Canadian Buffoon's Semi-EPIC Vacation - 10/29 - Link to new TR!

[pkondz]

My mom lived in Homestead for 3 years. She just moved to Orlando a couple weeks ago. I agree with you. I was not overly impressed with Key West. But, just like you, I knocked it off of my bucket list a year ago.

You too, huh?
But... still glad I went.

Glad you found some good eats while there!

I did.
Very good!

 

[pkondz]

Nice that you were able to tackle a bucket list item following your trip with Elle!

I was really excited about it!

Too bad she couldn't come along for the ride.

Well... it was my bucket list.
I don't think she would've
minded going, but...

The kayak adventure was pretty exciting! I don't know if I would've been brave enough to go into that little forest, but the pictures are just so cool.

You would've been fine.
It looks more intimidating
in the photos than what
it really was.
I never once felt worried.

Love what Mother Nature can do! except love bugs....she really could have skipped those!

Yeah, I really could've passed
on those. So gross.

 

[pkondz]

Yay for a drive through the Keys! Looks like you stopped at some nice areas.

It was great!
I'm really glad I did it!

Your kayak adventure sounds like fun!

It was so much fun!
I'd do it again!

 

[pkondz]

We had a little snow on Saturday, yuck! We only had about 1” on the deck so not to bad! Sorry you had a snowstorm in October yuck!

October is far too early
for this nonsense!

I can’t say we haven’t had them. I do remember a few bad snow storms in October. I hope the white stuff stays away for awhile.

I do too...
Both of those statements!

What a fun road trip.

It was!

The kayak adventure in the mangroves looks like a nice time.

I really enjoyed that.
Probably the 2nd highlight
of the drive.
I'd say the drive itself
was the #1 highlight.

Cool to see so many different creatures. I would have been nervous about alligators or snakes!

I wasn't.
I think gators are
happier in fresh water,
not salt water.

I have been to Key West just once many years ago and all I remember is having a drink at Sloppy Joes. A place Hemingway hung out at. I also remember it was very colorful down there. The houses and such!

There were a few areas
that I noted with colourful
homes, but...
over all, my impression
wasn't overly positive.

I do love a good Key Lime pie, yum!!

Sooooo good!

I have really enjoyed your TR, waiting for more!!

Thanks!
Final chapter coming soon.

 

[pkondz]

So I guess y'all were "hustling", "speed walking" or running?

You're so talented. I hope I can be like you someday.

I panic better than anyone!

 

[pkondz]

Well that's a lovely addition to a Florida trip!

It really was!
I'm so happy I did that.

In September, I did another
off-site trip.

I'll be writing about that
in the next TR.

Saw 2, so I'm doing at least as good as usual. I'm going to blame the ice cream and pie photos for distracting me...

The third one is a lot tougher.

 

[pkondz]

I just had to say, that's pretty impressive. I'm not sure I could spend that much time with my 19 year old DD and not have a few bumps in the road.

I've always had very laid-back
travels with her.

Tornadoes? In Florida? I had no idea. I always thought that was a mid-west thing.

I know! I was shocked!

It looks great to me. Meat and mac & cheese. Right up my alley.

I don't think I've ever seen a place that made their own ice cream on a stick. It looks good.

Which was one reason
why I had to get it!

It looks interesting. I have a friend who kayaked in Florida a few years ago and he really enjoyed it.
I've never done any kayaking, but I used to enjoy canoeing.

I did both this summer.
I prefer kayaking, although
I've done more canoeing.

Nope, definitely not what I would expect to see on TV in Florida.

I was... surprised, to
say the least.

I remember being at a sports bar in Houston years ago during NHL and NBA playoff time. I was surprised to see they had hockey on TV rather than basketball.

Huh!
I wouldn't have expected that!

I may have mentioned this before, but I have never had Key Lime pie. It seems like something I would enjoy though. I should fix that.

Yes. Yes you should.
Absolutely!

Wow. I'm not addicted to chips, but I do enjoy Ruffles once in a while.

I'm more of an Old Dutch guy.
Do you have those out East?

 

[pkondz]

Well, I guess I don't need to read the rest of the chapter now.

Yeah... but you still did.
I need to think of another
way to get rid...
uhh..

nevermind.

