Today we set ourselves up for a long day in the Florida keys. We got up early and hit the road, stopping for donuts from Krispy Kreme to motivate.

The keys are otherworldly. It feels like you have left the USA for a tropical paradise. The water was beautifully colored. Our first stop was in marathon. A failed beach attempt, a stop at Kmart for snorkeling gear, then lunch at keys fisheries. The setting was beautiful-the food not so much. It was interesting, and the kids tried new things. There were conch cakes and shrimp and fish fingers. Deon had the signature lobster Reuben. I stuck with a burger. 

Then back to the beach! We had a wonderful afternoon at sombrero beach. All the kids swam and played at the park. Unfortunately it was really windy and choppy, so not much to see with the snorkel gear. We did make another stop where they saw hammerhead sharks, sting rays, and a few fish. 

From there we headed to key west. This Is definitely not a driving city, and noticeably absent of children. At this point you are closer to Cuba than mainland USA. Tempting to jump off for a little jaunt to another country, but rather frowned on. We stopped to watch the sunset with a few thousand other people, a very popular “thing to do.” We were also serenaded by a couple of old guys who, upon learning we were from CA, sang every golden state song they knew. 

Then grabbed dinner at a Cuban restaraunt right next door. Another good cultural experience for the day, and it is not at all like Mexican food.

Then a long, long drive back to the rv.