Last Day in Marco & the Everglades, and then off to Key West

We spent our last day (12/22) in Collier State Park at the beach in Marco. It was a picture perfect day --- lots of sunshine and warmth! We just couldn’t get over all of the shells that wash up on this beach.
There were so many that one guy made a lounge chair out of them.




We packed up our RIG and took the Tamiami Trail across the bottom of the state through the Everglade Nat’l Park --- roughly 90 miles to Miami. I took this trail for a drive earlier in the week and didn’t have my camera.

This time we did, saw lots of alligators and took a few shots. Isn't this one a beaut! Roughly 10 ft. long.

It’s cool to watch them swim along the ditch water and also slide down into the water from the bank. Jeff even has some on video.



After boon-docking at a casino outside of Miami on the 22nd, we drove down Hwy. A1A to the Keys on the 23rd. What a beautiful drive! We haven’t been down here for 22 years and haven’t lived down here for 33 years. It was fun to let all of the nostalgia flow through us as we looked across the broad expanses of pale blue-green water.

We got to our campground in Grassy Key (roughly a mile north of Marathon) and settled in for the day. After dealing with a bit more car trouble late that day and early the next, we finally made our way down to Key West to spend Christmas Eve. Now, we know that some people say it has really changed and that we just may not recognize it anymore. NOT!

Yah --- there are a few more tourist attractions and a few more tourists, but it’s the same ol’ Key West. We parked the car, got on our bikes and went to a bunch of our old haunts --- up Elizabeth St. and down Catherine St. and all around ‘ol town. We eventually ended up on Duval Street --- as we always did --- and then to Mallory Square for a Pino Colada while we watched the sun set. The fire-eaters were still at the square along with the spectacular jugglers and mime artists. Like I said, a few more tourists, but the same ‘ol Key West.

Christmas Day was another day in Key West --- this time we spent it primarily at two beaches --- Smathers first and then Fort Zachary Taylor. Smathers was where we would park our camper all day long back in 1975-76. We basically lived there during the day. So, that’s where we started our day. Jeff set up his video camera and basically just let it record on the tri-pod while we goofed around for a couple of hours on the beach. It’s pretty good footage if you like being a fly on a wall at the beach.

Then, to get some good swimming in, we went to Fort Zackary Taylor beach where the water is very clear, deep enough to do some good swimming and just the right amount of wave movement to bounce around.

I got a chance to try out my Christmas present --- a new wet suit. It worked great! I decided to have a honeymoon special to celebrate!

Christmas on Duval Street was a kick. It’s a bit strange to see palm trees lit for Christmas, but they pulled it off pretty well. There was lots of energy, but everybody seemed to be in a very good mood and had lots of patience for each other. This was so true on Duval street where everybody had the right-of-way --- bikes, pedestrians, cars, golf carts designed to look like ’57 Chevy’s, bike taxi’s and even a rooster or two. I’m talking LIVE roosters. See – Key West hasn’t changed that much!

After a day at the beach, we went out to the Truman Naval Annex to watch the sunset. This is right around the corner from Mallory Square. We could see all of the ships that strut their stuff in front of Mallory Square as they came down to turn around down by us.

It was a spectacular sunset.

We will be leaving the Keys on Sunday, the 28th and headed for Fort Myers for the month of January. We are staying in one spot for that entire time. That should be interesting!

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and have a safe and fruitful New Year. Speaking of fruitful --- congratulations to my nephew Zackary and his wife Susan on their Christmas Baby Helena Clare. She was born at 10:00 am on Chirstmas Day. What a Christmas gift!

Until later --- Wendy