Blog#31-Got Company!!
Couldn’t sleep worth a damn last night. Too anxious about missing the alarm and being late to pick up my kin. I have been gone from home and have not seen my espouso in 5 weeks.
Picked up Brian at FLL without a hitch, then drove to Miami (after getting some breakfast-big surprise), and arrived at the same time Amelia texted that she had landed. Fit her into my gypsy wagon, my bed mattress obscuring her view, and off we headed to Key West, after another food stop at Starbucks. Amelia had a gift card and she is not one to squander such gifts. A beautiful day, even though it was a short night for all of us. Brian was cold on his flight and his back was hurting, Amelia was on a cheap flight on Frontier Airlines and her seat would not recline. Plus a child was crying the entire long flight.They both fell asleep through the Keys, Brian fighting it and doing the old head bob. Amelia made no attempt to fight it. That girl could sleep on a swing.
At the bird rescue
In the Keys enroute to Key West.
We made a brief stop at a bird rescue/rehab place where Amelia and I, along with my sister who-shall-not-be-named and my cousin’s daughter, Hanorah, had been on our trip here a few years back.
Brian and Amelia off ahead as usual
We also stopped so Amelia could get to the water and Brian and I could bird.
She has on her bucket list to be bitten by a shark.
We checked in to our expensive hotel (I made Brian pay) and layed down for naps. After getting refreshed, we were up and off to the Southernmost Point and on to Duval Street to watch sunset and see the action. What a place. I was worried that Brian would not like it–he wanted to go birding and I explained that Key West is not exactly the place for that. It’s a people watching event.
Cocktails at sunset
Brian spotted these skimmers from Mallory Square
We walked through all the pubs/oyster houses/restaurants/shops to Mallory Square, where despite his reluctance, Brian did watch some of the street performers. We had some ceviche and a cocktail on the waterfront and watched all the boats going out into the bay to watch the sunset. It was fun, although the sunset was hidden behind a big bank of clouds. Next time…
One of the boats going out to watch the suset. What a hoot.
We continued on in search of a restaurant that looked good for seafood, but also one that had the NCAA semi finals on screen. (Amelia was in a pool and if Michigan lost and Villa Nova won, she’d be in contention for the big money).
Sunset from Key West
We left Mallory Square and walked a few blocks to the harbour, where the pubs were not so busy. Meaning it wasn’t shoulder to shoulder people, but still plenty. We ate dinner at the bar-sitting next to some folks from Michigan. They were fast to give the disclaimer, “Northern Michigan”. Food was good-we tried cracked conch, which means the meat has been removed from the shell, and in this case, lightly battered and fried. The Michigan folks recommended it-they live in Key West now, and said our restaurant made it the best in town. It was denser than calamari, not fishy. Very good, but we Salazars concurred that it needed a lemon garlic aioli sauce instead of the fruit/ginger sauce that it was served with. The main meal was excellent.
We walked back to where we had left the car–a fair ways back, because we’re too cheap to pay for parking. A good day was had.