Key West/Everglades

We left Harriett, our 5^th wheel, in Sebastian and headed to Key West where Mary taught a workshop as a fundraiser with the local ASPCA. The class was very successful with twenty terrific students, two dogs, a rabbit, an anole lizard and a sugar glider in class on the second day.

We stayed with a very nice and hospitable friend and client of Mary’s who has a sweet little guest cottage right in the heart of Key West which is great town. It is touristy, but the unique mix of scenery, architecture, tropical plants, and the historical (fishing/shrimping) and modern culture (margaritaville/gay scene) are fascinating.

It was definitely warmer in south Florida and especially Key West than in northern or central Florida. The water on both sides of the Keys are protected from ocean swells and heavy surf by reefs on the Atlantic side and an extensive shallow shelf on the Gulf side. The weather was a bit rainy while we were there so it limited our ability to enjoy the water, but we had fun exploring the town and eating some great shrimp.

On the way back up we went to the Everglades National Park. We stopped at a small lake where Roseate Spoonbills were nesting. At the Flamingo Visitor Center we spotted three manatees and two very large crocodiles (yes crocodiles). On our first hike, we trekked out to a bay hoping to see a huge flock of shorebirds, but the tide was out and the birds were way off in the distance. It was great to hike 3.2 miles in the Everglades and not see any snakes. We also crossed their highest pass.

On our last hike on the Anhinga Trail we saw nesting Anhinga birds, vultures, wood storks and many other wonderful and exotic birds, but the highlight was several alligators of all shapes and sizes. Some were in the water, others along the pond shoreline and a few even up on the dry grass. The ¾ mile path and boardwalk through the area offered some fantastic views of these wild creatures.

We also stopped to visit one of Mary’s favorite roadside attractions. Coral Castle is a garden of sculptures and structures made entirely out of very large chunks of coral rock. What is truly amazing is that all of the pieces were quarried, carved and placed by a single person using only hand tools and pulleys (no motorized equipment). Edward Leedskalnin was Latvian and only 5’0” and 100lbs. He built the structures during the 1930’s and 40’s as a monument to the love of his life. The irony is that the woman actually rejected him and never lived with him. How did he do it? If you are near Homestead, Florida it is definitely worth a visit.