Florida Trip Part 6: The Florida Keys |
| Gordon White | Wednesday, 10 February, 2010 | ||||||||||||
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Angela and I had debated making a run down the Florida Keys twice and decided it was too far and too expensive for this trip. Besides, we had heard stories about $100 a night campgrounds that were booked solid, not to mention the rigorously enforced rules against boondocking anywhere in the Keys. The Magic 8-Ball of life was saying, “Outlook not so good”. So the question picked at us; What if we just went for it? We are truck campers! We don’t need no stinking campgrounds! We’re pirates. Arrr... we’re going!
Three Key Miracles Maybe the word “miracle” is a bit strong, but our luck decidedly improved right when we decided to make a run for the Keys. First, we met a couple in a truck camper who told us that you really can camp at the Florida City WalMart despite the “NO CAMPING ALLOWED” signs. There was our launching off point. Second, another couple in a truck camper shared with us a top secret location in Key West where small RVs can boondock overnight. Unfortunately, they made us swear not to publish the secret location. As fellow pirates we swore. Mums the word. Pirate’s code. Third, Andy and Guinness Spedden just happened to already be in the Keys and told us about a campground that had availability at a very good rate. A quick phone call to Geiger Key Marina RV Park confirmed the availability. They had room, but only because we were in a truck camper and another RV had left early. Keep in mind that we had been boondocking without power for about five days and our computers and other equipment needed a charge. We may be pirates, but we’re also running a magazine. And these “stinking” pirates needed a real shower. Phew.
Down to the Keys at Dawn That afternoon we left Everglades National Park and drove to the Florida City WalMart. We parked with a dozen RVs, went shopping, and hit the sack. Nobody bothered us. The next morning we were up before sunrise and drove a few miles to the entrance of the Keys. About half way down the island chain, we stopped at Veteran’s Memorial Park to have some breakfast in the camper. The free park is just south of the Seven Mile Bridge and features a short stretch of beach, a half-dozen cabanas, and a bathroom. It’s a small but beautiful place to stop on the way to or from Key West and we had the park all to ourselves. Since we were the only people there, we introduced Harley to the Florida sand. He wasn’t so sure about that.
Geiger Key Marina RV Park After breakfast, we set our for Geiger Key Marina RV Park. After signing in at the campground office, we backed our 2010 Arctic Fox 865 right up to the water. If we had overshot by about five feet, we would be publishing Truck Submarine Magazine right about now. It was that close. With the back door of the camper open, you could literally have jumped into the water. We didn’t do that, but it was very tempting. Maybe next time. Now this was what we really, really were looking for. Geiger Key Marina RV Park’s location was like something out of a Hollywood movie. Lush tropical scenery, fish literally swimming a few feet past our camper door, warm tropical sun, the smell of salt water... it was just heaven. After about fifteen minutes, Angela was talking about staying all Winter and asking, “Why do we live in Pennsylvania again?” I have to admit, she got me thinking. For two days we took in every inch of Geiger Key Marina RV Park. If our work schedule allowed, we would most certainly still be there. Even Harley loved it. Highly recommended. Secret Key West It was really tough leaving Geiger Key, but we had to go. With our hand drawn pirate map in hand, we headed to our secret Key West spot. Sure enough, there it was. We parked our rig and walked about six blocks to Mallory Square. All of the usual street theatre knuckleheads were on hand juggling fire from ladders and poking fun with the herds of gawking tourists. It’s quite the show, but nothing compared to the sunset over the ocean. Simply breathtaking. We woke up before dawn the next morning and drove to the Southernmost point in the continental United States. It’s a red, black, and yellow monument at the corner of South Street and Whitehead Street in Key West. Andy and Guinness had managed a photo of themselves in their camper driving past the Monument and we were determined to match their stunt. With our mission accomplished, we pointed our camper East on Route 1. Good bye Key West. We’ll be back.
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park At mile marker 102.5, John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park offers snorkeling tours, scuba tours, and glassbottom boat tours. They also have forty-seven full-hookup sites for RVs that are reserved eleven months in advance and are almost always sold out. We stopped at John Pennekamp for the glassbottom boat tour, something we have done twice before and really enjoyed. After the tour, we drove directly across the street to have some lunch at a delicious Cuban restaurant. If you’ve never had Cuban food, you owe it to yourself to try a Cuban coffee, a Cubano Sandwich, and fried plantains. Angela and I could eat there everyday. Before we left, Angela bought two more Cubano sandwiches for the road. They’re that good. There’s not much left of the Keys once you drive East of John Pennekamp State Park. Back on the mainland, we drove back to the Panera Bread in Homestead. We parked the camper within eyesight of the restaurant, fed Harley, and walked into Panera with our laptops. After a long adventurous day, it was finally time to do some work. With our computers plugged in and the WIFI streaming, we finished our story on Northwood’s True North and sent Email Alert #381. Another amazing day. |
