We were up by 6:30 a.m. Just before daylight, we were pulling the anchor when we noticed dolphin fishing around the boat. I've never seen a dolphin actually catching fish so I was very curious to see them in action. They would catch the fish in their mouth then throw the fish like they were playing with their catch. It was pretty cool to watch. As Troy was pulling up the anchor, the dolphin was hitting the back of the boat trying to nail their catch. We managed to get the anchor up without hurting the animals and off we went. The weather and buoy reports were calling for 10-15 Southeast wind with 2 foot seas at 4 second intervals which was perfect for us to hit the Atlantic and go. As soon as we cleared the cut going out in the Atlantic, we quickly realized the conditions were not what was predicted. The wind was 15-20 from the East and the seas were 3-4 feet coming from the east also. The East wind created beam seas so we were in a washing machine. We managed to get to Government Cut and headed back in to the protected water of the ICW. We were disappointed that our blue water sailing day had turned in to a basque bridge day. We made our way through Miami then approached the first of the 17 bridges we would have to have opened today. Since the bridges do not open on demand, we spent most of our day creeping up the ICW trying to time our progress with the bridge schedule. With the bridge obstacles, we traveled 53 miles in 12 hours which means we averaged a little over 4 knots all day. The trip was scenic. We enjoyed looking at the various multimillion dollar houses and yachts. Some of which were beautiful and some were just tacky as hell. We passed through a dozen or so cities and each one seem to have a different price range of homes. We reached Boca Raton around 6:30 and we were worn out. After dinner, Troy began working our navigating our course for tomorrow. With all the bridges we will have to go through tomorrow, we will not make it all the way to Stuart but we will get close. Once we reach Stuart, our sailing season will be over for this year. We will leave the boat in Stuart and head home to Punta Gorda. I will remain in Punta Gorda and Troy will return to Stuart before May 1st to begin Marine surveying school. After all of our daily chores were finished, we retired for the evening. By the way, my swimmer's ear is much better day. The ear drops I've been using are finally working!

We left Pennekamp Marina around 7:00 a.m. We motor sailed for 42 miles to No Name Harbor on Key Biscayne. It was a beautiful day but the wind didn't help us very much at all. We arrived at No Name Harbor around 3:00. We dropped the anchor and discussed our travel plans. Since we are on the last leg of this year's sailing adventure and I have an ear issue that doesn't seem to be getting better, we are gonna have to either wrap up our trip in the next day or two or stop somewhere I can go see a doctor. The ear is driving me nuts! The Atlantic conditions and winds are very favorable for us to jump outside tomorrow and head up to Lake Worth, so, that is one option. The next option is to go to Dinner Key Marina tomorrow where I could get to a clinic but we would have sit there until Monday or Tuesday of next week. I don't even feel up to getting off the boat, so, I'm leaning toward the long haul to Lake Worth tomorrow. However, Troy is the Captain, so, whatever he decides is what we will do. After throwing around our options, we had dinner on the boat then Troy started working on a squeaky winch drum. He took it all apart and oiled up all the parts which seem to have fixed the issue. With no definite travel plans made, we settled in for the evening. We will get up tomorrow morning and decide which way we are heading.

Troy and I were up pretty earlier so we headed to the Waffle House to have breakfast. After breakfast, we found a barber shop so Troy could get a hair cut then we headed to Walgreens to pick up a few items we needed on the boat. We returned the car then headed back to the marina where I basically laid in bed with an ear ache the rest of the day. Just before dark, we hoisted the dingy up on the deck, filled the water tanks and I vacuumed the cabin. After our chores were finished, I took some medicine and went back to bed. I'm sure you can tell, I don't feel very well so the entries are much shorter than normal. Hopefully, I can shake the ear issue soon and get back to normal!

It seems I may have swimmer's ear! Ever since we went scuba diving, I've had water in my ear that I can't get out. I've tried all the home remedies but nothing is working. So, this morning, Troy and I got up and walked to Enterprise car rental which was about 3.2 miles away from the marina. Yes, our new friends Alan & Carol offered to haul us around but we wouldn't dare take advantage of their hospitality, so, we rented a car. Our first stop was to have lunch at The Catch. After lunch, we headed to get our propane tank filled then we stopped by the grocery store where we picked up some provisions and some ear drops for me hoping they will fix my ear issue. We returned to the boat to put away our groceries and to take care of some boat chores. While we were at the boat my lunch just didn't agree with me, so, we hung around for awhile. This was just not my day. After I started feeling better, we jumped in the car and headed to West Marine to pick up a new air conditioner water filter. We had a light dinner and retired with Netflix.

