Florida Keys

Back in May, the Florida Chapter of RVing Women (of which I am a member) held a rally in the Florida Keys. I took five days to get down there from Tampa (mind you, it's about a nine-hour drive done all at once) and I had as much fun on the trip down as I did while I was at the rally. I shopped my way down to Naples the first day, buying a few bikinis so I'd be ready when I got to the Keys. The next day I went kayaking at Rookery Bay, down by Marco Island. It was the maiden voyage of the inflatable kayak I bought specifically to take with me in My Way and it worked great. It's not the same as a hard-body kayak, but it works for the RV. It fits nicely under the couch, accessible via the outside rear door.



I then spent two days in Miami. I went to my old neighborhood and saw the house I lived in as a child. I visited my father's and grandfather's graves for the first time in 35 years. I spent a day and a half with my childhood best friend, Donna Jean, and her family. Then I headed to the Keys and spent one night at Bahia Honda State Park, one of the prettiest of Florida's State Parks.




During the week of the rally, I spent two days bicycling around Key West. I'd pack up my RV early in the morning and go get a free parking space near downtown. Then I'd take my bike off the rack on the back and pedal all over Key West.



The rally was held at Geiger Key RV Resort and Marina, about 10 miles up from Key West proper, right on the water. We had, oh, about 20 rigs and some of the nicest weather you could imagine. It was almost too breezy at times, but that same breeze kept the mosquitos and no-see-ums at bay. The camping area for trailers and Class B's at the RV resort was packed with 8 or 10 RV's and we lovingly called our little area the Trailer Trash Section. While the hoity-toities in their 5th wheels and Class A's stayed in their air-conditioned condos on wheels and watched cable TV, we cellar dwellers were swimming, fishing and generally hanging out together. I've already booked my site for next year.