Wednesday, February 27, 2008
We landed
Did someone forget to turn the heat on? We arrived to temperatures in the 50's! Reta, book our next destination somewhere warm.
Last night in Paradise
As we are cleaning up and putting the boat back together, we look back at the great places we've been to and the memories made. Once you see the pictures you'll understand our excitement about the Abacos islands in the Bahamas.
We have learned a few things on sailing that we will try and carry over into RV'ing. Such as:
1) I'm getting some bumpers to tie along the sides of RH to prevent flower pots from scratching it.
2) There are more knots than the square knot. We learned the clove hitch, bow line, figure eight, and a couple more that I don't know the names for.
3) The terms dinghy and wench refer to parts on a boat and not a person.
4) The Captain makes all the decisions on the boat but the Admiral, she has the last say.
5) When casting a fishing line off the back of the boat, check to make sure the dinghy isn't tied up there. I managed to hook it and luckly didn't pop it.
We have learned a few things on sailing that we will try and carry over into RV'ing. Such as:
1) I'm getting some bumpers to tie along the sides of RH to prevent flower pots from scratching it.
2) There are more knots than the square knot. We learned the clove hitch, bow line, figure eight, and a couple more that I don't know the names for.
3) The terms dinghy and wench refer to parts on a boat and not a person.
4) The Captain makes all the decisions on the boat but the Admiral, she has the last say.
5) When casting a fishing line off the back of the boat, check to make sure the dinghy isn't tied up there. I managed to hook it and luckly didn't pop it.
Just a few items that come to mind.
As sad as we are to leave such a beautiful place we are also excited to get back and continue our trip. We have been throwing ideas at each other as to where we want to go next. Nothing decided yet. We'll see when we get there! Hopefully the next entry we be from state side. Have to get back on the prop plane to fly over the pond first.
Goodbye Bahamas!
Monday, February 25, 2008
I'll Have Seconds
Another great time scuba diving today. We hit two different dive sites with the second being our deepest dive. We went 70 ft and to welcome us there were 4 reef tip sharks waiting for us, just swimming in circles above us. No where to run at that depth.
Captain Keith took a couple of rocks and started banging them together and it made the sharks more curious and also brought more fish out. Not to be left out I did the same. Short while later I had a Grouper in my hands that was about 2 1/2 ft and I was scratching his belly and bringing him up to my mask for closer inspection. Reta was off swimming with Snappers, chasing them around. When I would look her way she would always be surrounded by fish. My little own mermaid.
Captain Keith had a very nice under water camera and took some great pictures. He's burning a CD so I will post pictures at some point.
Tonight we are hanging out on the boat and watching a movie. Two days of swimming has taken a lot out of us. Don't say it...we're getting old.
Captain Keith took a couple of rocks and started banging them together and it made the sharks more curious and also brought more fish out. Not to be left out I did the same. Short while later I had a Grouper in my hands that was about 2 1/2 ft and I was scratching his belly and bringing him up to my mask for closer inspection. Reta was off swimming with Snappers, chasing them around. When I would look her way she would always be surrounded by fish. My little own mermaid.
Captain Keith had a very nice under water camera and took some great pictures. He's burning a CD so I will post pictures at some point.
Tonight we are hanging out on the boat and watching a movie. Two days of swimming has taken a lot out of us. Don't say it...we're getting old.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Down under
Ever wonder what it feels like to have 60 ft of water pressing down on you? Today we finally went scuba diving. The last time I was so excited, after the fact, about something was my first time that I stayed on.
A bike that is.
Captain Keith took us out to two reefs. The first one we had a Grouper that was about 3 feet long, swim up to check us out. We swam through a couple of cave like structures made from coral.
The second dive had us eye ball to mask with a reef shark. All I could hear was the "Jaws" song in my head! He swam right through the middle of us to see what we were up to. All I could do was make sure I didn't look him in the eye. I saw something on the Discovery Channel once on gorilla's. I don't know if it translates to sharks but I figured it wouldn't hurt to try. Save my skinny white butt!
After we got back, captain Keith took us over to another island, Guana Cay, where the bar "Nippers" is located. Lets just say that with the warm Bahamian sun and the Rum Punch flowing, I won't be able to post those pictures. People were having fun, dancing, drinking, exposing parts that don't see the color of the sky that often and we evan had two couples "wrestling" sumo style but without the diapers, in the surf. I guess they were feeling the love.