Just after 8, Troy and I headed toward the marina. We stopped by the pump-out station to empty our tank then pulled in to a boat slip. Without finger docks, I was a little anxious about docking. I managed to hook the port pilling on the first try then I handled the stern lines while Troy took care of the port side pilling. Docking went off without a hitch. We checked in at the marina then headed to the dive shop to buy some t-shirts. We contacted Alan & Carol to see if they were available and arranged to meet them around 3 p.m. Troy and I took care of some boat chores and relaxed for a bit. Alan & Carol arrived at the boat a little after three. If you've been following our blog, you know that we've never met Alan & Carol but we all have mutual friends, James & Stacey Street that basically referred us to meet. We are glad we did. Just like with James & Stacey, after talking with Alan & Carol for just a few short minutes, we felt like we have know them for years. After some great conservation on the boat, they invited Troy and I to their condo for dinner. We had a wonderful meal and really enjoyed their company. We certainly hope to cross their path again someday. After dinner, they drove us back to the marina where Troy and I retired with Netflix.

Today is no different from yesterday. The winds haven't died and there are 1 to 2 foot seas around the boat, so, I'm still out of my dinghy comfort zone. Troy did brave the conditions and went ashore to haul our trash in. He also checked with the marina to see if we could get a slip for tomorrow. Luckily, the marina is not busy and it is very cheap to stay there. I think we paid a little of $20 per day to stay on a mooring ball and it only cost $36 per day to stay in the marina where we can get off the boat. That's a no brainer! We will be going to the marina first thing tomorrow morning. With nothing else to do but sit on the boat, we started drinking way too early and continued until dark. Our entertainment consisted of watching two boats rafted up together attempting to grill in the rough conditions. One thing that was considerably noticeable was the young girls with hail damaged butts wearing their thong bikinis. The last time I checked, Wal-Mart sells full length mirrors! So ladies, unless you have a nice ass, cover it up! We had a liquid dinner then went to bed.

As we expected, the winds picked up last night and brought storms with them. Although it was a bit bumpy, we slept okay. We woke up to more wind and rain. We had planned to meet a couple, Alan and Carol, who were introduced to us through our dear friend Stacey via text. They are staying 3 miles from Pennekamp and are sailors, so, we were excited to meet them. However, it seems like Troy and I are on boat arrest. We are on a mooring ball and the waves around the boat are 1 to 2 feet which is way out of my dinghy comfort zone. We have never met Alan & Carol face to face; however, when I spoke with Carol on the phone, she generously offered their help with whatever we needed while we are here. That just goes to show us how like minded sailors help each other. We all understand the joys of being stuck on boats waiting out weather. Sadly, Troy and I may be stuck on the boat again tomorrow because the weather is not expected to change for a few days. So, what did we do all day? Nothing! I didn't even bother getting out of my pj's. What's the point, right? To keep our minds occupied, we played games on the IPad and our phones. We are down to one DC charger, so, we have to take turns charging up our devices. We had multiple chargers on the boat most of which came from West Marine. All of West Marine chargers have stopped working and the only one that still works is an el-cheapo that came from a convenient store. After dinner, we charged the boat batteries and started to settle in for the night. Sure enough, just after dark the wind picked up again with gusts of 25 or more knots. The boat is dancing around quite a bit. By this point in the sailing season, we are use to the movement so we can sleep through it if we are on mooring ball. Thank God, we are! If not, Troy would be up all night watching the anchor. Yes, Troy and I normally head for a marina when bad weather is coming because we don't like to get stuck on the boat and not being able to get ashore. I would be willing to bet when the next blow hits us, we will be tied up in a marina. Through all the weather we have faced this year, I keep remembering last year everyone telling us that the bad weather was uncommon....I call bullshit on that one! The only difference between this year and last is we are running from weather in the Florida Keys and not the Bahamas!

