Trip Diary for February, 2006: A Month in the Florida Keys

Week 1: Feb. 1-7:  Wednesday: we are rapidly adopting the area's laid-back "time doesn't matter" philosophy so prevalent at Key Colony Marina (KCB).  The dockmaster "justifies" anything that's late, missing or broke with a shrug of his shoulders, a gentle smile, and a soft "it's KCB", i.e., that's to be expected. Today was entirely spent aboard, working on numerous small projects and a bit more on taxes.  Thursday AM continued yesterday's acclimation.  In mid-afternoon we walked the half-mile to Cabana Breezes, a resort on the Atlantic affiliated with our marina (we receive complementary membership) for a light lunch, swimming in the ocean and showers.  A box of mail kindly assembled by Sharon Hawks arrived with critical tax documents and other essential mail from W. Lafayette; the evening was devoted to opening it.  We began exploring Marathon Friday using a taxi into town (5 mi.) and then walking.  It's amazing how long it takes to do anything when you don't have wheels or know where to go.  An acceptable quality late lunch at the Cracked Conch permitted snacks on the boat to suffice as dinner.  After experiencing the service and cost of taxis, we decided on a 24 hr. car rental Saturday afternoon. This allowed us to visit a highly recommended restaurant, Keys Fisheries, to enjoy their unique, excellent lobster Reuben sandwich.  While eating this late lunch at their outside picnic tables, we sat through one of the few storms on this trip: 20-30 mph gusts with a half-inch of rain; ultimately, this led to two days of 10-20 mph N winds with 10-degree lower temperatures.  Touring revealed Marathon as a rather old community with most homes/shops less elegant than we expected and considerable remaining damage from last fall's modest winds, but high-surge hurricane Wilma.  Sunday, we worshiped with a congregation of 75 at UM Community Church. About 11:30 we picked up Bill and Ruth Donovan (Integrity) from a Marathon marina for a Keys Fisheries lunch.  After turning in the car, we worked a bit on taxes and spent a frustrating 45 min. phoning DirecTV, unsuccessfully trying to view the Super Bowl.  We have "local channels" which are usable only within 200 miles of one's home location and DirecTV's rules do not allow concurrent "national network channels."  Monday: another relaxed day "in paradise."   Enterprise picked us up at 2 PM to rent a Dodge Neon for the next 3 weeks and we both got haircuts.  Tuesday was devoted to replacing the starboard bowrail heel mangled when we left our Dunedin dock in 25 mph beam winds.  Because of pitiful design, access to the forward bolts required cutting a 4-in. hole in the outside walkway wall, then installing a deckplate.  Lola assisted, operating a Phillips ratchet while Larry was contorting below to wrench nylon lock nuts.  We celebrated completing this difficult job with dinner at Cabana Breezes and were rewarded with one of the most beautiful sunsets we have witnessed; unfortunately, the camera was back at the boat.

