Florida Keys Road Trip

 Tiki is on the road again. This time Key West is the destination. The plan was to stop somewhere past Port St. Lucie. 

We stuck to that plan - sort of. When we stopped to look for a hotel around Palm Beach and Boca Raton, everything we could find that wasn't in excess of $300 a night had real bad reviews. We ended up going clear down to Fort Lauderdale and stayed at the Oasis, which turned out to be pretty nice. Decently priced, clean and the rooms all had private entrances. The place was surrounded by a tall fence and but once you entered the courtyard was gorgeous with lots of trees, plants, and comfortable seating areas. And a resident cat, who of course Tiki made friends with.

The one good thing about going farther than planned on the first day was we didn't have as far to go to get to Key West the next day. We stopped at Twisted Shrimp for a late lunch \ early dinner and it was fabulous! We got way more food than we thought we would and the Key Lime pie was pretty good.

After lunch, we continued on our way, crossing the 7-mile bridge, which really did not seem too far. It was kinda cool to see the original bridge along side the new one.

We rented a house boat for two nights and while it was pretty cool, I don't think we'll do it again. 

It was pretty cramped but that we could get used to. What wasn't so easy to handle was the noise of the houseboats near us creaking throughout the night as they moved ever so slightly. And the heating/cooling system was impossible to control.

What was really cool about this place though was the manatees that showed up, including this little baby ... 

The jelly fish -- and there were tons on them ... 

And the pelicans. Although I have to admit, I've woken up to the sound of dogs barking, cars, trash trucks, birds and a host of other noises, but this was the first time I woke up to the sound of pelicans landing on the roof!

One fun note for this trip is that this is exactly why I love being a remote worker. I can go anywhere and still be on the job!

Of course we had to make a stop at the beach. We happened to be there on the night of February's full moon. It was serene, magical and beautiful.

We could have spent several more days in Key West but one must see of course was the Southernmost tip of the United States of America. Ninety miles from this spot is Cuba. I can't help but think about the thousands of people who risk their lives to make that 90-mile trip in a little dingy -- so many never make it, they die in the quest for freedom.

A few fun facts we learned as we strolled the downtown: In 1982, Key West declared independence from the United States and formed the Conch Republic. This was apparently in response to a federal blockade of the Florida Keys in an effort to fight the drug trade. It's really an interesting story and more can be found at https://keywesthistoricseaport.com/blog/key-west-is-also-known-as-the-conch-republic-and-this-is-how-it-started/

Another highlight was a visit to Ernest Hemmingway's home and writing studio. 

This is where the genius happened

Ernest Hemmingway was known for his love of cats. Dozens of cats, supposedly all direct descendants of the famed author's cats have free rein of the house and grounds. And of course Tiki made friends with one of them.

The house and grounds tell the story of Hemmingway's life and legacy.

After two days we were don't on Key West. It was time to head back north, but not before we made a spot that is special to a dear friend. Bow Channel is named for Lily Lawrence Bow, the great-grandmother of Bob Bow a talented artist who lives in Abilene, KS. Lily was moved to Cudjoe Key in 1904. It was a desolate key at the time. A few months after moving their her husband, not cut out for the farming life on a remote island, left her and their two children.

She ended up moving to Miami for a while where she worked at a music teacher and later moved to Homestead. There, in 1920 she became the chair of the library committee, which would become the public library - she was the first librarian in Homestead. However, because the city had no position for a librarian they appointed her as a policeman instead.

Our last day on the Keys was spent on Key Largo and kayaking on the beautiful Gulf of Mexico. 

The next day, we contemplated stopping somewhere before heading home, but after four nights of really not sleeping too well and the fact that a cold front had dipped pretty far south, we decided to head home. All in all, it was a great road trip, and it might be worth another longer stay, especially in Key Largo, but for now, it's time to plan the next rendezvous