You can take the GRITS out of Florida, but you can't take Florida out of the GRITS!

Friday, December 25, 2009

A Weekend Trip to the Keys


It's been a while since I've posted, but honestly, nothing much has been going on around here. A couple weekends ago, my love decided to leave the cold weather of PA and come camping with me on Sugarloaf Key. The weather was perfect...while points north got pounded with rain, we enjoyed sunshine, cloudless skies and cool nights.

After waking up in the KOA, we headed south to our first stop at the Bat Tower. (Yes, I have a cache hidden there)...an interesting bit of local history that alot of folks would never have seen if not for geocaching.

Next, we hit the cemetery in Key West. Filled with beautiful, odd, creepy, whacky and beautiful gravesites and tombstones, this one has always been a favorite of mine.

The alpha and the omega...the beginning and the end of United States Highway # 1...Mile Marker "0".
Caching at Fort Zachary Taylor. The cache was a DNF, but it was fun to explore and check out this old fort. That's a Disney cruise ship in the background.

The cannons don't thunder, there's nothing to plunder...

Ack! Latrines!!

The beach at the fort...gorgeous! Even saw a couple dolphins jumping.

After checking out Duval Street, grabbing some Cuban food for lunch, Key Lime pie and a Yuengling at Sloppy Joe's, we headed back north a bit in search of another cache on Wahoo Key.

I'd gotten this cache years ago, so I stayed behind...parts of the bridge are missing now, but it is still a very sturdy old bridge...a bridge to nowhere. Wish I knew the story behind it as there is nothing on Wahoo Key. We'd never have known it existed if not for caching! A beautiful spot to view the sunset.


Stopped for another cache in Islamorada...the Hurricane Monument. Hard to imagine the remains of over 300 souls lie here.

Thw "World Famous" Holiday Isle...home of the bestest Rum Runners evah!



One last quick dip in the brine before heading back to the airport and back to Pennsylvania!

I really need a roof rack! Santa, are you listening???

I cannot wait to go back. People either love the Keys or hate them, and I for one, LOVE them! We kayaked to Indian Key, came upon a sea turtle, saw the African Queen, saw leaping rays and dolphins, waters of colors that I can't even begin to describe...a trip to the Keys is ALWAYS good.

3 comments:

Misti said...

Can you imagine sitting next to other people while you go to the bathroom? ickkkkkkk!

Suwannee Refugee said...

The Dry Tortugas are as great for nature as they are for scenery. Loved my time there.

ghostwriter33156 said...

Beautiful pics. But the latrine one reminded me of something my dad always use to say when we were kids.
"Flush the toilet, Key West needs the water".

Gross right? I still can't drink the tap water when I'm in the keys. Thank goodness there are so many alternatives like rum available.