212.6 Miles Too Far South - Day 13 - 12/08/2018

[Leyfy]

11th August - Eden House/Fury Water Adventure/First Flight

Index
Day 12


So today we got up early at 7.45am as today we were going out with Fury Water Adventures for a snorkeling trip out to the reef. We’d attempted this trip during our previous visit in 2017, but bad weather meant we went to a different site and there was nothing really to see once you got in the water. Knowing that the weather can close in during the afternoon, I’d opted to book a morning tour this time. Also, I’d checked the cruise ship schedule as last time the boat had been heaving as there were loads of people on a cruise ship excursion on the boat with us!

We left Eden House just after 8am and stopped at Starbucks on Duval Street for coffees and other provisions. I got a bottle of water and some crisps. Phil looked at me in a funny way, but I explained that they were for later if I got hungry after I’d been swimming!

We got to the dock to meet the tour at just before 9am. The meeting point is by the Margaritaville resort, which we’d had a little trouble finding the year before, but this time we were a bit clearer in where we were going.

We checked in at the Fury desk. Phil smoked his pipe for a bit and I sat and just people-watched, before we were called to start boarding the boat at a little after 9.15am-ish. As we got onto the boat clouds were closing in and it started raining. To the north of Key West (the dock is on the western side) the sky looked very dark and there was some rumbles of thunder in the distance.

The sea was a bit choppy but we avoided the weather and it took an hour to get to reef, with the thunder rumbling away to the north west us:

We were given a safety briefing and sorted out with our gear – a snorkel, mask and vest which you could inflate to give you a bit more support in the water if needed. When we arrived at the reef you could walk down a set of steps (which had queue) or jump of the side. This was definitely a smaller boat than the one we went out on last year so I just jumped off the side as it wasn’t that high.

Phil (being a non-swimming) stayed on the boat and took pictures:

When I jumped in it was a bit disconcerting as the current was very strong and pulling you back towards the boat. The sea was also very deep – on the boat they’d spoken to us about not touching anything on the reef. However, everything was very far down so no chance of that! I felt a bit uncomfortable at first but I remembered what they’d said on the boat about getting yourself comfortable in the water, getting yourself comfortable just using the mask and then using the snorkel. The water was quite choppy – if you are a non-swimmer or not very comfortable in the water then it wouldn’t be a great experience. I almost got out as I wasn’t feeling any more comfortable after about ten minutes, but there were loads of fish swimming around and I wanted to see them. Eventually I started to calm down a bit and, as I am pretty confident in the water, realise that there was quite a lot to see under the water! I managed to get the snorkel and mask sorted and swim about for a bit, watching the fish below.

It started raining really quite heavily for a bit and loads of people got out the water?! Err – you’re in the water, it’s wet, why are you getting out because it’s raining?!

However, after about ten minutes the rain cleared up and the water was less busy with people. This made swimming easier but you were still constantly being dragged back towards the boat so you had to fight to make your way back into the more open water. I tried to take some pictures but the stupid replacement waterproof camera stopped working again *rolls eyes* so sorry, no under the sea pictures:

Eventually after an hour I got out. Phil said he could tell that I didn’t look comfortable at the beginning and thought I’d get out!

I’ve probably sounded quite negative about the whole experience, but it was actually really good and I’d do it again! The reef was great and there were so many more fish to look at than in the area we went to the year before. If you are not a strong swimming or confident in the water I don’t think it’d be as enjoyable as the water is very deep and you do have to keep swimming to keep yourself in the right position in the water. Hoping to go back again, but this time with an actual decent underwater camera!

Swim over, they did the head count on the boat and we headed back to Key West. The weather was starting to clear:

and Phil had a free Yinglings beer on the boat, so he was happy!

I ate the crisps I'd got earlier in Starbucks as I was *so* hungry from all the swimming and had a diet coke. On our way back in to Key West we saw Fort Zachary Taylor from the ocean side:

This led into one of the Naval Base areas:

We docked just gone 12pm and headed to Duval Street. On the boat the Fury people had mentioned that it was ‘Lobster Fest’, which we had no idea about! Basically, the whole of Duval Street (which runs from north to south of the island) had been turned into a giant open-air market with a lobster theme! Think lobster rolls every other stall and people wandering up wearing lobster hats! Hey – we all wear Mickey Ears, so who am I to judge?!

(Not my picture, btw!)

We popped into Hogs Breath but it was rammed with Lobster Fest people so we headed to The Bull instead. This was slightly quieter so we had a drink and then headed onto Duval Street for some food. Lobster roll was seemed to be the thing to go for:

We ate these perched outside the Hard Rock café and they were very tasty! As we sat there we saw a health inspector walking around making sure all the stalls were meeting all the requirements they needed to. The street itself was very busy:

We decided to make our way back and we got back to Eden House about 13.30 and chilled out by pool for a bit.

We got showered and changed at about 3pm and had a drink in Eden House bar before heading out about 3.30pm. Our plan was to find Kermit’s Key Lime pie shop that we couldn’t find yesterday! This time I downloaded about five maps so we wouldn't get lost again!

It turned out that the day before we were literally round the corner and had just missed it!

