Key West and Naples, FL

We departed St. Augustine and headed south along the eastern coast of Florida. We needed a one night stop at a campground before we reached Key West. Lion Safari KOA was just outside West Palm Beach. It was too late to ride through the Lion Safari park, but the campsites were so close to Lion Safari that we could hear the lions roaring during the night and into the morning. We could not believe how loud they could roar.

The next day we arrived at Lazy Lakes RV Park on Sugarloaf Key. Our campground had a real tropical feel with lots of palm trees. It was early enough in the day, so we drove into Key West that afternoon. Duval Street was the main street loaded with t-shirt shops, bars, art galleries, bars, restaurants, bars, souvenir shops, bars, jewelry stores, oh, and did I mention bars! As the day wore on, more and more people arrived downtown and a loud, party atmosphere began to resemble something like New Orleans during Mardi Gras. We roamed around and found a sandal shop that was on my To Do list.

Many years ago, when my mother-in-law would visit friends who lived in the Keys, she would buy Kino sandals (leather flip-flops) for her sister and all of her daughters-in-law. I looked online before we reached the Keys and found out that Kino was still making and selling sandals in Key West. I was able to watch people making the sandals and bought sandals for all the Ryder women in remembrance of my mother-in-law.

As we continued to roam all the little side streets and shops, we checked out the menus at a couple of restaurants. After dinner we headed back to the campground with some ideas about what we wanted to do the next day.

The weather on the Keys was very warm and sunny. We took the Conch Train Tour the next day and learned about the history and lives of the people who have lived in Key West. While on this tour, we saw mile marker zero for US Route 1. If you follow Route 1 from here you will travel about 2,369 miles and end up at Fort Kent, Maine. We also had the opportunity to visit the southern most point in the U.S. and have our picture taken next to the marker.  

That evening we dined at Michael’s Restaurant, a bistro with outdoor seating under shady trees. At the end of dinner we received a post card that had a watercolor print of the restaurant that we thought was reminiscent of Key West. On the back of the postcard we found the name of the artist and I looked her up on the Internet. We found three galleries where her art work was for sale and the next day we went to one of the galleries in search of a larger print that we could frame. While I was looking through a display of the artist’s prints, Pete began a conversation with the woman working in the gallery. It turned out to be the artist of the print we wanted to purchase! She found the size print we wanted and we chatted for awhile. Turns out she is a retired teacher from the Chicago area. With our print in hand, we were off to find the Butterfly Conservatory.

Coconut Shrimp with Sweet Chili Glaze

Artichoke Hearts Baked With Garlic and Parmesan

Served with Mini Pita Breads

Mahi Topped with Macadamia Nuts and Finished

with a Dark Rum and Banana Butter Sauce

At the Butterfly Conservatory we walked along paths in an enclosed, climate controlled botanical garden with trees, flowering plants, waterfalls and hundreds of butterflies flying everywhere. They landed on plants and people. Pete had a beautiful, blue butterfly land on his ball cap. There were also some birds, including a really noisy male flamingo who was trying to garner the attention of a female flamingo. We enjoyed the conservatory and then went to find some lunch.

After lunch, we walked to the Key West Aquarium. It is a small, old aquarium built in the 1930s but still interesting. There were numerous exhibits of ocean creatures found in this area. We saw many colorful tropical fish, an octopus, and sharks. While we were there, a docent fed the manta rays.

We enjoyed our visit to the Florida Keys and prepared to travel to Naples, FL.

In Naples, we visited with friends, Sandy and Everett, who had once lived in Vermont. Pete and Everett have known each other for years after owning and working in their own aviation businesses. We enjoyed their company and a nice, leisurely dinner at Sandy and Everett’s home.

The next day, we traveled to Port Charlotte, FL.