Mile 0
We have returned safe and sound after a brief respite from the winter chill in balmy Key West. The flight was gratefully uneventful, but the drive down Route One from Miami was marred by an almost two-hour delay due to construction. It was a grey, drizzly introduction to paradise.
An educational point: large, shiny, dark red-brown barked trees punctuated the overland sea road. Online research revealed they were the gumbo-limbo tree, a hardy species that withstands hurricanes. The trunks are used to make carousel horses.
Our resort was well-appointed with numerous amenities. A sign board advertised multiple daily activities; text reminders ensured we were aware. We eschewed most of the organized events, and instead, entertained ourselves.
We stumbled upon a mermaid and learned a wish was our reward.
The first morning, we treated ourselves to an oceanside couples cabana massage with the background music of rhythmic waves, the salty sea scent, and a gentle breeze.
Fabulous cuisine: we began each day at a nearby French cafe and ended every evening with a great dinner chosen from menus of abundant seafood-lobster, snapper, hogfish, and grouper.
We walked everywhere. On an occasional shopping spree, we splurged on tropical refreshments.
A tanning pier reached out over the water. Cuba loomed only 90 miles away.
Navy Hornets from the nearby Naval Air Station split the sky on their guardian flights.
The more pleasant sound of birdsong was everywhere. The Key West chicken population is ubiquitous: no one worries about bird flu. At the shore, gulls shrieked and whistled, pelicans perched on pilings; on land, doves cooed, and pigeons clucked underfoot.
It was great to go but good to be home. There’s no place like home.
