Fiesta Key 1/27-29/2015

We took a road trip this week to visit our good friends, Don and Stella, who have been hiding out from the cold and snow in New York at a great condo in Fiesta Key just south of Bradenton.  Fiesta Key is a beautiful resort community situated on a very wide and stunning Gulf of Mexico beach.  We decided to tour Mixon Orchards where we learned about orange groves and then tasted orange swirl ice cream.  Included on the tour was an up close introduction of some Florida wildlife including crocodiles, alligators, and an 80 pound, 11 foot python.........

Car vs boat bikes

It's always a dilemma for us .......use our boat bikes for transportation here in Marathon or bring our car down from Green Cove Springs near Jacksonville.  The bikes give us a great workout especially on Sundays when we bike 12 miles round trip to church.  The bikes are fun to ride and there are lots of bike paths and sidewalks near us.  But this year we decided to bring the car down and yes, we have not put on as many bike miles as usual but we've been able to explore the Keys more than ever.  One of our favorite spots is Key Colony.  We've discovered the great early bird special at the Key Colony Inn for $14.95 which includes wine, salad, entree and dessert!  Now that's a deal!  Two weeks ago we attended an open house for a 3 million dollar home on Hawk Channel in Key Colony.  Then we drove to Duck Key and toured the upscale Hawk's Cay Marina and Resort.  The beach, pool, and tennis courts were very inviting!

And there were 7 on the boat.....

We hosted our two daughters, our son-in-law and two grandchildren for 10 days on Waves of Grace for Christmas.  Bonnie & Sid generously offered Stacey a bed on FIU since they were away for the holidays and we were tight for space.  But we had plenty of room for all 7 around our table for dinner every night.  Anna & Ryan kept us all busy at Sombrero Beach, Sombrero Reef, Sunset Tiki pool, and the Dolphin Research Center.  Stacey & I visited the Turtle Hospital which gave a wonderful tour.  All of our family members have returned to the chilly northeast.......and we seem to have a much bigger 42' sailboat than we did last week!