Tastes of Key Largo: Once we got settled in at the marina, we started exploring the restaurants in the area. There were 2 restaurants overlooking the marina. And several other choices within walking distance.
C&C Wood Fired Eats had great pizza – even gluten-free, an interesting appetizer of “pepperoni chips”, and a cozy atmosphere.
2 restaurants on the bayside have happy hours and great sunset views. We enjoyed the vibe and the live music at Snooks Bayside.
Time for Haul-out: Shortly after arriving, we decided to haul SCOUT for new bottom paint. (SCOUT’s last bottom job was about 18 months ago, and poor preparation was causing it to fail.) Ray found a yard about 3 miles south of our marina.
What we thought would take 5 days took 10. It was a long, frustrating process, but we are hopeful the bottom paint will hold off the barnacles.
On the bright side, we had a nice view of the Atlantic Ocean and we saw lots of fish in the clear water.
And one day, I got video of 2 dolphins feeding right beside the haul-out bay. Click below to see the video.
More tastes of Key Largo: Living “on the hard” (in the boat yard) a little farther south put a few more restaurants within distance of our electric scooters!
We enjoyed live music and a fantastic view of the Atlantic Ocean at Snappers Oceanside.
The coconut grouper (split plate) was delicious.
Keys Bites had a tropical outdoor patio. We ate here a couple of times: first for tacos, then for hibachi. Both were very good – and reasonably priced.
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park: After returning to the marina, we scootered about 3 miles north to spend the afternoon at this undersea park (the first in the U.S.).
The park offers several beaches for swimming, and a few small trails (at least 1 still has unrepaired damage from hurricanes). They offer kayak and paddleboard rentals. For $ 19, we rented a double kayak and paddled the mangroves for about an hour.
The main attraction at Pennekamp, however, is the coral reefs. Several tour boats depart from the park for scuba diving or snorkeling, and there is a glass-bottom boat.
I would love to snorkel the reefs, but the water here is still cold in January. (Our dockmaster at the Pilothouse Marina, a Michigander, said the winter Keys water is too cold for him too.) I also considered a glass-bottom boat tour but decided the visibility may still be murky -- churned up from several days of high winds.
We hope to come back (after the Great Loop) to snorkel during “snorkel-warm” weather – probably no earlier than May. (We snorkeled comfortably in May, several years ago, during a land vacation to Key West.)
Before entering the park, we had lunch at the Lazy Lobster across the street (recommended by someone on a cruiser forum). The menu looked interesting, so we decided to come back for early dinner after our afternoon at the park. They had a large tiki patio.
My gluten-free (bunless) lobster “roll” was delicious. And so was Ray’s Grouper sandwich – “lazy style” (topped with fresh diced tomatoes, scallions, shredded parmesan cheese and topped with key lime butter).
Nature and Wildlife in and around the marina:
Shortly after we docked at the marina, we spotted 2 manatees in the harbor.
They eventually made their way over between slips just down from SCOUT. It looked like a mother and calf.
Manatees are about 4-4.5 feet long when they are born. The calf will stay close to the mother for one to two years, learning travel routes and the location of food, rest areas and warm water refuges.
Manatees are slow moving mammals that frequent the water's surface. Algae thrive in wet areas with lots of sunlight, which makes the manatee's back an ideal breeding ground for algae.
Click below to see a cute short video of the manatee calf with its mother:
Azaleas were in full bloom when we arrived in Key Largo early January. Gorgeous!
2 iguanas live just a few feet over from where SCOUT was berthed. We were able to get a photo of the green one. (The black one was way too fast for us.)
Sad example of negative human impact on animals: While washing our window screens on the bow, I heard this egret squawking like trying to clear his throat. As I looked more closely, I could see the long fishing line dangling out of his beak.
I had read about a wild bird sanctuary nearby.
I walked a few feet down the marina to Coral Restoration Foundation to see if they knew who to call. They decided to call Florida Keys Wild Bird Rehabilitation Center. I told them I thought the little white bird was the baby, and that I had seen the birds in that area for a few weeks (since we had been in the marina).
Unfortunately, Ray & I had to leave the marina to run errands shortly after that, so I don’t know, for certain, that the rescuers came. However, both birds were gone when we got back, so I hope they were picked up and someone removed the fishing line (which was probably attached to a hook).
Ironically, I had made note of special fishing line receptacles around our marina.
Public Service Announcement: Please carefully dispose of unused line & tackle to prevent harm.
While waiting for laundry, I spotted this stingray (or skate?) right by the fuel dock.
The next time I did laundry, I spotted a school of parrotfish. Pretty!
Great Harbour “Key West Chapter Meetings”: There are currently about 10 Great Harbour boats in the Florida Keys. mv SCOUT is farthest north, in Key Largo. Our friends on mv Semper Fi arranged a dinner gathering at the Hogfish restaurant on Stock Island. Unfortunately, we missed it because our boat yard stay was longer than expected.
mv Semper Fi arranged a second gathering on their boat located at the Naval Air Station on Boca Chica Key. We decided on a mini-vacation, renting a car and staying at a hotel room at the southern end of Duval Street in Key West. It was nice making new Great Harbour friends and catching up with old ones.
While in Key West, we spent a morning in the Key West Butterfly Conservatory.
My favorite sight was the 2 flamingos, Rhett & Scarlett. They were rescued from a breeding facility in Canada several years ago.
We were there during flamingo mating season. In the short video below, see Rhett going through his courting display, as well as butterflies and other birds.
Click below to see a short video of Key West Butterfly Conservatory:
We visited some of our favorite Key West stops, including another gorgeous sunset from Sunset Pier.
More tastes of Key Largo: By the time we returned to Key Largo from Key West, weather was much warmer, so we were excited to spend another sunset at Snooks Bayside.
Within just a few days, however, another cold front swept in, so we had a cold 1-mile walk to Key Largo Conch House, where we had a tasty Coconut Macadamia Hogfish, drizzled with an orange Grand Marnier glaze.
What’s next? Our plans have changed (surprise!). The next blog will highlight the next key we cruised to at the beginning of February.