We went in and found the counter to order. In front of us a lady was ordering loads of Key Lime pie for a party, I think! They finished their order I ordered a frozen chocolate key lime pie ice cream for me and Phil had standard slice of Key Lime pie. Outside the shop they had a little restaurant but also some seating, so we enjoyed our various key lime pies:

Sooo good! Sharp and zesty, but also cheesecake like creamy? I am definitely going back for seconds next time we are in Key West!

On the way to Kermit's I’d spotted a door that apparently led to the ‘Key West Brewery’. So we went back a block to check it out. The door looked quite innocuous from the street, but we went in and found ourselves in shop. Beyond that was quite a large bar and restaurant with what looked like a brewery behind some glass screens.

Phil was delighted to discover a whole menu of beers he’d not tried!

We sat ourselves at the bar and looked at the menu. So Phil could try as many as possible (knowing otherwise we'd be there all night sampling new pints!), we went for a different flight of beer each, so giving us eight different ones to try between us:

Phil said “Dark beers good , IPA’s and Belgians a bit indifferent! ”

After our beer flights we took the short walk back to Duval Street along the sea front.

It was still Lobster Fest madness there, as demonstrated by the giant blow-up can of Corona as we approached Duval Street itself!

We made our way down Duval Street and realised that Phil had definitely found his spiritual home!

We made our way through the crowds and visited both the Hogs Breath for one:

It was very busy and noisy in there. Some random woman kept yanking at the back of my dress as well (I had a dress on with a little vest top under it). I think she thought the vest top was supposed to be *under* the dress, rather than the dress on top of it, if that makes sense?! It was funny at first but it got a little annoying after the third or fourth time, so we swiftly left after one drink. We were definitely seeing the effects on Duval Street of free flowing afternoon beer drinking - *hic*! Think EPCOT 'Drinking Around the World' gone wrong!

We walked up Duval Street and back to The Bull again for drinks.

This is totally NSFW or NSFTD (not suitable for The Dibb! , but this is the beer menu. I will post a link, so click at your own risk!

ibb.co/kzZWx9

if you spot it! (you will have to zoom - HINT: it's over to the right! )

I've said it before, and I'll say it again:

By now it was gone 6pm and we were in need of food, so our next stop was First Flight for dinner.

This was formerly Kelly McGinniss’s bar ('Kelly’s Caribbean’) and we were interested to learn that it was also the site of Pan Am office. There was lots of Pan Am memorabilia around the restaurant well:

We ordered some drinks and watched a rooster running around the restaurant, which is about standard for Key West!

Our server came with our drinks and to take our food order. I had ahi tuna for starter:

PhIl had clams with chorizo and fennel:

For mains, I was still on a cheese thing so I had shrimp flatbread:

This was good, but there was so much cheese it almost drowned out the shrimp! Phil had to help me with a couple of slices as well as it was so big!

Phil had grouper for mains:

This was a great meal, but it wasn't cheap at just over $100 with drinks and a 20% tip.

Thoroughly full, we paid up and left the restaurant. We found this outside:

(This is one of the great things about Key West - we had really full days there but we both feel there is so much more to explore and can't wait to return)


We walked back to The Porch for some more drinks. It was raining a little outside so we sat indoors for a bit until it calmed down. The bar was much busier than it had been the previous couple of nights – we put it down to the Duval St Lobster Festival madness! Fed up with how busy it was and not being able to get a seat, we we headed back to Eden House about 20.15. On the way we stopped at CVS for some carry out ale and wine.

We ended the night in our little piece of paradise with a wine and a beer, chilling by the very quiet pool for a very relaxing evening.


Tomorrow: Final full day in Key West before a long drive to WDW!

[walt4it]

Where do you start to add a reply to today?

Wow! So many amazing photos, the second one with the clouds especially

Love that Phil sought out the free Yeungling beers on the boat instead of getting wet
The " Beer is my superpower " photo made me love it!

The brewery find was rather a good one, and the photo of the rooster in the restaurant once again summed up a time , a place and so many wonderful memories

Look forward to reading about the next part of your holiday

[mick]

Sounds like a brilliant day

Joan

[GALE88]

Sounds like you had a great day. The weather on the boat does look rather stormy, you did well to stick with the swimming - sounds like it was worth it.

[Cinderella]

Great swim 👍

[sandshal]

Another great day Kim and Phil, think we're going to start with snorkelling at Pennekamp and see how we get on before booking on Fury. Can also go out of Robbies but never been to Pennekamp so think we'll take a trip there in the first couple of days to see how we get on.

[Fuellady]

Another great day, Key West looks a lovely place. Well done on sticking with the snorkelling, it sounds like it was worth it for you (it would have terrified me!).

The little beer bar you found sounds perfectly peaceful after the hustle and bustle of Duval Street with it's party going on.

[rosered]

Sounds like a good day. We are looking forward to trying out First Flight when we go in Novvember. We loved it when it was Kellys Bar

[collybird]

You are so brave to do the snorkelling, it sounds amazing.

The key lime pie on a stick sounds great, but I think the lobster roll needs a good dollop of butter!