Tag: Key West

The Keys are hot, Hot, HOT

There is a legitimate reason Exhale traveled north during most summer months in the past. It is freakin HOT in the Keys!! The temps have hovered in the 90s for weeks. In the words of Dirks Bentley, “What was I thinking?” click and enjoy! Okay, the lyrics have nothing to do with the Keys, but wasn’t that a fun moment!

Why did the chickens cross the road? To get off the hot pavement!

We know the heat will continue until late September so Capt Rick is now focused on keeping the air con ON – it has been a BIG challenge – in deep competition with every other boat in the marinas we visit. Boater’s Tip – low voltage at the power pedestal is the direct result of high demand. Too many boats, not enough watts. Yes, it’s a first world problem. And no, it’s not as deadly as France, nor have we experienced devastating earth quakes, a heart breaking condition in Venezuela, so I am done complaining. For real.

Good news – the water conditions have been better than usual. Capt. Rick reminds me it’s a tradeoff. Buttercup prefers smooth water, I prefer cooler weather.

This Girl is on Fire

Still on the topic of hot keys, here’s another music reference for Kat and Jean. Alicia Keys, American singer, songwriter, pianish, actress and record producer, was born in Hells Kitchen. That’s also hot. Perhaps you know her song “Girl on Fire”. Go ahead, click on the title and take the time to listen! Hopefully in a cool setting.

Key West – Little White House

Did you know that President Truman was a fashion influencer? With a little support from a brilliant vendor, he made a familiar look, especially for Capt. Rick, the encouraged attire at his key west respite.

Look closely at that group pic – Truman is in the middle! This closet contains a replica of his cherished wardrobe.

Let’s talk about house boats. A common sight in the keys.

A very special houseboat – The Larooco.

Sometime in 1924, Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) and his friend John Lawrence purchased a 71-foot vessel they named the Larooco to cruise the Florida Keys during the winters – yes, he was smart enough to avoid the summer heat. FDR did use the warm winter waters and sunshine for polio rehabilitation. Sadly, The vessel was destroyed in a 1926 hurricane.

The houseboat Larooco, owned by FDR & friend John Lawrence, 1924 to 1926.

Key West Tropical Forest and Botanical Garden, Cow Key

Thanks Gail B for finding this treasure! What thrives in heat? Cactus.

The gardens were well worth the stop, shade alone made it delightful. Here’s an unusual tree trunk, notice the tight curl, followed by a very strait rise to the sun.

Curious what type of tree we were viewing, I zoomed in on the descriptive sign:

Beautiful rainbow bridge for Morgan, and all the other people out there who have lost a loved one.

This was my favorite, the caption below the photo explains.

Fish Out of Water

Hogfish Bar and Grill

Burger time! Capt Rick declared this was the BEST burger, EVER! That’s a strong statement for a man who has been ordering burgers at nearly every port we visit. True.

Known as the VandenBurger, the patty included Sirloin, Brisket and Chuck, topped with bacon, grilled onion, mushroom, cheese and onion rings! insane.

Marathon Yacht Club (MYC)

It was the first time we docked at MYC – what a lovely experience! We often eat there, but have never gotten a dock. Boater’s Tip – it is so popular people book for a full month, or even a full year. So plan ahead, it’s worth the stay.

For Ray and Caryl, time for taps.

Safe Harbor Marathon, Vaca Key

Always reminds us of Tom & Faye, we left at 6:59 am (that’s for Dave Lubs)

Key Largo

One of our favorite stops used to be the Pilot House Marina in Key Largo – but this time the water was so shallow that navigation of the narrow canal was less than pleasant. Boater’s Tip, check the water levels before navigating the Pilot House channel.

Good news, it’s reasonable walking distance from a true fav, Snook’s Bayside, where the food is delicious (Capt Rick ordered a burger),

and the live music is delightful.

A little Bayside magic – a sweet moment for Maureen, Craig, and Sue

Dreaming of a Miami Vice

sunset at Snooks

Sending a hug to Joe Occhino.

Celebrating Milestones

Happy Canada Day!! July 1; Happy 250, July 4.