Time to unwind a little on the boat before we head out for dinner.
We had such a great time scuba diving that we are scheduled to go again tomorrow.
A bike that is.
Captain Keith took us out to two reefs. The first one we had a Grouper that was about 3 feet long, swim up to check us out. We swam through a couple of cave like structures made from coral.
The second dive had us eye ball to mask with a reef shark. All I could hear was the "Jaws" song in my head! He swam right through the middle of us to see what we were up to. All I could do was make sure I didn't look him in the eye. I saw something on the Discovery Channel once on gorilla's. I don't know if it translates to sharks but I figured it wouldn't hurt to try. Save my skinny white butt!
After we got back, captain Keith took us over to another island, Guana Cay, where the bar "Nippers" is located. Lets just say that with the warm Bahamian sun and the Rum Punch flowing, I won't be able to post those pictures. People were having fun, dancing, drinking, exposing parts that don't see the color of the sky that often and we evan had two couples "wrestling" sumo style but without the diapers, in the surf. I guess they were feeling the love.
Time to unwind a little on the boat before we head out for dinner.
We had such a great time scuba diving that we are scheduled to go again tomorrow.
Friday, February 22, 2008
Marsh Harbor
We find ourselves anchored in Marsh Harbor, alone on a Friday night. Bring out the skills and make some friends! We went to Snappas, after getting the buzz going on the boat, and made a couple of friends that turned out to be custom agents. Great time! These guys knew everyone. Live band playing and people rocking. We are scheduled to party with them at Nippers on Sunday. That place is incredible. The views are looking out over the ocean and the party doesn't stop.
Today we went snorkling at mermaid reef. There were so many fish and the coral was amazing. We saw star fish the size of serving platters and fish of every color and shape. Lucky for me none tried to come after me. We went swimming right off the beach into the reef. About 50 yards off shore.
If we get up on time we are planning on going scuba diving tomorrow morning. We'll see.
It should be another picture post card day.
Today we went snorkling at mermaid reef. There were so many fish and the coral was amazing. We saw star fish the size of serving platters and fish of every color and shape. Lucky for me none tried to come after me. We went swimming right off the beach into the reef. About 50 yards off shore.
If we get up on time we are planning on going scuba diving tomorrow morning. We'll see.
It should be another picture post card day.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Celestil ending
We have sailed a full circle and have arrived back in Marsh Harbor with plenty of unforgetable memories, great experiences, stories, laughter and a huge appreciation to Deborah and Charlie.
This trip is truly a "trip of a lifetime".
Tonight, Deborah prepared an incredible chicken and pasta dinner and we ate outside to celebrate our journey. After dinner we took a little walk around the pier and ended at a resturant for dessert. Image, if you will, many white lights bobbing in the night sky from the boats anchored in the harbor and a celestil show of stars happening above us. It was like David Copperfield was there making the moon slowly disappear right before our eyes. A full lunar eclipse!
Tomorrow morning Deborah and Charlie are heading back to Solomon's, Md, to jump back into reality. They're not looking forward to receive calls from Reta and I telling them how nice the weather is here in the Bahamas. We are staying on the boat for another week. Did someone ask them if their insurance is paid up? The boat's name will change from "Magic" to, you guessed it, "Water Hazard" this week!
I'm going to end today's blog with another huge THANK YOU to Deborah and Charlie for allowing us to experience and be part of their time here in the Bahamas. Everyone needs friends like them so I am giving you their phone number so that maybe on their next trip you could join them.
1 800-MAKE-A-WISH
If you want to take your next vacation in paradise think the Abaco's of the Bahamas. Fantastic!
This trip is truly a "trip of a lifetime".
Tonight, Deborah prepared an incredible chicken and pasta dinner and we ate outside to celebrate our journey. After dinner we took a little walk around the pier and ended at a resturant for dessert. Image, if you will, many white lights bobbing in the night sky from the boats anchored in the harbor and a celestil show of stars happening above us. It was like David Copperfield was there making the moon slowly disappear right before our eyes. A full lunar eclipse!
Tomorrow morning Deborah and Charlie are heading back to Solomon's, Md, to jump back into reality. They're not looking forward to receive calls from Reta and I telling them how nice the weather is here in the Bahamas. We are staying on the boat for another week. Did someone ask them if their insurance is paid up? The boat's name will change from "Magic" to, you guessed it, "Water Hazard" this week!
