TIMING IS EVERYTHING
The weather
forecast appropriately called for a lot of snow and a lot of ice in the thriving
and lively Philadelphia suburb of Collegeville and had we lingered any longer our
escape to the warm climes of Florida would have probably been delayed by the
inclement and nasty weather. Turns out though we were early for our flight,
once boarded we were delayed by a self-indulged delusional passenger who
refused to put his seat up when asked repeatedly by the flight crew. His
insolence eventually forced the plane back to the gate and a visit by the
Philadelphia Police Department. Everyone had to deplane before five cops
escorted him off. As he shouted obscenities the gathered crowd at the gate
cheered.
With this
incident and the necessary de-icing our escape to Miami was delayed three
hours.
It was
worth the wait.
THE FLORIDA KEYS
Our
ultimate destination is Key West, the largest island in the Florida Keys archipelago;
a 120 mile stretch of tropical islands curving away from the south Florida
coast. We could have flown into Key West, but we wanted to explore and stop
along the way. Traveling through the Keys is as important as the destination. There
is much to see and do and we planned to take 3 days to drive its length, with a
two night stop to go diving at the Looe Key Dive Resort on Ramrod Key, so the
insanity of our departure did not impact us gravely. We had ample time on our
hands.
So, we
got a car. Always book a car ahead of time to save money, and sometimes it pays
to go through a foreign website to save some money, but never scrimp on the
insurance. It’s not worth the extra hassle while on a trip like this. And,
while in Florida it’s best to sign up for their EZ Pass when offered by the car
rental company. It seemed like a scam at first, but there are tolls everywhere
in the Miami area and no toll booths only scanners arching over the roadways,
so no chance to pay cash and there are no warnings that a toll is coming up.
Rather than pay a surcharge for each indiscretion it’s best to pay up front. We could have driven along city streets and
picked our way to Route 1, the main thoroughfare to Key West, but that would
have added over an hour to our already lengthy trip.
WHEN IN THE KEYS….
Despite
the distance, the speed limit is roughly 45 miles per hour. There’s such a big
mash up of people hurtling along and tourists and locals that Route 1 can be
treacherous if not careful so the lower speeds are good. In the upper keys like
Key Largo, Islamorada and Marathon there’s a lot of commerce and weaving from
drivers entering and exiting the road, while in the lower keys the endangered
Key Deer species are protected by lowered speed limits, especially at night and
is strictly enforced by the police.
We
stopped for lunch at the Sunrise Cuban Market and Café in Tavernier for some Café
Con Leche and Cuban Sandwiches. It’s a bit of a hole in the wall, but the staff
is friendly, the sandwiches are expansive and the coffee is strong. They also
sell cigars and there’s a full, if spare, market in the back.
LOOE KEY DIVE RESORT
Eons ago my
son and I went snorkeling with the Looe Key Dive Resort on Ramrod Key and now certified
as a scuba diver (Janet is Open Water) I wanted to return. Because we wanted to
spend some time in the keys before we got to Key West, I thought this would be
a great place to spend a few days..
Not only do
they have a dive shop they have a modest and modestly priced motel, a pool and a
vast Tiki Bar with dinner specials and bands playing every night. Our first
night the crowd was somewhat spare, but tonight (Tuesday) it’s Taco Night and
the place is brimming and the music is blaring. Lot’s of locals, many with their dogs lapping from the same beer as they or filching fries from their human’s
dishes. There’s a very convivial feel to the place, very low key and exactly
what one would expect from the Florida Keys. This is a wonderful escape from
the snows of home.
We dive
tomorrow.
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