We had a couple of fun days in Key Largo. We were surprised to find it felt somewhat deserted! The staff at restaurants assured us that this is usually the busy season and could not explain why so few people were there. It worked well for us, but felt a little strange. One standout place we visited was John Pennekamp State Park, the first underwater park in the United States.
We took our dinghy into the park, exploring some of the mangroves, looked at some of their displays, did a little snorkeling and took a walk through a grove that included avocado, lime and mango trees. The real reefs are quite far out, requiring a greater time commitment than we were willing to make — perhaps next time! After Pennekamp, went through a neighborhood where the homes are all on the water, with canals forming a network like streets. It was fun to see the different styles of houses and boats as we went through.
We had fun in the Keys, but Rose and Kate had to fly out of Miami, so we moved back north. Along the way, we came across a pod of dolphins that put on quite a show for us.
We found a place to stay near Coconut Grove, Miami. From there we did a little exploring of Miami sights, including the Kampong Botanical Garden. On Thursday, we saw Kate and Rose off to the airport.
