BACK TO MARATHON

Our trip back the seas were calm and the crab traps were easy to see. It is really hot and humid here, but we're not complaining....could be Chicago weather.



NO NAME PUB

This morning we did some mundane chores around the boat, then headed to No Name Key to the No Name Pub for lunch. There are supposedly $300,000. worth of dollar bills hanging all over the walls and ceiling. The Pub goes back to the 1930's. We drove through the Key Deer Habitat. The Deer are an endangered species that live in this area. They were running around like dogs in a neighborhood. Would NOT want to drive here at dusk.

HI HO HI HO, IT'S OFF TO KEY WEST WE GO!



KW ROOSTER





SUNSET @ MALLORY SQUARE

VIEW FROM OUR SLIP

Yesterday, we headed down to Key West on our boat this time! It was a fairly unpleasant ride for Jake and Dorsey. We took Hawks Channel, which is the Atlantic Route. It took us about 5 1/2 hours to get down here. Good news is the last hour or so, we changed direction and the sea settled down a bit. We are staying at the Galleon Marina....nice! We got a wonderful slip! The water is so clear that we can see large Tarpon swimming right next to our boat. We have a great view and there is lots happening nearby. We are about 3 blocks from Duval Street. Last evening, we went to Mallory Square to watch the sunset and the characters that congregate there. After dinner on the boat, we stopped at a couple places to hear some great music and sip some wine. Found a great Blues Bar!

This morning we walked around the old town. We wanted to get our walk in before the onslaught of tourists and people from the cruise ships arrived. The sidewalks get very crowded.

There is a beautiful pool here as a part of the Marina. After lunch, we headed over to the pool to relax and enjoy the gorgeous weather.

THE FUN CONTINUES...

DOLPHIN RESEARCH CENTER

TMCA FRIENDS, ROY AND LEISA

We are trying to get to all the cute restaurants around here. Yesterday, we had breakfast at the Stuffed Pig. Thus far, we've hit Salty's, Porky's, Burdines, Sparky's and Lazy Days. Tonight, who knows where we'll end up .
This afternoon, we went to the Dolphin Research Center. Roy and Leisa are in town and joined in the tour. Never knew Dophins could make so much noise. They sounded like a bunch of fussy little kids.
This evening, we'll watch the sunset from our dock neighbors boat, then it's out to dinner with the sunset watchers .

KEY WEST AGAIN :-))

We were supposed to take KNOTUGAL down to KW this weekend, but the weather forecast took care of that. A front has come through with North 25 - 30 mph sustained winds with gusts over 35. We would not be able to get back to Marathon tomorrow in those conditions. So...we drove down and met up with Phil and Matilde. They will return on Tuesday. Tonight we are hunkered down on our boat listening to the wind howl. John has the boat tied well and goes out to check the lines every half hour.

BEACH BUDDIES

Yesterday, we packed a lunch and dinghyed over to Sombero Beach with Phil and Matilde. It is quite a nice beach...very sandy. Could not have been a prettier day for it.

This afternoon, more TMCA friends, Camille and Ernie,  stopped by. They are visiting friends on a boat over at the Sombero Marina. Phil and Matilde joined us. Whenever a bunch of boaters get together, there is never a loss for words. Many stories were shared.

BURDINES

So many places, so little time!  We made it to Burdines this evening for the sunset. For anyone who has been to Marathon, this is a well known, long time haunt! It is your basic Dive, but has a lot of history and character. I had a Mahi Mahi Reuben sandwich. This seems to be a popular variation of the usual Reuben down here. Yes, it is GOOD!

This afternoon, we decided to check out the Marathon Cinema. It supposed to be the best movie theater in Marathon, of course, it is the ONLY movie theater in Marathon. It is a "mom and pop" sort of place but interesting and fun. Since it is small and seats are limited, everyone arrives real early and by the time the movie starts, everyone has made friends with the people in the nearby seats.

After the movie, since there was a large number of boaters in attendance, a whole herd of bikes left the parking lot. I should mention that there are bike riders EVERYWHERE!!!! We have to extremely watchful at all times for them. It is like driving on a college campus.

THE FUN CONTINUES

BEHOLD, THE SHRINE( I mean the dinghy) is splashed! It has been a long dry spell with the dinghy. The crane has not worked and it was always a major effort to put the dingy in the water. The crane is fixed and we had a delightful outing around Boot Key Harbor!

We have had a great past 2 days. I got to play some tennis, and John has finished a bunch of projects. He now has a hose to connect to the scuba tank. That way if we hit a crab trap, he can snorkel down to cut the line and leave the tank on the aft deck.

Last night we had a sunset happy hour on the boat next to us. They gave us a tour of their boat as did the other couple they invited. Both couples live full time on their 65' boats. It is hard to relate to 5 staterooms,full size washer and dryer, dishwasher and crew quarters! We still owe them a tour of our boat.
Fellow TMCA friends, Phil & Matilde, arrived to Marathon on Thursday. They are on a mooring ball near by. We  will pick them up at their dinghy dock this evening, and go to dinner to celebrate their 43rd wedding anniversary.