Moving to our new spot at the campground has made a huge difference. We actually have had room to spread out and we back right up to the water. A perfect place to kick back in the evening for sunset and morning for sunrise. This second week in Key West we have definitely been in relax mode! We have been cooking more in the MoHo and I have been getting in my exercise and reading a lot while Mike continues to fish.

A few highlights this week:

Fort Zachary Taylor State Park
We found a sandy beach – yay! It was a beautiful day so we packed up the chairs and cooler and headed out. The beach itself was pretty littered with seaweed/debris and the water was very rocky; we had to have sandals on. But, it was a great place to kick back for the day and read my book. Mike tried fishing for a bit, but no luck.

Southernmost Point monument
This was the most touristy thing we did this week. We waited for a non-cruiseship day so that it wasn’t so crowded, then went into Key West to get the obligatory photo. Hard to believe we are only 90 miles from Cuba!

Sunset Cruise
Since we had already seen the amazing sunset from the land, we decided we wanted to see it from the water. We opted for Sebago and the Appledore V, an old schooner. There were only 8 other people onboard with 3 crew and they provided appetizers and cocktails. This sounded better than the crowded party barges we had seen go out. It wasn’t a crystal clear day and the wind had definitely picked up, so we weren’t sure how it was going to go. I actually had to make a last minute jacket purchase because I didn’t dress warmly enough. Well, the clouds made for a fantastic sunset. We had a great time getting to know our fellow passengers and crew and would highly this company.

Seahawks Sunday
This was the perfect day! We started off at the local Seafood & Arts Festival down the road. It was a small little event, but they had a lot of fresh food, some local craft booths and a great beer garden. $5 for the first beer with a souvenir mug, then refills were only $3. And you didn’t have to stay in a restricted area to drink. What a great concept! Then, we stopped at a local bar right on a marina, Hurricane Hole, with a great outdoor area. We had a late lunch and ended up watching the first half of the Denver/New England game. A fun group of people there. Then, it was time to head back to the MoHo to gear up for the big game. We ended up watching it outside and had a lot of interest from our neighbors and other campers walking by. One guy actually sat down and watched the last quarter with us. I was pretty nervous the entire game, but felt the relief and excitement along with everyone else on that final play! Mike promptly got up and sounded the MoHo horn. It was close to 10pm, but had to do it!

Bahia Honda State Park
This was about an hour drive for us away from Key West, but so worth it.  Someone had recommended this park for kayaking, so we decided to go for it.   We tooled around in the beautiful blue/green water for a few hours, then decided to take advantage of some beach time.  This beach was about the same as the one we had been to before with lots of seaweed, but there was a sandbar to wade out onto.  It was about 50 yards of knee high water with a very sandy bottom.  Much better! When we got back to the car I noticed something on the windshield.  There was a note and full sized Coug Flag.  It said, “Of all places to run into a fellow Coug. Enjoy!”  He must have seen my license plate cover.  So very cool.   I couldn’t believe it.  I will have to pay it forward.

Fishing Charter
Mike had wanted to do this for 2 weeks so he finally booked a 6-hour charter with 4 other people. I stayed home and did some errands and more or less just relaxed. The boat caught 6 fish consisting of mackerel and dolphin fish. Mike reeled in two of the mackerel. It was a beautiful day out on the water and he loved it! Even brought home some of the dolphin fish to grill up. I think a fishing boat is in our future at some point.

Today it is pouring down rain so it has been a good day for us to get packed up. We head to Ft. Lauderdale tomorrow to meet my mom who is flying in from Seattle and then we get on Ruby Princess for a 9-day cruise on Thursday. We will leave the MoHo in Key Largo where we have a week booked after the cruise. Bon Voyage Key West.