Old Retired Guy Blog
April 15, 2010
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Florida (Page 4 of 4)3: The Good Life After a couple of days immersed in science and several more days immersed in nature, we thought it would be a good idea to enjoy a little of the good life. So, we headed down to the Florida Keys, that 110-mile string of islands running from Key Largo to Key West and connected by a ribbon of concrete, bridges, and causeways known as The Overseas Highway (US Highway 1). This would be an incredible place to visit if you're into sailing, snorkeling, eating, and partying. Even if you're not into sailing, snorkeling, and partying, you still have to eat. And, it's also a great place to just see the sights and people watch. I should warn you, however, that even down in the Keys you cannot escape the birds and other wildlife.
At one stop Kathy was admiring a beautiful red Hibiscus. As she leaned forward to smell a flower she spotted movement and, thinking it was a snake, quickly jumped back. It wasn't a snake, but a large green iguana that was moving around the bush eating all of the flowers. Kathy never did find out if the Hibiscus had a pretty smell. Not surprisingly, the Keys are quite touristy. However, they do have fewer and fewer souvenir shops as you head west until you reach Key West, where the number of shops explode into full tourist bloom. Since the cost of accommodations also explode when you reach Key West, we stayed at the Blackfin Resort in Marathon, about half-way between Key Largo and Key West. It was by no means new, but it was nice and had its own marina and a small beach from which to watch the sunset.
The drive from Marathon to Key West was very enjoyable. The traffic was not bad at all and the sky was blue and the water was turquoise. We stopped a couple of times to wet our feet. Unlike the waters of the Pacific Northwest, this water was actually warm. What a treat.
Key West is a very attractive city. It reminded me of a small, clean New Orleans. Judging by the number of t-shirt stores, Duval Street appears to be the tourist center. It's a fun place to people watch. The buildings are colorful and well-maintained, and flowering trees and plants are plentiful.
What we enjoyed most, however, were the beautiful little homes and gardens in the old part of the city off of Duval Street. We even found a restaurant named "Mangia Mangia." It hadn't opened for the day yet so we didn't have an Italian meal.
We only spent two nights in the Keys but had a very relaxing time. Then we headed back to the mainland and eventually made it back up to Orlando to catch our flight home. The temperature in Madison when we arrived was about 80 degrees with very little humidity, so it was kind of nice to be back home. End of 'Florida' entry |
