The Downside to Paradise

This unfortunate side affect to our time in the Keys has been building for days, and now has climaxed to the point that I've spent two sleepless nights with unbearable itching!

I finally have been doing some research to see what I'm been bitten by, and why the bites don't seem to get any better - only worse!

It appears that I am covered with bites from the infamous Florida "No see ums" - something the travel agent won't tell you about, but sites like Trip Advisor does. It also appears that I've done just about everything wrong as far as preventing the bites. I've been out at sunrise and sunset looking at the beautiful sky; I've been wearing flip flops; I've not been wearing bug spray with Deet; etc. I also learned that unlike mosquito bites, bites from no see ums can last (and itch like crazy) for weeks.

So this morning I biked to Layton and spent money on buying Benadryl, a spray with Lidocaine, etc. to try and treat myself. I don't think I've ever experienced anything that itches quite this bad . . .believe me, next time, I will be better prepared with some prevention practices!!

In spite of it all, I'm still glad to have witnessed the glorious sunrises and sunsets each night. They will remain in my memories long after the itching stops! I'm just hoping the cold weather I hear that Minneapolis is expecting tomorrow ( I fly back tomorrow) will help shrink the ugly welts I have all over my body!

Snorkeling in Bahia Honda State Park

Yesterday, we made the trip to Bahia Honda State Park again to go snorkeling. When we arrived, we learned the visibility was slightly better than the day before - 12 feet instead of 10 feet.

We took a  45 minute boat ride out to the reef and then got to snorkel for about an hour and a half. While we certainly saw lots of fish, the water wasn't as clear as other times we have gone.

The other thing that was different is that our captain stood perched on the deck keeping the look out for floating Man of Wars. If he saw one, he would blast on his horn three times  - that was our cue to put our heads up and see where the Man of War was so we could avoid being in that area.

It did seem like he kept blasting his horn a lot, so it wasn't quite as relaxing as previous trips. He made a big point of the fact that you wouldn't want to get stung by one of the Man of Wars!

The Beauty of the Early Mornings

I've always been a morning person, so I've enjoyed waking up, making a pot of coffee and going out to watch the sun rise. Over the course of the week we've been here, the tide has changed each day. At first, the tide was in when the sun was rising. The last few days, the tide has been out at the crack of dawn. With the low tide, there are all kinds of birds walking through the tidal pools searching for "good eats."

I am so thankful to have had this chance to be here in this beautiful spot. For me, being outdoors in nature is so peaceful and I feel God's presence in my life. I feel recharged and replenished as I begin to anticipate returning to Minnesota!

An Afternoon at Bahia Honda State Park

We left our campground at about 11:00 a.m. to go to Bahia Honda State Park that is about 30 miles further southwest down the Keys. We had signed up to go snorkeling at 1:30 p.m. When we arrived, the young man at the dive shop told us that due to the winds the day before, the visibility was only about 10 feet. So after debating whether or not we should go, we decided to postpone the snorkeling until the next day. We figured we wanted to have the best chance to see as many fish as possible, and the young man thought that by tomorrow, the conditions would be better.

Since we were already at Bahia Honda, we decided to spend some time biking around the park including going to the beach the was about 3 miles away from the dive shop. Our "grocery cart" converted into a "beach cart" making it really easy to haul mats, towels, books, etc. down to the beach.

The beach was beautiful and we enjoyed reading as well as going into the water to cool off.

A Morning Out on the Water

We decided since the high tide was at 10:30 a.m this morning, we would spend time out on the water. I went out in the kayak and was able to get pictures of Greg using the wind surfer. There was a nice breeze today, so he tried the larger sail.

We had to watch ourselves walking out the wind surfer and the kayak due to the large number of man of wars that were pushed into shore by the south breeze. We've heard the stings really hurt!

A Trip to Key West

Yesterday, we drove to Key West. Even though it is only about 67 miles away, it takes a couple of hours due to the fact that there is a lot of traffic and you travel on a two-lane highway the entire way there.

Once we arrived, we were able to park a ways out from the historic part of Key West and then ride our bikes down to the old part of the city.

It was fun to see all the people - a huge cruise ship was docked at Mallory Square where everyone goes to watch the sunsets. If you like to eat, drink and shop, then Key West has something for you.

We poked around the historic part of the city reading about the history of Key West - of course, fishing is a huge part of the history.

We also went to see President Truman's Little White House. It was interesting to learn more about Truman as well as learn about how other modern Presidents have used this location for meetings and/or retreats. The houses around the Little White House are beautiful, too.

We spent some time down at Mallory Square and had a "Key Lime Pie on stick" - a piece of Key Lime Pie that was dipped in chocolate and then frozen. Delicious!! 

Another Relaxing Day

After we had a great pancake breakfast (a special recipe from our friends, the Larsens), we decided to hang out here at our campsite one more day. The sun is so intense and we're trying to not over do our exposure, so after our bike ride yesterday, we thought we should not get too much more sun today.