We were up around 8. We made breakfast, chatted with a few friends from home and headed to the dive shop to get ready for scuba diving. We checked in, got our gear and boarded the boat. We went to a wreck site but the captain thought the current was too rough for us. So, we went to another site and found current issues again. The third site was Horseshoe Reef and it was perfect. We all jumped in without issue and descended below the surface. Troy did great. However, I didn't. My first issue was not enough weight to sink. So, the dive guide added weight to my BC and I went down fine. Then, like every time we go diving, I always have to get use to breathing through the regulator before I just take off. I resurfaced to get my breathing adjusted and off I went. I don't know why, but, it happens to me every time we go diving. After I get going, I'm fine...it just takes a few minutes. Horseshoe reef was nothing spectacular. The coral was pretty with a few dive through reefs, which was pretty cool. My mask fogged up pretty bad, so, what I did see was great. In fact, the last dive through reef we went through, I wasn't sure where I was going but I could see light on the other side. The dive lasted about an hour then we boarded the boat and headed to North North Dry Rock for the next dive. No, that is not a typo, the reef is actually called North North. On the way to the next stop, the scuba guide took a cigarette lighter and worked on my mask. Apparently new mask have some sort of film on them that creates fog so he burned it off. We reached our destination and we all jumped in. We made our descent and off we went. The mask trick did the job and I could actually see the beautiful coral. We were under for about an hour and it was great. We all loaded back on the boat and headed back to Pennekamp. Troy and I can't say enough good things about the dive crew. They took their time to find great locations for us and provided a slow pace so we could enjoy what we were doing. We would definitely recommend their services and would certainly use them again. We returned to the boat around 6. Just as we expected the cold front is approaching and the winds have picked up. Needless to say, the dinghy ride back to the boat was a wet one. We made dinner and started to relax when a storm rolled through. The storm brought lightning, rain and strong gusts. We may be in for a bumpy night!

We left the smooth (not) anchorage of Indian Key at 8 a.m. We made our way miles East to Pennekamp State Park mooring field. The wind was directly in front of us, so, we motored the entire way. We reached Pennekamp around 1:30 p.m. We picked up a mooring and secured the boat before jumping in the dinghy to go check in. Weather is coming so we plan to stay at Pennekamp for the next 4 days. Funny thing, 4 days on a mooring cost 1/2 of one night at Faro Blanco. After we checked in, we went to the dive shop to inquire about a scuba refresher course and some dives. Because it has been a couple of years since we've dove, most places want you to do the refresher. No biggy, we wanted to take the refresher anyway. So, the lady gave us all the medical forms to fill out and we did so honestly. Because we are over 45 and smoke, we do not qualify for the refresher course unless we get a doctor to sign the release. We are traveling, so, that is a bit unrealistic for us. I was a bit pissed. Troy dove a month ago in Fort Myers to clean the bottom of the boat. So, Troy wasn't the issue, I was. The lady told me to go back to the boat, suit up and take a 20 minute dive then I would qualify to go diving tomorrow. So, that is exactly what we did. Maneuvering with scuba gear on a sailboat without a swim platform is not the easiest thing to do, but, we managed. I jumped in and wasn't very comfortable breathing. It's been two years since our last dive, so, it is completely normal to need a few minutes adjusting. I ditched the scuba gear and snorkeled around the boat for 10 minutes or so. I put the scuba gear back on and off I went without issue. After I got comfortable, Troy took the scuba gear to clean the bottom of the boat and I jumped back in with a mask and snorkel to help. We were in the water for about an hour or so. We managed to get the bottom fairly clean and Troy also installed a new zinc. After we got out of the water, we showered and made dinner. We had shrimp alfredo with steamed broccoli. We had a few sundowners then we settled in for the night. Tomorrow we are scheduled to go scuba diving!

