Southward along Florida Keys

On February 21st we anchored near Marathon which is a busy area on land and in the water. The marina did not have any slips available but let us tie up on the fuel dock after 4pm. Nate stayed on the boat to rest as his Shingles was giving him pain and wearing him out. The rest of us walked to Castaway’s Restaurant which seemed to be built out of random materials, more of a big shack. Our waiter claimed to be a pirate and we enjoyed our meals.

Karlyn made and delivered our “boat cards” which was I was so excited to start sharing. Queso was the star and I think they look quite professional.

The next day we walked to the Turtle Hospital which has been developed from an old hotel and has been in operation since 1986. If you are in the area, it is a must visit as you learn a great deal about sea turtles and you support this awesome cause. The organization rescues, rehabs and releases turtles. You can a full tour of the facility and meet some of the residents. There are a few turtles that can’t go back into the wild do to ailments such as blindness, bubble butt syndrome, or shell injuries.

We had lunch at Irie Island Eats which was set in a tropical garden and live chickens wandered the grounds. Josephine’s chicken catching skills are still going strong. Photo from lunch and photo from 5 years ago with our COVID chickens.

After getting some provisions at the grocery store we moved the boat back to the fuel dock for the evening. Ian helped with ropes and then got dirty by scrubbing the decks with me. That evening we had a truly special treat when we saw a family or group of manatees at the docks. They were beautiful and HUGE.

Up early the next morning to make our way to Bahia Honda State Park for lunch.

Many years ago we stopped in Bahia Honda while chartering a boat from Key West with the Sobiesczczyk family and we were happy to be able to return to this State Park. The entrance to the anchorage is dramatic with a cut in the old railroad bridge.

We went walking with Queso in the park and purchased “Bad Monkey” as we have been watching an episode each night on the boat. The story is set in Key West.

Found a picture of Capitan Nate circa 2018 when we sailed in this area.