I'm sitting in a cafe in the Hampton's remembering Florida. Where does the time go?! I have a TON to catch up on. But first, Florida.
Did I mention putting on some serious miles in my last post? Because Atlanta to Key West was one heck of a drive! Especially in the rain.
We broke it up over three nights and four days to make it a little more enjoyable. Yet never-ending interstates, strip-mall after strip-mall and rain-so-hard we had to pull over on the highway (more than once) to wait it out made us question the whole enjoyable notion. Although as night two approached, we pulled into a state park about an hour south of Tampa, near the coast. The sun had finally come out and we were finally able to relax. After a few cocktails at a local bar on the docks, we enjoyed a quiet (and hot) evening at our campsite. We felt like we were in a jungle. Finally, this felt like Florida.
The next day we continued south and spent the early part of the afternoon in Naples, a great beach town right off the Gulf of Mexico. After an oil change and lunch, we headed to the beach and saw dolphins within minutes.
Naples was our turning point so from here we headed east and eventually south through the Everglades. Episodes of heavy rain, moments of sunshine and even a few alligator sightings made the drive feel like a true adventure. We made it all the way down to the Everglades National Park where the rain had eventually stopped and evening had approached.
Driving into the Everglades National Park in the early evening during off-season was a little erie. Not a soul on the road and by the time we made it to the campsite the sun had nearly set. Only one other camper resided in the vast, overgrown campground. Picnic tables were stacked one-on-top-of-the-other, bathrooms were locked and grass was nearly three feet tall. It was hot as hell and the mosquitos and dragonflies were so thick it was unbearable. No level of OFF! could stimulate an ease to the discomfort. But lucky for us, the electric hook-ups were operating. So we plugged in, turned the AC on high, cracked open a few beers and waited it out until the morning.
We made a few stops on our drive out and were lucky enough to catch sightings of many red-shouldered hawks and even a barred owl (very cool)! Not to mention the electric outlets the night before… You couldn't open one without at least a few frogs, a lizard and a creepy spider hanging out.
And now, finally, it was time to head to Key West! We were so excited. It felt like a vacation within our vacation (how spoiled are we?).
The Florida Keys are a series of tiny islands stretching for nearly 120 miles from the southern tip of Florida. Key West is the furthest south. It took us about three hours to drive from the very first key to Key West. And within minutes, you felt as if you were in a different country. Crystal clear, turquoise, calm waters surround you on all sides. The sun is intense and the air is heavy. Locals move on island time and chickens run the streets.
After checking into our rather simple campsite (where chickens AND iguanas ran freely) we grabbed our bikes and rode the three miles to town.
Like most tourists do when first arriving to Key West, we headed straight for Duval Street. For a Tuesday night, the street was PACKED! And not just busy, but packed packed. Open-aired bars and restaurants lined the streets. Live music played from nearly every corner. Vacationers were decked out and ready to party. It was a bit overwhelming at first, but like always, after a few cocktails you fit right in. We had a blast!
The next few days were spent biking into town, soaking up the sun, getting kite boarding tips from a local (unfortunately it wasn't windy enough to give it a shot), drinking mojitios, snorkeling, touring Hemingway's house and eating delicious Cuban food and seafood.
Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Isaac was developing a few hundred miles away.
Life continued as normal for the locals of Key West. Tourists even remained calm. In fact, NO ONE had spoke of or rather mentioned the threat of Issac. Family and friends would call and question our safety (thank you!) but to be honest, the threat was virtually nonexistent. Don't get me wrong, the weather report remained on at all times in bars and cafes, but no one actually paid attention. A joke would come up now and then, but nobody was serious.
It wasn't until day four of being on Key West when we finally saw someone boarding up their windows. Huh? Somebody actually is taking this seriously. Hmm...
