Key West, FL – 11.06.14

 

After Nashville, we headed straight for Key West, Florida and picked up Dan’s parents, Genia and Len at Fort Lauderdale Airport for a long weekend full of Key West festivities. The drive from Nashville took us a couple days and we tried to be punctual, seeing as we were in a bit of a time crunch. We signed up for a program called Harvest Hosts a few months back and decided to put it to use on your way. Harvest Hosts is a community full of people who offer a piece of their land to RVers along their routes so that they have a nice, safe, place to crash. We called up a local farmer’s market in rural Florida who were listed as hosts in the program and ended up parking The Toaster behind their market. We stocked up on yummy organic groceries, watched the sun set over their farm, and cooked a delicious dinner. We were up bright and early the next morning and headed to the airport.

Our campground in Key West was a dream. It was surrounded by palm trees, creating tall walls between us and our neighbors, and we had our own tiki hut out back, surrounded by water. Can you believe it? What a dream. I (Toni) remember looking at Dan and saying at the same time, “do we have to leave?”

Dan’s parents rented an RV a few spots down from us. Not only were they able to get a feel for the RV lifestyle, but they were right there! Only one car was necessary, all meals could be cooked together, and I’ll admit, I missed having a mama around.

Most mornings we woke up to a text from Len or Genia that read, “Out on your deck reading. Come out whenever!” It was nice having family around, even if it did get a little hectic sometimes! Genia and I would cook breakfast for everyone while Len and Dan attempted to catch fish off the deck using the previous night’s left overs as bait. Breakfast tacos, blueberry waffles, western scrambles, and always jar full of cold brew for everyone around the table. I’m just gonna say it…we kicked butt at breakfast.

After breakfast we separated back into pairs and got ready for whatever the day was about to hold. We spent most afternoons at the beautiful beaches Key West. We’d lounge on the warm sand, using palm trees for shade, sipping iced coffee from our mason jars, and reading books under floppy hats. The beaches there are insane. I’d never been in water so clear before. We usually grabbed Cuban food for lunch. Either at the place a few blocks up from the dog beach, or Frida’s, an adorable little gem near mile marker zero. Occasionally, after the beach we would get cleaned up and spend the night exploring Duval street. Duval is crazy, overwhelming, intense, overcrowded, and strangely enjoyable. If we weren’t planning on cooking a giant dinner, or just didn’t feel like cleaning, we would grab dinner somewhere on Duval. On Len and Genia’s last full day in Florida, we checked out the local boat race. The race was totally foreign to all of us, but ended up being a blast. We ended the day with Mexican food somewhere downtown and pumpkin spice cookies back at their RV. We were sad to see them go, time flew by way too fast, but the family days were great while they lasted.

Dan and I decided to spent a few extra days in Key West by ourselves. We ate too much pizza, bought a ukulele, and did a jet ski tour of the island. The jet skis were a blast. I’m not gonna lie, having a twenty eight year old who thinks he’s a twelve year old control your life on the back of a motorized vehicle is terrifying, but if the worst thing that happens is losing your favorite sunglasses, you’re in good shape.

Key West, I can’t wait to visit you again. And Genia and Len, thank you for coming to see us! You made a permanent stamp in our memories of this trip.

-Toni