I suppose the captain always says at the start what a glorious day it is, and how it's the best he's ever seen. But on the day I made my first trip out to the Dry Tortugas, he didn't have to bluff about it. Aside from about 15 raindrops falling on our heads just before we passed the Marquesas, it was a day without peer, and the Gulf lay before us sparkling in the sun like a plate of diamonds.
Posted - Monday, October 20, 2008 01:10 PM EDT
A key deer grazes on the Long Beach Trail within the National Key Deer Refuge on Big Pine.
Of all the wondrous spectacles the Keys have to offer, the first thing my mother wanted to see on her inaugural visit to the islands was the world-famous Key deer. Of course, she was assuming they would be in some sort of enclosure, readily available for viewing and photo opportunities.
Posted - Monday, May 26, 2008 11:32 PM EDT
Bahia Honda's bayside beach, nestled between the old and new bridges, is a prime spot for watching another beautiful Keys sunset.
Just down the beach from our sunny picnic spot at Bahia Honda State Park, a toddler in a pink bathing suit scampered to her parents, carrying a handful of sand that she had scooped from below the gently unfolding surf. Her giggles carried on the wind as she dropped the sand into a vivid blue pail beside her mother’s beach chair, and went back for more.
Posted - Tuesday, May 27, 2008 12:01 AM EDT
Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas is full of history, but it's also a great spot to snorkel. A National Park Service map provides details about snorkeling hotspots, including the former coaling docks.
Four hours is hardly enough time to visit the tiny chunk of the Dry Tortugas that holds Fort Jefferson.
Posted - Sunday, June 29, 2008 02:26 PM EDT
