Last day in paradise.

February 21, 2022

Sugarloaf Key

We were both surprised when we got up this morning and found that our legs were feeling pretty good after our long ride yesterday. I could have ridden today, but we have chores to take care of as we're leaving here tomorrow.

We went to a grocery store on one of the Keys that was about 10 miles to the north of us. Their prices were quite high for lots of items and I didn't get some of the produce that I wanted, but we did buy a whole key lime pie. After lunch, Don worked on starting to pack up the ship while I spent a long time updating the journal (which ended up taking hours when I accidently deleted the entire text with pictures!).

This evening we walked back over to the same restaurant we ate at last night. While we got a table quickly, we had to wait over an hour for our entrees. In addition, our appetizer was delivered to the wrong table (we ended up getting that for free).

I had pan seared grouper which was good but not as tasty as the mahi. Maybe I found my favorite fish? Don had blackened grouper tacos which he thought were ok, but not nearly as good as his meal last night. Maybe it was the plantain crust on the grouper that elevated that dish. Anyway,as an apology for all of the extra waiting for our food, our server gave us a piece of free key lime pie which was made on site to a special recipe. We got it to go and will enjoy it another day.

So it was late when we got back to camp. We had made plans to visit with and share our whole key lime pie with some Airstream neighbors who were traveling with their 2 teenage daughters but ended up just giving them half of it and calling it a night.

Another beautiful sunrise here in the Keys. I had also hoped for some nice sunsets but we're on the wrong side of this key.

This flag is for the Conch Republic (we have a smaller version). On April 23, 1982, in protest to the US Border Patrol installing a blockade on Highway 1 at the entrance to Keys (supposedly searching for illegal drugs and aliens), the mayor of Key West seceded since the US was treating the Keys as a foreign nation and declared them now the Conch Republic.A Conch Republic flag was raised over city hall and the mayor proclaimed himself Prime Minister. The Schooner Western Union went into the harbor and began attacking the Coast Guard cutter, Diligence with water balloons, Conch fritters and stale Cuban bread. The cutter responded with water hoses and thus commenced the Great Battle of the Conch Republic. Eventually, the Prime Minister surrendered and immediately demanded foreign aid form the US (which they're still waiting for!). The blockade was removed and tourism soon was back to normal. Now on April 23, Key West celebrates their own Independence Day.

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