Southern Florida Trip Review

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sped372
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Southern Florida Trip Review

Post by sped372 » Sat Mar 23, 2013 9:27 am

So, due to the short time frame, we had to leave the bus behind but we did do some camping. We flew into Ft. Lauderdale, rented a ridiculous red Dodge Charger (we had booked the cheapest option but they were out of Chevy Aveos), and headed for South Beach.

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We got lucky and found a parking garage with five minutes to spare... we had booked a walking food tour which ended up being really fun. We sampled foods from five or six different places with a guide instead of having to try and decide which places were actually good and which were just for the tourists.

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It was great to see, but it felt good to get out of there afterwards as well. We had thought our Charger was ostentatious, but it paled in comparison to the yellow Ferraris or the tricked out Porsches. This was a whole different crowd.

We drove south and checked in to our room somewhere down near Palmetto Bay. The place was just ok, but it felt safe, which is always important when you're visiting a new area. After a night of rest we struck out to visit the Everglades.

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At first we were a little let down, the scenery was certainly beautiful but it paled in comparison to the National Parks out west. Once we started looking closer, though, it quickly became clear that the attraction here is the wildlife. On a few of the hikes (really just boardwalk strolls) the view was better than visiting a zoo. Animals were everywhere, and close enough to touch. Even the plants were crazy compared to what we are familiar with up in Wisconsin.

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It was a great experience. We drove back to the hotel and packed everything up for the drive to Key West the next day. In the morning, on the way, we swung over to see Biscayne National Park. Unfortunately, our glass-bottom boat tour had been cancelled so we could only wander the few short walkways along the shore. It was nice to see but we knew we weren't seeing any of the parks true attractions... maybe next time.

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On the drive along the Overseas Highway we really came into our element with the Charger. The blue skies, palm trees, and bright red car meant we couldn't resist pretending we were Miami Vice. It was a good inside joke and it sort of wove itself into the fabric of the trip.

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We checked out John Pennekamp State Park along the way (very nice) and eventually made it to Key West. We checked into our tiny room and started to explore the area on foot. We saw some pelicans and huge (6') fish cruising the harbor while we waited for dinner.

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After a good night's rest, we really covered some ground the next day. We walked up and down Duvall Street and explored all the adjacent roads as well. Key West definitely has a unique feel with all the cats and chickens wandering around. We made sure to see the Mallory Square street performers at sunset as well.

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After dinner and few drinks we headed back to the room since we had an early departure in the morning. We reconfigured our bags (which had been an exercise in planning all its own - to get our camping equipment through the airline travel obstacle course) and fell asleep wondering what the next day would bring.

It brought a beautiful morning.

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Roughly three hours later we were standing on one of the most remote National Parks in the US. The Dry Tortugas is 70 miles out into the Gulf of Mexico (off Key West which is already way out into the Gulf) and can only be accessed by boat or sea plane. We took a ferry because the planes were crazy expensive and wouldn't haul camping equipment.

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You have to bring everything you need to this isolated place. We brought our own water and plenty of munchies to tide us over. We stayed on Garden Key, one of the largest in the tiny group, which is still only about 400 yards across. Most of that is taken up by Fort Jefferson, built during the 1800's and one of the largest brick structures ever constructed. It was all very surreal.

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We set up our camp and then tried a bit of snorkeling. It was fun, but challenging, due to the stiff winds that made the waves less than cooperative. After the ferry left, taking nearly everyone back to Key West, we pretty much had the place to ourselves. We decided to check out the fort.

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It was beautiful in it's own way, and I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to see it at sunset and sunrise - something you only get as a camper. The light changes and the colors just become all the more amazing. Everything felt so strange, since there really wasn't anyone else around. There were a couple other campers staying on the island but everyone was polite and low-key - I don't think I ever heard a human voice.

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We slept pretty well, despite the wind. We were glad we chose the spot tucked back into the buttonwood tree for the bit of shelter it gave us. The next morning, the seashells that had washed up were amazing.

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We did some more exploring and watched the Frigatebirds harass some seagulls. Apparently they do not have oily feathers like most seabirds, so they just wait for other birds to catch some food and then chase them around until they drop it.

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It had been a great time but we were ready to go back. You run out of things to see pretty quickly on a tiny speck of land out in the middle of the ocean. I could never imagine being stationed there, or being held as a prisoner there as many were long ago.

We took the ferry back, which was much much rougher this time (good thing we had taken some Dramamine), checked back into our room, and had fun recalling our new memories. The next day we drove back up to the Miami area, stopped at Bahia Honda park along the way (also very nice), and reorganized our bags again to make it back through the airport. The flight back went without a hitch and were back to snow before we knew it.

I'd highly recommend checking out Southern Florida, it was a unique experience and definitely a nice change of pace for us northern types. If you can swing a camping trip to the Tortugas it will be an experience you won't forget.

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hambone
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Re: Southern Florida Trip Review

Post by hambone » Sun Mar 24, 2013 2:48 pm

Good stuff, most certainly a family odyssey!
http://greencascadia.blogspot.com
http://pdxvolksfolks.blogspot.com
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Amskeptic
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Re: Southern Florida Trip Review

Post by Amskeptic » Wed Mar 27, 2013 1:39 pm

Gorgeous photographs DOWN HERE IN FLORIDA, yessiree. I would enjoy a spot like Fort Jefferson in its isolate splendor. Liked the art connoisseur chicken and the Miami Vice meets James Bond Movie Poster.
Colin
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sped372
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Re: Southern Florida Trip Review

Post by sped372 » Fri Mar 29, 2013 4:41 am

Amskeptic wrote:Liked the art connoisseur chicken...
That's what we called him, too. I think he was critiquing the roosters in the paintings.
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Oregon72
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Re: Southern Florida Trip Review

Post by Oregon72 » Wed Apr 03, 2013 10:29 pm

Wow! Those photos are great!! That fort looks amazing.
-'72 Westy-

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