Birthdays: June 26, Joe Occhino; July 1, Becky Weaver Browne, the queen of boat lines; July 3, Kathy Avanzino; July 5, Gail Doyle; July 7, Rodger Dodger

Anniversary: June 27, David and Jamie; July 3, Rick and Mary; July 4, Tanja and Jason

What’s Next: Ocean Reef, reuniting with Greg, Pamela, Morgan, and Luca!! Oh yes, it’s ice cream time for Capt. Rick.

One Fish, Two Fish

Look at that gorgeous water! Within minutes of casting his line, Capt Rick caught his first fish of the season. His bait consisted of morsels of steak from dinner on board the night before.

The second fish was hooked so hard he needed help to release the barb. Unfortunately, the needle nose pliers were still inside the boat.

While Capt Rick waited for anyone (David B. was nominated) to bring him pliers, he was concerned the hooked little fish could die – you know the fish out of water thing – so he magnanimously lowered it into the water to keep it alive. Oh, SNAP!! A shark appeared, gulped down the fish, and broke the line.

Okay, not this shark – but you get the idea.

Faro Blanco, Marathon

Now that the fishing tale has been told, the timeline for this story is slightly out of sequence, so let’s go back to the prior stops.

This is for Craig and Maureen – who were with us at Faro Blanco shortly after the resort opened for business, when Rodriguez Cigars was in the house,

and there was a beautiful wedding!

In Marathon, we were also within walking distance of CastAways, home of the huge hogfish – for Tom and Faye.

Perry Marina, Stock Island

It was recommended by new friends Doug and Natalia on PiraSea that we order chicken wings at the Perry Marina. Boater’s tip – during happy hour all food is 25% off, and several of the drinks are 50% off. Which I think causes us to eat and drink more for some ridiculous reason. I also recommend the wings, made with a dry rub of Old Bay, they WERE so delicious!

And the general atmosphere was great.

Good advice for emails, texts, blogs, and old fashioned letters!

Dry Tortugas National Park

10 minutes before the official sunrise, at 0630, we departed the Perry Marina in Key West.

Destination – Garden Key harbor, a popular anchorage at Fort Jefferson. The run is about 70 miles, at the pace of a turtle. We gladly followed Tonto’s Reward.

Capt Rick and I have been to the Dry Tortugas twice before, once with Jamie and David, and once with Maureen and Craig. Both times we rode the vomit comet, aka Yankee Freedom, Dry Tortugas Ferry. With a capacity of 250, rough waters equal a very unpleasant experience.

Capt Rick promised me we would only go on our boat if the water was smooth, but let me tell you I did NOT expect flat, calm water! I swear, this photo is NOT modified in any way.

We rafted off of Tonto’s Reward; that means they dropped an anchor, then we hitched together the two boats, carefully lining up the doorways for easy passage.

The boats were neatly snuggled together.

Fort Jefferson was a short dinghy ride from our anchorage.

You probably know that tortuga in Spanish is “turtle”; but did you know the Loggerhead Turtle weighs up to 440 lbs, proven by these crazy skulls, and it has a lifespan of up to 67 years.

A warm shout out to Commodore Connie B – thanks for the salty treat.

Bucket List Item: Anchor Out at the Dry Tortugas. Check. It was spectacular!!

Once again leaving at 0630 – have a mentioned how I am NOT a morning person – it was about an 8 or 9 hour run, getting us in while there was still staff to help us tie up.

Key West

Hello to A & B Marina on the Harbor Walk.

Deja Vu – nearby Cuban Coffee Queen was exactly the same – this is for David Hendry, who generously brought me coffee from there more than once!

More photos of key west

Hemingway moment – David B and Rick G shared a Papa Pilar Rum moment with Ernest.

While in Key West we added a fun new art piece, so Purple Pete is no longer lonely. Say hi to Ernie!

Sending POSITIVE energy to Craig and Maureen. Wish our trips together to Faro Blanco, Key West and the Tortugas had been this smooth. We plan to see you in LA in the near future. And, sending positive energy to Caryl for her long awaited knee surgery on Monday.

Celebrating Milestones

Birthdays: June 17, Harrison Wilder Bishop; June 22,

Happy Father’s Day on Sunday, June 21

What’s Next? Heading back to Perry’s Marina in Stock Island.