The Florida Keys

     A couple weeks ago Eldon took 2 days off and we headed to the Keys. We planned carefully so that we could see what was high on our list in a crazy short time without breaking the bank. It was smashing success and we came home with many great memories and tons of pictures. 

     We left around 6 Wednesday morning and made it to John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park on Key Largo right as the gates were opening. Our glass-bottomed boat didn't leave until 9 so we used our extra time to stroll down a short trail. 

An old citrus orchard

On our boat, headed out to the Atlantic.

Most passengers went below to get out of the wind and sea spray. 

But not these guys! It was their favorite part!

We all took a dramamine to combat seasickness and didn't think to only give Ethan a half so the poor guy was a bit drowsy most of the time.

The different shades of blue were so beautiful. 

 Shark!

We floated along the reef for 45 minutes and saw lots of coral and  and cool fish.

Makayla and Michael enjoying the reef. 

     There was 3-5 foot waves so once we slowed down at the reef, it was a rough ride. Our crew was wonderful and gave strict instructions multiple times what to do should we feel the slightest bit ill. Under no circumstances should you go into the bathroom if you feel like you will vomit, just head to the upper deck because the fresh air will make you feel better. And if it doesn't, it's easier to throw a bucket of water and clean the deck then to clean up a bathroom 😜. They handed out peppermints, barf bags, and ice packs freely. Amazingly, I only saw 1 person throw up (my son, of course) but there was a couple other very green faces. They made our tour extremely enjoyable.

More fish!

Ethan wanted a picture but it was so bright.

      Our next stop was the Laura Quinn Wild Bird Sanctuary, also on Key Largo. This place was small but had great signage along the self-guided walking tour. All of the birds had been injured and brought here to heal. There was no admission fee but donations were appreciated.

Several owls were here.

 

The pelicans were fun to watch.

 

A trail led to the Gulf of Mexico. 

Strange trees grow around here!

Eldon spotted a stingray!

We felt like tourist, with all the palm tree pictures!

I tried to take a picture but Ethan ran after a bird.....

.....and then Emily spotted a lizard 😊.

....because boys must throw rocks into water.

      Our motel was on Marathon (near the middle of the islands) so headed to Sombrero Beach until we could check in. They had a playground there as well so we went back for the evening, after we rested awhile. The heat and humidity was a bit oppressive.

Michael loves to see how far out he can go and still touch.

Makayla collected dozens of tiny shells. 

 

Eating supper back at the motel.

     The cheapest motel we could find was still over $200 but, it was old and therefore had huge rooms and a full kitchen. We took a cooler full of fun microwave type food and saved a heap of money that way too. It was so much more relaxing than trying to eat out the whole time.

Thursday morning we headed out by 7 and made it to Key West before the crowds!

 

This wasn't even on our bucket list since it looked so impossible but we made it!

My friend has cricut and made us these awesome shirts!

All wearing their favorite colors.

     Our last stop on Key West was the Eco Discovery Center. We learned a lot and had fun watching the fish but it was field trip day for the elementary school so we didn't linger there.

A model of the underwater science center.

We identified all the fish in this tank!

     For some silly reason I always assumed that we would be driving on bridges for miles and miles between islands. Other then the 7 mile bridge, it wasn't that many at all! We were also amazed how very shallow the ocean was at many places.

7 mile bridge.

      We spent a few hours at the National Key Deer Refuge. The visitor center was new and had fun exhibits that the kids loved.

Full size Key Deer.

Microscopes are a new favorite thing!

The touch table is always a hit.

We went on several short hikes.

This turtle was smaller than my hand-so cute!

We finally spotted a Key Deer. She came trotting right up to us, expecting to be fed. 

 

The islands were connected by railway first, then roads.

 

Our splurge of the trip was chocolate covered key lime pie on a stick. So good!

        On the way home, we stopped at Buffalo Wild Wings for supper because it was Thursday and who doesn't love buy one get one free?! Our conclusion was that even though we had a great time, it's certainly not high on our list of places to go back to soon. Gorgeous, but too bustling to be relaxing.

Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, Florida

      This place might have a ridiculously long name but the visitor's center was fantastic! They had more interactive exhibits then many National Parks and we learned a lot right there.

     A really cool one was a virtual airboat tour. We loaded up and the guide appeared on the screen in front of us and took us with him out through the wetlands. Anytime we were driving the wind was blowing in our face, which really enhanced the experience!

The children loved the alligators we saw on screen!

      This exhibit had old-fashioned telephones that would "talk" to the children about the Everglades. They could choose to hear the perspective of different people throughout the last hundred years, or from different plants and animals.

I really think they just like the phones!

      My favorite was the night sounds room. We walked in and the lights went out and it was as if we were walking with a father and son. As he told his son what the different night sounds were, that certain animal or bird would appear lit up on the side. It was very life-like and we certainly learned a lot!

The Everglades at night.

Next up: hiking!

Cypress trees are just amazing.

Ferns are growing everywhere!

Spanish Moss is an air plant. It has no roots, just gets all it needs from the air!

Again, boardwalks to keep us out of the swamp.

Lots of turtles.

The Ranger's took us out and showed us some baby alligators. It's nearly impossible to see but you can see a few right behind the bird.

A heron stalking his lunch.

Right in front of the yellow leaf is an alligator.

A canal running through the Refuge.

Another gator in the canal.

This lovely bird posed for us as we finished up our second trail.

     We had a grand time strolling around and getting another 2 miles of hiking on our calendar. A few children did think they might die from the heat but happily, there were no casualties 😜. 

 

     Afterwards we headed to Burger King since they have a great deal going on right now. For $4 you get a bacon cheeseburger, 4 nuggets, fries, a drink, and a cookie. I get nothing for sharing that information except the satisfaction of sharing a good deal 😀. As we were eating an older gentleman came over and put an arm on both Eldon and I and told us how much he enjoyed seeing our family. He said that someday it will be the kids paying for our meal and it won't be at any Burger King either. He assured us that the bumps in the road are all worth it. Needless to say, he made our day!