We started our trip by driving to North Port, FL. It is north of Fort Myers on the gulf side of Florida. We went there to visit Kraig's Aunt Mary Ann and Uncle Ivan. We got there just in time to go out to eat with them and a few of their friends. We ended up eating at (I cant remember, Aunt Mary Ann you will have to help me with that one). I had pot roast, and I do not know what it is was... but it was the best pot roast ever! For dessert, I had rice pudding.. just like at the good old Prime Table. We had fun eating out. Kraig made a new best friend because he found that one of the men loves Las Vegas as much as he does. Everyone was very interesting and nice. After dinner we headed home. Uncle Ivan cracks me up. Kraig told him that he was going the wrong way out of the restaurant and he told Kraig, "which ever way I go is the right way." I just think he is funny. We all sat around, talked and watched tv together for the rest of the night.
The next day, we woke up to a french toast breakfast and then headed out to Venice, FL. It is a beach city that is considered the "Sharktooth Capital of the World." Keeping this in mind, you might be able to guess what we did. We went to the beach by the Venice Fishing Pier and hunted fossilized shark teeth. We rented a metal scoop/sifter from a shop on the pier (its called a Florida snow shovel). Then we headed down to the water. It was a beautiful sunny day, and the water was really clear. We used the sifter to scoop up big piles of shells and dirt from where the beach drops off and the surf hits. We found a lot of nice sea shells and a lot of shark teeth! The teeth are black because they have turned to stone and can be millions of years old. We found at least 20 of varying sizes. It was a really fun way to spend the day at the beach.
That night, we went back to his family's house. Aunt Mary Ann cooked lasagna, and it was excellent! I had at least 2 servings... I cannot turn down good pasta. I also got to meet Kraig's cousins- Charlene and Pete. They were very friendly and it was nice sharing dinner with them. I fell asleep early that night because I found myself to be quite sunburned from our beach outing!
In the morning we had breakfast at Perkins and said our goodbyes. We had a really nice visit and were kind of sad to leave! Aunt Mary Ann is so nice and sweet and well, Ivan- I cant get enough of him because he is so funny! We were really happy that we were able to come and stay with them. However, we had to leave early because we were heading to Key Largo that day.
Part 2 The Keys
We drove over I-75 through the Everglades to get down to the Keys. It wasn't much to see- just swampland, and we are yet to see any alligators. The weirdest thing is that people just randomly stop along the highway and fish in any swamp/pond that they feel like! We made it to Key Largo and checked into our hotel, the Key Largo Resort at Manatee Bay.
It was the nicest place that we have ever stayed. It was tropical-themed, had a pool and a mini beach, a bar that was not open, and a walk-in glass-walled shower in the room! That evening, we went through some of the touristy shops and dive shops and went out to dinner. We got to Key Largo just slightly too late to go on any snorkeling tours so we just kicked back. We were also too far from Key West to do anything there. When I booked the room, I did not realize there was still 100 miles to go to Key West! Oh well. That night we ate at Hobo's Cafe. We sat at the bar and started talking to the people sitting next to us- Jim and Linda. As it turned out, they were staying at the same hotel as us AND staying in the room next door! We hung out with them on their patio that evening and had a good time.
The next morning, we made the drive to Key West! It was beautiful! I love all of the bridges and skinny stretches of land. The water is so clear and blue that I wanted to swim to Key West instead! Once we got there, we went to Mallory Square and went out on a boat trip. Of course, the day we were there, it was very cloudy and colder than usual- 65-70 degrees.
Our trip was a combination dolphin/snorkeling tour. We were supposed to get to swim with the wild dolphins but did not. I think we may have been swindled. Oh well, I did end up sighting a couple of dolphins that upon closer inspection, ended up being a pod of 6 dolphins. They seemed to be sleeping. They swam right under our boat and we got a really good view! We watched them for at least an hour. Oh yah, I also dropped my water camera into the water. I thought that it had sunk and would never be return. However, another tour boat found it floating and picked it up for us! They radioed to us and I got it back. I was happy because my snorkeling pictures from the week before were on it. (In the end though, it did not matter, because the camera was crap and none of the pictures came out anyway)
After the dolphins swam off, we went to a little coral reef. Nobody wanted to get in the water since it seemed so cold and windy, except for me. I jumped in and talked everyone else into coming in too. ha! I am sneaky. I said that the water was warm, but after 10 minutes it definitely was not! We saw some cool fish- some blue and butterfly angelfish and stacks of corals. Kraig found some queen conch shells too.
