Key West Day Trips

Our first jaunt to Key West was for a daylong cruise on the schooner Danger. The crew was great and the day was perfect. The morning clouds frightened away some reservations, so we shared the boat with just two other guests- a young couple from Chicago. We ended up with only a few photos as we were hesitant to expose our camera (actually all our photos are taken with our iPhones) to the elements. Also, we enjoyed ourselves so much we forgot to snap some memories.



We sailed westward to the Lakes Passage region which encompasses a number of keys. As we set sail we were served fresh fruit and beverages while we learned about the geography and natural history of the area. After anchoring, we snorkeled along some coral heads and were fortunate to see a hawksbill turtle and lots of colorful fish. The water was on the cooler side so we opted for wetsuits. Philip and I both agreed that we'd had many much warmer skiing experiences. It's amazing how quickly your body cools down in 68 degree water. Then lunch and a kayak trip along a key. We saw horseshoe crabs, starfish, sea cucumbers, kingfishers and osprey.



A beautiful ending to a perfect day! Followed by dinner at Mangia Mangia after a hot shower in our van. So convenient right in the parking lot.



We visited Key West once again to take in more of the town. There's always so much to do wherever we go, but we try to linger longer at fewer places rather than try to do it all. This time we rented townie bikes. Yikes! I had forgotten how to use foot brakes. And look at that bar...watch out if your short like me.



Our first stop was the Hemingway House. Anyone read Hemingway recently? Me neither. Let me know your favorite because I do want to revisit his writing.



Hemingway bought this house with his second wife and though he only lived here about ten years, it's where he produced the bulk of his major works. It is really quite lovely. When he moved on to Mrs. Right #3, he lost the house to his second mistake.

The estate is home to 44 cats all of which are descendants of Hemingway's infamous six-toed felines some of whom love the king-size bed. A bed this large was a novelty in those days. This one was made from two twins. The headboard was crafted from a monastery gate.



The upstairs veranda with beautiful arched windows and doors.



Look closely...



Heminway's writing studio in a detached cottage next to the main home.



Lunch was at Blue Heaven. Yum, yum, yum.



Checking out the patio pets.



Roosters, hens and chicks- a Key West tradition.



No that's not us! There was long line to snap your photo at this landmark. But, we were there nonetheless.



Our other stops included the NOAA Eco Discovery Center and the Truman White House. We didn't linger for the after dark revelries that Key West is famous for. Call us boring, old fogies if you must.


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The Florida Keys: Big Pine Key Fishing Lodge

We started our Florida adventure with a rainy overnight at an I-10 rest stop east of Tallahassee. Then we made our way down the western side of the peninsula to Spring Hill for a two-night visit with Philip's Aunt Laura and John. It was great to see Laura and John again and to kick back and relax in their comfortable home. Thank you Laura for the wonderful home cooked meals.




Next stop was Sarasota where we snuck in a visit to The Ringling Museums. A few hours was not enough time to take in all that this gem offers. The buildings and grounds are beautiful, unfortunately it was raining so we were mostly indoors. We quickly toured the fine art collection and one of the circus museums. That's only about a third of the estate! Definitely put this on your agenda if you are in Sarasota.



Fortunately, we caught my friend Judy Cox at home in Sarasota. Judy gave us a tour of their fabulous new home in St. Armand Circle. Judy did an absolutely beautiful job decorating. I'm sorry we were so busy catching up that I failed to take any photos. All the more reason to return and visit a bit longer with Judy in the future. Thanks Judy!

Heading further south that evening we camped at Myakka State Park. It was just a resting place for us so we did not explore the hundreds of acres within the park and refuge. There are hiking trails, primitive backpacking sites, quiet roads for biking, two lakes, alligators and a river that will take you all the way to the Gulf. Inland Florida is so different than the coastal regions most of us have experienced. Nothing like Disney World either. Lots of natural beauty to explore. We have Myakka on our return-to list.

After four nights of travel, we finally reached our destination in the Keys: Big Pine Key Fishing Lodge. Well...it's not a lodge. It's an RV park. We were attracted to this park because about half the sites are rustic (no hook-ups) so it has a camp feeling to it. The Lodge sits on the ocean side of the key with direct access to the water. We loved this park- great bathrooms, a lounge and patio area, camp store, laundry and lots of friendly people. It was sooo nice to settle in for an 18-day stay. Our longest stop yet.

