It was such a fun visit with Scott & Sonya. Scott got his 2 National Park stamps. (Dry Tortugas & Biscayne)
Thursday May 14
We spent the first night here after picking them up at PBI. Got a bit settled and went to Taco Dive for dinner and played Crazy Rummy.
Friday May 15
Today we drove to Homestead where we spent 2 nights. Our first stop was Biscayne National Park. We stopped at the Visitor’s center and Convoy Point Boardwalk. (it was a short walk) Most of the park is on the water and without a private boat access is limited.
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We got checked into the Fairfield Homestead Hotel and there was a Cracker Barrel close and we grabbed dinner there. It was the first time Scott had eaten there and he was hooked. (he had a negative connotation of it for some reason) We played Crazy Rummy in the lobby of the hotel before bedtime.
Saturday May 16
Today was our day to explore Everglades National Park. We started with an
Airboat ride, Alligator Show and we wandered the various trails. We had lunch
there before moving on to the Shark Valley Visitor's center and there is a
short boardwalk there where many were fishing. Everglades
Airboat Rides & Tours | Everglades Safari Park
Then on to Shark Valley Visitor Center where we took a tram
ride around the Everglades. Interesting that it was all dry there and the only
water was in the underground cement openings. (just the area of the Everglades we
were in) The rest has water even in the dry season.
Scott & Sonya live in Mesa, Arizona (I lived in Phoenix & Mesa for 20 years) Sonya was struggling with the humidity here. Like adjusting to the dry heat there it takes time to acclimate to the humidity here. I prefer the moist to the dry heat, but we are all different.
Sunday May 17
We made the lovely drive from Homestead through Key largo and past all the smaller Keys to Marathon and since there wasn’t any place they wanted to stop we only stopped for a desperation stop to pee in the woods when the need hit and not a bathroom in site and passed over 7-Mile Bridge and arrived in Key West.
We had time to visit Fort Zachary Taylor. We grabbed lunch at the beach where the fort is located.
After touring the fort, we got checked into the Fairfield Hotel in Key West for 3 nights. As we were unpacking, we started hearing a dripping sound in the bathroom and saw that the ceiling was leaking. (a lot) Fearing the ceiling might come down we called and they sent maintenance to check it out. (and the room above us) Unfortunately, we ended up having to change rooms. We had a great upgrade to a King Suite (and it was a handicapped room so it lots of extra space) and were changed to a suite, but it had 2 double beds instead of a King and you couldn’t open the closet door without having to close it before squeezing between the bed and the door. (sideways) The bathroom door opened right into the sink (or the person standing at it) Most of the room was in the living area not the bedroom.
While we packed up and moved Scott and Sonya went across the street for dinner and we met them a bit later for a great dinner by the pool at McKee's Tiki Bar at the Capitana Key West. Sonya tried Conch Fritters and honestly, they didn’t look like they normally do, and I don’t think they were very good. Scott and I sent back our short rib sandwiches as they were cold. Our fries were hot but they took those back when they redid the order. The sandwiches were now hot, but they were the same fries so they were cold. The waiter was so sweet (it wasn’t his fault) and even took them off the bill which wasn’t necessary, but it did improve his tip greatly. LOL
We still needed to settle in and Greg was tired from driving so no time for cards tonight. (though plenty of room in our living area to play)
Monday May 18
Finally, it was our Dry Tortugas day, and we had to be up early to get the Yankee Freedom ferry for the 3-hour ride to get there. They served breakfast after boarding and I should have brought the cards, but we had some time to talk and just chill.
We arrived and went straight for the snorkeling. They had told us that a storm had come through and the visibility wouldn't be good. It was awful. No usable Go Pro footage. Visibility wasn't good, we also didn't hear any crackling of a coral reef, so not sure how good it would have been even if the weather was good. We went to one location and Scott & Sonya went to the other one. (they meet in the middle) They reported the same. I’m sure there are lots of fish and turtles even if there wasn’t coral if the visibility had been good. We did see a barracuda and a few fish.
Lunch was back on the ferry and then we toured the fort and checked out the birds that were nesting. They had fresh water showers and changing rooms so we changed out of out wet clothes and reboarded for the 3 hours back to Key West. Since we had the parking garage near the ferry, we left the car there where we found a great place for dinner. (and later ice cream)
It’s a great operation with the ferry and they work closely with the National Park Service that allows them to bring guests to the island. (limited time for day trippers, but some people do camp there for a night or two) The campers have to bring everything they need as there is nothing on the island. No water or food, but they do supply port-a-potties for them which they close while we are there and the campers can come aboard and use the Ferries. Below is their schedule:
Dry Tortugas https://www.drytortugas.com/key-west-tours/
7:00 am - arrival
Boarding time: 7:30 am
Departure time: 8:00 am
Arrive at Fort Jefferson: 10:15 am*
Fort Jefferson Tour: 11:00 am
Lunch: 11:00 am – 1:00 pm
Depart: 3:00 pm
Arrive in Key West: 5:15 pm*
Best Snorkeling Spots: The Moat Wall is widely considered the best spot, featuring diverse marine life and coral, while the historic Coaling Pier pilings attract larger fish like grouper and barracuda. 5 – 15 foot waters around Fort Jefferson are perfect for spotting tropical fish, sea turtles, coral, and nurse sharks. Perhaps on a good visibility day the above is true.
