I am writing today from a lovely screened in balcony in Key Largo, Florida. There are plenty of trees and butterflies and a slight ocean breeze to enjoy while I eat my lunch of an apple and Advil. If you’re going to be sick, this is the place to do it. Yes, D came down ill right before we were to travel and I told him the heat and humidity of the Florida Keys would help and lo and behold, he shared his illness with me and my favorite place to feel sick is in a beach chair in the sun and the sand.
We flew in to Fort Lauderdale for the first time late on Christmas Day. Actually, with the time change it was technically December 26 when we landed past midnight, got our luggage, rented a car, and headed to a hotel close to the airport to crash for the night. We woke up just in time to grab breakfast at the hotel before packing up and checking out. Since we had time before we could check into our townhome in Key Largo, we went to a park near by and played tennis together as a family. I was in heaven. I can’t even remember the last time we actually played tennis together and I loved it. It made all the planning and travel hassle seem worth it right there. We survived buying groceries at WalMart the day after Christmas and drove down to Key Largo and were greatly relieved that our townhome was as great as it’s description. The excellent swimming pool is a huge hit with the children and John Pennekamp State Park allowed us to play in the ocean and D and M to spend some of the money my parents gave them for Christmas on snorkeling equipment. Mrs. Mac’s provided excellent food last night and today, sadly, I woke up feeling much worse and opted to stay back and try to rest while the rest of my family headed to Curry Hammock State Park in Marathon to get some more beach time in. They were also going to visit the Turtle Hospital but it was already full so they made a reservation for Monday. I’m glad I was able to go along that time because it was a neat place.
In order to beat the bumper to bumper traffic we left bright and early on the 30th to visit Key West.The Hemingway House has something for everyone. I enjoyed the history, Hubby was inspired to read novels, and our children loved the cats. We took a quick look around the lighthouse across the street before buying shaved ice to eat while we waited in line to take the obligatory Southernmost Point picture before lunch. Since the restaurants nearby were already crowded we aimed for our next destination in Marathon and ate at the fishery (yummy) before heading to our reservation at the Turtle Hospital. I must admit I was a little worried it wouldn’t be a hit but we loved it and could see why it had such great reviews. There is something magical about sea turtles. After all that the kids were happy to head back, enjoy the pool, eat dinner and watch The Imagineering Story with me before bed.
Our last day of 2019 we went back to John Pennekamp State Park to ride the glass bottom boat out to Molasses Reef and it was incredible. Hubby and I have decided the best place in the Florida Keys is on a boat. We lucked out with calm waters and high visibility so we could see all sorts of fish like Tang and Puffer and Zebra ones plus Reef Sharks and a Green Sea Turtle along with the reef itself. After eating at my favorite restaurant so far, Skipper’s Dockside, we headed back to the pool. Thank goodness for that amazing pool!
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