No one worth talking to, that's for sure!

Four jobs! God bless her.

She gets a bit busy.
I don't know how she does it.

How could I forget?

I've picked up a couple of rental cars here and there that were obviously rushed through the car wash in order to get it back out on the road.

True. I have too.
But... never seen bugs
still plastered on them.

Sound logic!

I'm glad it was a special father/daughter time. That's great.

It was.
She's a good travel partner.

I can understand that. Wouldn't mind doing it myself, but...I never worked it into a trip.

Perhaps I should have done that instead of visiting the Everglades.

You were right there!

Definitely a good thing. You might have ended up in Kansas.

Nah. You need a small
dog to make that work.

Yuck. They're so annoying.

They're so gross.

Wow, nice spot!

It really was!
I lucked out there.

That's some crackerjack trip reporting, right there.

<hangs head in shame>

I got to do that on Sanibel Island once...and yes, it's a lot of fun.

Were there mangrove forests there?

Still better than figure skating.

Both very (very!) low on
the boredom scale.

That's a cool spot, too!

I'm sorry to hear that. And to be honest, you're not the first person who has told me that.

So I've been hearing.
Oh, well.
I still would've done it.

I'm glad you made the drive! Nice work!

Thanks!

Come on, man! Where are your priorities??

I was a fool!

What else is new?

Who cares when there is pie involved!

Well, no. The bag is in the way.

I thought everyone had these?

​

I saw the bus passenger and the boat sponsor fairly quickly. Had to zoom in to find the boat passenger, though.

 

[buzzrelly]

Sad that Elle had to get back to work, but what a hard worker! Four jobs??

I spotted this from on high:

I had always wanted to drive
the length of the Florida Keys.
I'm not really sure what started
that obsession. Perhaps it was
tales of deep-sea fishing or
Ernest Hemingway.
It could be any number of things.
I really don't recall.

All I know is the desire to
"drive the Keys" was formed
at an early age... and never really left.

I've always wanted to go to the Keys, too! I don't know about driving all the way from Orlando, though. How long was the actual drive from there?

At least this drive should be a little
less terrifying than my last!
I mean... there were no hurricanes
on the horizon, so I should be...

BEE-BOO! BEE-BOO! BEE-BOO!

Are you freaking kidding me???????

Oh, No! I think it's you

Because of Love Bugs.
I believe this May was
one of the worst ever
infestations of Love Bugs
in the last decade.

When I'd stop for gas,
I had to clean off the
front of the car.
The car's nose was
plastered with dead bugs.
If you didn't look at the
rest of the car, you'd swear
that the car was black.

Ew, so gross!

Thankfully, once I got
away from the Orlando
area and closer down
towards Miami, the
bugs petered out.

Oh, really? Are they only in the Orlando area? I just assumed they were all over Florida?

But... after about six hours
or so, it was time to pull
in for the night and get
some shut-eye.

I stopped at about the
mid-point of the Keys
in Islamorada.

It was getting late and
was already dark when
I arrived (sometime
between 10pm - 11pm.)

That's not terrible. That's shorter than I thought it would be, but how long to Key West from there?

The next morning, I woke up
to a blue, cloud dotted sky.
I made my way out of my room
and after a crossing a short pier,
I was greeted with this view:

Beautiiful

And a view from inside:

Wow, so pretty.

Well... while the entire experience
thus far had either lived up to
or exceeded my expectations...
Key West fell flat.
Other than the fact that it's
surrounded by ocean
(and is the location for the
most southern Harley Davidson
in the US.), it's just another
typical city. Except it's
over-commercialized
and over-touristy.

Aw, that's a bummer. I still want to go someday. Are the beaches amazing?

And I had to make a quick
stop for a photo op, here:

Yes, of course

I was in the Florida Keys...
And I had yet to have
a slice of Key Lime Pie!!!

My favorite

It was here that I decided to
have some chips.
It was May, 2019.
The last time I'd tasted
a potato chip was
in November of 2015.

What? Really?? Did you make a conscious decision to give them up or you just stopped liking them?

And no, I never see it...the only one I saw was the Harry Potter one

 

[MeghanEmily]

She's a good buddy...
But I must admit that
I like driving solo.

