Before going to the airport to pick up Robin, Scott and I played two more rounds of golf and went fishing on the golf course one last time. I’ve already told you how awesome it is to be able to fish right there on the golf course after your round – a picture is worth 1000 words – – –
We weighed this one – 7.18 lbs. For sure the biggest bass I’ve ever caught
Two up again. After being apart for over a month I was finally reunited with my awesome wife. She has to be pretty good to put up with me and support all of my crazy adventures. Anyway, today we are heading down to Key West, FL. Key West is the southern most point in the continental United States and the third of the four corners of the USA for us. It’s funny because there’s still a LOT of riding to do but it seems like the adventure is winding down now with only one corner to go – of course we aren’t stopping there; there’s still Newfoundland.
For those of you that may not know, my wife is afraid of heights; bridges are high; and there are lots and lots of bridges on the way to Key West. We stopped before we crossed over to Key Largo (the first key in the chain) for some liquid courage at Gilbert’s Tiki Bar. Robin was convinced that a “Miami Vice” (1/2 Pina Colada, 1/2 Strawberry Daiquiri with a dark rum float on top) was just what she needed. That bar tender was right along with a couple more stops along the way, her fear of bridges became little more than Laissez-faire awareness.
Heading for Key West – the water here is very clear and Robin says “aqua” in color
I might not have been able to catch a tarpon this time around but we did get to see some up close and personal. The bar tender at Smuggler’s Cove (our second stop for “that frozen concoction that helps us hang on”) told us to be sure to stop at Robbie’s (mile marker 77.5) to feed the tarpon. We had to turn around because I missed the turn off but we were glad we did. For $5 we got admission and about 10 shiners to feed to the tarpon hanging around this dock. But watch out for the pelicans hanging around, they’ll snatch one of those shiners out of your hand so fast you won’t know what happened and they bite HARD…..
Many of these tarpon around the dock at Robbie’s are over 100 lbs
At our last stop before rolling into Key West, we saw this claw game by the door. You know the kind, you maneuver the claw around with a joy stick until you think it’s in the proper position to pull up a stuffed animal or something then you push the button and the claw drops then comes back up, most often empty. Well, this is a new twist on that game….
Instead of stuffed toys, you can pick up a live Maine Lobster – $3.00 per try
The rest of the ride to Key West was uneventful. Robin was actually doing everything she could to keep from falling asleep vs. worrying about the bridges along the way. While you’re riding the temp isn’t too bad but if you have to stop for a street light of anything else, you start heating up real quick. We’re all checked in now and are about to head out to enjoy an adult beverage or ten. Slainte