If you do not wish to read all of this detail, skip to the summary at the end.
Day 1 - Friday, June 22nd - On the Road
Drove to Lake City (where I-10 meets I-75) and were aware of a tropical disturbance in the gulf.
Day 2 - Saturday - On the Road Mostly
Drove to Tampa for a visit with my Aunt Liz McGucken and some of her family. We had a nice visit - mainly talked genealogy. Left early afternoon (in the rain) to try to eat in Ft. Myers then trek to Sanabel Island to see the shells and perhaps a sunset followed by a night at Bonita Springs. When the rain (from Debby) got much worse, we decided that Sanabel was out so we found a park out on the bay called DeSoto National Memorial Park. There we saw, in the rain, an impressive specimen of a Gumbo Limbo tree. Then we started island(key) hopping just to pass the time. This included Longboat Key and Lido Key. When the rain let up we decided to chance it to Sanabel Island to find some shells. We no sooner got on the public beach when it started pouring and since there were very few shells, we left promptly. Our first bust but we had a nice supper at a seafood place on the island.
Plan A was to do the Everglades NP from west to east then do Key West (including a trip to Dry Tortugas) followed by John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park(Pennekamp) then Biscayne NP(Biscayne). We realized that there was very little chance, with all the rain, to do Plan A - we needed to consider a Plan B which would put us farther east. So we decided that if it was raining hard the next day, then we would go to Biscayne on the Atlantic side to see what we could do thereby changing the order of park visits.
Day 3 - Sunday - Everglades
In light rain we decided to take the Tamiami Trail(US41) to Everglades City where Gulf Coast Visitor Center(VC) is. The tour boats were running but it was raining and there was a stiff wind. So we passed on the Ten Thousand Island tour or the Mangrove Wilderness tour and headed to Big Cypress Nature Preserve after we went to Chokoloskee to see what it looked like at the end of the world at the Historic Smallwood Store(closed). Without a doubt we had entered mosquito alley. Back on the Tamiami Trail with hardly any rain, we took a ride down Birdon Road then Turner River Road where we saw some alligators and a Common Moorhen with two chicks. Then we drove to Shark Valley for the tram tour. When I asked about crocks, the guide said that I need to go to the Flamingo area. With no rain, we were able to complete our first tour. A little 'yea' here please. The rain seemed to be concentrated north of Alligator Alley (I-75, toll from Naples to Miami). So we drove to Everglades NP to do part of the road to Flamingo from the Coe VC. There we drove to Royal Palm to do the Anhingas Trail and Gumbo Limbo Trail(remember DeSoto). The Anhingas Trail was really nice but we saw no Anhingas(bird). We did see two very large alligators by the boardwalk. Part way down the Gumbo Limbo Trail we turned around and abandoned it to the mosquitos who attacked relentlessly(yes we did spray ourselves). Our last stop was at the Pa-Hay-Okee Overlook which was a panoramic view of Shark River Slough Valley. Then we went to the Homestead/Florida City area to spend the night. If no rain in the morning, we wanted to 'finish' the Flamingo Road by driving to the Flamingo VC for the search for a crockodile and/or boat tour otherwise, maybe try Biscayne.
Day 4 - Monday - Everglades and Biscayne
Since there was no rain we we woke up, we proceeded to drive about 45 miles to the Flamingo VC which is on the salt-water side. It was pretty much deserted probably because of the storm. The park ranger called the Yankee Freedom II tour office for us. We found out that the Monday tour had been cancelled and they would probably not run again until Friday!! This was a low point for us. The Flamingo tour we wanted to take had one paying tourist earlier in the morning and our boat had 10 - only after a few showed up just in time. Very little chance for the guide to get tips that day. There was a crock on the boat ramp so we got good pictures. Then the tour went up Buttonwood canal to Coots Bay with a pretty good guide that pointed out the different mangrove trees, the poisonous trees, birds, etc. We then proceeded to Whitewater Bay where I hoped to see a manatee but did not. Returning we looked for the 13' crock that usually frequented a rock pile near the marina but did not see him - not much sunning if no sun. On the way out, we stopped at the Mahogany Hammock - lots of mosquitos but very interesting trees. We then got the call that the Dry Tortugas ferry had cancelled for Tuesday. We rescheduled for Wednesday, our last chance in Key West. Based on that cancellation we decided to go to Biscayne to see what we could do there. The ranger there said the boats had not run for days and probably wouldn't for a few more days. So we walked down the jetty at the Dante Fascell VC at Biscayne then left never to return.
Now we were on the way to Key West. You cannot average much more that 45 mph down the Overseas Hwy so do not try. Ticketsville in Margaritaville! We missed the Key West sunset because of the clouds - no rain though, just lots of clouds. We found out the parking is a precious commodity in Key West. We stayed at Westwinds (100+ year old house) BB. Was something really different but we were in a great location near most of Key West attractions, near a parking garage and near the dock of the Yankee Freedom II boat that takes one to the Dry Tortugas (our prime destination). Notice that I said we were near a parking garage - Old Town Garage to be specific.
