Hello Sun, Good-bye Key West

Brandon had thrown the idea out on day 1 about getting up to see the sunrise on one of the days. I had asked Brandon last night if he was still game, but he was an emphatic “No”. None-the-less Tom and I still thought it was a great idea so I set an alarm for 5:45. When it went off I asked Tom if he still wanted to go and he agreed. I grabbed the key lime pie out of the fridge and we made our way to the Southern Most Point. We decided there wasn’t a great view since there was a building blocking the sky to the East, so we looked at a map and saw there was a park a half mile or so to the East (Harvey Rest Beach Park). We headed that way as the day was starting to break. We could see there was just as many clouds (if not more) as there had been at sunset the night before. We did however find a nice bench on a pier that we could sit and share our pie. It was windy but still a nice moment and the pie was delicious. I don’t think I could say which pie was better, but the one from Kermit’s was easier to put a plastic fork through and was pretty tasty.

With the sun now up and behind the clouds, we walked to the beach to take a picture. While there, we observed an older man laying on the beach with a framed portrait of what I can only assume was his wife. It was a very touching moment in which we assumed the man had brought his wife’s picture to watch the sunrise with him, and one that Tom wished he would have captured with his camera.

There was a geocache in the park so I set off to find it. Once again the GPS was bouncing but there was an obvious geo-beacon that drew me in. I didn’t find it on the first pass, but I should have. It wasn’t that difficult. There was a neat mural nearby as well as a couple of chickens who kept me company as I made the find.

We started the walk back to the hotel and stopped to take a picture at the Southern Most Point marker. There was a lady who had just taken a selfie that we were able to ask to take our picture. It was so much nicer at this time and to avoid the throngs of people we had seen during the bike tour. I also took a picture of the dedication plaque so I could complete the virtual geocache that was at this location.

We got back to the Inn as breakfast serving hours began. Perfect timing! Once done with breakfast we headed back to the room to pack and get ready for the trip home. We weren’t planning on leaving for the airport until 11:00 so there was time for Tom to go back to bed for a little bit and for me to head to Duval St to do some last minute shopping. I was still on the hunt for a long sleeve moisture wicking shirt. I really liked the one Brandon had gotten and was hoping to find something similar. I did come across the one he got, but when I tried on the smallest size it was too big. I ended up buying a hooded, long sleeve moisture wicking shirt from the Funky Chicken. I really liked the design and it fits ok (a little long for the torso), but for some reason I felt I might regret it if I didn’t get it. While I was out on Duval St and Tom was napping, Brandon and Kristin checked out the Hemingway house and the lighthouse that was next door to the Inn. A perk for them still being active military was the lighthouse was free, where the cost for a retired military member was $13. I believe they also got a discount at the Hemingway house. It sounded like the perfect time and amount to check-off a couple more Key West items.

At 11:00 Kristin ordered us an Uber and within minutes it arrived. Since we checked-in online and weren’t checking any bags we headed straight to the TSA Pre-Check line, which was much shorter than the regular security lane. By the time we got through to the crowded terminal waiting area we had a little under an hour to wait for boarding. Key West is currently building a much bigger terminal area, and oh boy do they need it! The current space is quite compact. It looks like it will be done soon, although the sign said it was supposed to be done October 2024.

On the flight back Tom was the lucky one to sit next to a Mom and her two small children named Socrates and Sheba. I was sitting in the row in front of them and Leah was in the aisle seat across from Tom. Tom was happy for noise cancelling head phones, but the cries of young Socrates (probably 18 months old or so) were too much for even the best head phones. Brandon, Kristin, and Ross were all sitting much further up in the plane and didn’t get the pleasure of hearing them at all. We had just a long enough layover in Charlotte to go to the bathroom, get a snack, and only stand around the crowded area for 30 minutes or so. We were at the end of the terminal where 8 or so gates all converge and all the flights at these gates were leaving within 30 minutes of each other. It seemed pretty clustery. I say it every time I travel . . I love General Mitchell International Airport and I wish all airports were like Milwaukee. The flight from Charlotte to Milwaukee was uneventful. Once back in Milwaukee we parted ways with our friends and since it was raining I was happy that we had chosen the attached parking structure since there is an indoor walkway to the garage.

What a great weekend get away!! We had so much fun and really enjoyed the weather. I would venture back to Key West again.

Stats of the Day

Steps: 17,162
Geocaches: 2
Sunrise: 6:45
How Many Times Vector Pooped Outside The Litter Box While We Were Gone: 0 (we were completely shocked)