Out to Key West
Wednesday–Saturday February 29–March 3, 2012
We drove south through metropolitan Miami a little more than an hour to reach the Florida Keys. Our first stop was on Key Largo at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park.
It was a bit over 80 degrees (about 28C), and with the humidity, it felt much hotter.
Here is a view on the Tamarind Trail.
It didn’t take long to stumble across the first reptile of the trip; it’s not a native, though.
Here is a map showing our route. You can blow it up by clicking on the + button on the upper left of the map. The Keys became more interesting about 1/3 of the way to Key West (more views of the sea, fewer buildings).
Key West is a pleasant old town, with lots of tourists. Some walk around with cups containing alcoholic beverages. It’s a pretty relaxed place; chickens patrol the streets.
Our first tourist stop is devoted to butterflies, the Key West Butterfly & Nature Conservatory.
If you want to see a lot of butterflies, it’s worth a visit.
We also went out on a small boat to look for dolphins. We saw about ten, and they had no concerns about swimming right next to the boat. There as also a short time for snorkeling.
On the way back to the mainland, we made a few stops to look at the beaches and the birds. This photo shows one of the Overseas Railroad’s bridges on the left, and the highway on the right.
Here’s a nice looking wading bird, with two pelicans flying past it.
Here’s another nice looking bird.
Pelicans have a nice yellow head, and can soar for a long time without flapping their wings.
Here’s one more big bird. Appears to be a great heron.
We arrived in Miami in the early evening, spent one night near Miami Beach, and left the next morning for Key West.
Next—The Everglades.