My agenda, and no one else's.

I'm sure as a husband and a parent this is a luxury!

They had some pretty
neat décor.
Did you notice the
lamp made of license plates?
(over the table with the patron)

Oh, neat! What a unique place.

Thanks!
And you should!
I'm so glad I went.

I've actually been feeling a lot lately that I want to see more of the world. We've been spending a lot of our vacation time at Disney World. And I have no regrets there, because I like being at Disney World very very much. (We have two more budget-ish type trips booked between now and Christmas, in fact! Annual passes make it so easy to justify!) But I've been thinking a lot lately about how big the world is, and how impossible it is in a lifetime to see even a good-sized fraction of it. And with climate-change related issues taking the forefront as of late, I've also been having a real desire to see more of nature in places where humans haven't entirely decimated natural environments yet. There are lots of other places in Florida that would be great to see (I'm taking Nathan to swim [hopefully, if they're agreeable] with manatees next month for his birthday!) But there are so many other places, too. For instance, just yesterday we decided to book a quick overnight trip for the week after next to Cape Breton Island here in Nova Scotia, stay in a quaint little Air BnB, and walk part of the Cabot Trail. I think we'll probably miss most of the fall foliage it's so famous for by the time the end of the month rolls around, but I'm still very much looking forward to it! I know you've been to Nova Scotia a few times. Have you ever been to Cape Breton?

 

[Steppesister]

I on the other hand, have more
vacation time and no need to
hurry back quite so quickly.

WOOT!! You're free!!!

Either the best ride, or the worst,
depending on direction of travel.

Yep, no denying it.

But... I already missed my travel buddy.
Elle was a lot of fun to be with
and we never once had any issues
about... anything.

Aww, that's so great you have someone you can travel so easily with. Traveling with my kids was a bit of a mixed bag.

All I know is the desire to
"drive the Keys" was formed
at an early age... and never really left.

That sounds like my bucket list of going on a Safari to East Africa. Someday...

Are you freaking kidding me???????

What the actual heck?!?! What is it with you and weather while you travel?!

Perhaps you should have upgraded to a VIP Weather Package for this portion of your trip.

I didn't take many photos
on my drive down.
I was taking it all in, instead.
And I enjoyed every second
of the drive!

As you should have. Generally taking photos while driving is a ticketable offense.

I noticed the pool (you can
just see it poking out of the

Holy crap. That right there is a picture of pure Heaven! Maybe just a scooch more shade and I'd have been out there for SURE!

My next stop, about
an hour down the road
was the beach at
Bahia Honda.

When I went a few years ago I contemplated adding this stop, but we didn't. Interesting little beach!! That bridge intrigued me!

It was here that I decided to
have some chips.
It was May, 2019.
The last time I'd tasted
a potato chip was
in November of 2015.

Really?! That's an awfully long time to give up a food item!

 

[Steppesister]

It was just a little place with
only a few tables and an
eclectic assortment of
furnishings and décor.

That is a pretty cute little place!

Churrasco Skewers (A la plancha
(what the heck does that mean??)
Angus Churrasco steak, chimi aioli
with a side of Chipotle Mac n cheese.

That sounds amazing! Cuban I presume.

But I do know that it
was very, very good,
with chunks of real
fruit mixed into the ice cream.

Mmm, not much beats ice cream! Their selection looks impressive!

It was getting late and
was already dark when
I arrived (sometime
between 10pm - 11pm.)

Ouch! Late arrival!

I may have slept with
a sense of comfort and
contentment for the
first time in a long while.

The Keys can certainly do that! Ocean breezes, sound of the waves, no agenda....

I grabbed a few assorted pastries,
an egg or two and some OJ and
settled in for a nice relaxing meal.

Nice assortment!

Just 10 minutes down the road,
I pulled into Robbie's.

I think EVERYONE stops at Robbie's! It's great for lunch and all kinds of recreation!

I walked around for a bit, just taking
it all in and... totally forgot to
take any photos.
I remember thinking I'd take
some of the area before I left...

Lots of local art if I recall- T-shirts, yard art, metal sculptures and the like.

GORGEOUS PHOTO!

Interesting! Quite a different species than I saw:

Well... while the entire experience
thus far had either lived up to
or exceeded my expectations...
Key West fell flat.

