Keys Recap Part 2

Wednesday started out as usual...



However, the water was like glass this morning and it was proving to be an absolute gorgeous day! Lots of fishing was done today...only not me. I was busy with Baby Jay and the other children! We went swimming in the heated pool.... 84* to be exact! Jay had a ball and would drown himself if I weren't right nearby!
Relaxing day...ordered pizza delivered for dinner...coconut rum on the rocks with lime...in an Adirondack chair as the day rolls by and on into the new year!!

I made it to about 11:30 pm and then fell asleep! Jayda woke me up and wished me a happy new year and kissed me goodnight! LOL I am getting old....
Thursday morning:

This was another fishing day for me as my mother babysat the baby for me and my mom watched Jayda for the day. Jacob went fishing with Michael and I!

Michal caught a Mangrove snapper as did Jacob...both nice size keepers. But, we only caught two, not worth the time to clean and cook them! Also caught some Jacks and a gag grouper. However, no one caught anything edible and I was dying for fresh fish for dinner...I guess I had to settle for this at Island Grill in Islamorada!

It was the most delicious yellow tail snapper I have ever eaten...caught off alligator reef 5 miles out from where we were staying! Sliced top to bottom and deep fried, drizzled with a sweet sauce and shredded coconut on top...YUMMO!!!!
Friday morning:

We spent Friday exploring...we were looking for Anne's Beach and unfortunately...I didn't find it. Mother, Jacob, Jayda and Jay and I were off on an adventure. It started at Bob's Bunz...the best bunz on the island! Then we happened to pass by a coconut that had fallen in some one's driveway and we sent Jayda to retrieve it as a souvenir...not sure if that is stealing or not. I likened it to a pine cone and that put it into better prospective for me! Just so happened to stop off at a garage sale in the Keys...that made us laugh and we had to see what they were selling. Same thing you and i sell in a garage sale............
End of that excursion...back to the sand and sun to relax!
Later that night we grilled out and had marshmallows on the coals for dessert!!!!! AWESOME!
To bed early, as usual....
Up early for the sunrise, yet again:

Final views to remember for a while!






Then it was time to pack and leave! So sad to see it end! Already have plans to return in May to stay at the Key Largo Hilton and then back to the Breezy Palms in Dec for 10 days!
I am sure my mother has some fabulous pics I may snag from here and make a random recap in the next few days!
I had all these visions of things I wanted to do while there. But there was no greater joy than sitting with my feet in the sand RELAXING!
In the meantime...
Kids back to school, Jay is loving being home, and Michael is now working out of the house. This is so weird for me. But it is working out well!

Keys Recap Part 1

On December 27th, we all piled in the loaded down Tahoe towing a Bay Boat and we headed south to the Keys for a week long vacation! There was a total of four vehicles in our caravan all headed south west for a family get together/fishing excursion/vacation! There was another boat and three kayaks being towed as well so we stayed close together to help one another out! My parents, Michael's parents and his sister, and my brother and his wife were off for a fun filled week!
We were all so excited to get on the way!




There was a lot of this....

but all I kept saying was "it's alright, we have no where to be and it's all about relaxing!!! It's the KEYS!"
Our first glimpse of water was a welcoming sight.

The traffic was crawling and we were able to roll down the windows and have the sun roof open! It was a balmy 78* after all and the traffic was moving slow enough we were not blown away! Jay thought it was like a roller coaster and exhilerating to have the windows down! He traveled perfectly...no fussing or crying at all! Just rolled with it! He must have known it was the KEYS!

I was probably the most excited about being on the way! I have been in FL since 1993and I have never been to the KEYS! Michael put sooo much work into getting everything ready for the big trip. He and his Dad have been planning and preparing for sometime!


This leg of our trip toooook fooorrrrrreeeevvvvveeeerrrr!

Traffic was dogging and some tempers were flying...thank goodness not in our car. Although Michael only flipped off one person on the way down so it was rather uneventful, albeit, slow! hehehe All I kept saying is, it's the KEYS! Everyone prepare for some relaxing! I was ready for a margarita and some down time!
With scenery like this...who could be uptight???


My hopes of watching the sunset over the gulf were quickly dashed as traffic crawled into Islamorada!

After arriving to gale force winds and trying to dock the boats in such weather....we were all a little frazzled. Then there was the complete unloading job and organizing and tending children and 9:45 pm before we ate dinner in the room! I was super bummed out as I had visions of hammocks, sunsets, and margaritas...

The next morning jacob and I headed out at 5:30 am to watch the sunrise. Yes, we were a little early, and it was really dark. But nonetheless exciting to watch the sunrise for the first time in the KEYS!


You may watch the first day sunrise here:

And now you know why they call it the Breezy Palms Resort!

The next morning, at 10:30 am I had that drink I had been looking forward to for 24 hours!

We had heavy winds the first couple of days...so we played around the resort.

Pelican Poo
Jayda playing volleyball.
Pelican Perch
In your mind, play the vroom sound Jay makes....cause he pushed this around vrooming for about a half hour!

Monday's Sunrise:


Monday we all headed south west for Key West. It is a busy busy busy touristy place that I am glad we did not stay in. I am not into all that crazy t shirt store atmosphere. We took the Conch Train and I am glad I did! Saw it all, never need to go back.

Margaritaville
Hemingways Home
Why'd the rooster cross the road??????
Only in the Keys can you see this!

Quite frankly, only I would photograph it....hmmmmm!


Southern most point...in the process of being repainted so no words on it....







We had lunch at Guy Harveys Restaurant: Jayda, Jay and I seperated from the group as we all went on our own way! We needed to feed Jay as he was getting so owly!!!





Tuesday Sunrise:

Tuesday, Michael and I got a chance to go out on the boat and fish together.
It was awesome heading out on the water and watching the colors change! The blues and greens are amazing! We ended up on the reef and in 78 feet deep water! It was amazing! The party boat came out and dropped it's lines so we headed in to fish the channels and bridges...Stopping off at Bud n Mary's for some gas first!
I threw my bait in and we had fish on! The first was an African Pompano and then a huge school of Jacks one after another just kept on biting!!!


I have got to end here for now...I will add more later! Baby Jay needs my attention!