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Way Down South
December 18, 2021
One month ago today, it was raining, and Mr. Karen and I checked out of our hotel in Florida City and drove down to stay with friends in the Florida Keys for a few days. I took far fewere photos during this segment of our trip, so I’m going to blast through it in just one entry.
On our way to our friends’ house, we stopped at an out of the way restaurant in the upper Keys (or maybe middle? I’m not sure where the line is) for lunch; it was open air but had enough tables under cover that we didn’t get rained on. Worth it to try deep fried key lime pie for the first time (really a key lime turnover but still tasty.
We’d last visited these friends before Hurricane Irma destroyed their house. They’ve rebuilt, higher, so have even better views now. Their boat survived the storm because it was in for repairs when the storm came through. On the day after our arrival, the rain let up long enough for us to go out on that boat, and snorkel in the canal, and I even laid out on a chaise for a bit. It was very relaxing.
That night, we went out to dinner at a place I’m pretty sure I couldn’t find again, eating outside with a view of the sunset (at least for the half of us facing that direction). For dessert, we drove down to Key West for key lime meringue pie and got to listen to a trio where the frontwoman sang and played at least three instruments.
The day after that, the rain threatened but we went swimming anyway. There was both a pool and a roped off salt water swim area in a little bay nearby the pool, so I took advantage of both. Yes, it rained some, but I was wet anyway.
The day after that, we said goodbye to our friends and drove back to Orlando, spending the night in a hotel not too far from the airport. The next morning, Mr. Karen dropped me off at MCO so I could fly home. I’d read stories about three hour lines for security there, so allowed myself plenty of time. The lines were not that long on this day, so I was able to relax and browse some of the shops. I got lucky on my first flight of the day, having three seats to myself. What luxury. I had no trouble making my connection in Minneapolis and was back in Spokane late that night.
I’d taken a photo of the section I was parked in at the airport, but during the trip, I transferred photos to my laptop and failed to remember to not delete that one, so it took me a bit longer than it should have to find my car (I didn’t want to boot up my laptop outside in the cold if I could avoid it). On my way out of the parking lot, I was reminded how Spokane is just not that big a city, in that I paid $132 for 17 days of parking in easy walking distance of the terminal. Now that omicron is flaring up, I’m not sure when I might fly out of there (or anywhere) next.
All the photos from this part of my trip are here.
On this date in 2020: What Once Burned Bright
2019: Yesterday’s Beauty
2018: Reorganizing
2017: C’mon Snow
2016: Yak Emulation
2015: It’s Handy to Be Married to Someone Handy
2014: Detroit Back in the Day
2013: WDW Day 2: Epcot
2012: There’s Cake in There Somewhere
2011: Stockpiling
2010: Getting With the Times
2009: Lady Doctors
2008: I Am Not a Girlie Girl
2007: Oh Office Tree
2006: No entry
2005: Winter Count—July
2004: Just Another Saturday Morning
2003: Car Talk
2002: Humbug
