I’m never coming home

Sugarloaf Key, FL

After only one night in the Keys I’m already thinking that Jimmy Buffet and Hemingway were on the right track. And I think it’s the first time on this trip that I’ve made myself a second cup of tea to sit in the shade and just enjoy it. Well, and write my blog, which I didn’t do last night.

Yesterday I left Davie and headed south on Interstate 75 and then the Ronald Reagan Turnpike to State Highway 1 South. Once on to Highway 1 there was no need to watch my GPS as there wasn’t really any doubt or choice about which way to go. I don’t know how many Keys there are, but I crossed from one key to another on causeway after causeway including the famous 7 Mile Bridge to my KOA home for the next week or so on Sugarloaf Key.

As soon as I hit Key Largo, the colour palette of both the natural world and the man-made one changed to the most glorious aquamarine, blues and greens. Houses and businesses took on pastel tropical colours and even the cement block highway dividers were painted an aquamarine shade and the Ace Hardware was painted in lovely pastel blues and greens rather than the usual corporate colours.

The traffic slowed down, due to the “island time” influence I’m sure, but also due to the sheer volume and the limited roadways. Retail stores, restaurants and especially “Official Tourist Information” places (really shops trying to sell you tickets to attractions, etc) are liberally sprinkled along the way. Yet there was surprisingly a lot of undeveloped land, and lots of State Parks to keep it that way. Often where bridges had to be replaced (and that is frequent) they have created fishing bridges out of the old ones which were swarming with fishers and walkers of all ages.

I won the lottery of the camp sites here. It’s a perfect spot with no one to the side where my picnic table is located with shade from three lovely trees but sun if I want it. It’s right next to the very new washroom/laundry area and just a 50 step walk to the beach or pool/restaurant/bar area. And the wifi is not bad at all. I may extend my visit here, even though it will mean moving sites during my stay, something I’m loath to do.

After setting up camp and having some pool time to chill, I headed into Key West (sans camera) to see what I could see without worrying about parking, etc. I was struck by how much larger the historic, and now tourist, area is compared to what I expected. But the amount of traffic and the number of people I had imagined was true to life and is crazy. I managed to find a 30 minute parking spot and briefly walked past many of the things and places I’d heard about and got my first piece of much anticipated Key Lime Pie. On the way back to Sugarloaf Key, coming off of Key West, the traffic was at a dead standstill. Half an hour later, when it started to slowly move the reason became evident, a really bad accident on Highway 1 at a spot where there were no alternatives to get around the scene. A small red sports car looked like it had rolled and there was a huge SUV involved as well. A reminder, once again, to be careful.

You might not hear from me for a few days, as I think the island charm may come over me but:
(with apologies to Jimmy Buffet)

Don’t know the reason,
I’ll stay here all season,
With nothing to show, not a brand new tattoo.
There’s booze in the blender,
and soon it will render
That frozen concoction that helps me hang on.