dolphins

OH....SUCH FUN!!!!!! Short 30 second,,,Dolphin Research Center...where the first Flipper was filmed....my favorite TV show!!!

Restaurants

Very disappointed in a few restaurants in The keys.....Until Bob found Hideawy Cafe.....no sign or advertisements....Bob found on internet review site...in a dumpy old 1950s hotel....but as fabulous...we went twice in 3 days....and the lst time got a whole duck to go to use at home the next night......go if in the area...Marathon FL

Dry Tortugas NM

Dry Tortuga National Monument....Most difficult NPNM to get to....hour boat ride.... Lovely day with some snorkeling....ROUGH ride back....

More key West

Went to Key West for a day....love walking the neighborhoods there....went to Truman House, Hemingway's house and Fischer Museum....but the traffic and parking were horrendous!!

Turtle Rehab

Wonderful non-profit group in Marathon in the Keys ...they rescue turtles and rehabilitate them. Most are released back into the wild! My friend Jimmy Carter (Remember I went to church with him!!) was here for a visit last week with a group of 4o family members.

The Keys

Back on the road after Raleigh visit....Two week stay n the Keys...Loved our Rv Resort...right on the water!

Key West

We took a drive on Harry Truman’s US 1, The Overseas Highway that runs the length of the Florida Keys from our campsite mid-south on the chain at Marathon Key, and went 60 miles further south to Key West. We amused ourselves by coming up with "names" of Keys. We thought we were hysterical but it might have been a "you had to have been there" kind of time. Take Tur which is where many folks spend their Thanksgiving (Turkey). We went by the twin Oh and Doh, which are very agreeable Keys Okey Doley) There is Off, where the singing is not so great (off-key) We went by Mon, with its jungle like feel. There is Don with its sign saying “Do not be what you see”. ANother two keys where Japanesse food is popular (sukaki) There are others, but I do not want to exceed my groan quotient.

Disney World

Love Disney World but we are too old for 4 days in a row....with 2 days being over 12 hours....luckily we stayed two more days afterwards to rest and recuerate...I had a 90 minute massage that was well worth it....Today (Dec 19) on the train to Raleigh to see Sanchezes....Jeff and Nahid will spend the week also...WOW!!!!!

THis is my cousin Alyce, who was named after my mom, and Mallory. THey were fabulously generous to us when we were kids!! Took me skiing with them on a family vacation to Vermont. when I was in High School.....oh...and got me drunk on whiskey!!! They continue to be very generous....They chauffeured us around Destin FL to all of the hot spots....had dinner at their house a number of times. Fun talking old times with them. Also fun talking RV stuff as they full-timed for 18 years...Only got off the road 4 years ago!!

Mr. and Mrs. Pistachiogator

Maybe I have been in Florida a little too long?

The Most Dangerous Place To Drive?

Florida in winter is a frightening place to be on the highways. It was pointed out to me years ago on a business trip and still holds true. First, there are the elder snowbirds who drive 40 mph on the highways. It is easy, at highway speeds, to come up on them abruptly, as they wander along the interstate. Then there are the speed demons. South Florida has been a play zone for young, well to do males for many years. they are still coming here. Amidst the slow pokes and "normal" drivers you have the mega horsepower, mega money sports cars, flying by at something far exceeding the speed limit. Then there are the weavers. It is quite popular here, to pass on the right, cut across lanes, pass on the left, cut across lanes, pass on the right. That makes the far right lane a more comfortable choice...until you come up on a 40 mph Mable or Horace putzing along in la la land. Careful, is the operative word.

Fort Myers Dog Clothing

Grassy Key, Marathon, Florida

We finish our two week stay here tonight and the skies were nice as day closed.

Then, one of the very plentiful local pelicans cruised by against this evening sky.
We did not have pelicans in Napa Valley...

Marathon Key Bike Bouquet

Went out for a ride on this wonderfully comfortable 81 degree breezy day. January 13th. 81 degrees...
If you have been reading this blog for awhile, you may remember many comments about the cold experiences we had trying to avoid last winter in the AZ desert. Florida has been a much better choice this winter. On the bike ride I was inspired to pick a few things from the natural flora roadside in our place here in Marathon Key.

A Drive Down The Keys

We took a drive on Harry Truman’s US 1, The Overseas Highway that runs the length of the Florida Keys from our campsite mid-south on the chain at Marathon Key, and went 60 miles further south to Key West. At Key West we visited the “Little White House” that Harry used numerous times during his time as president as his retreat from DC. Key West is a unique part of the US but has become too touristy for our tastes. We did enjoy our drive through the Keys and found many with great names. Take Tur which is where many folks spend their Thanksgiving. We went by the twin Oh and Doh, which are very agreeable Keys. There is Off, where the singing is not so great. We went by Mon, with its jungle like feel. There is Don with its sign saying “Do not be what you see”.  Then there is Mur, with a sense of intrigue about it. Oh yes, we went by Kanka, with the road sign that says Illinois, 1400 miles. There are others, but I do not want to exceed my groan quotient for this blog entry.

A Gusty Time In Marathon Key

Nasty local weather here. 55 degrees and howling steady winds.  It is the type of thing that freaks out the local Floridians. Given what conditions are like in other parts of the US at this moment, this is okay. No freakout for Cathy and I, but I think we are hunkered down for the duration.

Health Food Of The Southeast

Tell it like it is...