Changes in Latitude, Changes in Attitude
Good glorious morning! We may not be watching the sun slip away at the end of the day, but we sure get to experience an extraordinary wake-up each morning looking east over the Atlantic. This morning the temps are in the 50s and I have the furnace on in the van! Breakfast and a walk along the beach and then we’re off to Bahia Honda State Park. We are hoping to get some snorkeling in, a stiff wind and the Gulf side is down right chilly. The Atlantic side has just a breeze and the sun is warm, but visibility is poor and makes it just not worth braving the chilly water. This is the park where a camp site reservation is highly coveted. A number of cancellations became available, but I think a stay at this park will need to be off season, not even sure of that because the heavy drone of cars on the bridge does not make for a peaceful stay. However, it is a beautiful park with a spectacular beach and well worth out trip here for the day.
An historical treasure stands where Bahia Honda Channel meets the Atlantic Ocean. Constructed in 1917, the Old Bahia Honda Bridge was originally part of the Overseas Railroad built by Henry Flagler. Trains sped through the center of the span, protected on either side by high, steel guardrails. In 1936, after the railroad was destroyed by a hurricane, the bridge was adapted for automobile traffic as part of the Overseas Highway. Because the track area was too narrow to accommodate two lanes of cars, the roadway was built atop the structure. Old Bahia Honda Bridge is one of the most photographed structures in the Keys.
We made a quick detour through Duck Key with it’s quaint Venetian bridges and pricey real estate. Many do not think of Duck Key as an old Key. It was bypassed by the railroad in 1912 and the Overseas Highway after when rebuilt after the 1935 Hurricane. As it is today at mile marker 61, it is a new Key. Bryan Newkirk purchased the island in 1956 and with a consortium of partners pumped several million dollars along with many million cubic yards of fill and now beautiful homes with spectacular water views. We can dream.
We end the day in the warmth of the late afternoon sun and wade out into the ocean at low tide. Tomorrow we move on to John Pennekamp State Park for our last night.
Heading north to Key Largo we stop for breakfast at Lorelei on Islamorada. Blackened dolphin, otherwise known as mahi for breakfast was excellent
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park is nation’s first underwater park. Named for the journalist who worked diligently for preservation of the reefs. The park provides a base for off shore snorkeling and diving. It is an excellent place to put in a kayak or canoe in the overhanging mangroves. The park encompasses approximately 70 nautical square miles. While the mangrove swamps and tropical hammocks in the park's upland areas offer a unique experience, it is the coral reefs and their associated marine life that bring most visitors to the park. You can take a glass-bottom boat tour, or get a closer look by scuba diving or snorkeling. I am taking the boat out to deep water with my snorkel gear in the morning.
The ride out to the coral reef is a bit chilly and gosh darn wouldn't you know I am coming down with a little somethin' somethin', but I refuse to participate and miss this opportunity to swim in the deep blue sea. Out there is Christ of the Abyss, a 8 1/2 foot, 4,000 pound bronze sculpture of Jesus Christ that stands in 25 feet of water This reef is a very shallow dome shaped reef which breaks the surface at low tide on the landward side, and slopes to 25 feet on the seaward side. The statue is one of three cast from a mold by an Italian sculptor Guido Galletti. It was originally made for Egidi Cressi, the dive equipment manufacturer and later donated to John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in 1966. The Cressi family of Italy donated the statue to the Underwater Society of America, which in turn donated it to the Florida State Park Service, in recognition of the conservation efforts involved in the creation of America's first underwater park. The Christ Statue is one of the most famous and visited underwater sites on earth, accessible to divers and snorkelers alike! I also swam with baracudas, angel fish, white grouper, rainbow parrot fish, lion fish and a super cute smiling cowfish. My phone camera storage filled up by accidently taking a 103 photo burst. I guess I am fortunate to get a few underwater pics!
So another perfectly good road trip is winding down. Now we're down to the chores. It will feel good to have the van tanks cleaned and sanitized. We're suppose to do that every 3 months. That operation is a bit time consuming, but it helps to have both of us filling and emptying. We start by putting bleach and a full tank of fresh water in the tank and let it sit overnight. We use the city water hookup at this point for our water use. The next morning we empty both grey and black water at our on site sewer and start filling those tanks with the bleach water from the fresh water tank.. then empty.. then fill the fresh again and fill up the grey and black water tank and empty until the bleach smell is gone. I put about a gallon of water and a cup of borax and 1/2 cup of calgon in the black water tank and we're done. It's all ready for the next adventure. Once we're home, the interior clean out gets underway and I know it will just be a matter of short time until I want to be on the road again. Thanks for coming on the road with us. I so appreciate you taking the time to read our adventures and really would like if you would post a comment below.
Sitka contemplating having racoon for dinner
"These changes in latitudes, changes in attitudes, Nothing remains quite the same. Through all of the islands and all of the highlands, If we couldn't laugh we would all go insane"