RVentures with Doug and Chris: The "Key" to a Great Weekend

We are members of the Monday through Friday construction crew once again as we work with Habitat for Humanity in Sebring, Florida during the month of February.

I spent the first week learning to measure, cut, and hang drywall with my favorite teacher. We were enjoying the long, warm days and the satisfying work, but were also looking forward to the joy of

The Weekend

and the chance to meet up with our friend, Dave, who was vacationing near the Florida Keys.

Now, as our readers may know by now, a weekend with Dave is alway fun but not always so relaxing. The "key" to our great weekend is to see and experience all the beauty that the Florida Keys has to offer.

Our three hour drive turned into four as we slowly rolled past Miami to our hotel in Florida City. The sun may have been setting, but Dave still had big plans that included a ranger-lead moonlight walk at Everglades National Park, just 20 minutes from our hotel.

We were definitely not alone as we hiked along the Anhinga Trail boardwalk! It was great fun to learn about their habits and see a few of the 1.5 million alligators that "hang out" with us humans in Florida.

On Saturday morning we set out on one of the most beautiful road trips in the US ... the 100 mile drive down Highway 1 to Key West, Florida. This area took a direct hit from Hurricane Irma last September, but we are grateful to see signs of its recovery.

While there are still occasional piles of debris and patches of "stressed out" trees, businesses are open and eager to welcome back the tourists ... like this ice cream shop that lured us in.

Our first stop was at mile marker 48.5. On Dave's bucket list and sounding interesting to us was a tour of the Turtle Hospital on Marathon Key.

Our 90 minute tour was filled with interesting facts and fascinating views of the sick and injured sea turtles that were rescued in the area.

Most are brought into the hospital with injuries from predators, fishing lines, boat propellers, and human pollution. The hospital's motto is "rescue, rehab, and release". These green sea turtles are practicing their swimming skills in the huge salt water pool as they heal and prepare for eventual release back into the ocean. They seemed to enjoy some of the special treats that we were able to feed them.

The Key West sunshine and scenery greeted us as we arrived there around noon.

Hungry for lunch, Doug's "brewery GPS" honed in on The Waterfront Brewery. They served up a beautiful view as well as delicious fresh fish. And Doug claims that their "Crazy Lady" honey blond beer was as wonderful as his own crazy lady.

After lunch we set out to explore Key West. Since it was a Saturday, and there were three cruise ships docked, we expected the city to be bustling. But it did not seem overly crowded, and it was actually very pleasant to walk down Duval Street to see the sites.

Ice cream ahead!
Saving that location on Dave's "ice cream GPS" for our return trip.

Photo op at the marker for the
Southernmost Point of the Continental USA

The Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory intrigued me, so we paid a visit to ...

"excite our senses" and "expand our mind" while surrounded by thousands of graceful flying creatures.

Afterwards, we made our way over to Fort Zachary Taylor State Park which provided a great location for ...

... walking on the beach (and a dip in the ocean for Dave),

... viewing the cruise ships as they continue on their journey,

... and capturing another unique sunset shot.

With darkness arriving, it was time to make our way back along the harbor ...

... following Dave's "ice cream GPS" in order to refuel for our 100 mile trip back to the hotel,

... and plan for our final day in the Keys.

Sunday brought us more sunshine and the promise of an 80 degree day for Dave! Perfect for kayaking and hiking at John Pennekamp State Park in Key Largo.