Bummer. I never made it down that far, and now I"m glad I didn't.

Perhaps if I'd had more time
to explore, I could have
found a more... inspiring
Key West, but...

I've heard you have to get off the strip to find the old style homes that are worth the visit. Otherwise, yeah, Touronville. Bars, junk shops, just like any other tourist trap on Earth.

this pasta was one of the best I've had.
Dee-lish!

Now that's saying something!

I was in the Florida Keys...
And I had yet to have
a slice of Key Lime Pie!!!

It'd have been a travesty to leave the Keys without a piece of pie. I'm glad you indulged!

 

[vamassey1]

I enjoyed your side trip to the Keys. The food sounded fabulous and the beaches were beautiful. Sorry Key West itself was a let down. I'm glad you marked something else off your bucket list.

 

[Kiotzu]

You have your whole vacation
in front of you! You'll never
have to leave!!!!

If only this was true, maybe when I graduate, I will program for somebody in Florida...maybe I will be an imagineer.

I had always wanted to drive
the length of the Florida Keys.

It's so nice down there, this is a great bucket list item.

Looks absolutely serene.

I saw a couple of small sharks,

Like....oh no they are going to eat me sharks, or humans are friends not food kinda sharks.

oh, Pkondz you are making it to easy.

The place is... quirky.
I like quirky.

Quirky is often good, so many hidden gems are quirky.

"Yep. Them are chips."

hmm...what?!?!? Chips might be the worlds 5th greatest food.

 

[Terra Nova guy]

I'm more of an Old Dutch guy.
Do you have those out East?

Yes, we have Old Dutch. I occasionally get them.

 

[pkondz]

Sad that Elle had to get back to work, but what a hard worker! Four jobs??

She teaches dance at
four different studios.
I should say "taught".
Due to school workload,
she's cut that back to two.

I've always wanted to go to the Keys, too! I don't know about driving all the way from Orlando, though. How long was the actual drive from there?

I'm really glad I went!

Hmm... how long?
Well, my drive was longer
as I made a few extra stops,
but from the Disney Car Care Center
to Key West is about a
six and a half hour drive.

I went only as far as Islamorada
that first day and without
stops, it would've been about
five hours.

Oh, No! I think it's you

I'm starting to think so too!

Ew, so gross!

Very! Disgusting!

Oh, really? Are they only in the Orlando area? I just assumed they were all over Florida?

I don't know where else
they are... but there weren't
any down in the Keys.

That's not terrible. That's shorter than I thought it would be, but how long to Key West from there?

From Islamorada to
Key West is only a little more
than an hour and a half.

Beautiiful

Very!

Wow, so pretty.

Aw, that's a bummer. I still want to go someday. Are the beaches amazing?

I only stopped at the one...
But it was soooo inviting.

My favorite

Sooooo good!

What? Really?? Did you make a conscious decision to give them up or you just stopped liking them?

Conscious decision.
I made a bet with my youngest
to see if we could go without
chips for a year.
I did... then just decided to see
how long I could go.
After about three and a half years
I decided if I felt like some...
I'd just go ahead and have some.

And no, I never see it...the only one I saw was the Harry Potter one

Then you must love the really
tough ones!

 

[pkondz]

I'm sure as a husband and a parent this is a luxury!

Well... lately, it's becoming
more of the norm when I travel.
I do love getting away by myself
to re-group and recharge.

Oh, neat! What a unique place.

I've actually been feeling a lot lately that I want to see more of the world. We've been spending a lot of our vacation time at Disney World. And I have no regrets there, because I like being at Disney World very very much. (We have two more budget-ish type trips booked between now and Christmas, in fact! Annual passes make it so easy to justify!) But I've been thinking a lot lately about how big the world is, and how impossible it is in a lifetime to see even a good-sized fraction of it. And with climate-change related issues taking the forefront as of late, I've also been having a real desire to see more of nature in places where humans haven't entirely decimated natural environments yet. There are lots of other places in Florida that would be great to see (I'm taking Nathan to swim [hopefully, if they're agreeable] with manatees next month for his birthday!) But there are so many other places, too. For instance, just yesterday we decided to book a quick overnight trip for the week after next to Cape Breton Island here in Nova Scotia, stay in a quaint little Air BnB, and walk part of the Cabot Trail. I think we'll probably miss most of the fall foliage it's so famous for by the time the end of the month rolls around, but I'm still very much looking forward to it! I know you've been to Nova Scotia a few times. Have you ever been to Cape Breton?

