A Trip to Miami...

We made the trip north to Miami yesterday because Jeff had an appointment to see a neurologist. We left while it was still dark, took large insulated cups of hot tea with us, and watched the sun come up over the Florida Keys. It took us about 2 and a half hours to get there. After spending 20 minutes with the doctor, the news was good: physical therapy and an anti-inflammatory are all that's being prescribed for the time being for the three bulging disks. Now for the 2 & 1/2 hour ride home.

There are only 2 ways to get into the keys and we started off our trip back by taking the alternate scenic route, Card Sound Road, which avoids some of the construction on US1 and is quite a bit more "rustic." If you've read any Carl Hiaasen books [Strip Tease, Skinny Dip, Stormy Weather, et al] you'll recognize Card Sound Road as being the place where some of the wilder antics take place. It is definitely the road less traveled and the people who live there like it that way. We made it back onto the Overseas Highway in Key Largo just in time to stop at one of our new favorite dives, The Caribbean Club...which you may remember from a previous blog. After refreshments, a stretch, and a bathroom break, it was back to the car to finish the drive south.

It may be a long ride, but the great thing about driving the keys is that there is always something to see and no matter how many times you make the drive, there's always something you've missed. This beautiful gate is a prime example. Jeff said he had seen it before, but I had never noticed it. So on this trip, we stopped and took it's picture.

We stopped and had lunch at another example. The Island Fish Company is a restaurant located less then 5 miles from us and we've never noticed it. I saw an aerial photo of it in a local publication with it's boat docks, huge tiki hut, and large outdoor dining area and wondered how we could have possibly missed it.

From the road, it's easy to miss. And although it's only 5 miles away, it's in a part of Marathon that we are somewhat unfamiliar with.

But we were glad we found it. Jeff had a fried oyster po' boy and I had the crunchy coconut lobster sandwich.

Both were really good and you couldn't ask for a better setting under the tiki hut and on the water.

A successful dining experience to wrap up our round trip to the mainland.