We had planned to get up around 6 but we overslept and got up at 7 a.m. We quickly topped off our water tanks, made coffee and got ready to leave. Joann came over to say goodbye and help us with our lines. By 7:45, we were on our way. As soon as we made it to the inside channel, we raised the main and pulled the jib. We were able to motor sail on a close haul at about 6.5 knots. Around 11:30, just outside of Channel 5, we pulled in the jib until we got under the bridge. The wind had clocked around, so, it was coming directly on the bow. With the mainsail up, going up current, our speed diminished to around 4.5 knots. About 2 miles from Indian Key, we started looking for San Pedro shipwreck markers. We were disappointed, because we never spotted it and it is on our list of places to dive/snorkel. We arrived at Indian Key around 2 p.m. Indian Key provides one mooring ball, but, a fishing boat was tied off to it suntanning. Really? Whatever, we dropped the anchor, put the dinghy in the water and headed ashore. In 1836, Indian Key became the first county seat for Dade County. At that time, the tiny island was the site of a lucrative business-salvaging cargo from shipwrecks in the Florida Keys. At that time, Key West held an upper hand in all the wrecking salvage in the keys until Jacob Houseman arrived from New York, He set up a station on Indian Key in 1831 after disputes with the salvage industry on Key West. Indian Key became a thriving port with a store, hotel, and dwellings with cisterns, warehouses, and wharves. In 1838 Dr. Henry Perrine moved to Indian Key with an interest in tropical plants. He planted hemp, tea, coffee, bananas, and mangos. during the 2nd Seminole War, (The Seminole Wars being the longest, and most expensive of all the Indian Wars in the United States) Houseman's island became endangered and a military outpost was established on nearby Tea Table Key as protection. On August 7, 1840, a band of Indians led by a famous Indian Chief named Chekika landed on the island and attacked the settlers. Houseman and his wife escaped but others were killed during the burning and looting. Dr. Perrine's family escaped by hiding in a turtle kraal under the house however, Dr. Perrine was "hacked" to pieces in an attempt to reason with the Indian party. Except for one building and the stone foundations all the homes and warehouses were burned to the ground. Houseman and his family left and did not return. Indian Key continued to be inhabited until the early part of the 1900's when it was abandoned completely. Houseman was killed in a salvage accident in 1841 and is buried on Indian Key. Dr. Perrine's groves have grown over many of the ruins. Indian Key is now a historical park and can be visited via water only. Troy and I walked the island somewhat fascinated by it's chilling history. We returned to the boat around 3:30. There are two other boats here and the anchorage is a very bumpy. It may be a long sleepless night. Oh well, tomorrow we are moving up to Pennekamp to grab a mooring ball to wait out, yes, another 3 to 4 day blow. We keep getting hit by one cold front after another. The days are sunny with chilly wind, so, we haven't been in the water at all, which really sucks. We came to the keys to explore and check out some of the many dive/snorkel sites. Needless to say, we have not been able to do any of that because it's too cold. I feel like we are in the Bahamas again running from one place to the next to dodge weather. Hopefully, the weather will get better!

We slept in a bit this morning. We were up by 8, had our morning coffee and checked to see when Jim and Joann wanted to walk to Publix to get some provisions. We all left the marina around 10 and walked about 1.5 miles to Publix. Jim and Joann needed more provisions than we did, so, Troy and I grabbed the groceries we needed and caught a cab back to the marina. We paid $5 for the cab, which was the cheapest cab fare we have ever had. While I was putting away the provisions, Troy walked across the street to West Marine. Yes, we went to the West Marine in Key West almost everyday while we were there, but, they didn't have a specific galley light that we've been looking for. Our galley light, which come from Catalina Direct, is a piece of junk. You have to wiggle the switch to get it to come on, so, we've been looking for a new one with a different switch. Luckily, the West Marine in Marathon had what we've been looking for. Troy bought the new light and a new Tervis drink shaker because we've been wanting some of Troy's famous mojitos. He returned to the boat, installed the light and made us some drinks. It was a little early cocktail hour, but, we don't care, we had mojitos anyway. After a few drinks, Jim and Joann from S/V Namaste came over for an early cocktail hour and snacks. They brought us another bag of Biggby Coffee (their son owns the company) and I was so happy. They gave us a bag when we met them at Marco Island and I loved the coffee, so, when they showed up with a bag, I was super excited. Not only will I be ordering Biggby Coffee online in the future, I will also order Caribe beans (spicy pickled green beans). If you haven't tried either, you should order them both online. After drinks, Jim and Joann had to leave us. We are really gonna miss their company! Troy and I made a light dinner and settled in for the night.

