Today we traveled north to Fiesta Key RV Resort and Marina. Our home for the next week, and a little closer to the airport for Brent and Jill, since they’re flying out tomorrow (BOO!) Once there, we set up camp, and were welcomed by an amazing creature!
Manatees are not an uncommon sight at Fiesta Key, but this is the only time we saw one during our week long stay.
After B&J checked in to on-site their motel room, we all walked over to The Lobster Crawl Bar and Grill for a bite to eat. Pretty darn good food, especially considering it’s an RV resort.
Our “Welcome to Fiesta Key” lunch toast.
Lobster Crawl’s Cuban sandwich – Surprisingly, one of the best Cuban sandwiches we tried.
Patty melt done right.
Boom Boom Fish Sandwich – Mild white, flakey grouper, lightly breaded, topped with “Boom Boom” sauce.
Indulgent bacon cheeseburger loaded with grilled onions.
The inviting ocean was calling, so after lunch we all went for a swim, then relaxed in the shade. What started out as happy hour carried right on through dinner at our place, and us walking them back to their room to check it out. Very mid-century, but very clean. Steve made sure to make a silly comment about swinging for the neighbor’s benefit, and I barely remember going to bed. Egads! Our last night on this trip together was a smashing success!
Jill was nice enough to let me take a pic of what I saw in her sunglasses. My attempt at being artsy. Thanks, Jill!
The following morning the time we had been dreading had come: Brent and Jill had to return home. BOO! Hugs all around, and they were off.
The following days were a blur of very little. For the first time since we left, we are stationary, camp is all set, we don’t have plans, and we’ll be here alllll week.
Great White Herons abound here.
Iguanas mosey around, and you think they’re not afraid. Approach them, and they quickly scoot away.
Just about every day as we passed by the marina, this post was occupied.
The neighbors are great. Well, most of them. That will always be the case no matter where one travels. Most RV’ers are quite friendly. Sure, there are those that would rather keep to themselves, or are downright cranky, but that’s not the norm. The neighbors we met here include some from fairly nearby Miami, and surprisingly, quite a few from Michigan. Some are here for just the weekend, and some are here for a while. The snowbirds have left, and at this resort, the fisherman have arrived. It’s their world, and we’re just visiting. If you’re a person that loves to fish, all of the Keys offer hotspots to drop a line. Don’t fish? No worries, at Fiesta Key we all co-existed quite nicely.
Our home for the week:
If you can snag one, the waterfront sites near the sunset palapa (tiki hut) are the best sites at Fiesta Key.
The only thing that takes away from the site is the power pole and water hook-up smack dab in the middle of our patio. Why?
Looking just over the edge of the sidewalk, plenty of fish, spiny lobsters, and even a shark or two can be seen.
Hello, little fishes.
Look very closely. Those are spiny lobsters all lined up!
The humidity is rising, as well as the heat, and it’s easily 1,000 degrees difference between standing in the sun and the shade. I hooked up a small sprinkler to keep me comfortable, and Steve has a spray bottle. The occasional breeze is glorious. What’s really nice is every person is the same conditions, so hairstyles are purely for comfort, makeup is nonexistent, and clothing is mostly swimsuits, t-shirts, and coverups. My kind of life!
We’ve been here long enough that we’ve become used to seeing iguanas on the regular, we know the difference between a barracuda jumping out of the water, and its prey jumping out to try and avoid being eaten. There’s two great white herons that hang out at the small mangrove twelve feet offshore or so from our RV, and the manatees are a little rarer sight. That is, of course, unless someone washed off their boat and the fresh water ran off into the ocean. Manatees love fresh water, but don’t even think of running a hose to try and lure them over. That goes against the understood code of conduct in the area. In other words, it’s a big no-no.
Seated at our site, this is the view. The mangrove is home to birds and manatees alike.
Yeah, the mangrove is home to just a few birds.
It’s so relaxing kicking back in the shade, sipping ice water to stay hydrated, watching white sailboats sail across the horizon. The sound of the breeze in the palm fronds, and the song of the birds lull us into relaxation that’s not found when in the city. My limbs feel heavy when I think of getting up, and then I realize I don’t have to right at the moment, and happily gaze back out at the ocean. Then sunset comes, and it’s stunning. I really didn’t think it were possible to see breathtaking sunsets on the east coast. But, silly me. I had forgotten every geography lesson I learned in junior high, Florida has a west coast. I feel so blessed, so fortunate, and wish so desperately that my family were here with us.
One of the stunning sunsets we were treated to every night.
Then the weekend comes, and with that the Cuban families, and their fishing gear. We are then in their world. Our idle week morphs into a bustle of Cuban-Spanish songs playing from boom boxes, side-stepping fishing poles and their lines, bags of warm, stinky shrimp for bait, kids riding bicycles everywhere, warm smiles, and attempts at conversation, each trying our best to bridge the language barrier. We discover there’s brown sharks a few feet off the shore, that a pole isn’t a necessity to fish, and coming here is a family affair.
Come Sunday afternoon, the tents are dismantled, trailers are hitched up, kids are loaded in cars, and the families return home to go to work, school, and their daily lives. Having camped with our kids when they were growing up, oh, who am I kidding? We still camp with them, although no longer in a tent. Anyway, having camped with our kids all their lives, we certainly appreciate the family-centric lifestyle that is the Cuban camper. Until the next weekend rolls around, we are left to resume paying attention to the ocean, the birds, and the barracudas splashing about.
The Boss.
I forgot her name as soon as someone told me. She’s the park mascot.
I’ll ask Brent and Jill. If they remember her name, I’ll let you know.
She strolls around unafraid.
Since it’s within walking distance, the food is tasty, and the Happy Hour drinks are so well priced, we spent a few late afternoons at The Lobster Crawl.
Happy Hour at Lobster Crawl.
Fresh, sweet, Florida pinks.
Sometimes you can get your fill of fish, and just crave a meaty, cheesy pizza.
A guest sitting in front of us was wondering if the pizza was any good. We traded a slice for a taste of his freshly caught fish that Lobster Crawl cleaned and cooked for him. Oh my goodness, it was so good!
It’s hot, it’s humid, it’s a great excuse to do this.
As you read this blog, imagine my view while writing. Paradise!
Another Happy Hour at Lobster Crawl.
Where we met this guy:
His girlfriend made his vest out of the leather bags containing his favorite rum.
Steve has this idea he’s the horse and bird whisperer. Come to find out, he kinda is.
We saw sharks twice. I was told these are nurse sharks. I was pretty excited to see them.
Our last night at Fiesta Key. We used sunscreen, clearly not enough. It’s been such a great week!
Cheers!
Steve had the fish special for the night: Sautéed grouper with shrimp scampi sauce. MMMmmm.
It sounded so good, I had the same. MMMmmmMMM!
Back at camp, our last evening was spent like most, watching the colors change as the night approached, listening to the sounds of the birds, and counting our lucky stars.
And on our last evening, the sunset was as beautiful as all the rest.
Keep looking up.