MERRY CHRISTMAS!

What a difference a week makes

We arrived home on a cold clear sunny morning, since then we’ve had rain, hail, sleet, snow and icy nights!

While it’s great to be home, this time last week we were enjoying surf curling onto white sand beaches, blue skies, sunshine and 80F. 

Wish we could’ve brought that weather with us.

Ah well, time for a hot chocolate!

Have fun, we are!

Sanibel Island

Our last stop in Florida before we flew home was Sanibel Island.  The forecast was a bit iffy, but we lucked out and apart from two late afternoon showers the weather was fabulous.

Our hotel, Sunset Beach, one of the Inns of Sanibel, is lovely right on the beach, with a great pool, and lovely rooms.

A Sanibel Ordinance requires hotels to remove all beach furniture by 6.00 p.m each evening because of nesting turtles.

Lots of shells on the beaches.

 

 Horseshoe crab shell.

 The Ospreys still have a nest by the lighthouse.

Not to mention more fabulous sunsets. 

Have fun, we are!

Dry Tortugas National Park

We first visited the Dry Tortugas National Park many years ago and wondered if our return visit would live up to our expectations, it absolutely surpassed them.

Accessible only by boat or seaplane, the 7 islands that make up the Dry Tortugas National Park http://www.nps.gov/drto/index.htm are 70 miles west of Key West in the Gulf of Mexico in a protected marine area. 

 

This was our view of Garden Key and Fort Jefferson as we arrived on the National Park Ferry.

Fort Jefferson was used as a Union prison during the Civil War.   Dr Mudd, the physician who treated John Wilkes Booth after he assassinated President Lincoln was imprisoned here.

The only campground (in the trees) in the park is on Garden Key, it’s a very primitive campground and you really do pack it in and pack it out, including all your water.

We strolled the 6/10 of a mile round the moat and saw some lovely fish on the way round.

This is how the walls of the Fort looked until they were restored, unfortunately funding has run out so it is not known when restoration of the final wall will be completed.

The powder magazine.

The lighthouse on one of the bastions, there is also a path around the top of the fort.

   

Bush Key.

Have fun, we are!

Key West

Key West, as always, was simply fabulous, our hotel on Simonton Street, Best Western Plus, Hibiscus Motel was even nicer than the last time we stayed there.   Nearby and only 90 miles from Cuba is the Southernmost Point on the continental USA.

Fort Zachary State Park isn’t far away; we didn’t visit the Fort this time just spent a lazy day on the beach, admiring a huge yacht moored just off shore.

There are some fabulous boats in the harbour.

Near the harbour.

Along Duval Street.

And last, but not least, we saw some fabulous sunsets from Mallory Square.

Have fun, we are!

Sun, surf & railroads

Bahia Honda State Park about half way to Key West is absolutely gorgeous, we always spend a couple of hours enjoying the sun, sand and surf whenever we pass this way.

The remains of part of the Flagler Overseas Railroad are visible from one beach.  Henry Flagler and his wife arrived in Key West on the railroad on 22 January 1912, 3 days of celebrations followed.

Henry Flagler died at his home in May 1913, without him running the railroad bankruptcy was declared in 1932.   During a powerful hurricane on Labour Day in 1935, hundreds of people in Islamorada lost their lives and 40 miles of track were destroyed.  

The right of way was sold to the State of Florida for $640,000, and was modified into the present Overseas Highway which was opened in 1938. As well as a Florida Scenic Highway it is also classified as an All American Road.

Have fun, we are!

The best Key Lime milkshakes in the world!

I love milkshakes, I’ve had good, bad and truly dreadful, but at Robert Is Here Fruit Stand on the road between Florida City and Flamingo in Everglades National Park I think they make absolutely the best key lime milkshakes ever.

Lots of lovely fresh fruit and vegetables.

At the rear they have a small petting zoo and a splash pool area for kids.

There is also a rainbow eucalyptus tree a type of tree we’ve never seen before from a distance it looks no different than a normal eucalyptus tree.

But close up you can see all the different colours on the trunk.

The colours are caused as the tree grows and sheds layers of bark, http://eucalyptusdeglupta.com  has more information about the process.

Have fun, we are!