We left Key West at 7:30 a.m. As soon as we hit the Hawk Channel, we raised the main and pulled the jib. We had a 10-15 mph north wind which gave us a comfortable close reach sail. We shut the engine off and clipped along at about 6 to 6.5 knots. The wind was chilly but we had a beautiful sail. We were so excited because this was the first great sailing day we've had since we left Punta Gorda over a month ago. We were able to sail until we were just West of the 7 Mile Bridge. Around 3 p.m. the wind died on us decreasing our speed to 3 knots. We turned on the engine and continued on. Our plan was to anchor just outside of Boot Key. As we were approaching the anchorage, we noticed it was very full and no mooring balls were available. We also checked the weather and discovered the winds were going to pick up to the point of uncomfortable during the night. We called Faro Blanco Marina to see if we could get a slip for the night. They had openings so we made a reservation and headed in. Anchoring may have been fine but we knew Jim & Joann from S/V Namaste was at the marina and we wanted to catch up with them. We pulled in Faro Blanco around 4:00 p.m. We were met by a dock hand that provided excellent docking for us. We were quickly met by Jim & Joann. After catching up with them we all decided to go to dinner at the marina. Joann made reservations for us at 5:30. After Troy and I got the boat secured, we headed over to S/V Namaste to meet Jim & Joann then we all headed to dinner. Also joining us for dinner was the crew from M/V Gypsy Spirt. We all had an amazing meal. Troy and I really love meeting new people while we are cruising. We are very fortunate to meet such great people throughout our journey. After dinner, it was a bit chilly, so we all ran to our boats to seek the warmth and comforts of home. Troy and I fired up Netflix and was relaxing when we received a FaceTime from our oldest daughter, Ericka. We knew something was up because she knows we are not FaceTime people. We answered to discover Ericka and her boyfriend, Mark, wanted to share the news of their engagement with us. Of course, Ericka wanted to show off her new rock too. We were not too surprised because Mark asked us for Ericka's hand in marriage during their visit with us at Christmas. We are very blessed to be adding such a respectful young man to our family and we are so happy for the both of them. Since, Ericka is starting grad school in the fall, they are holding off on an official date to determine if it is possible to balance school and planning a wedding. We would prefer she finish her education first, but, we are very open to whatever they want to do. What a great day!

The photo of the day is of our daughter, Ericka, and her fiancé Mark.

Thank goodness Madison's luggage made it to Chattanooga last night around 11. Poor kid, landed at Atlanta airport around 2 p.m, waited on her luggage until 5, got back to Chattanooga at 8 then picked up her luggage at the Chattanooga airport at 11. What a long day for her! We felt terrible, especially since we could not do anything to help her from Key West. This morning, Troy and I discussed our travel plans over breakfast. We will leave Key West tomorrow and head up to Marathon for a quick stop. From there we will make our way up to Pennekamp, Biscayne Bay, Miami, then on to Stuart where we will end our sailing season. We will take our time at each stop to explore various sites we are interested in. After our plans were made, we jumped right into boat chores. First on our list was laundry. Troy normally carries the laundry for me and I will stay with it until it is finished. Today, our routine was a bit different. Keep in mind, we are in Key West with all of America's rejects. Even though the marina has a secured laundry facility, Troy sit with me until the laundry was finished. We took our laundry back to the boat then I changed all the linens and cleaned the cabin. While I was cleaning, Troy made a run to West Marine to pick up some damp rid and sail slugs to replace the one that is broken on our new sail. After the cleaning and errands were done, we both got showers and headed to lunch. Since a Disney cruise ship is in town, we decided to avoid Duval Street. We found a nice little cafe, The Key West Bite, just near the marina and checked it out. The cafe was very clean and virtually empty, so, Troy and I had a nice quite relaxing meal. The food was okay, but, nothing to really brag about. After lunch we headed back to the boat to take care of some internet chores while we still had wifi. We thought we had everything finished and retired for the evening. We lounged in the vberth with Netflix then realized we didn't fill our water tanks. So, we get out of our pj's, get the hose pipe and fill the tanks. Finally, all the chores were finished and we called it a day.

We were up early to get Madison off to the airport. We left the boat around 10, caught a taxi and headed to the airport. 5 miles and $45 later, Madison was dropped off at the airport, on time! Troy and I returned to the boat to get it reorganized, catch up on blogging and get some post cards ready to be mailed. We headed to the Waterfront Brewery to have lunch then found a mailbox for our mail. We returned to the boat to simply relax. We have explored every inch of the 2x4 island and we are kinda tired. Not to mention, Key West is a party town and it is St. Patrick's Day. So, it was no surprise to see people already in their drunken status at noon. We have some boat chores to do but will put them off until tomorrow when everyone on this island will be sleeping late due to their hangovers. While relaxing on the boat, Madison calls us to tell us she arrived in Atlanta only to discover someone had taken her bag by mistake. That doesn't sound so bad. I mean, the person who picked up Madison's bag can just return it to the airport, right? Well, as it stands right now, the jackass that took Maddy's bag, refused to return it. Of course, Delta threatened the person with theft and instructed them to deliver Maddy's bag to the airport in Columbus, Georgia where the bag would be flown to Madison in Chattanooga, Tennessee. All we can do now is wait to see what happens. Ya know, when all of us went to visit "Robert" the haunted doll, Madison and I didn't play by Robert's rules. So, in this case, can we say, "Robert did it"?

