Magicial despite rain clouds.

One of the most magical places you will see in Key West is the Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory. Its an awesome place where butterflies fly freely as you walk around in wonderment. When you first enter there is a learning center which tells you everything you ever wanted to know about butterflies. Afterwards you walk through double doors to the conservatory and to your amazement inside butterflies of every color fly around. Some land on you and then fly off again. There is a belief here that if a butterfly lands on you it is good luck. It is one of those places you must come see in Key West.
Another magical place is Mallory Square before sunset. Sunsets here are said to be the most beautiful in the world. But if you ask me anywhere you go in Key West you will see a phenomenal sunset. Magicians, jugglers, mimes and performances by dogs and trained cats are part of the fun. Yes I did say trained cats. Dominique the cat man of Key West performs at Mallory Square. His cats even jump through hoops of fire. Dominique has his own website, It is a sight to behold.

We arrived in Key West on Saturday after leaving Fort Lauderdale. We traveled over 1400 miles over the seven-mile bridge. The weather was great still spring like. We are staying on a military base where believe it or not there is no wireless communication. I am having internet withdrawal.
I found this cafe called the Sipping Internet Cafe where I can use their wireless capability free after 4 p.m. If I buy something over
four dollars. Next time I post I will try to upload some photos. The military base is quiet but when you hit the center of town around Duval Street. Everything is alive. There are the roar of scooters and motorcycles; live music coming out of the cafes and tantalizing smells of food for every appetite. And did I mention the drinks; everywhere you go there are drinks named for the bar you are at. I am really liking the coconut rum drinks.
Saturday night through Monday it rained off and on. Today the sun shined and it is 82 degrees. A great beach day. Yesterday in between rain drop, I visited Higgs Beach and saw the Aids Memorial. Seven hundred and four people have been lost to Aids in this community.
Then I checked out Smathers Beach and at night checked out some of the bars. Being a Hemingway fan of course I checked out Sloppy Joe's and went to Captain Tony's which is the original Sloppy Joe's. It is said that Hemingway would find his way home from the original Sloppy Joe's by following the light from the lighthouse across the street from his home. Business cards, bras and dollar bills hang from the ceiling. The crowd is laid back singing along with the musician, sometimes a little off key but who cares. It is all in fun Requests for songs are welcome and so are tips. Duval Street is happening day and night and all ages walk along the streets, drinking and shopping. It's a tourist's dream. There is still so much to explore here. Keep tuned.

A gem of a museum at Fort Lauderdale.

We stayed overnight in Vero Beach and then the next morning we moved on taking the A1A Highway which curves around and somehow put us on Route 1.
On impulse we decided to wash the RV at the Cartoon Car Wash. Because Jack's RV is 12 feet high we had to manually wash it. What a site the two of us following each other with power wash spray guns and foaming brushes. If only I had the Flip camera, What a video that would of made. No wonder its called Cartoon Car Wash. Needless to say we were soaked and it was a challenge but something to laugh about on the way to Fort Lauderdale.
On the A1A we passed Juniper Beach where people were riding bikes, jogging, fishing and sunning. the ocean was on one side, the bay on the other. Beautiful homes in hues of greens, purples, pinks and blues were situated in gated communities. We kept driving and stopped at a Dixie-Winn which is a giant supermarket and met Shirley who helped us out, giving us discounts using her own Dixie-Winn card.
Trying to follow A1A highway can be confusing and finally we gave in and took I-95 hitting rush hour traffic and arriving at the Courtyard Marriott looking frazzled and weary. Tawnia at the front desk gave us a great room looking over a Marina. We parked our RV with the help of Joe across the street. We could see it from our window as well as million dollar boats docked in the bay. Our hotel faces the beach and is in the center of town on Seabreeze Blvd.
Fort Lauderdale is a gorgeous beach town. People sit outside at bars and restaurants as musicians play music. Margaritas seem to be the drink of choice and there is a feeling of romance in the air. Shops range in price from dresses at $19.99 to $69.99 for a tee-shirt. A price range for everyone.
The town is alive as skateboarders try their hand at doing tricks and surfers take on the waves. Overcast today but at dusk the blue skies swallowed up the horizon as I looked out at a ship at sea.
One gem I found was the International Swimming Hall of Fame which celebrates swimmers present and past. The museum houses Olympians' medals, a photo exhibit and videos showing what makes a winner. On exhibit are bathing suits from the past and worn by Olympic swimmers. There is even a pool there. If you like the Olympics and follow swimmers, its a museum you should not miss.
Tomorrow we make the final trek to Key West.