Day 5 - Tuesday - Key West
In the morning since we couldn't board the boat, we decided to take the Key West Trolley tour (1.5 hrs). I thought it was a very good tour to get oriented. Then we went to Jimmy Buffet's place on Duval Street(like N.O. Bourbon Street) for lunch - nice. We went to the Aquarium(yawn) and the Shipwreck Treasure Museum(almost a yawn). Then we went to the Hemingway House - neat. We found out at 5:30pm that the boat would go to the Dry Tortugas the next day. Yea! We then went to Mallory Square to see the sunset and the street performers. Believe it or not, we did have the sun for part of the afternoon and at sunset - the first time we had seen it since Friday. So there was an uptick in our luck. One comment on tickets: When purchasing the trolley tour tickets at a kiosk, we were able to buy tickets to other attractions, say to the Hemingway House, for a dollar less than list. So if you know which attractions you want to go to, then you can buy at ticket for most all of the events so you do not have to waste time going back to a ticket booth nor pay full price at the gate.
Day 6 - Wednesday - Dry Tortugas
We were at the dock at 7am for the boat to Dry Tortugas thinking surely something else might come up to cancel the boat tour. We were warned that the seas were choppy with 4'-7' waves mostly in the vicinity of the Rebecca Channel. Although I had never had motion sickness of any type, I decided to take some dramamine for the first time ever. I worried that Marilyn would have problems even though she took dramamine also. Guess what: I tossed my breakfast and was miserable going to Dry Tortugas but she did fine. On the way back I was fine and she was fine but it was a much calmer sea. I kept one of the barf bags for a souvenir. The Dry Tortugas NP is very special in my book. Our snorkeling didn't materialize since the water was turbid because of Debby. I was right next to the moat wall and couldn't see it through my mask while underwater. The birds on Bush Key were impressive although the Bush key is closed for nesting. Up to 100,000 sooty terns and other birds are on that key which means they were really loud. Did I mention that I like the Dry Tortugas?
After returning, we drove to Key Largo to do Pennekamp the next morning.
Day 7 - Thursday - Pennekamp
At Pennekamp, we took the glass-bottomed boat to Molasses Key to see the Coral Reefs. They told us it was the first day they had run the boats since Debby had shut them down. We enjoyed the tour and think that Pennekamp is a nice place to explore the Atlantic side of the reef. They had a snorkel tour but we passed on that. Then we drove to a suburb of Tampa to see a McGucken cousin. Had a nice visit. We then drove to Lake City to spend the night before the last drive home. We did have concerns because Debby caused I-10 to Jackonville from Lake City to be closed because of high water but it reopened Thursday. At one point we thought we may be trapped in South Florida for several days but it all worked out.
Day 8 - Friday
Uneventful drive to hot LA.
SUMMARY
The start of our vacation included the formation of Debby. While the rain affected us at Sanabel Island and Everglades City, we managed to salvage most of our Plan A because the rain seemed to stay above Alligator Alley for the last days of our vacation. Each boat tour we did after Day 2 was on a tour that had just restarted that day and for that we were grateful. It should also be noted that the subcontractors doing the tours for the park service in the Everglades seemed to have to do the tour even if only one ticket was purchased. The Biscayne visit was minimal because they had not resumed the boat tours(to our knowledge). The Kennekamp boat tour essentially took its place. Partly because of the rain, we did not see temps in the 90's - the usual day was 80 to 87 degrees. There is a wet and a dry season in South Florida - go in the dry season if you can. There are more tours, choices, etc. in the dry season. Obviously we were in the wet season. We think that South Florida has lots to offer in sights and history. It was a good vacation for us in spite of Debby. Everyone should go to Key West at least once for the history, flora and fauna. And everyone should take insect repellant with the highest DEET level one can stand. It should be noted that the greatest need for repellant was when going down trails in the Everglades.
Regrets: Wished we had stayed another day at Key West. So much to see, so little time. More regrets: I have become very interested in the treasure ship the Atocha that Mel Fisher found in 1985 after many years of searching. We did not make it to the Mel Fisher Museum. I asked one of the crew of the ferry to Dry Tortugas if they would point out when we were over the debris field (between Marquesas Key and Dry Tortugas). He said he would but we had to take the northern route (because of Debby, of course) to Dry Tortugas and I was too busy with my barf bag to even care. So all of you that are interested in Spanish treasure, the Atocha and sister ships sank in 1622 off Key West. There were many, many more that sank near Key West so that wrecking was an extremely profitable venture there. At one time, per capita, Key West had the richest population and it was the largest city in Florida. Imagine that.
Since I do not think my pictures will fit here I will post them on my profile.