This morning we walked to the Blue Heaven restaurant for breakfast. When we arrived we discovered there was a 45 minute wait. So, since Madison loves the Lazy Gecko, we headed back to Duval street to grab a bite to eat there. After our meal, Madison wanted to do some shopping. While she was shopping, Troy and I walked to the Millionaire Gallery to view the "Rock Lives On" art exhibit. The gallery boasts a collection of more than $10 million in rare one-of-a-kind pieces of memorabilia and historic documents including autographed pieces from some rock-n-roll icons like Elvis, Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Prince, Hendrix, just to name a few. After admiring the art, Troy and I met back up with Madison. We all headed to the Southernmost Point where Madison wanted to lay on the beach. While she was soaking in some rays, Troy and I rented scooters and headed to Fort East Martello and took the tour. Originally built as a Civil War fortification, Fort East Martello has served several purposes over the years.  Its last role was as a training facility for the Navy and Army during World War II, after which time the Fort fell into disuse and decay.  After extensive restoration, the Society opened it in 1950 to the public as a local art and history museum. Today visitors can walk through exhibits relating to the island's history including its roles in the Spanish-American War, World Wars I and II, the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962 as well as examining the sponging, wrecking, and cigar manufacturing industries that drove Key West's economy.  The Stanley Papio - Junkyard Rebel gallery affords visitors an overview of the folk artist's eclectic welded sculptures.  Many of his works were created from pieces of scrap metal from automobiles and appliances. Without a doubt the most famous denizen at Fort East Martello Museum is Robert the Doll, whose mysterious history has fascinated both local and tourist visitors for decades.  Robert has been the focus of several television programs, making him one of the most popular artifacts in Key West Art & Historical Society's collection. After exploring the Fort, Troy and I hopped back on the scooters and headed to Garrison Bight Marina to check it out. We then headed to the Wildlife Preserve. As soon as we got there, Madison called and was ready to throw in the beach towel. So, Troy and I headed her way and met her at the scooter rental company. We turned in our scooters and we all headed to Duval street so Madison could browse in more shops. Getting a bit thirsty, we headed to Schooner's Wharf to have a few drinks and listen to Michael McCloud. Madison wanted to check out some shops at Mallory Square, so, we took her to the square and Troy and I headed to the Chart Room Bar which, in our opinion, it is the best bar in Key West for a local experience. Since 1968, Chart Room Bar has offered a relaxed, laid-back atmosphere for thirsty locals and travelers. Lovingly known as "a weird little bar trapped inside a luxury resort," the Chart Room Bar is a legendary local favorite where Mel Fisher often ended days of treasure hunting. Along with others, Mr. Fisher's ashes are even embedded in the bar. This historic watering hole is all about keeping things authentic. They still serve free popcorn, peanuts, and hot dogs, with no blender drinks or tiny umbrellas in sight. After having a few drinks, Troy and I met Madison at Mallory Square then we all headed to the Hogg's Breath for dinner. We had a great meal while listening to some great tunes by Cliff Cody then headed back to the boat to retire for the evening.

Since we were all tired from our long day yesterday, we didn't get in a hurry to get moving. Not to mention, it is very chilly today. So, around 11, we took off to have lunch at the Raw Bar. After lunch we walked to the Key West Cemetery to check it out. The Key West Cemetery certainly looks creepy and forboding, with its cracked and toppled stones and worn above-ground crypts. The 19 acre graveyard is home to an estimated 100,000 souls-- to put that in perspective, the island of Key West's population is around 30,000. To make matters creepier, it actually had to be moved after an 1846 hurricane washed away many coffins. But once you really start poking around, you'll see why it's such a popular attraction: many of the gravestones are inscribed with humourous sayings. For example, the town's hypochondriac headstone reads "I told you I was sick." After the cemetery tour, we decided to rent some scooters. None of us are scooter pros. The rental company made us take a few practice circles around a parking lot to get familiar with the scooter. After they were convinced we were not going to kill ourselves, we were on our way. At first, let's just say, our scooter skills were not so great. We managed to make our way to the West Martello Fort and Gardens. The Fort is maintained and operated by the Key West Garden Club. It is one of the island's last remaining free tourist attractions providing educational opportunities relating to tropical gardening and to the West Martello Tower, a National Historic site. Since the Fort is right besides the Higgs Beach Pier, we checked out the beautiful scenery from the end of the pier. We hopped back on our scooters and headed to visit Our Lady of Lourdes Grotto. The Grotto contains the statues of Our Lady of Lourdes and Bernadette which was dedicated on May 25, 1922, the Feast of the Ascension and the 25th anniversary of Sister Louis Gabriel's entrance into the religious profession of the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary. Sister Gabriel designed this artistic structure made of natural rock gathered from these Church grounds and throughout the island. Sister Gabriel had survived three major hurricanes since her arrival in Key West on August 25, 1897. Because of the devastation and heartache she had witnessed as a result of these terrible storms, her deep desire to keep Key West and its residents safe from future storms generated her passion to build the Grotto to seek protection from Our Blessed Mother Mary. Tradition tells us that Sister Gabriel is said to have remarked on that dedication day that as long as the Grotto stood, "Key West would never experience the full brunt of a hurricane." And as all residents can attest, there has not been a severe storm on the island since the erection of the Grotto in 1922. Put this on your Key West must see list! We jumped back on the scooters and returned them to the rental company. We headed back to the boat for rum punch then headed to the Waterfront Brewery for dinner. After dinner we relaxed for the evening.