I'm going to end today's blog with another huge THANK YOU to Deborah and Charlie for allowing us to experience and be part of their time here in the Bahamas. Everyone needs friends like them so I am giving you their phone number so that maybe on their next trip you could join them.
1 800-MAKE-A-WISH
If you want to take your next vacation in paradise think the Abaco's of the Bahamas. Fantastic!
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Blow that conch
We set sail this morning from Man-o-War with destination of Green Turtle Cay. Captain Charlie decided to see how our tickers were doing because when we were leaving the harbor we took some paint off the haul. A little to shallow! Sailing is much more difficult than driving Road Hazard. You have to look at tides, you have to follow charts so that you don't run aground or worse, get lost. It's not like you can pull into Wawa's and ask for directions. From the water everything looks the same. How do you know if you're going the right way. For all I know you might end up in Cuban waters with 13 families looking to come on board!
We had a great sail out here to Turtle Cay. We even had some dolphins swimming next to the boat! When we arrived it wasn't high tide yet so we couldn't go into harbor. We anchored off shore and jumped into the dinghy to look for somewhere to eat dinner. We were starving. At this point a three legged lizard, grilled would have looked good. In the Bahamas on Sunday, everything closes so after a wet dinghy ride we came back to the boat and had dinner with one of the best views that even the finest resturants couldn't have. Picture to follow later.
After a great dinner and a few drinks we reflected on how fortunate we are to be able to spend this much time together with friends in such close quarters and have so much fun. Thanks Deb and Charlie for making this trip so memorable.
To end the evening we bought Deborah and Charlie a conch shell. You see, in the Bahamas boating world it is tradition to blow your conch at sunset. OK, so ours sounded like a lame duck when we tried. Keep practicing Charlie. The more you blow the better you'll be. At least that's what they say.
We had a great sail out here to Turtle Cay. We even had some dolphins swimming next to the boat! When we arrived it wasn't high tide yet so we couldn't go into harbor. We anchored off shore and jumped into the dinghy to look for somewhere to eat dinner. We were starving. At this point a three legged lizard, grilled would have looked good. In the Bahamas on Sunday, everything closes so after a wet dinghy ride we came back to the boat and had dinner with one of the best views that even the finest resturants couldn't have. Picture to follow later.
After a great dinner and a few drinks we reflected on how fortunate we are to be able to spend this much time together with friends in such close quarters and have so much fun. Thanks Deb and Charlie for making this trip so memorable.
To end the evening we bought Deborah and Charlie a conch shell. You see, in the Bahamas boating world it is tradition to blow your conch at sunset. OK, so ours sounded like a lame duck when we tried. Keep practicing Charlie. The more you blow the better you'll be. At least that's what they say.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Too many
I've come to the conclusion that there are too many islands in the Bahamas to choose my favorite. Today we find ourselves in Man-o-war. Completely different than the other islands. Charlie has been giving us local history but we have found this one the most entertaining. You see, Man-o-war was inhabited by a couple so in order for the island population to grow they had "tap", if you will, into the local gene pool. Lets just say there are a lot of people that look alike here. It was proven today when we hit the local ice cream shop. We asked the young girl helping us if the picture on the wall was her. No, that's my cousin!
We spent the day here because of the Flea Market. Boats and people came from all over to shop and eat. Tomorrow morning we are pulling anchor and heading north.
I have taken over 300 pictures so far. Can't wait to share them with you.
We spent the day here because of the Flea Market. Boats and people came from all over to shop and eat. Tomorrow morning we are pulling anchor and heading north.
I have taken over 300 pictures so far. Can't wait to share them with you.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Captain's log
We fnd ourselves anchored on Lynyard Cay after waking up to a picture perfect post card view. Not a cloud in the sky. After a quick dinghy ride into Hope town to pick up supplies we set sail for our next destination. During our trip we had Reta trying to catch us dinner. She was close to landing one until it got away. Not a fishermens tail but a true storie. After dropping anchor we enjoyed a nice snorkle around the boat.
Happy hour was spent with some people from a couple of boats. Now we are enjoying dinner under the stars. What a way to celebrate Valentines Day.
Happy hour was spent with some people from a couple of boats. Now we are enjoying dinner under the stars. What a way to celebrate Valentines Day.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
New location
We spent the last night here in Hope town, Bahamas. It was our first experience on a sail boat with wind gusts of 35. She was rocking and rolling all night long along with heavy rain. Hey, who cares, we are in the Bahamas!
