The Keys



Key Biscayne, FL

 After a wonderful visit with our friends and family in the Ft. Lauderdale vicinity last week we have moved further south to the Keys. There is too much traffic up there. It's like northeast traffic in the south (which is like southern New York anyway).

Steph's Uncle Alan

Steph's Aunt Marjorie

We had this idea in our heads that we would like to drive to Key West, but that idea went out the window as soon as I found out they wanted upwards of $100 a night just for camping. That was way out of our budget. We figured the rest of the keys weren't all that different for what we wanted to see and the further north we stayed the cheaper it turned out to be. By far the Florida state and county parks have proved to be the most economical way to camp and are even less expensive if you are a Florida resident. The best part is they are beautiful! We enjoyed a lakeside view from our spot in Pembroke Pines and are now in the shade of the tree hammocks in Key Largo and not too far from the beach either. Probably true in many Floridian RV camp spots at this time of year, they are filled with snowbirds (and I'm not talking about the kind that fly). I have encountered a few types of people who need to stop being busybodies and mind their own business! Most of the sites we have stayed people generally say hello to each other and give you information if you ask, but since we have been down here the people want to chat, know your story, tell you how to park, where your dog can pee, etc. I'm used to a little more space than I'm experiencing here and am starting to feel like I'm living in a retirement building. It was the note on my car with a section highlighted because I wasn't parked fully in my campsite space that really pissed me off. Things could be worse, I know.



Cousins Steve and Hope Levin (dog Kirby is hiding from the big furry black thing)





As it would happen we discovered once we hit the hot and sticky weather that our back air conditioner was broken. Here I thought we had passed the fix-it stage thinking we had survived an entire month with nothing broken! Now that we are seasoned rver's we looked online, found a service center and took it right in to be fixed. Of course it had to be replaced. The main factor indicating that we are now seasoned was the fact that it did not derail our whole day. We just dropped the coach off, took the car and went about our sightseeing. I give us a pat on the back for that one. Six months ago this would have been a major catastrophe and would require a lot of time and energy to be corrected. There's some comfort in experience.



I've also turned into the rv repair girl myself. I successfully installed a new water filter without flooding the coach, replaced light bulbs and diagnosed a faulty light socket. I can flush and winterize the water system, hook up the outside connections, deal with the sewer system (though not my favorite thing), hook up the car to be towed, reset tripped gfi circuit breakers, clean air filters, and most importantly drive this monstrosity. We are also now king and queen of removable velcro strips installing hooks and remote controls all over the place that are convenient for us but may not be the best for the next owners. It's kind of like not putting holes in the walls of a rental home. I should buy stock in 3M. I think we are already supporting the company.





As for what we are actually doing here, we are a bit frustrated that we can not scuba dive because of Adam's illness. That's what is good here and we really want to be underwater exploring the reef, but instead we have to satisfy ourselves with land activities. We visited a natural history museum in Marathon (middle point of the keys) which explained the history of indigenous people and the evolution of life on the keys. Did you know that they are actually formed out of an ancient coral reef? Also we stopped to see the Tarpons feeding and investigated a deep sea fishing trip. We ate fish sandwiches at a locals joint where I tried a crab stuffed grouper sandwich. It was amazing! This cold, rainy morning Sequoia and I stumbled onto the nature trail with descriptions of the native trees in the hammock. I read one of the signs for the Poisonwood tree which said do not stand under it in the rain as you might develop an itchy skin rash from the sap. Now they tell me! Luckily it was a short sign and I could quickly move on and away from being under that tree. This park also has a boardwalk trail through the Mangroves which is also cool. But instead we hope to rent kayaks one day to cruise through those waterways.





John Pennekamp State Park in Key Largo, FL

 



Today I played good housewife and made homemade cornbread and chili for dinner. The kitchen was a mess and I think I used every dish we have with us, but the dinner came out yummy. We should be able to eat off of that for a few days. I've packed the fridge with fresh foods trying to get into the mindset of bathing suit season (as it always is here in Florida). Hopefully dining on that and fresh fish will get us prepared for shedding the winter clothes. It may be cool here now, but I'm still glad we are not in any other part of the country with the record cold spells and snowfall. I'm missing the space of the west, my friends' new babies, and watching my nieces and nephews grow, but we are still enjoying fun in the Florida sun and making our way around this unbelievable country. There is still so much more to come!

Keeping in touch with my brother via Skype