Lazy Lakes RV Park, Sugarloaf Key, FL:  Charlie and Maple stopped by again this morning.  Mike wasn’t even up yet.  Made Charlie a cup of coffee and woke Mike up.  Poor Maple had to go to the vet again yesterday.  She has kennel cough among other things.  She’s 14 so they have to be careful with her.  After they left we dressed and headed to Key West to the art show on Whitehead Street.  Parked at the Eco Center and walked over to the show.  It’s amazing how creative some people are.  There was all kinds of interesting stuff there—all expensive.  Didn’t buy anything at the show, but stopped at my favorite knitting shop and bought some yarn for a shawl thingy I’m going to knit.  Planned on going to Pepe’s for lunch, but they were slammed.  So we went over to the Conch Republic Seafood restaurant on the wharf and had a delicious lunch.  I had snapper and Mike had pork chops.  Really, really good.  Drove back to Lazy Lakes and stopped at Esther and Gerald’s and talked with Esther for a while and played with Foxy.  Back to our site and relaxed the rest of the day. 84 today and beautiful.

Schooner Western Union

Schooner America

Cute cottage on Southard St.

Cute little Foxy

C

Saw this truck where we parked today.  The owner has created a reef on the truck.  Only in Key West!

Lazy Lakes RV Park, Sugarloaf Key, FL:  Charlie stopped by on his way around the lake with Maple this morning.  After they left we put the bikes on the back of the truck and headed up the road a bit to Sugarloaf Drive.  There is a bike path all down Sugarloaf Drive and at the end we take the old county road which is barricaded off to car traffic and biked down to the lake.  A beautiful day for a bike ride.  Walked out to the Atlantic and then started down the old, unmaintained part of this county road which goes to the other side of the burned out bridge.  Went quite a ways and then turned around and biked back to our truck.  We had the wind in our face going out which makes it harder biking, but the wind was at our back on our return trip—for the most part anyway. Took another shower and then relaxed. Going to the KOA tonight to see Howie.  Just him and his acoustic guitar tonight.  Should be fun. 85 today!  YES

This canal goes from the residential area on Sugarloaf (bayside) out to the Atlantic.  This is where it empties into the Atlantic.

The canal from the other side of the bridge.  People dive off the bridge and picnic on the flat rock.  A couple of guys were walking up the flat rock on the right when we biked back.  They were all wet.  I asked them how the water was.  Cold! they said.  One of them did a back flip off the bridge just before we left.

Taking a break on the bridge.

What a great place to bike!  We have a two-lane road all to ourselves.

Bay side.  We also pass lagoons and lakes along this beautiful biking experience.

Walked half way around the lake and took a path out to the Atlantic.  All this great flat rock to walk around on.

A little resting spot on a little beach--a little lagoon on the bay side.

The Atlantic.

Hard to believe this is still the old county road.  Plants have taken over this portion.   Somebody maintains the main part of the old road.  Not sure who.  Volunteers probably.

Lazy Lakes RV Park, Sugarloaf Key, FL:  Another beautiful, warm day.  Charlie stopped by with Maple on their walk around the lake.  Gave Maple her requisite treats.  Sat outside in the sun reading for a while.  After lunch Esther and Gerald stopped by with their new acquisition—Foxy the Pomeranian.  She is so cute!  They got her from the Key West shelter. And she is such a good dog.  I told them I had just finished printing the Cribbage rules/directions that I downloaded from the Internet.  They invited us over to play a few games since we’re just learning. It really helps to play with people who know what they’re doing.  Came back and had left-overs for dinner.  79 today. 

Wild flowers we encountered on our hike around Crane Point

Lazy Lakes RV Park, Sugarloaf Key, FL:  Drove up to Key Largo today because we have to stop at Holiday RV there on our way to the Everglades to get a new water pump.  Mike wanted to see where it is exactly since we’ll be pulling the fifth wheel.  Checked out the place and got the new pump ordered. It’ll be an easy in and out since it’s on the ocean side.  On our way there we stopped at the Stuffed Pig for a sumptuous breakfast.  On our way back down the Keys we stopped at Duck Key and explored around a bit.  Then stopped at Crane Point  in Marathon which was purchased by the Florida Keys Land & Sea Trust in 1989, thus preserving this 63 acre treasure from future development.  This area was originally settled by  Bahamian immigrants and then the Cranes purchased the property and built a home on the point with panoramic views of Florida Bay.

The Adderley House--built by Bahamian immigrant, George Adderley.  He built this home out of "tabby" (made of burnt seashells) in the early 1900s.  It's the oldest home in the Keys outside of Key West and is on the list of historic places.

The Cranes bought the property and had this house built at the end of the point in 1954.

This is the home as it looks today.  They're planning on rehabbing when they get enough money.

One of the views of Florida Bay from the house.

They had a protected lagoon where they could swim.

Hiking the trails in here was a bit of a challenge--lots of sharp coral and roots as big as my thigh.  But I don't know how the early pioneers were able to navigate through these mangroves.

Another little key off the end of Crane point.

Lazy Lakes RV Park, Sugarloaf Key, FL:  Charlie stopped by with Maple this morning.  I had a 9:00 hair appointment, so we were off by 8:30.  After that we did the laundry and grocery shopping.  Had lunch at the Big Pine Restaurant and then back home.  Relaxed for a couple of hours—inside, since it was raining off and on.  Wasn’t supposed to.  Cleared off by the time we headed to the first wine tasting gathering sponsored by a guy in our park, Richard.  We tasted and rated Mal Bec wines from Argentina.  We were all speaking Spanish by the time we finished.  There’s a lot involved in these tastings.  Richard drives up to Miami to select and buy the wines.  It’s always great fun.  I now have a red wine headache.  Esther and Gerald weren’t there.  They’re trying to adopt a Pomeranian from the KW dog shelter.  Hope they got her.  Can’t wait to see her.  Maybe we’re next?

The wines we tasted.

Our table.

Richard, who organized the whole thing.

Lazy Lakes RV Park, Sugarloaf Key, FL:  Still chilly and windy today.  Mike didn’t even go over for donuts.  I finished up the cleaning and Mike went over for shoes.  We decided not to go to happy hour since I had a headache I couldn’t get rid of.  Sinuses I guess.  A nice sunny day, but the high was supposedly only 71.  With a stiff breeze.

Cottage across from the cemetery.

Key West cemetery.

Lazy Lakes RV Park, Sugarloaf Key, FL:  Brrrr!  Cold this morning!  Didn’t even want to get out from under the covers.  Put a pot roast in the crock pot first thing.  Then we decided to wash the walls, ceiling, and all the lights.  That took a couple of hours and then we watched a movie, “The Pilot’s Wife”, which Gerald had gotten from the clubhouse and gave to us.  Good movie!  Had our little electric heater going all day.  Really sunny, but cold and windy.  Stayed inside all day.  Pot roast with new potatoes and carrots for dinner.  Yum!  Perfect day for it.  Think it was 61 today.  Warmer tomorrow though.

Doors of Key West

Doors of Key West