​​We are now officially on island time.

Although we were excited to get south to Key West we were not in a big hurry. The island wasn't going anywhere and besides, the overseas highway is mostly a 2 lane road so you travel along with everyone else at the speed the lead vehicle chooses. It took about 2 hours from Key Largo to Key West and upon arrival I took Angie on a tour of town before we checked into our hotel. We bravely drove down Duval Street past Margaritaville and Sloppy Joe's, got lost, and somehow ended up at the southernmost point in the USA marker buoy. Fighting crowds and traffic all the way... So what...chill...turn up the Island music and kick back. After all, WE ARE, on island time mon.

We tried to get to a beach but it was so windy and rough one could not get close to the water line. So, after a couple of days exploring the Cocoa Beach area and visiting with Cindy it was time to pack it up and head south. Next stop, Key Largo. The thing about driving on the interstate and Turnpikes in Florida is you better be ready to drive fast and aggressive. If you like to drive at 70 or 75 stay in the slow lane because 90 mph seems to be the norm. Here is also where we learned of the Florida Turnpike leading to the Ronald Reagan Turnpike which is a toll collecting express route ending in Florida City. You will need a "Sun Pass" to save on tolls but still with the pass it was almost $15.00 to travel south through Miami to Florida City, the last town before crossing into the Keys. Leaving the Turnpike and picking up US1, the Overseas Highway, Angie and I were getting pretty excited to get into Key Largo. I had made advance reservations at a quaint little resort on the bay side of Key Largo called the Seafarer Resort and Sandy Beach. Nice and quiet, inexpensive and a very lovely beach. Key Largo was a large reason for our trip because we were scheduled to meet with the owners of a boatyard and have Angie run the travel lift and I take over the administrative work for the yard. It would have worked but we could not find anywhere to live that was affordable. That's what prompted our attention to the Ft. Myers area. Anyway, while staying in Key Largo we found a restaurant at mile marker 83 in Islamorada called Wahoo's Bar & Grill where the food, service and adult beverages were over the top!! In all of the restaurants we visited in Florida, Wahoo's had the BEST key lime pie homemade right there in house. Yummm!

​Next Stop Key West...

It all started as a vacation Angie has never had. She just never has been able to get out of Gloucester Point. We planned a 2 week trip early in September 2016, renting a car and driving to Key West. The first day we drove to Myrtle Beach (with no accommodations reservation) thinking we would just wing it. Pretty stupid because I did not take into account that it was Labor Day weekend. We did shop around for awhile and the cheapest we found was a room in a high rise with the cost north of $350.00. After a quiet night we left early the next morning bound for Florida.

​​After a couple of days in Key West we were ready to start our trip back north. After breakfast we got onto the Overseas Highway (US 1) north bound for Key Largo. We wanted to visit the yard once more and look into some housing ideas and get some realtor contact info. Leaving Key Largo we headed to the mainland bound for a visit with friends in Ft. Myers on the west coast. Upon arrival in the Ft. Myers ares we learned our friends were unavailable for medical reasons. Hummm...what to do now??? Indian Rocks Beach is just 2 hours north so off we go. I wanted to show Angie where my brother Ron and I rented a beach house a few years ago. Trying to find the condo manager  I knew from long ago, I learned he had passed away and the condo was no longer for rent. Hummm...what to do now??? Let's continue north and visit my niece Vicki in Clearwater. It's now early evening and finding accommodations in Clearwater Beach is going to be difficult. After driving around the high rise resorts and finding the rates stupid expensive for a walk-in we decided to head inland to see what we could find. Going over the route 60 causeway I spotted a neat little bright yellow motel on the inter-coastal waterway called the Barefoot Bay Resort. I called them and they were very responsive telling us to come and stay. We could not have picked a better place to stay for the money. Our accommodations were clean, cool, close to the pool and better yet, none of the stuffy attitude we found with the high rise offerings.