Tuesday May 19
Today was our day to explore all things Key West. We opted for the HOHO trolley. (hop on hop off) https://www.trolleytours.com/ It picked us up right at our hotel and we decided to ride it all the way around to see what stops they wanted to get off at. We have been to Key West many times between land trips and cruise stops so we tried to show them the highlights and anything they were interested in doing.
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One of the biggest things people do is just wander down Duval Street popping into the interesting shops & bars. We did the obligatory Southernmost Monument. Scott wanted to see the cemetery, and it was a couple of blocks off the trolley route. We were back on Duval Street, and I suggested we walk back to the square instead of just blowing by everything on the trolley. Scott started popping into various shops and so we just meandered our way back to the square and stopped for drinks. (Yuk, Fat Tuesday isn’t what it used to be) On the walk down Duval we got a phone call saying that our snorkel at Looe Key was canceled due to weather. High winds and rain predicted. We were so disappointed as it is supposed to be the best place to snorkel in the Keys. We have tried several times now and still haven’t gotten a chance to do it. For Scott & Sonya I was hoping it would be redemption for the crappy snorkel at Dry Tortugas. They initiated a refund for our snorkel tour.
We wandered around a bit looking for a place for dinner before waiting for the sunset. We first went to Sunset Grill, but the sun was blinding and there was no shade, so we wandered until we came across a Cuban Restaurant. Awesome food!
Scott and Sonya stayed at Mallory Square while we went for a walk on Duval until it was time for sunset. We met them back for the sunset which was “Meh”. We went to the Dive Shop where the hotel shuttle picks up guests for a ride back to the hotel. (the HOHO stopped at 5:00)
We got packed up to leave tomorrow and slept in a bit since we didn't need to get to the dive shop early the next day. Looe Key Watersports | Capt. Hook's Looe Key Reef Adventures
Wednesday May 20
We got checked out and drove straight home with a stop for lunch at an amazing place called Mrs. Mack’s Diner. Great Coconut shrimp & fries!
Sonya did a load of laundry, and we had dinner at Spiro’s for Greek food. We played some Crazy Rummy and turned in.
Thursday May 21
We went to Sara’s Kitchen for a late breakfast before coming back here to show them the neighborhood and amenities. Still full from breakfast we grabbed bad food at the rest stop on the Toll Road on the way to Orlando. We got checked into the Fairfield Universal in Orlando and settled in a bit and played some Crazy Rummy until it was time to leave before going to see the Polynesian Fire Luau in Kissimmee. Polynesian Fire Luau Dinner Show | Official Site
The food was good and the show was really fantastic. We have been to quite a few luaus in Hawaii of various quality and this show did the “real thing” justice. Very entertaining evening. It was high on their list of things to do and I’m glad it was good. We had time for one round of Crazy Rummy before bed.
Friday
May 22 & Saturday May 23
We had a 2-day park hopper pass (needed for the Harry Potter train between the parks) for Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure.
Both parks had changed a LOT. Potter World was just being built when we left to live in Panama. There were a few rides that were the same, but most had been revamped or done away with. Most were now motion simulation rides. Which we love, but with our aging bones after the first day I felt like someone had beaten me with a baseball bat all over and Greg had one bloody arm from a torn skin flap.
We love roller coasters and The Hulk is one of our favorites. (we were always first row riders as I love to watch the track drop away) Or in Hulk’s case just shoots you out instead of the usual steep climb and then drop. I wanted to do it and I may have on the first day before my body was in such pain but talked myself out of it. I was concerned it may trigger the Occipital Neuralgia and Greg’s back no longer can handle them. In all honesty, it may have been smoother than the motion sim rides. LOL Scott went on as a solo rider and we hated missing Hagrid’s Motorcycle coaster. My favorite ride is Men In Black and Scott & Sonya really liked ET. (me too)
Lunch was at an Italian place at Universal which was very good and they had great gelato. We had some gelato on the last day, and the scooper remembered us and I think she gave us an extra scoop. We had an early dinner at Bubba Gumps Shrimp. Lunch the second day was in the kiddie section so it was filling as it was heavily breaded chicken and they had the worst corn dog ever. The last night we had grilled chicken which was very good.
The first night we stayed for the evening fireworks, laser light & water show. Honestly the drone formations were the hit for me. Very well-done show. We opted not to stay to watch the show the last night as we had a lot of time to kill. It turned out to be a good call since it poured rain after we got back to the hotel. We had time for a round of Crazy Rummy before turning in.
Sunday May 24
It was their last day, and we played Crazy Rummy until it was time to check out and go for lunch at Café Tu Tu Tango on I-Drive. Home Page - Café Tu Tu Tango It was one of our favorite places when we lived near Orlando. It’s a quirky and artsy place that specializes in tapas sized plates of various types of dips and spreads, Beef, chicken, seafood, vegetable tapas and killer desserts. We got there and being a Sunday with a brunch in full swing it was a 2 hour wait. Boo Hiss. So, we searched for a different spot and decided on Pio Pio, Colombian & Peruvian Restaurant. Must-Visit Restaurant in Orlando, FL | Pio Pio Turned out to be a good choice. We still had some time to kill before taking them to the airport, so we drove them up and down I-Drive to see the sites and dropped them at the airport in plenty of time for their flight. I managed not to cry but I was sad to see them go. Big hugs all around. Sonya is the best daughter-in-law I could ask for. (she is the one keeping touch with me with emailing) I am so proud of Scott for the man he has become.
Online Photo Album https://photos.app.goo.gl/4SYB5GsRriWRo282A
Greg and I will be going to the British Isles cruise in July. Will post on that after we return.
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