Today the weather cleared up a little so we explored the island some. There is a light house nearby that we climbed up to check out the views. Incredible! After a little swim we jumped into the dinghy to catch happy hour at the local pub.
We are going to settle in for some good conversation and some more drinks. Later we'll watch a movie and hope the weather clears up for our next destination.
Today the weather cleared up a little so we explored the island some. There is a light house nearby that we climbed up to check out the views. Incredible! After a little swim we jumped into the dinghy to catch happy hour at the local pub.
We are going to settle in for some good conversation and some more drinks. Later we'll watch a movie and hope the weather clears up for our next destination.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
1st Day in Marsh Harbor
We arrived yesterday afternoon to clear blue water and clear skies. Our flight was interesting and exciting with only 8 passagers that the plane could hold. We sat in the front seats looking over the pilots shoulder looking out the front window. What a great view!
Last night we hit Snapas where we had a brush with fame. The woman with the 15 inch waist that was on Oprah. After a few drinks we were dancing with the band. I need to buy some maracas. Deb said that I am restricted from dancing anymore. I don't know if I embarrassed her or if she was laughing too much.
We fell asleep to a calm harbor to wake up at 5 am to a rocking boat. All of a sudden it was raining and hurry up and close all the port openings before we get wet!
Today is overcast and windy. Good day to go out and explore this island.
Last night we hit Snapas where we had a brush with fame. The woman with the 15 inch waist that was on Oprah. After a few drinks we were dancing with the band. I need to buy some maracas. Deb said that I am restricted from dancing anymore. I don't know if I embarrassed her or if she was laughing too much.
We fell asleep to a calm harbor to wake up at 5 am to a rocking boat. All of a sudden it was raining and hurry up and close all the port openings before we get wet!
Today is overcast and windy. Good day to go out and explore this island.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Last minute preperations
Today is the big day for RH. We have been busy last night and this morning getting everything packed and also cleaning up RH for storage. There is a lot that goes into getting a motor home ready for storage. Flush the tanks, clean the fridge out, spray the tires with product to help block UV rays on the rubber, vacuum, secure all the paper work, get rid of the food, lightly spray grease on some metal components in and around RH and whatever else I forgot to mention.
We spent our day yesterday out on a boat doing a little snorkeling. We went to two different reefs and were swimming in water about 23 - 35 feet deep.
(Don't get excited. This is not Reta and I in the picture. We don't have an underwater camera so I have to go on the internet and find pictures. Plus, those shorts are a little to small for me.) There were so many big fish. Luckily, nothing that could mistake us for food. Even at that depth Reta and I were "free diving" down to the bottom to take a closer look at things. It's amazing when you are coming back up for air you start using your fins to get back up to the surface faster and by the time you reach the surface you come out of the water almost to your waist from the speed you picked up. I wish we would have gone scuba diving but we decided to save our money for the Bahamas. There were some Germans on aboard with us and the wife was kind enough to "chum" the water for us to attract more fish. Lets just say she didn't have a good time. If you consider having your head hanging overboard and looking at what you had for dinner the night before.
We are both excited about our next destination. Never having been to the Bahamas and the chance to sail around the islands that make it up is very exciting. We land in Marsh Harbor, where the boat is anchored, and will begin our trip to where ever early the next morning.
We have been aboard “Magic” when she was in Solomon Island and really enjoyed our weekend with Deb and Charlie. What’s not to like when you have a grill on deck and we were grilling up some steak with some cold drinks, watching the sunset. I enjoy talking to Charlie and listening to his adventures of sailing around the Caribbean several years ago. We leave this Saturday, the 9th, and will return back to Florida on the 27th. I am not sure if I will be able to post to the blog so check back a couple times to see. If I am not able, when we get back I will upload a ton of pictures and some stories of our trip. Until then keep your fingers crossed that this little puddle jumper that we are taking has a safe flight. 
We spent our day yesterday out on a boat doing a little snorkeling. We went to two different reefs and were swimming in water about 23 - 35 feet deep.
