat a lobster Ruben and a conch po’ boy at Keys Fisheries. They did not have the $1 stone crabs I’d enjoyed in years past. I was too cheap to have even the $36/pound selects.
We’d stopped at Robert Is Here for milkshakes on the way down the day before. Friday we got up early to get a parking space at the old 7 Mile Bridge. Before we rode our bikes out to Pigeon Key, we had breakfast at the 7 Mile Grill. Our coffee had grounds in it, and the hash browns were over fried, but we loved it. This was not a low calorie trip to the Keys.
After we biked out to the end and walked down the rather steep ramp, we learned it costs, since February, $15/person to tour the island and, more importantly, use the bathrooms, so we biked back to the truck and left. Would have been nice to have a sign at the beginning letting us know. Back at camp, we lazed around.
Saturday from 6:00-9:00 AM, the 7 Mile Bridge was closed for the annual run.
* It did make for a more peaceful morning without the continuous white noise of vehicles on US 1. We drove over to the Sand Spur Beach for a walk, then breakfast. Lots of semipalmated plovers, some ruddy turnstones, sanderlings, and a couple of dowitchers to the south of where we sat. About the time I decided to get out my scope, enough people had walked past the birds to scare them off.
That evening was the NCAA men’s basketball semifinals with FAU v San Diego State at 6:00, then UM v UConn ar 9:00. Grant found JJ’s Doghouse, a true Keys dive bar, and I don’t mean SCUBA. Only seats at the bar with a pool table in the back. Smoking definitely allowed, almost required. I asked what was on tap. “Nothing.”
I started with a can of Bud; Grant had a Miller Lite. The guy next to me asked whatever happened to baseball, apple pie, and Chevys. We agreed only homemade apple pies were to be eaten. Then he went on a diversion about baked beans. I got a little confused, as was he, which seemed reasonable, since the barkeep had a heavy hand: 3 ounce drinks at a minimum. I’m pretty sure my neighbor wasn’t on his first. I’ll return when I can walk or Uber there, and won’t mind a hangover the next day. By halftime, I’d had enough smoke and was hungry, so I found Marathon Grill and Ale House on Yelp, and we moved on. We realized we’d been there before for a previous UM game. Sadly, both south Florida teams lost. FAU by 1 point, only because, with 6 seconds left and ahead by 1, a FAU player shot and missed. San Diego got the rebound and 2 points. That poor player will kick himself forever. UM was just outclassed by UConn, 59-72. (Patten went to the games after winning an UM alum lottery to buy tickets. To get a reasonably priced last minute flight, he flew Spirit Airline to San Antonio and rented a car to drive to Houston.)
We’d put away the screen house and as much else possible before we’d left for the games, so Sunday morning, we were able to be packed up by 9:15. I wanted one more snorkel. While Grant sat in the truck and listened to his book on tape, I swam at the bayside before other people got there. With no silt stirred up, I was able to really see the fish along the jetty rocks. At least 10 different species. Some small anemones were waving in the current. I even saw 2 blue and yellow grunts having a fight. They bared their teeth and tried to bite the other’s mouth. While I watched, they attacked each other several times, while 6-8 other grunts looked on. Then one swam away. Territorial dispute?
After rinsing my mask and snorkel off in the outdoor shower, I walked back to the campground for a real shower with shampoo and soap. Then we headed home. Even though it was Sunday and Spring Break season, traffic wasn’t bad. We had a tuna melt at the Wawa gas station near the Dolphin’s football stadium. At the house, we put away food and decided the rest could wait until tomorrow.
* My t-shirt from when I did the run 15 years ago. Now my gardening shirt, and with holes in the back, I swear that each time I wash it will be the last. Could be true next time.
**
**Actually threw it away. One less ratty t-shirt in the drawer. What will be my next gardening work shirt?
Comments
Post a Comment