Week 2: Feb. 8-14: Wednesday: A mild front moved in last night and natives complained about the cold, but both we and Lola's Amaryllis found a 61 degree low with a 68 degree sunny high was fine.  Lola spent the morning ironing and Larry worked on another boat project: remounting the stove to level its oven.  We picked up Bill and Ruth about 12:30 PM to allow them to check two area marinas where they might stay for another month and for an excellent lunch at Upper Crust Pizza.  Thursday continued cool and very breezy.  Lola got her nails repaired and shopped a bit.  Larry devoted the day to finishing 2005 taxes; probably the earliest we've ever completed them.  Friday was a day for boat projects and for getting organized and packed for tomorrow's departure so Larry could work a couple days for Purdue at the annual Naples alumni event.  We took a break only for an excellent late lunch at the nearby Key Colony Inn.  Saturday began a week on land working for Purdue and for AGLCA at the Miami International Boat Show.  We departed the boat at 7 AM for a 4+ hr. drive to Naples.  "Back to Class" sessions at the Naples Hilton paused for a fine lunch and ended at 2:30 PM to allow attending the formal President's Council dinner at the nearby Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort. Sunday began with 8:30 services at North Naples UMC and climaxed with Engineering's elegant brunch for more than 100 alumni/ae.  This allowed a bit of afternoon shopping, including a stop at Kilwin's for ice cream.  Temperatures were seriously less idyllic and trending downhill with the lowest in 3 yrs. forecast for Monday night.  Monday involved relocating about 18 mi. north to the beautiful Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa in Bonita Springs for a day of relaxation and sight seeing in areas we recently passed by aboard the Lola Marie.  Tuesday, Valentine's Day, began unexpectedly early with a 6 AM call from the hotel staff: "Mr. Huggins, we're very sorry to bother you at this hour, but the hotel floor just below yours is flooding and we've determined the water leak originates in your bathroom walls.  We will soon be at your door to help you relocate to another room."  Two minutes later five staff arrived, some to help quickly move us and others to begin tearing into our bathroom's wall.  After waiting unsuccessfully for more than an hour for sleep to return in the new room, we arose to shower only to find there was no water.  A call to inquire about the status confirmed the water was indeed off in most of the hotel for a "few more hours"; we could go down 11 floors and "shower in the spa" if we so desired.  We quickly packed and departed, with hotel management offering no adjustments for our inconveniences.  We left the Naples area about noon, fortunately choosing Route 41 through the heart of the FL Everglades instead of Interstate 75.  Just south of Naples we noted a side road for Goodland and quickly diverted for a second wonderful lunch at Little Bar.  Later we stopped at one of the several viewing areas to observe numerous alligators, fish and exotic birds in their natural habitat.  This scenic highway allowed one to see hundreds of birds and other wetland wildlife.

Week 3: Feb. 15-21: Wednesday: At 9:45 we met Eva and Ron Stob, AGLCA Directors, and a host of other member volunteers at the Miami Convention Center, site of the huge Miami International Boat Show, to help unload their truck and set up the AGLCA booth for tomorrow's show opening. After setup, the crew walked to the nearby huge Lincoln Drive Mall, a 10-block boulevard street shopping/dining area, for a delicious lunch at Nexxt.  After registering at the Townhouse hotel and re-parking the car for our extended stay, we again walked back to Lincoln Mall for a truly exceptional Italian dinner at il bistrot della gelateria.  There's no Kilwin's here, but Ghirardelli's was an adequate alternative.  By the end of the day we had walked 5-8 mi., enough for Larry to develop foot blisters (this was a "bit" further than he typically walks!).  The entire day Thursday was devoted to the Miami Boat Show beginning with opening the AGLCA booth at 9:30 and working until 1:30.  After lunch we returned to walk among the several hundred exhibits in the land portion of the show.  Friday provided an opportunity to sleep-in and then walk the half-block to Miami beach, a bit "more up-scale and densely populated" than others we've visited. This still provided plenty of time before our scheduled 5-8 slot at the AGLCA booth to visit the inexhaustible supply of booths and find much "vital new stuff" for the boat.  Saturday, we checked out of the hotel, loaded the car, and worked the 10-1 session at the boat show.  After a late salad lunch at Nexxt and a final visit to Ghirardelli's, it was time to head for the Miami airport to pick up Larry's sister Sharon and her husband George Lowry for a week in the Keys.  Their plane was late arriving and then waited another 40 min. for a gate; it was 12:30 AM when we returned to the boat at KCB.  With picture perfect Sunday weather, we managed to make the 11 AM, "blended" style service at Marathon Community UMC and were rewarded with an outstanding message by pastor Steve Bruns contrasting Christianity with Islam.  The afternoon was devoted to observing returning charter fishing boats cleaning their catch and going to the Cabana Club beach.  While at the Club we laundered Miami's clothing before returning for Lola's excellent pork loin dinner aboard.  Monday was another day of leisure in which we managed a Marathon tour by auto after lunch aboard.  A Pigeon Key Visitor's Center stop educated us about construction of Flagler's Railroad, the privately financed incredible railroad from Miami to Key West that opened the Keys to major commerce in 1912. We made sure Sharon and George experienced a lobster Reuben dinner at Keys Fisheries before watching the sun set from their outdoor tables.  Tuesday, Larry was invited to Frank and Joyce Johnson's condo to discuss good anchorages and marinas for our East coast passage while the others enjoyed beach time.  After lunch aboard we took the Lola Marie out for a 3 hr. ride to the 7 Mile Bridge, allowing the crockpot to cook barbequed ribs for dinner as we dodged crab pots and viewed the Keys from the Atlantic; waves were only 1 ft. with 2-4 ft. swells.