(Don't get excited. This is not Reta and I in the picture. We don't have an underwater camera so I have to go on the internet and find pictures. Plus, those shorts are a little to small for me.) There were so many big fish. Luckily, nothing that could mistake us for food. Even at that depth Reta and I were "free diving" down to the bottom to take a closer look at things. It's amazing when you are coming back up for air you start using your fins to get back up to the surface faster and by the time you reach the surface you come out of the water almost to your waist from the speed you picked up. I wish we would have gone scuba diving but we decided to save our money for the Bahamas. There were some Germans on aboard with us and the wife was kind enough to "chum" the water for us to attract more fish. Lets just say she didn't have a good time. If you consider having your head hanging overboard and looking at what you had for dinner the night before.We are both excited about our next destination. Never having been to the Bahamas and the chance to sail around the islands that make it up is very exciting. We land in Marsh Harbor, where the boat is anchored, and will begin our trip to where ever early the next morning.
We have been aboard “Magic” when she was in Solomon Island and really enjoyed our weekend with Deb and Charlie. What’s not to like when you have a grill on deck and we were grilling up some steak with some cold drinks, watching the sunset. I enjoy talking to Charlie and listening to his adventures of sailing around the Caribbean several years ago. We leave this Saturday, the 9th, and will return back to Florida on the 27th. I am not sure if I will be able to post to the blog so check back a couple times to see. If I am not able, when we get back I will upload a ton of pictures and some stories of our trip. Until then keep your fingers crossed that this little puddle jumper that we are taking has a safe flight. Wednesday, February 6, 2008
"Brush" with fame (in more than one way)
It’s been awhile since I last got my haircut so I decided to go out and find a place this morning. It's not easy to just walk into any place and get your haircut. You're used to going to one person because they know how you like your hair. So, with some apprehension I walked into "Hairport". I wasn't sure if I was going to get my hair cut or walking into some sort of small carrier. What also made me nervous (ok, with excitement) was that on one side of Hairport was a "massage" place and on the other was a nail place. Thoughts going through my head were...is this only for women? am I walking into one of those shady places where you can get "happy endings"? did I have a clean pair of underwear on?
I walked in and found a young lady at the counter looking like she spends a lot of time watching fly's mate. Not much excitement in her. I asked if I could get my hair cut and I finally saw a little glimpse of life in her. I sat in the chair with my eyes darting around the room trying to take in everything on the walls and on the counters. After strapping the pink bib with white dollies around my neck she asked the normal questions about what I was looking for. After I expressed my concerns she jumped right in and started snipping away. Up until this point it all seemed like it was all going to turn out normal...until she started talking to herself. She was wrestling with herself on whether she should turn the TV on and if she should watch the show again. I sat there quietly, hoping she wouldn't notice me and that she would keep the conversation to herself. Please don't snip my ear off in the process! After a few awkward moments she finally said, "OK, I told myself I wasn't going to do this but I am going to put it on again." She turned on the TV and video player to show me an episode of "Fishing with Capt'n Norm" on ESPN. There she was along side her man, Norm, fishing in St. Thomas. What was a silent, lifeless person when I first walked in transformed herself into this bubbly, proud, please watch me person right before my eyes. She even turned the chair away from the mirror so that I could have a better view. Ah, hello, lets pay a little more attention to my hair! When the video cut away to her shot, she would stop cutting to give me all the behind the scenes action. Boy am I lucky. I finally had to tell her in a polite way, of course, that I don't really care for fishing and the only fish I like are dead, blackened and on a plate. I didn't begin to tell her of my episodes of "How to kill a fish in three easy steps" as most of you have heard
.
Sorry to bore you with my brush with fame but I keep thinking to myself, why do these things seem to only happen to me? All I want is a simple haircut.
Here is a picture of Capt'n Norm:
I walked in and found a young lady at the counter looking like she spends a lot of time watching fly's mate. Not much excitement in her. I asked if I could get my hair cut and I finally saw a little glimpse of life in her. I sat in the chair with my eyes darting around the room trying to take in everything on the walls and on the counters. After strapping the pink bib with white dollies around my neck she asked the normal questions about what I was looking for. After I expressed my concerns she jumped right in and started snipping away. Up until this point it all seemed like it was all going to turn out normal...until she started talking to herself. She was wrestling with herself on whether she should turn the TV on and if she should watch the show again. I sat there quietly, hoping she wouldn't notice me and that she would keep the conversation to herself. Please don't snip my ear off in the process! After a few awkward moments she finally said, "OK, I told myself I wasn't going to do this but I am going to put it on again." She turned on the TV and video player to show me an episode of "Fishing with Capt'n Norm" on ESPN. There she was along side her man, Norm, fishing in St. Thomas. What was a silent, lifeless person when I first walked in transformed herself into this bubbly, proud, please watch me person right before my eyes. She even turned the chair away from the mirror so that I could have a better view. Ah, hello, lets pay a little more attention to my hair! When the video cut away to her shot, she would stop cutting to give me all the behind the scenes action. Boy am I lucky. I finally had to tell her in a polite way, of course, that I don't really care for fishing and the only fish I like are dead, blackened and on a plate. I didn't begin to tell her of my episodes of "How to kill a fish in three easy steps" as most of you have heard
.
