Room with a view

Thursday, March 1, 2012 MARATHON, FL – Here’s what we look out on from our motorhome bedroom window at the Jolly Roger Travel Park. Pretty nice, eh? We’re delighted! This view looks northward across the gap between the Florida Keys and the mainland. Marathon is the cluster of islands at the mid-point of that little string of dots you see on a map trailing south-westward off the tip of Florida. We picked this spot so that, during the week we’re here, we can explore in both directions. It’s a world focused on water. Boat cruises, fishing expeditions, snorkeling, swimming, jet skiing, parasailing, beachcombing and sunbathing are just some of the activities available here, as well as seafood-eating, which we are planning to do at some point! Our trip from the outskirts of Miami this morning took us past vast fields of crops and nurseries through the small town of Homestead and then on to the first of many bridges along Highway 1, the artery that serves the Keys. We knew we had water on both sides of us, but there were long stretches where tall trees obscured our view. Every now and then, though, we caught glimpses of beautiful, turquoise water. In some spots, the highway had only a few dozen feet on either side before the waves lapped the shore. Dozens of pleasure boats and fishing boats bobbed in marinas and out on the water. We stopped briefly in Key Largo, the first of the chain, to check out the travel literature at the Visitor Center so we could plan our explorations. In one of the guides, I learned that the Keys are sectioned off, not by islands, but by clusters of them, into five parts: Key Largo, Islamorada (the first syllable rhymes with “isle”), Marathon, Lower Keys, and Key West. In each of those parts there are at least a dozen key names, but those five are the main identifiers. When we got to our campground, our host led us in his golf cart to our site. We knew we had a waterfront site, but when we actually saw the view, we were enchanted. There is a concrete walkway behind the RV, and then endless, beautiful water. We had thought of heading out to see some sights as soon as we got settled, but we were pretty hot from the minor exertions required to set up, so we decided to just sit and feel the breeze on our sweaty brows and watch huge pelicans swoop over the waves. After that, and a leisurely stroll to see the grounds, it seemed good to sit in the shade and read, and then creep inside for a wee nap. By then it was time to think about supper, which we sat outside to eat as we watched a golden sun descending to the horizon. The peach and lavender coloured sky was mirrored on water that was shimmering like silver, and grey clouds overhead flashed orange at their shaggy edges as the last rays caught them. What a sight. Once the sun had slipped away, our neighbours were out on the walkway looking over the edge into the water and pointing. They were watching the lobsters crawling out from their hiding place under the concrete! These creatures are not the big-clawed fellas we find on our dinner plates. They have spider-like legs and huge long antennae – and they are edible, too, although these guys wisely chose a spot where harvesting them is not permitted.