Jet Skiing around Key West

Today we rode jet skis all the way around Key West and then some. This was not one of those easy riding, watch your speed kind of tours it was much more of a high energy thrill-seeking adventure! First, we played in the gulf waters to get to know our sea doo personal watercrafts; maybe I took a turn too sharp when I flipped and flew into the water - loving every second of it!  Then we started the 28 mile tour around the island at pretty fast speeds, on the gulf side it was swift and fun but when we got to the open ocean it became really exciting, we were way off-shore in the deep ocean and the wave were wild and huge!

Key West... Cool Island Vibe

We came to Key West for some relaxing, kicked-back beach time and we are getting plenty of that. But one thing we didn't know about Key West is it's ultra cool island vibe, this place feels like no other; you are in a constant state of 'laid-back chill'. I don't know if I've ever been more relaxed on a vacation before, we are truly living on 'island time' here.

Walking along the beaches (our favorite is on Boca Chica) and snorkeling in the turquoise colored waters; strolling along the cottage lined streets and visiting many restaurants and bars to enjoy cool drinks and good eats. We are loving the 'no worries, laid-back' culture.

And at the end of each day we enjoy a wonderful sunset.

Basilica of Saint Mary Star of the Sea

We plan to visit a few different churches here on Key West.

Today we went to the Basilica of Saint Mary Star of the Sea, the church and people are lovely and their grounds are interesting and beautiful.

We prayed in the historic Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes and visited the stations in the lush Station of the Cross Garden. We walked the rosary path - they designed a wonderful large rosary made from paver stones on the lawn.

Lobster Fest

The Lobster Fest marks the beginning of Key West lobster season for fishing.













We,lobster lovers, celebrated everything lobster with concerts, great food, and a big summertime party. The restaurants were cooking up tons of lobster: lobster tacos, lobster rolls, lobster mac 'n cheese, and our favorite - lobster on a stick!

Boca Chica

We went to the Naval Air Station Boca Chica Field to go to the beach by the marina. This place is wonderful for swimming, snorkeling and paddle boarding! We saw barracuda and eel.

We stopped by The Stoned Crab for dinner. John had the crab cakes which were very good and I wanted to try a Florida lobster so I ordered the boil pot with FL lobster, crabs and shrimp - it was all delicious - I like FL lobsters.  The best part of dinner was an engaging conversation we had with the couple at the next table - they flew in from Washington state for a 3 day get-a-way and they could not get over the amazing island vibe of Key West. There is a certain laid-back and happy feeling here - we love it!

Key West: Southern Most Point

After a swim in the gulf, we went to the Southern Most Point and walked around.  

 

 

We ended the day with some good Mexican food at Chico's.

Full-Hookup

A full service RV spot opened, so after swimming in the gulf we moved the

coach. The view from the new location does not come close to the amazing water views from the dry-camping lot but later that day a couple of RVs moved out and the view got much better. This new lot has plenty of trees and is cool in the afternoon, we setup a few chairs and became acquainted with the friendly neighbors.

Swimming in the Gulf

Back when I was a kid, I went to the Florida keys on a family vacation and have wonderful memories of that trip.  A few years ago, John and I stopped at Key West for a day on a cruise ship port-stop. With the limited time,  we were only able to enjoy a little shopping, a quick tour of the island, yummy Margaritaville burgers, and a cold beer at Sloppy Joe's. It was a good port-stop, but we knew we wanted to return when we had more time to kick back, chill out, and truly live the Key West vibe. We have returned and this time we are staying for one full month!

Today we walked out the door and swam in the gulf directly outside of our RV.  We spent all day in or by the water - a truly kicked back, chilled out day. Nice. 

Key West, FL

Today we drove to Key West! We pulled out of Cocoa Beach around 9am and it was a smooth drive on I-95 and US-1; arriving on Key West at Sigsbee Naval Base around 5:30pm.

All the full hook-up RV spots were taken so we parked at the dry-camp overflow lot which is absolutely beautiful - right on the water!

New Animal Kingdom ride: Pandora's 'Flight of Passage'.

We spent the month of July at Patrick AFB enjoying the beach and seeing family. The first week of August we stayed at a resort just outside of Disney World and we spent four days at four Disney parks. 

We are big Disney fans and enjoyed all four days. The highlight was riding the new Animal Kingdom ride: Pandora's Flight of Passage.  We love EPCOT's Soarin' ride and heard this new ride may be a lot like that. It is not. The new ride is so much better! Each rider wears 3-D glasses and sits on a moterbike-like seat and a back support rises up from behind. The 4.5 minute ride begins with a large screen that simulates you are riding a banshee as it quickly flies down the side of a beautiful mountain. Disney truly knew what they were doing when they designed this amazing simulator, very intense and immersive! You can even feel your banshee breath as you are riding on it's back flying high, flying low, through jungles and over oceans. This is the best ride ever!