The weather had began to change the night before. Storm clouds developed, growing heavy and dark. Rain came and went. Wind even began to pick up… a little. We knew it was time for us to make our way back towards the mainland. We drove half way and camped at a state park on Long Key. Our campsite was about eight feet from the ocean. There was absolutely nobody around. Perhaps the storm had caused everyone to stay far, far away. We had the place to ourselves.
The heavy clouds came and went, and the rain followed. It wasn't until late that night when the storm really picked up. Wind whipped around our camper and rain came down in buckets throughout the night. We were worried, but we also knew it was late on Friday and the potential hurricane was to attack on Sunday.
We woke first thing next morning (Saturday) to a park ranger hollering at us from outside the camper. The wind still rattled. It was time for us to go. The park was closing and the island had issued a 'visitors evacuation' for all travelers who were able to drive out of the Keys. We stayed calm. The forecast hadn't changed, and anything serious was to occur the following day. It rained incredibly hard that morning and took us hours to exit the islands.
As we know, Hurricane Isaac didn't develop until after blowing over the Keys as a tropical storm. Perhaps the locals were right. They have been through this before. Many, many times before. But for us, it was a first, and it was time for us to continue north. For it wasn't fear of our personal safety, but rather fear of destroying our camper and having to call it quits on such a grand adventure. We made the right choice to get out of dodge that day. Besides, we may have never returned home if it weren't for Isaac. The Keys were that spectacular.
We continued north on the east coast of Florida as fast as possible. After exiting the Keys that Saturday morning, we made our way to Miami by afternoon and had an unfortunately quick visit. We wanted to stay longer, but the storm seemed to follow and the wind and rain grew heavier.
It wasn't until the next day when we were finally able to relax. As the storm intensified, we traveled further and further away from it.
We made a few great stops as we traveled north. Including, Saint Augustine. Not only is Saint Augustine a super cute town, it is also home of the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, originally a Spanish fort.
Our stay in Florida ended just north of Jacksonville, where we camped off the ocean and witnessed an incredible sunset.
We have traveled a long, long way since Florida. I'll be working on my east coast post very soon! My apologies go out to our folks who have been patiently waiting for our long overdue updates.
Did I mention putting on some serious miles in my last post? Because Atlanta to Key West was one heck of a drive! Especially in the rain.
We broke it up over three nights and four days to make it a little more enjoyable. Yet never-ending interstates, strip-mall after strip-mall and rain-so-hard we had to pull over on the highway (more than once) to wait it out made us question the whole enjoyable notion. Although as night two approached, we pulled into a state park about an hour south of Tampa, near the coast. The sun had finally come out and we were finally able to relax. After a few cocktails at a local bar on the docks, we enjoyed a quiet (and hot) evening at our campsite. We felt like we were in a jungle. Finally, this felt like Florida.
The next day we continued south and spent the early part of the afternoon in Naples, a great beach town right off the Gulf of Mexico. After an oil change and lunch, we headed to the beach and saw dolphins within minutes.
Naples was our turning point so from here we headed east and eventually south through the Everglades. Episodes of heavy rain, moments of sunshine and even a few alligator sightings made the drive feel like a true adventure. We made it all the way down to the Everglades National Park where the rain had eventually stopped and evening had approached.
Driving into the Everglades National Park in the early evening during off-season was a little erie. Not a soul on the road and by the time we made it to the campsite the sun had nearly set. Only one other camper resided in the vast, overgrown campground. Picnic tables were stacked one-on-top-of-the-other, bathrooms were locked and grass was nearly three feet tall. It was hot as hell and the mosquitos and dragonflies were so thick it was unbearable. No level of OFF! could stimulate an ease to the discomfort. But lucky for us, the electric hook-ups were operating. So we plugged in, turned the AC on high, cracked open a few beers and waited it out until the morning.
We made a few stops on our drive out and were lucky enough to catch sightings of many red-shouldered hawks and even a barred owl (very cool)! Not to mention the electric outlets the night before… You couldn't open one without at least a few frogs, a lizard and a creepy spider hanging out.