Sorry to bore you with my brush with fame but I keep thinking to myself, why do these things seem to only happen to me? All I want is a simple haircut.
Here is a picture of Capt'n Norm:
I looked him up on the ESPN website and found out that he is going to be in the Bahamas this coming weekend at Marsh Harbor. Hey, that's where we're going! Maybe I can run into him and tell him that his girl has been smelling the hair products just a little too much!
Oh, in case you are wondering, my hair looks fantastic.
what to do?
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Monday, February 4, 2008
Key Largo
We find ourselves sitting in Key Largo. This is our last destination in the Keys for a little while. More information on that to come later. We arrived on Friday and are very excited to see our new site for this week. 
We are sitting right on the water with a nice gazebo overlooking our boat slip.
All we need now is a boat. There is also little beach about 20 yards from our doorstep.
We are also about a mile from John Pennekamp State Park, which is home to the coral reef. We went on a snorkel trip on Saturday to a reef that is about 3 miles off shore. It's amazing that you are that far out and the water is only about 5 feet deep. We saw tons of colorful fish and coral. The only thing that sucks is that you get on this boat with 38 other people. You would think that being in the ocean you wouldn't be bumping into people but we found ourselves having to stop because there were so many people around us. We would swim off in a direction to get away and within a few minutes they would be right there bumping into you. Even with all the bumping we enjoyed ourselves and were able to see a Black Tip Reef shark. He was about 5 feet long. It took my breath away when I first spotted him. When we got back on the boat I asked the Captain about it and he said that he lives out on that reef along with a couple of Nurse Sharks. Good to know. Sunday, we spent the entire day out on our kayaks. We explored the mangrove trees and the little islands that dot the area. Saw some stingrays and another shark. In the evening we settled in to watch the Super bowl. We decided to stay and watch here in RH. It was a nice evening and we had the grill going along with some cold drinks. What a great game. It was nice to see the Headlines for the New York Post and Boston Globe.
Monday we spent the day looking for a storage place we could leave Road Hazard for our next destination. You see, this Saturday we are flying out on a little puddle jumper from Fort Lauderdale airport headed to Marsh Harbor, Bahamas. There we are going to meet up with Deb and Charlie. We will board their sailboat named "Magic" and travel around the different islands that make up the Bahamas.
We are sitting right on the water with a nice gazebo overlooking our boat slip.All we need now is a boat. There is also little beach about 20 yards from our doorstep.
We are also about a mile from John Pennekamp State Park, which is home to the coral reef. We went on a snorkel trip on Saturday to a reef that is about 3 miles off shore. It's amazing that you are that far out and the water is only about 5 feet deep. We saw tons of colorful fish and coral. The only thing that sucks is that you get on this boat with 38 other people. You would think that being in the ocean you wouldn't be bumping into people but we found ourselves having to stop because there were so many people around us. We would swim off in a direction to get away and within a few minutes they would be right there bumping into you. Even with all the bumping we enjoyed ourselves and were able to see a Black Tip Reef shark. He was about 5 feet long. It took my breath away when I first spotted him. When we got back on the boat I asked the Captain about it and he said that he lives out on that reef along with a couple of Nurse Sharks. Good to know. Sunday, we spent the entire day out on our kayaks. We explored the mangrove trees and the little islands that dot the area. Saw some stingrays and another shark. In the evening we settled in to watch the Super bowl. We decided to stay and watch here in RH. It was a nice evening and we had the grill going along with some cold drinks. What a great game. It was nice to see the Headlines for the New York Post and Boston Globe.