Lodge store.



A view of a section of the marina.



Street view from our site. Almost everyone traveled through the park by bicycle, which is quite an adventure if you are holding a cup of hot coffee in the morning.



Home sweet home, number 224.



Some people just can't leave anything at home. What you can't see is their giant motorhome in addition to their outdoor kitchen.



Big Pine Key is a refuge for the Key Deer. They are related to whitetails, but only 40-60 pounds. The park is adjacent to a section of the refuge so the deer roamed throughout the sites. They are eager visitors. This one nearly jumped up to eat our salad. It's unfortunate that some people insist on feeding these wild animals. Over 100 were killed by vehicles last year.




Spike admiring my water bottle? So cute. One buck even let me pet him.



We hope to spend more time next winter at BPKFL. Because of the deer, they do not allow dogs, so we may have to look for another place if Mr. G vacations with us.

I'll write more about our Keys' adventure in my next post.

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Louisiana

We departed Galveston on a cold and blustery day via the ferry. The chop was pretty big and the water curled over the front of the ferry engulfing the first row of cars and spraying the rest of us. We debarked and drove as far as Lake Charles (Festival Capital of Louisiana), pulling in to the Sam Houston Jones State Park early evening. The park has a gator pond but all the critters were tucked in their mud dens for the winter. The next morning was near freezing and so were our showers...which made me wish I had a den of my own.

So to put a smile on Philip's face we drove to Jennings, the Boudin Capital of Louisiana. Or if you prefer, the Cradle of Louisiana Oil. The later refers to the fact that Jennings was the site of the first oil well in the state. The former claim is disputable in my estimation. We sampled some at The Boudin King Restaurant.



This is boudin. Boudin blanc actually. A mixture of pork and rice...lots of rice in some kind of casing that made me queazy. It's steamed and served to you wrapped in butcher paper. I must admit I did eat it (minus the casing) because it does taste good until you finish it and then you swear you'll never eat another.



To further explore the cultural offerings in Jennings, we toured the Zigler Art Museum. When we arrived we rang the bell at the front door of the former home of the Zigler family. And we waited while the receptionist ran around inside turning on all the lights. Very green-minded. The collection did have Rembrandt (sketch), but the most interesting by far was the featured exhibit of Louisiana artist Sarah Albritton. Ms. Albritton, a self-taught artist, started painting late in adulthood as a way to express her childhood memories- a childhood that was fraught with poverty, pain and rejection. Despite such a difficult beginning Ms. Albritton has been the owner of several successful businesses and raised children who all went on to college. Her paintings are as intriguing as her life story.

I met the museum director after being scolded for taking pictures in the gallery. Shame on me. Didn't I know I could buy a book if I wanted copies of the paintings?! The director turned out to be delightful. Giving us all sorts of advice such as, "Don't eat northern Louisiana gumbo, it's gooey." Say praaaah-leens not pray-lines." And, don't eat the boudin at the Boudin King. The king died many years ago and it hasn't been the same since.



As if that wasn't enough excitement for one day, we ventured over to the W. H. Tupper General Merchandise Museum. Back in the day, Mr. Tupper ran a very successful general store nearby Jennings. When the business dried up, he packed all the goods and stored them in the family barn. After many years, the collection of brand new goods from the 1940's, was unwrapped and the store recreated. It is charming.



We drove to Abbeville (Home of the Giant Omelet Celebration) and hunkered down awaiting the ice storm at the brand new Palmetto State Park. What a beautiful spot and wonderful campgrounds. The forecast was miserable so the next day we decided to stay put and avoid the pending storm. Schools were closed. Restaurants shuttered. Nothing happened. Until the next day when we woke to a forest covered in an icy glaze.

Ever wonder what turkey vultures do when it's cold...must have been over 50 in this one tree. Creepy. Remember the Hitchcock movies The Birds?



Winter at Palmetto State Park.



Animals respond to the cold in all sorts of crazy ways as do people. This is a mud chimney made by a crawfish. They pop up all over lawns when the temperatures drop.



Rice fields flood during the winter. The floating dots are the tops of crawfish traps. These are for the delicious species of crawfish that we eat.