So it's been a "project day" - we did some laundry in a bucket and hung it out to dry; Greg has worked on his "motor home short list"; we both read and we had a wonderful Skype conversation with Andrew in Chile. Once again, I continue to be amazed at how we can blend the world of camping, nature, and the outdoors (that we both love) along with keeping in touch with family and friends all over the place through technology.

After talking to family at home, we learned that while we are enjoying beautiful sunshine and warm temperatures, Minneapolis is bracing for yet another big snow storm!

Well, there has been one little downside to paradise - neither of us slept very well last night due to bites all over our bodies that really itch! We did a little research online this morning and learned that the commonly-called sand flea (not really a flea at all) are common in the Keys.

We now have some benadryl spray that we are hoping will help us through the night tonight without scratching ourselves silly.

While we hung out at our campsite, we continued to watch the tide go in and out. Here are some birds that were feeding as the tide went out right in front our campsite.

Tomorrow we are planning to get going early and head down to Key West for the day.

A Full Day

I've been waking up early, making coffee and then going out to watch the sunrise. It is so peaceful and beautiful each morning.

We spent the morning around camp - Greg got out the windsurfer and I tried the kayak. We have to time these activities during high tide - when the tide goes out, the "landscape" changes completely.

After lunch, we went biking again to see Curry Hammock State Park (about 20 miles round trip). This is the state park that Greg will be staying at when I go back to Minnesota. It had a beautiful white sand beach.

After our ride home (once again into a stiff headwind), we did some more reading and then grilled chicken outside while watching the full moon rise up over the water. It's been a really nice day!

A Low Key Day . . . in Paradise

Today was truly the kind of day Greg has dreamed of for months . . . .  low key, not any plans, a chance to putter and just relax. We decided to not go anywhere, but just hung around the campsite. Greg worked on his short list of motor home tasks and I did a lot of reading. I absolutely love to read, so spending all day reading a good book is a treat.

At 4 p.m. we rode the other direction on the bike trail into the tiny town of Layton - it basically consists of two small convenience stores. If felt good to get on our bikes again and we were none the worse for wear after the long ride yesterday. Greg also got the kayak that we borrowed from our friends into the water.

At the end of the day, Greg cooked dinner while we listened to MPR news. Note the shelf that Greg built that hangs between the two cab seats when we're not driving. The Mac computer and speakers serves as a computer, speakers for music from our Ipod and also as a movie screen (if we decide to watch a movie). The Virgin Mobile wireless hub is working just great, so we can get on the Internet easily.

I know that this whole set-up hardly qualifies as "camping," but believe me, it is the best of both worlds. We are out in nature all day, but then can come in and connect with family, friends, and the world.

Our Long Bike Trip

Yesterday we started the morning by getting set-up around our campsite. We set up a canopy to provide some protection from the sun and repositioned the motor home putting some blocks under two of the wheels to get it level. We set up the picnic table right outside our door so we could do some cooking outdoors. Note the french toast for breakfast being prepared outdoors!

After we had lunch, we decided to bike to Marathon to find the grocery store and test the new bike trailer that Greg built. We left at about 2:30 p.m. - before we even got out of the campsite, Greg had a flat tire. So, I biked back and got the bike pump. Even though we had spare tires for both other bikes, we didn't have a spare for Greg's single speed. So, we decided to pump up the tire and take the chance on biking to Marathon to get a spare as well as groceries.

Luckily, it was a slow leak but we did end up stopping about 10 times during the 20 miles to Marathon to pump up the tire. Greg was able to find a spare at Kmart in Marathon and changed the tire while I bought groceries. When it was time to turn around and start back, we had a filled tire, but a stiff headwind. We ended up getting back to the campsite after dark (having seen another beautiful sunset) very tired! The bike trailer worked great for groceries and the bike pump :-)!

Our Campsite at Long Key State Park

Upon arrival at our campsite, we are reminded again of why we absolutely prefer state or national parks to RV campgrounds! Our campsite is spectacular - right up to the water and you really don't feel like you have rows of motor homes lined up together. Our campsite faces south, so we will get to see the sunrises (pictured above) and sunsets. There is vegetation and lots of birds that we have been watching this morning while we ate breakfast outside.

Our plans for today are to get organized around the campground, and then bike to Marathon to pick up a few groceries. Marathon is about 18 miles away, so we will get some good exercise in with a 36 mile round-trip bike ride. We'll get to test the new bike  trailer's capacity to haul groceries, too.

As I think about how relaxed and refreshed I feel already, I am reminded of a quote from Seneca . . . .

“Voyage, travel, and change of place impart vigor”

We Arrived in the Keys!

The trip from Gainsville to the Keys was long! We left at about 8:15 a.m. this morning and arrived in the Keys as the sun was setting. We then still had about 40 miles to go before we arrived at Long Key State Park after dark at about 7:15 p.m.

We were extremely lucky - when we got to the park, the gate was locked with a sign that said "park closes at sunset." After about 15 minutes, another couple who had already checked in, arrived at the park and had the code to open the gate. Since we already knew our campsite number, we were able to go directly to the campsite.

All I can say, even in the dark, we could tell it is absolutely beautiful - will send pictures tomorrow. We grilled dinner, Key Lime Chicken,  and are settling in.