After that, we headed back to shore. We then walked up and down the shops on Duvall Street and stood at the "southernmost point in the Continental US." We ate dinner and then made the drive back to Key Largo as the sun was setting.
In the morning, which was my birthday, we saw a manatee from the beach at our hotel. It was my first manatee sighting during our time in Florida and Kraig's first wild manatee sighting ever! We headed for home and stopped at the Everglades Alligator Farm in Homestead, FL on the way. This place breeds alligators for their meat and skin to sell so that the wild alligators are spared and not hunted. Kraig and I both got to hold a baby alligator. He was about 1.5 feet long. We tried to get them to untape the jaws for us, but they wouldn't! We got back to our apartment later that evening. I definitely want to go back to the keys and rent a condo for a week or so. I fell in love with it down there! So much water!
It was the nicest place that we have ever stayed. It was tropical-themed, had a pool and a mini beach, a bar that was not open, and a walk-in glass-walled shower in the room! That evening, we went through some of the touristy shops and dive shops and went out to dinner. We got to Key Largo just slightly too late to go on any snorkeling tours so we just kicked back. We were also too far from Key West to do anything there. When I booked the room, I did not realize there was still 100 miles to go to Key West! Oh well. That night we ate at Hobo's Cafe. We sat at the bar and started talking to the people sitting next to us- Jim and Linda. As it turned out, they were staying at the same hotel as us AND staying in the room next door! We hung out with them on their patio that evening and had a good time.
The next morning, we made the drive to Key West! It was beautiful! I love all of the bridges and skinny stretches of land. The water is so clear and blue that I wanted to swim to Key West instead! Once we got there, we went to Mallory Square and went out on a boat trip. Of course, the day we were there, it was very cloudy and colder than usual- 65-70 degrees.
Our trip was a combination dolphin/snorkeling tour. We were supposed to get to swim with the wild dolphins but did not. I think we may have been swindled. Oh well, I did end up sighting a couple of dolphins that upon closer inspection, ended up being a pod of 6 dolphins. They seemed to be sleeping. They swam right under our boat and we got a really good view! We watched them for at least an hour. Oh yah, I also dropped my water camera into the water. I thought that it had sunk and would never be return. However, another tour boat found it floating and picked it up for us! They radioed to us and I got it back. I was happy because my snorkeling pictures from the week before were on it. (In the end though, it did not matter, because the camera was crap and none of the pictures came out anyway)
After the dolphins swam off, we went to a little coral reef. Nobody wanted to get in the water since it seemed so cold and windy, except for me. I jumped in and talked everyone else into coming in too. ha! I am sneaky. I said that the water was warm, but after 10 minutes it definitely was not! We saw some cool fish- some blue and butterfly angelfish and stacks of corals. Kraig found some queen conch shells too.
After that, we headed back to shore. We then walked up and down the shops on Duvall Street and stood at the "southernmost point in the Continental US." We ate dinner and then made the drive back to Key Largo as the sun was setting.
In the morning, which was my birthday, we saw a manatee from the beach at our hotel. It was my first manatee sighting during our time in Florida and Kraig's first wild manatee sighting ever! We headed for home and stopped at the Everglades Alligator Farm in Homestead, FL on the way. This place breeds alligators for their meat and skin to sell so that the wild alligators are spared and not hunted. Kraig and I both got to hold a baby alligator. He was about 1.5 feet long. We tried to get them to untape the jaws for us, but they wouldn't! We got back to our apartment later that evening. I definitely want to go back to the keys and rent a condo for a week or so. I fell in love with it down there! So much water!
No comments:
Post a Comment