Pumpkin and Spice

Tuesday was our last day in Key West. We woke up super-early (too early for my tastes, really) to go out on a chartered sailboat. We actually got up so early, breakfast hadn't been set up at the hotel yet. I was a little irritated... I'm the first to admit that I am cranky in the morning, and even more so when I am hungry in the morning. We were walking to the dock, however, and I luckily remembered that there was a Starbucks on Duvall Street on the way there. I stopped in and got a skim milk latte and an oatmeal. (Can I say how much I love that Starbucks has oatmeal now?) We got to the dock, and I was able to sit on a bench to eat my oatmeal while waiting to board.

We went sailing with Danger Charters, a company in Key West that does a sailboat charter to the Key West National Wildlife Refuge on a replica skipjack sailboat. It was beautiful, sunny and windy as we sailed out- the sky was perfectly clear and the ocean was a beautiful turquoise!

Once we got to the wildlife refuge, our guides anchored the boat, and we all got into kayaks. I've canoed in rivers and lakes before, but I've never kayaked, especially not in the ocean- I was a little nervous about being flipped by a wave. The Keys, however, are surrounded by a barrier reef, and the water around them is not very deep, so there aren't the same sort of waves and swells as other places in Florida. (They actually had to dredge channels in the 1940s to make the water deep enough for naval ships- lucky for cruise ships today!) Miraculously, Kyle and I didn't flip our kayak, and we actually did a pretty good job kayaking! (Though my arms were sure sore this morning!)

Our guide took us around a mangrove island. While kayaking, our guide told us about the ecosystems of the mangrove islands- and its wildlife. We saw pelicans, jellyfish, and even a bald eagle.

 Once we got back to the boat, we sailed on to a sponge bed in the reef. We donned masks and fins to go snorkling. Again, I've never been snorkling, so I was a little nervous... mostly I was worried about drinking/breathing salt water! Once in the water though, I was temporarily distracted by the fact that the water was freezing!Okay... not freezing, but it was about 75 degrees, which is like swimming in the Artic ocean to us spoiled Floridians! I sucked it up though, and after a few minutes got used to both the water and breathing through the snorkle.

Almost immediately, we saw a baby sea turtle, just swimming around! It was so cute- an only about two feet long. Still pretty little for a sea turtle. He was the highlight as far as the sealife went, although I thought the spiny lobsters were pretty adorable.

After about half an hour, we all went back to the boat. With the wind, and having been in the cold water, I was a little chilly, and was glad I'd brought a sweater to wear over my sundress. I was starving after such an active morning, and ate some fruit and chips with salsa- as well as a Yuengling. After getting salty ocean water in my mouth, and all the activity, that Yuengling was so good... I can't even tell you!

Once back at shore, we were all hungry for a substantial lunch. Mom suggested we go back to El Mason de Pepe- she had never had a Cuban sandwich, and we all thought she needed to try a traditional Medianoche! Sadly, my camera batteries were dead, so no pictures, but it was a great sandwich. Medianoche is another name for a "Cuban sandwich"- sweet ham, pulled pork, swiss cheese and pickles with a little bit of mustard on soft, eggy, slightly sweet Cuban bread, pressed until the sandwich is crisp on the outside and melty on the inside. Exactly what we needed!

We were pretty pooped at that point, and spent the rest of the afternoon napping and relaxing at our hotel. The rest of the evening was pretty mellow.

Today we left for home- so now I'm at home, where I can now start to freak out about leaving for my externship in two days from the comfort of my own sofa!