Village At Hawks Cay Villas Duck Key

... again. Fred kindly gave Jim some fishing tackle to use as the rod from reception was not that well equipped. Jim quickly caught a small snapper, which he put in the keep-net for Fred to use later for shark bait! After some more tips from Fred, Jim had a go at 'spinning' for the snapper and promptly caught another, which this time Fred grabbed, chopped its head off whilst it was still flapping (see video ...

... Wikipedia tells me!).

We stopped for lunch at a roadside diner called 'Mrs Macs' - quirky place with good food and great service on Key Largo, the first island. We also had our first taste of Key Lime Pie here, a delicious biscuit based pie made with Key Limes and condensed milk.

We carried on another 20 miles or so to our resort, 'The Pines and Palms' on Islamorada, known as the 'Fishing Capital of the World' - needless ...

... there was no seewead growing. We swam out to this clear area and were rewarded with many large schools of fish and a huge starfish that was about 10 inches across. All in all it was a pretty good day but I have to say that I was disappointed with Bahia Honda, maybe the seaweed is not as bad at certain times of the year, but today it was bad.

... as a peacock. We chill at the pool and get some laundry done. The village demographics tilt toward the aged - makes for interesting pool sightings. Late afternoon, post laundry, the ***** rain cloud reappears. I prepare to dart back to the RV during any break in the down pour. I pass on Potluck Dinner and Bingo night starting shortly at the clubhouse. Lots ...

... I have bought for the trip before I leave... Long Key was the place. Overall, I think it went very well. The things that I took away from the trip were: bring more water and less beer, don't forget the sunscreen, canned items hold much better in bright, daylong, shade-less areas than turkey sandwiches with cheese and mayonnaise which lead directly to painful stomach cramps, loss of sleep, random puking throughout the night, and of ...

... This was well worth the wasted hour and frustration. The forsight, I think back in the 30's, to save this wilderness is amazing - went on a few of the walk trails and saw heaps of 'gators' - had to keep telling myself that this is not a zoo and is their natural habitat, tortoises, bugs of unknown variety, colourful butterflies, lots of ...

... another rod and reel worth an equivalent amount -- must be a Guinness world record :). Osprey chicks along coast are noisy waiting for parents to feed them; they must eat 30 pounds a day. Day 19, Sunday February 4: Overcast, 60F - expect rain. Rained lots last night - my tent weathered the one-inch torrent well and I love the sound from inside the tent; some other campers slept in their cars. Superbowl today but no television available. Drizzle, on and off, started at 10 ...

... cup and corrigated cardboard sleeve, trying to take in all the sensations around me. There was the usual airport hustle and bustle, but it was different. It was more. And everything was incredibly shiny. The lights were shiny. The countertops reflected the shine. And everything seemed abnormally clean. It was all different. How Do You Say, "Hi?" And I became aware of my now natural tendency, when I had squeezed through a ...

... though the lagoon pen seemed small to me, the resort says it holds 2.2 million gallons of water. Jim and I enjoyed slipping over to see the dolphins right after breakfast at the on-site coffee shop and also in the evening before we went to bed. The next day -- the day we left -- the wind was even stronger than the day before, so we didn't even try to ask about a snorkeling trip. But it's so close to where we live that we can try again sometime.

... that is) were a number of park benches all painted a bright fuscha pink , of course to distinguish each park bench from the non-existent flamingos. Feeling deflated at not seeing a flamingo in the flesh, I ventured back to my room to prepare for the nights activities... Miami madness awaits... After resting my little head just long enough to keep the hovering influenza away, I made my way to Lincoln Ave... After swan-ing half way down the street I caught the eye of someone ...