The four of us just got back from a long weekend in Key West. The adventure began in the fall, when Cam asked “Can we go somewhere as a family for the holidays?” My answer was swift “You have graduated from college, we no longer need to travel during the holidays!”
Both girls had limited time off from work, so we planned a long weekend. Key West was perfect, because none of us had been there before, it is substantially warmer than NY and there are direct flights. A main goal was relaxation, with a hope to spend time on the beach.
Our weather did not cooperate, as the temperature was mostly in the high sixties and low seventies, with clouds and a little bit of rain. So the beach is the only place we did not spend much time.
Lots of adventure packed into one long weekend
Of course we had to see the sights: Duvall Street, Mallory Square, the most southern place in the US (“hey, I can see Cuba from my porch!”), the very end of Route 1 (and the zero mile marker), butterfly exhibits, nature conservancies and several monuments to historic figures.
But we also did several adventures including a sailboat ride and mangrove kayak trip with Danger Charters. We met some new friends and learned a great bit about the ecosystem of Key West. Did you know that initially the income for the island came from salvage rights from all the shipwrecks in the shallow waters?
The four of us also generated the gumption to bicycle all over the island – absolutely the best way to travel there.
It was a great trip. A final moment was an eye opener when we said goodbye at Newark Airport. Each of us went our own direction (Sherry and I headed north, while Ali headed east and Cam south).