St. Augustine...where the past and the present meet

We drove through Georgia. Much of Georgia along I-95 is swampland. Though I heard that they were hit with snow, There is none on the highway. We reached Florida around 2 p.m. and rode into St. Augustine. St. Augustine is a beautiful city, rich with history, quaint with Spanish Influence. In fact Ponce de Leon claimed it for Spain calling it La Florida, land of flowers. in 1513. Ponce de Leon felt he had found the Fountain of Youth here. After six expeditions, the French reclaimed it as a colony in 1564. Don Pedro Mendenz de Avilles of Spain conquered the and named the land St. Augustine. St. Augustine was founded 42 years before the English colony, in Jamestown, Va. In 1586 St. Francis Drake attacked the city burning it down to the ground. Under English rule Castillo de San Marcos was built. It took 33 years to complete. The fort still stands and is one of the most intriguing sites to visit in St. Augustine. Florida became the 27th state. The fort was renamed after a revolutionary hero, Fort Marion. For more history check out www.visitflorida.com
While in St. Augustine we visited Love's Art Emporium and were wowed by the art of Michael and Inessa Gamash. A husband and wife team who actually paint together on one canvas. On exhibit were also Dr. Seuss paintings and the three dimensional art of Bill Mack, an awesome sculptor.
We visited The Cathedral Basilica of St. Augustine. It is the first parish in America created in 1565. It was burnt down when Drake burned the city down. The church was rebuilt and one of its missions was to help freed slaves settle. Slaves were bought and sold at St. Augustine's square.
Wandering in the church you feel the history. I was in awe and overwhelmed by how beautiful it was. Check out the church at www.thefirstparish.org.
Afterwards we went to the American Legion Post 37 built in 1941. We had a few drinks and then went to Harry Seafood Bar and Grille for diner. A great place to eat recommended by the locals. We are heading towards Fort Lauderdale and we are staying at a rest stop at Vero Beach.

Finally on the road.

We left Delaware County on Tuesday afternoon after the snow had cleared out. The RV is packed with winter clothes and summer clothes and of course lots of coffee. We took I-95 through Delaware and Maryland. Baltimore Harbor is frozen. There are signs through Virginia warning of icy roads but we didn't see any, though we did see a few jack-knifed trucks. Driving through to Virginia you see where the big snow storm hit. We passed Richmond where one of he last standing statues of cigarettes advertising Marlboro and Merit towers over the highway.
We stopped at Jared, VA at a gas station. Only two gas stations were there. It was warmer in Virginia. I had a Krispy Kreme donut and some coffee. And off we went into the night. Starry skies and a sliver of a moon are at my back as I look out the window, few cars and trucks are in front of us. We arrived in Georgia at 2 a.m. and stayed at a rest stop. We are outside Savannah on Bacon Highway We just went to a Cracker Barrel for breakfast. Our waitress, Brittany was from Kansas. We asked her if she had scrapple. She asked us did we want to play a game of scrabble. She had never heard of scrapple before. I wondered if she knew what a hoagie was or Tastykakes. Funny how we all live in America but so many things are foreign to us. Its spring-like here in Georgia but there still is a chill in the air. We have traveled 727 miles. Half-way there with many more stops to go.