Tuesday, February 12, 2019

ESCAPE


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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