And now, finally, it was time to head to Key West! We were so excited. It felt like a vacation within our vacation (how spoiled are we?).
The Florida Keys are a series of tiny islands stretching for nearly 120 miles from the southern tip of Florida. Key West is the furthest south. It took us about three hours to drive from the very first key to Key West. And within minutes, you felt as if you were in a different country. Crystal clear, turquoise, calm waters surround you on all sides. The sun is intense and the air is heavy. Locals move on island time and chickens run the streets.
After checking into our rather simple campsite (where chickens AND iguanas ran freely) we grabbed our bikes and rode the three miles to town.
Like most tourists do when first arriving to Key West, we headed straight for Duval Street. For a Tuesday night, the street was PACKED! And not just busy, but packed packed. Open-aired bars and restaurants lined the streets. Live music played from nearly every corner. Vacationers were decked out and ready to party. It was a bit overwhelming at first, but like always, after a few cocktails you fit right in. We had a blast!
The next few days were spent biking into town, soaking up the sun, getting kite boarding tips from a local (unfortunately it wasn't windy enough to give it a shot), drinking mojitios, snorkeling, touring Hemingway's house and eating delicious Cuban food and seafood.
Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Isaac was developing a few hundred miles away.
Life continued as normal for the locals of Key West. Tourists even remained calm. In fact, NO ONE had spoke of or rather mentioned the threat of Issac. Family and friends would call and question our safety (thank you!) but to be honest, the threat was virtually nonexistent. Don't get me wrong, the weather report remained on at all times in bars and cafes, but no one actually paid attention. A joke would come up now and then, but nobody was serious.
It wasn't until day four of being on Key West when we finally saw someone boarding up their windows. Huh? Somebody actually is taking this seriously. Hmm...
The weather had began to change the night before. Storm clouds developed, growing heavy and dark. Rain came and went. Wind even began to pick up… a little. We knew it was time for us to make our way back towards the mainland. We drove half way and camped at a state park on Long Key. Our campsite was about eight feet from the ocean. There was absolutely nobody around. Perhaps the storm had caused everyone to stay far, far away. We had the place to ourselves.
The heavy clouds came and went, and the rain followed. It wasn't until late that night when the storm really picked up. Wind whipped around our camper and rain came down in buckets throughout the night. We were worried, but we also knew it was late on Friday and the potential hurricane was to attack on Sunday.
We woke first thing next morning (Saturday) to a park ranger hollering at us from outside the camper. The wind still rattled. It was time for us to go. The park was closing and the island had issued a 'visitors evacuation' for all travelers who were able to drive out of the Keys. We stayed calm. The forecast hadn't changed, and anything serious was to occur the following day. It rained incredibly hard that morning and took us hours to exit the islands.
As we know, Hurricane Isaac didn't develop until after blowing over the Keys as a tropical storm. Perhaps the locals were right. They have been through this before. Many, many times before. But for us, it was a first, and it was time for us to continue north. For it wasn't fear of our personal safety, but rather fear of destroying our camper and having to call it quits on such a grand adventure. We made the right choice to get out of dodge that day. Besides, we may have never returned home if it weren't for Isaac. The Keys were that spectacular.
We continued north on the east coast of Florida as fast as possible. After exiting the Keys that Saturday morning, we made our way to Miami by afternoon and had an unfortunately quick visit. We wanted to stay longer, but the storm seemed to follow and the wind and rain grew heavier.
It wasn't until the next day when we were finally able to relax. As the storm intensified, we traveled further and further away from it.
We made a few great stops as we traveled north. Including, Saint Augustine. Not only is Saint Augustine a super cute town, it is also home of the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument, originally a Spanish fort.
Our stay in Florida ended just north of Jacksonville, where we camped off the ocean and witnessed an incredible sunset.
We have traveled a long, long way since Florida. I'll be working on my east coast post very soon! My apologies go out to our folks who have been patiently waiting for our long overdue updates.
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