Trip to Key Largo

Sunshine Key, Florida
Yesterday, we decided we needed to make a drive  to Key Largo to visit a dive shop called Divers Direct.  They had the shorty front zipper wetsuits we had been looking for, but couldn’t find in Tampa.  I would have ordered them online, but we didn’t know what size we needed.
They had a shop in Key Largo, and Key West.  Key Largo was further away, but we thought the traffic was worse heading towards Key West.
We ended up finding wetsuits for both of us and also got a $15 coupon.  It was a good deal…but oh that traffic was bad!  There are a lot of snowbirds here, but right now a lot of vacationers with kids.  I hope the traffic gets better when they go back to work and school.
I saw a sign at a local veterinarian yesterday.  It said
“welcome back snowpets”  I thought it was cute.
We stopped at a few campgrounds along the way and did some sightseeing.
We had never been to Curry Hammock State Park and we loved it.  It’s one of the newer state parks and they really do them right.
The campsites were on the beach, but behind the dune line.  You would have a little view of the water, but not a lot.  They were very, very nice though with lots of privacy and room between sites.
The picture below shows the top of a motorhome.  I was standing on the beach looking towards the campground.  They could probably see the ocean in the distance, but not the beach.

A few pictures of the campsites…all raked up nicely and a sign telling you not to walk on the campsite.  You don’t want to mess up the gravel, I guess.

  On the site below you can see the Atlantic in the left corner.  I’ll take it!


The Keys isn’t known for beautiful white sandy beaches.  In fact there are very few real beaches in the Keys, and most of them are man made.
Curry Hammock State Park has a beautiful beach.



And a nice kayak launch.  Notice that clear water.

It’s a beautiful park and we would love to spend some time there one day.
Along the drive to Key Largo, I spotted this beautiful Bougainville flowering bush.  I remember taking a picture of this same thing the last time we were in they Keys.  Isn’t it beautiful?



We stopped at Robbies Marina in Islamorada for the famous Tarpon feeding.  It’s one of those special things that got loved to death.  It’s way too crowded now and it has lost the charm of what it used to be.  As soon as we got there and saw all the cars, I didn’t even want to go.
We paid $1 each to be able to even walk out on the dock.  Some Tarpon feeding was going on but the tarpon were so overfed they barely even took the fish that were offered. 

I found the hungry Pelicans much more interesting.


We finally arrived back home just in time for a few sunset pictures from around the campground.  Before the sun started to set, I got some pictures of some of the beautiful tropical flowers that are all over the campground.



There is a marina at the campground and several campsites overlooking the marina.




This morning we got up early and walked the bridge for some sunrise pictures!  There isn’t too many places where you can watch the sunrise and sunset all from the same campground.


After the sun rose, we came home, had breakfast and made preparations for a kayak trip.   More later.