Week 4: Feb. 22-28: Wednesday: After breakfast and showers we piled into the car and headed to Key West.  We lunched at the Conch Republic Seafood Company and then shopped in the vicinity of Mallory Square.  Chickens are a protected species in the Keys; they are therefore plentiful, roam free and engage in spontaneous cock fights. After returning for a light Brie cheese dinner we prepared for bed.  Sharon was startled to find a very wet guest stateroom bed!  The source was soon found to be a plugged condensate drain on the salon air conditioner, the compressor for which is located in the pilothouse just above their stateroom.  It had been left running while we were in Key West and had slowly overflowed water all afternoon.  It was too late to fix the problem, but we replaced all bed linens, putting plastic under the sheet over the wet section of the mattress.  Thursday AM was devoted to addressing the AC problem and drying the guest stateroom mattress and blankets.  The key challenge, as always on this boat, was gaining access to the problem source.  Ultimately, only one trip to Home Depot was required to jury-rig a device that could be jammed into the drain hose and then connected to an air compressor.  After clearing the obstruction, bilge cleaner completed the cleaning task.  Most of the crew next spent a couple hours at the beach in the 84 degree sunshine while Larry, in a repairing mood, completed a couple of other long-standing boat projects.  Lola fixed rice and meatballs for an onboard dinner and we started a puzzle.  Friday morning everyone went to the Cabana Club for extended beach time prior to Sharon's and George's Saturday departure.  The ladies went shopping in the afternoon while the men worked on the puzzle.  We ate dinner at Annette's Lobster & Steak House.  All good things must end, so Saturday we departed at 10:15 AM to drive Sharon and George to the Miami Airport (105 mi.) for their 2:15 PM return flight.  As we approached Islamorada, traffic slowed to a crawl.  It took 30 min. to make the next 6 mi. due to congestion for a Rotary Nautical Flea Market that drew 400-500 cars.  Just 4 miles beyond that tie-up a serious car accident completely closed Highway 1; fortunately, it was where traffic could be diverted, one way at a time, around the accident via a local road.  It took almost 3 hrs. to reach the airport.  After dropping them at the airport, we spent the afternoon at the Miami International Mall shopping and having Lola's hair and nails done.  After Sunday church at Marathon Community UMC we picked up Bill and Ruth (Integrity) for brunch at Burdine's in Marathon.  The afternoon was devoted to boatkeeping: laundry and general maintenance during a steady, light rain.  The night "rocked and rolled" as the boat tugged against its lines in NE wind gusts to 30 mph and, despite our well protected harbor, 1 ft. waves noisily slapped the hull.  Monday was devoted to a final lunch at Keys Fisheries, provisioning, returning the car and charting the initial segments of the eminent trip to Miami and the east FL coast.  Winds diminished substantially by Tuesday morning with a forecast promising suitable water for tomorrow's planned departure.  Despite being on a long-term adventure, we still must periodically take care of mundane business: the day was spent dealing with a new mail package, general cleaning and charting the next few travel days.

Water miles traveled this month: 14 (total 3783).

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