Our plan today was going to be water activities but a cold front has hit Key West and it's chilly and windy. We are staying at the Key West Bight Marina and it's a bit rough. The winds create the chop and all the tour boats speed through here throwing their wakes, so, during the day the boat rocks around quite a bit. To keep us off the boat we headed out to see a few more sites Key West has to offer. Our first stop was at the Oldest House in South Florida. The house and gardens are free and open to the public. The house features family portraits and original furnishings, as well as other period pieces, ship models, and documents telling the story of old Key West. In the rear of the house is a spacious, peaceful garden, where benches invite you to sit and reflect. After our tour of the house, we headed to the Smokin Tuna for lunch then we wandered over to Fort Zachery Taylor. The Fort was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1973, Florida's southernmost state park is popular for recreation, as well as U.S. military history. The fort was one of a series built in the mid-1800s to defend the nation's southeastern coastline. Completed in 1866, Fort Zachary Taylor played important roles in the Civil War and Spanish-American War. We enjoyed our walk through the Fort and the amazing views it offered. Next we headed to the Key West Lighthouse. The tower for the Key West Light was completed in 1848. It was 50 feet (15 m) tall with 13 lamps in 21-inch (530 mm) reflectors, and stood on ground about 15 feet (4.6 m) above sea level. In 1858 the light received a third order Fresnel lens. In 1873 the lantern was replaced (it had been damaged by a hurricane in 1866), adding three feet to the height of the tower. The growth of trees and taller buildings in Key West began to obscure the light, and in 1894 the tower was raised twenty feet, placing the light about 100 feet (30 m) above sea level. We walked up the steps to the top of the tower to take in the amazing views of Key West. After soaking in the view, we headed to Harry S. Truman's Little White House. The house was the winter White House for President Truman for 175 days during 11 visits. After Truman, the house was used by Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Carter and Clinton and former Secretary of State Collin Powell. Because the house is still used by Presidents and their families, it is highly secured, so photos are not allowed. After our tour, we headed back to the boat to relax a bit before heading back to the Smokin Tuna for dinner. After dinner, we headed to Front Street to catch the Ghosts & Gravestones Trolley for a ghost adventure. Since Key West is listed fourth on the most haunted city list, we thought this tour would be great. On the tour, we heard tales that have been all but forgotten as we traveled down the narrow, dark streets of Old Town - filled with 19th century wooden houses that hold on to the secrets of their former inhabitants. The tour provided us with exclusive nighttime entry to East Fort Martello. The Fort was once used as quarantine barracks for suffering soldiers left to die from yellow fever; now home to an eerie doll, Robert, that has been investigated by several paranormal groups. Robert is considered the most haunted toy in America. Before we could enter Robert's area, we all had to greet Robert, ask his permission before taking his photo and we had to thank him for his visit. Although, I'm a paranormal believer, I found all of this to be very silly. In fact, we were not impressed with the tour at all. You never know until you try, right! After our ghost tour, we headed back to the boat for the evening.

