Dry Tortugas

Bit spendy boat trip out 70 miles from Key West, but worth it. Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas NP was where Dr Mudd was imprisoned for his part in Lincoln's assassination, and an important Civil War site for the Union. 

Story goes that Florida, as soon as it seceded, sent a warship out to take the fort, but the Union commander replied, Leave now or my cannon will destroy you. They left. And it was all a bluff. He had the men present to fire cannons, but the actual cannons had not yet arrived. 

We snorkeled off the south beach area.  Fun day. 

The key to Key West

This is our current campsite in Key West. Last night we were nestled among the AC RVs in an airless vacuum. Very worth the $32 upgrade.  The 'key' being ... don't settle for second best.   Me gusta las brisas. 

OK, so you caught me in my new hat:

 

Curaçao

The ABC Islands.  Or, in the Holland America sequence, the B-C-A Islands.

First, Bonaire:

Those are my ribs on the left side of my chest, after brushing up against Fire Coral while snorkeling.  Never a good idea.

Yum. 

View out our window, leaving Aruba at sunset.

Then it was on to Everglades National Park.

Roseate Spoonbill, one of the many species (exotic to Shannon and me) that reside around the Flamingo Campground at the very tip end of Florida's mainland.  BTW there are no flamingos there; they ate them all a hundred years ago.

Chukker!

Never thought I'd ever say such a thing, but I actually ENJOYED watching a polo match today. Thanks to nephew Dan Miller. 

Boynton Beach Sunset

Red sky at night, sailors' delight. 

Roots

Morning along the Loxahatchee River. 

Breathless

View of Jupiter Island and the Atlantic from atop Hobe Mountain, a breath-taking 86 feet above sea level.  Whew!