I've heard of the Cabot Trail since... forever.
That's cool that you're going to hike some of it.
Swim with manatees??? How cool is that???
Hope you'll write about that?

And... yeah, I hear what you're saying.
The AP makes a trip to Disney seem... almost necessary.
But... there's so much else to see out there!
I love Disney too... but I want more.

 

[pkondz]

WOOT!! You're free!!!

Aww, that's so great you have someone you can travel so easily with. Traveling with my kids was a bit of a mixed bag.

Uh, oh... that sounds... a bit... ominous.

That sounds like my bucket list of going on a Safari to East Africa. Someday...

I knocked mine off my list.
Your turn!

What the actual heck?!?! What is it with you and weather while you travel?!

I don't know!!!
At least I didn't go right
under it this time.

Perhaps you should have upgraded to a VIP Weather Package for this portion of your trip.

Up until then
(and after)
I had!

As you should have. Generally taking photos while driving is a ticketable offense.

Holy crap. That right there is a picture of pure Heaven! Maybe just a scooch more shade and I'd have been out there for SURE!

See the umbrella off to
the right?
You can park it right there.

When I went a few years ago I contemplated adding this stop, but we didn't. Interesting little beach!! That bridge intrigued me!

It's a really neat spot!
I liked it.
I'd like to spend more
time there, some day.

Really?! That's an awfully long time to give up a food item!

But now I know I can do it.

That is a pretty cute little place!

That sounds amazing! Cuban I presume.

I'm not sure... Maybe?

Mmm, not much beats ice cream! Their selection looks impressive!

Very impressive.
I don't know if I've ever
seen that many flavours
on display!

Ouch! Late arrival!

Not too bad.
The timing was dictated
by Elle's flight time.

The Keys can certainly do that! Ocean breezes, sound of the waves, no agenda....

In a word... it was... Heavenly.

I think EVERYONE stops at Robbie's! It's great for lunch and all kinds of recreation!

I'm not surprised.
It's hard to bypass that!

Lots of local art if I recall- T-shirts, yard art, metal sculptures and the like.

That sounds about right.

GORGEOUS PHOTO!

Thanks!

Interesting! Quite a different species than I saw:

That is different. Huh!

Bummer. I never made it down that far, and now I"m glad I didn't.

Well... I'd actually like to
give it another shot.
Maybe do a bit more research,
get away from the touristy parts...

I've heard you have to get off the strip to find the old style homes that are worth the visit. Otherwise, yeah, Touronville. Bars, junk shops, just like any other tourist trap on Earth.

Yeah. I did see some more
interesting homes, but was
driving at the time, so no photos.

Now that's saying something!

It was soooo good!

It'd have been a travesty to leave the Keys without a piece of pie. I'm glad you indulged!

I had to! I simply had to!

 

[pkondz]

I enjoyed your side trip to the Keys.

Good!
I enjoyed doing it!

The food sounded fabulous and the beaches were beautiful.

Both were quite tasty...

wait...


Okay, the beaches weren't
so tasty.
But they were pretty.

Sorry Key West itself was a let down.

Still glad I went, though.

I'm glad you marked something else off your bucket list.

Me too!

 

[pkondz]

If only this was true, maybe when I graduate, I will program for somebody in Florida...maybe I will be an imagineer.

I think a lot of people have that
as a dream of theirs.

Try to make it a reality.

It's so nice down there, this is a great bucket list item.

You've been?

Looks absolutely serene.

Like....oh no they are going to eat me sharks, or humans are friends not food kinda sharks.

Well... a bit of both?
They were reef sharks,
which means they could bite.
But not very big... maybe...
two or three feet long?

oh, Pkondz you are making it to easy.

Uh, huh.
See all three?

Quirky is often good, so many hidden gems are quirky.

hmm...what?!?!? Chips might be the worlds 5th greatest food.

I know. And I can prove it.
Try going without for about
three and a half years!