When the KBIS show in Orland was wrapped up we set out for a week of down time. The goal was to recover from the hard work and the flu that plagued us in Orlando. Our friends, Scott and Rhonda Joiner invited us for a visit to Boot Key Harbor in Marathon. We were excited to see them. They completed the Great Loop the previous July aboard
Mucho Gusto, their beloved catamaran and our beloved buddy boat! We traveled much of the inland waterway with Scott and Rhonda;
Mucho Gusto and
Mystic leap frogged each other from town to town on our way south to Mobile, Alabama. Most of our Great Loop memories include them. We shared stops at Hoppie's on the Mississippi River, Green Turtle Bay in the Kentucky Lakes and Bobby's Fish Camp. We experienced Flora-bama, and Mardi Gras with Scott and Rhonda. We dodged barges, ran aground, waited out fog and hid from tornados with them. We generated a lifetime of memories in a few months. They are special friends!
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Our very first view of Mucho Gusto
Near Standing Rock Lock and Dam |
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| Rhonda, Beth, Fern and Jean at Hoppie's |
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Beth & Rhonda aboard Mucho Gusto
anchored on the TennTom |
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Rhonda & Scott aboard Mystic
rafted on the TennTom |
This visit, we spent two days with Scott and Rhonda in Marathon. They showed us around the Boot Key mooring field and marina. We understand why people come here and end up staying! It's a great community of yachting folks ready to help each other. Each morning the channel 69 cruisers net comes on at 9:00 sharp. You can learn everything you need to know about living on a mooring ball in the harbor from this network. The local services, events, sales and giveaways are included in the announcements. Each session ends with trivia. This is a tight community that has a community garden. They have domino competitions in the great hall where you can pick up your mail, rent a storage locker or borrow a bike. Friendly live-aboard boaters often offer rides to the store, craft gatherings and yoga in the park. You can hop on the bus to Key West for $4.00 or $1.00 if you are 60 years or older. This place is sometimes referred to as the 'Tar Pit' because people come and get "stuck" here; they like it so much that they never leave! It is also called 'MANathon' because there are so many single guys living on boats here.
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Aerial view of the mooring field at Boot Key Harbor, Marathon
Photo by Huffington Post |
Scott and Rhonda took us to Castaways, a canal restaurant that we would reach by dinghy. Castaways is one of Scott and Rhonda's favorite little hidden gems in Boot Key Harbor. Rhonda said we'd be traversing through "old Florida". The canal was definitely old and colorful! Castaway's is a cute little place with delicious, inexpensive sushi and cold beer. We sat at the outside bar and caught up on the eight months since we'd seen each other in Tarpon Springs. Scott and Rhonda spent much of the time since we last saw them in Ft. Lauderdale while we were landlocked in Minnesota.
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| Marathon canal leading to Castaways |
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| Scott, Dave, Rhonda & Beth at Castaways |
Scott and Rhonda had never been to Key West so we drove down and experienced the Conch Republic with them. We visited the Southernmost point then made our way to Route 1, Mile 0 before stopping in at the Green Parrot for a cold beer. We walked Duval street and took in all the shops and activity. Key West certainly showed wear and tear from hurricane Irma however things were mostly the same as we remembered. If you'd never been there, you would not have known a major hurricane had blown through here.
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| Key West Shop |
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| Southernmost Hotel |
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| Scott & Rhonda at Southernmost point |
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| Scott & Rhonda at Southernmost Point |
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| Key West Conch Blowing Greeter |
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| Street Mosaic |
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| Oh Havana |
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| Key West Lighthouse |
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| Monroe County Courthouse |
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| Roosters Everywhere |
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| Green Parrot Parachute |
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| Green Parrot Bar |
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| Scott & Rhonda at Mile 0 |
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| Key West Walgreens |
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| Hmmm, graphic bottle openers |
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| Keys Cutie |
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| The Smallest Bar |
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| Cruise Ships are visiting the Keys |
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| Pinchers Crab Shack |
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| Keys Pickup Truck |
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| Only in Key West! |
We finished our day with a stop at Hogfish, a restaurant which we were introduced to by friends, Halley and Ted, who live in Key West. Hogfish is off the beaten path and outside the tourist area; a local favorite. The food is good and the atmosphere laid back. We enjoyed crab cakes and hogfish tacos. It was a delicious way to end our short visit. We drove back to Marathon in time to beat the 35 mph winds that blew in the harbor all night.
Mucho Gusto rode the winds with ease, she swung gently on the mooring but didn't rock or pitch like
Mystic. We slept like babies and extend a huge THANK YOU to Scott and Rhonda for having us! We enjoyed every minute and can't wait for our next reunion!
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| Hogfish Bar & Grill |
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| View from Hogfish |
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| Weather Sign at Hogfish |
As we sat at the airport, waiting to fly home, we realized that this trip was complex. It was filled with good, bad, sickness, a visit to the emergency room, camaraderie, reunions on two coasts and not one day that could be called a beach day. We traveled 1,700 miles, in essence, looping the entire southern part of Florida. If nothing else, we've been successful at making memories on yet another unforgettable adventure!
Sunset over Boot Key Harbor, Marathon
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