Our daughter arrived on time. Once she was settled on the boat we took off to the Lazy Gecko for lunch. After lunch, we headed to the Mel Fisher Museum to check out the artifacts found on the famous shipwreck Atocha and Santa Margarita as well as the 1715 Shipwreck Fleet. To give our daughter a good tour of Key West we all jumped on the Conch Train Tour that took us all around the city and pointed out sites to see. After the first hour of the tour, we got off the train and headed back to the Lazy Gecko for a few drinks then jumped back on the train to continue our tour. We jumped off the train again to tour the Audubon House and to take our daughter to the original Margaritaville. The Audubon House is a grand home that was built by Captain John Huling Geiger in the 1840s as a residence for his family, who lived there for more than a century. Slated for destruction in 1958, the Geiger mansion was saved by the Mitchell Wolfson Family Foundation, a nonprofit educational organization. The home's large scale restoration was the first of its kind in Key West and sparked Key West's restoration movement. Today, the home and its furnishings reflect the elegance and comfortable living enjoyed by a wealthy family in Key West in an era when frequent shipwrecks on the offshore reef created a flourishing ship wrecking industry. The third floor of the house is dedicated to showcasing 22 prints from John James Audubon's Birds of America collection. Although it is questionable if Audubon ever stayed in the home, the house was named after the artist. Since It was a little early for dinner, we headed to the original Margaritaville for appetizers and drinks. The restaurant looked half empty and we were quickly seated. For some unknown reason we waited and waited for a server to approach our table. After 10 minutes or so, with no acknowledgement of our presence, we got up and left. We jumped back on the Conch Train and headed to one of our favorite spots, Schooner's Wharf, to have dinner. After a long day of seeing the sites, we retired to the boat for the remainder of the evening.

Since our daughter is coming in today, we are scheduled to for Key West Bight Marina at 11:00 a.m. The wake of other boats woke us up pretty early. The anchorage is fairly calm when after all the tourist boats go in after sunset. This is the first day of us being on the boat when all the traffic is happening, so, we didn't know how bad it was until today. I must say, it was very irritating. We managed to get the outboard and dinghy secured in the chop. We called the marina just before 11 to make sure the slip we reserved was open. Naturally, it wasn't. The owner knew check out time was 11 but didn't bother moving his boat nor did he answer his phone when the marina attempted to contact him. I called the marina back around noon to see if they had made contact with the owner and what the status was. They told us the boat would be moved within 45 minutes. So, we waited a bit and headed in. Of course, when we got there, the boat was still parked in our slip. We tied up at the fuel dock to wait for the boat to move. While we were waiting our daughter called. She immediately asked to speak to Troy. I knew something was up because I'm the bad cop and she wanted to speak to the good cop. She screwed up her flight time and was not going to make her scheduled flight out of Atlanta. While dealing with her, the boat owner finally left and we moved the boat to the slip. After getting everything secured, Troy and I discussed the daughter situation. We decided she would figure this one out herself and maybe learn something from the experience. Nope, that didn't happen! Without issue, Delta gave her a stand by seat on the next flight. She made it on that plane but the plane was overweight so passengers had to get off. Of course, stand by passengers were the first to go, so, she had to get off the plane. However, Delta made all the arrangements for her to depart tomorrow morning. Also, They gave her a free hotel, $800 in airfare credit and provided transportation to and from the airport. So, our idea of teaching her a lesson backfired because she was rewarded for missing her original flight. She will arrive tomorrow at 10:00 a.m.

First thing this morning, Troy and I headed to West Marine to pick up the gas cap we ordered yesterday. After a wet dinghy ride we made it ashore. We got the dinghy parked, confirmed our marina reservation for the 12th the walked to West Marine. When we inquired about the gas cap, we discovered they never ordered it. However, to fix the situation, they opened up a brand new outboard, removed the gas cap and gave it to us with no charge. We were pleasantly surprised and very grateful for their help. While we were waiting for Tim, Mary Ann, Mark and Lori to come ashore, Troy and I, visited the Flagler Station Museum. We've been to Flagler's mansion in Palm Beach, so, we enjoyed seeing the last station on the Overseas Railway Flagler built. We then met up with the group. They wanted to go to the Hemingway House. Since Troy and I have already visited the house, he and I, headed to the Half Shell Raw Bar then we walked to the Hemingway House to meet up with the group. Since they had not had lunch, we all went to the original Margaritaville. After everyone was fed, we walked to the Sponge Market so Lori & Mark could get some gifts for their grandkids. By this time, Troy and I were not feeling very well and decided we needed to head back to the boat. The others stayed in town to finish their exploring. Let's just say, the Half Shell Raw Bar didn't sit well with Troy and I. The group returned just after sunset and came by the boat to say farewell. They will be leaving us tomorrow to head home. Troy and I will be staying in Key West another week because our daughter is visiting us here for spring break. We hate to see Tim, Mary Ann, Mark & Lori go. We will miss our great friends from S/V Make It Easy!