Onward to Avery Island (really it's a salt dome), home of Tabasco Sauce. The mother of all hot sauces. This all American product is produced here, but the peppers are grown in Central America. It's still America right?! The salt for the sauce is mined on site. The sauce ferments in old whiskey barrels for three years before bottling. The recipe is still a family secret.



The island has beautiful gardens with a collection of Japanese camellias and it is a sanctuary for egrets every spring.



From Avery Island we made our way to New Iberia (Queen City). This was exciting for me because I am a fan of James Lee Burke, a writer whose novels are set in New Iberia and the surrounding Parish. We visited Shadows-on-the-Teche, an antebellum home on the banks of Bayou Teche. We shared the tour with a couple from Sheridan, Wyoming. I wish I had some pictures to share with you, but none were allowed. Alas, it was an interesting tour- a snapshot of a bygone era (damn Yanks).

Next stop, Lafayette, the Heart of Cajun Country. We camped at the Acadian RV Park run by the city. A bit run down, however a very convenient location. We had a good meal that evening at the Blue Dog Cafe. Philip had a cup of gumbo and the fried everything platter. Then we went to Randol's for some Cajun music and dancing. Those Cajuns sure have some cute dance moves.

We didn't linger in Lafayette because we wanted to get over to Breaux Bridge (Crawfish Capital) for their Saturday Zydeco Brunch at Cafe des Amis. That was amazing. The place was jumping when we arrived at 9:30. Packed with dancers, diners and damn good food. Philip nearly killed me when I gave our bowl of beignets away. No one person should eat six beignets at one sitting. Besides we needed to get up and dance! I would move to Breaux Bridge just for this Saturday ritual. Zydeco is wildly fun and the dances are just the cutest. Yes, cuter than Cajun.



That afternoon we arrived in Mandeville along the northern shores of Lake Pontchartrain. Once connected to New Orleans by steamboat, you can now drive the causeway across the entire lake. We spent two nights in the Fontainbleu State Park.



From the park you can access the beautiful Tammany Trace 31-mile bike path. We rode the path east to Slidell for a Mardi Gras parade. Funny, you can get cocktails to go in this state, but they feel compelled to post speed limit signs on the recreational path. To be honest, we tried our hardest to break the limit.







Here's Philip proudly wearing his Krewe Claude signature beads. Mardi Gras booty supreme.



So much to do in Louisiana and so little time. We vow to return and tour the state from festival to festival. Maybe even eat some alligator boudin or fried frogs legs. Maybe.



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Texas Barrier Islands

We left Austin intending to head straight for Louisiana, but made an abrupt change and drove to the Gulf Coast instead. How could we come clear across the state and miss the coast? To get from mainland Aransas Pass to Port Aransas on the island you take a free ten minute ferry ride. Our van's maiden voyage.



We camped two nights at Mustang Island State Park. All you do is drive on the beach and pick a spot. The cheapest beach front rental I know! And the beach was beautiful with fine light-colored sand. No condos, no high-rise hotels but alas, no beach bars either. No matter, our van is full service. Just slide open the door.











Biking along the shore on Mustang Island- over five miles of open beach.



The next day we ventured a bit south to Padre National Seashore. Sixty miles of untouched beach, dunes, mudflats and bay. There are developed campgrounds on both the bay and oceanfront. Or, for $8 just camp on the beach. Most four-wheel drive vehicles can access any part of the beach. All vehicles, even large motorhomes, can drive along the first five miles. The bay is great for windsurfing, kiteboarding, kayaking and paddle boarding. We saw a lot of people fishing from the ocean shoreline. No license needed.















We exited Mustang Island via the ferry and drive up the coast to Galveston. We arrived late at night and woke to thick fog the next morning. The fog never really lifted that day. Philip worked and I biked to the southern end of the island. We stayed two days thinking we needed to sit out a storm that never came.



Our second day was cold and blustery and I failed to take any photos. There is a lot to see and do in Galveston. Miles of beautiful beaches with just light development, a city with lots of history, nightlife and shops and very good restaurants. Try Paco's and Rudy's for an upscale dinner treat, lunch at the Mosquito Grill and satisfy your sweet tooth at Patty Cakes. The Jamaica Beach RV Park (pool, hot tub, mini-golf but tight sites) is the nicest place to camp, but the state park is handy too.

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