Monday we spent the day looking for a storage place we could leave Road Hazard for our next destination. You see, this Saturday we are flying out on a little puddle jumper from Fort Lauderdale airport headed to Marsh Harbor, Bahamas. There we are going to meet up with Deb and Charlie. We will board their sailboat named "Magic" and travel around the different islands that make up the Bahamas. Now for a little news from back home that I would like to share with everyone. My friend Peter ran in his first race. He claims that he ran the whole 3 miles and didn't walk.
Looking at this picture you really can't tell. I mean you have to look pretty hard past the little kid and the 4 women in front of him. Good job Peter. It’s only a RACE!Recap of Key West
There is so much to cover about Key West so I will try and capture everything for you tightly in a "Conch Shell". A little island humor...
We arrived in Key West to a terrific campsite. Once our friends from Solomon Island arrived later that week we were set to begin the party. It was terriable because we had to decide on whose turn it was to host "Happy Hour". Is it your place or mine tonight? Don't worry, we managed to work through it. Richard and Elle are a lot of fun to hang out with. Elle is pure entertainment and Richard is quick with his one-liners that keep you sharp. One night we were out walking the campground to digest dinner and a party was happening at the Pavilion. We went over to check it out and ended up getting invited to hang out with these people. Hey, free beer and food along with live music? We're there. Richard, always quick to check out "free food" quickly reported back to us all the great food they had laid out. He did complain to me that the buffalo wings were cold. Life is tough.We met up with two other friends that were visiting Key West for 10 days, Mike and Carline. The six of us decided to go out one night and explore the bars. Our friend Deborah had told us that we needed to check out Cowboy Bill's. I don't know how she knew about it but there are still things that I am learning about Deborah. This bar is, as you guessed, a country bar. We fit right in like a third eyeball on a forehead. As luck would have it, it was ladies nite, so they got to drink for free. Uh oh, this could be trouble tonight. The party didn't get started until 11 so our friends we came with had to retire before that. Their normal bedtime is around 9 so we were fortunate to have them there until 10:30. Now, there are many funny things we can say at this point about getting old or medication or the Blue pill only gives you a window of a few hours, but I am going to choose to say nothing but - No Comment - at this time.
Reta and I stayed and ended up hanging out with another couple while we watched the ladies ride the bull for the winner to take $250. It was very entertaining to say the least. What these ladies would do to get the judges to vote for them is amazing. I will try and keep this site PG so look at the pictures and let your mind take over. I don't know who won because by the time it ended we didn't care. We got home around 2 the next morning and woke up with a mild hangover. OK, bigtime hangover. There is nothing better than to sit around with a beautiful view of the water, under a nice cool shade and drinking plenty of water to help you get back on your feet. After all, happy hour is only a few hours away.
Key West is a great city to visit and party. It is rich with history. From past presidents staying here (Truman stayed in Key West 156 days out of the year while he was President. Jimmy Cater came down while in office) to famous authors living and writing novals (Ernest Hemingway lived here and flew to Cuba many times, which is only 90 miles away, to party and get his insperation for "The old man and the sea"). It also runs deep with stories of pirates hanging out and taking over ships headed back to Europe filled with the riches of the New World. This city will not judge you on how you look, what you're wearing or how much money you have. The doors are open to everyone and because of that it has a very relaxed feeling. Everyone will stop and talk to you and be more than happy to make you feel at home. This is true Southern Hospitality.
We are sad to leave but we know this will not be the last time our feet will be swimming in the powder white sand with the blue sea mist in the air. So long Key West.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Has it been a week?
WOW! I can't believe that the week is over and that I havn't updated the blog in so many days.
I got a kick out of the comment left by DS asking when the writers strike is going to be over so that the blog would get updated. Good one!
Today is moving day. I have many pictures to upload from our adventures while in Key West. We are heading to Key Largo, about 100 miles from here, and will spend a week there before our trip to the Bahamas. More on that to come later. When we get to Key Largo I will update the blog. You'll want to read about our night at Cowboy Bill's with the "sexy female bull rider" competition. The things people do to win $250.
I got a kick out of the comment left by DS asking when the writers strike is going to be over so that the blog would get updated. Good one!
Today is moving day. I have many pictures to upload from our adventures while in Key West. We are heading to Key Largo, about 100 miles from here, and will spend a week there before our trip to the Bahamas. More on that to come later. When we get to Key Largo I will update the blog. You'll want to read about our night at Cowboy Bill's with the "sexy female bull rider" competition. The things people do to win $250.
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