Day 17 – Key Largo – Wednesday February 19, 2020

Things We’ve Learned So Far:

* We have become more familiar with our RV and developed a pattern for setting up and preparing for travel; we’ve learned by trial and error.

* State and National Parks are a better deal usually, a third or more less in price than private RV campgrounds.

* There is a balance between planning ahead and reserving RV sites versus having the flexibility to so stay longer or less in one area.

* Most RVers are very friendly and tend to be on the older retiree side (maybe that’s us 😳) They are usually always eager to share their knowledge, have a lot to share, and we have learned some helpful tips from them.

* Things break and everything does not always go as planned; the key is to enjoy the moments regardless and enjoy the time together and adventure.

* Never be in a hurry.

* While on the road, anticipate ahead since the RV does not stop as fast, go as fast, or fit where your car might.

* Take advantage of the city/area tours, you always learn and see more than what you would reading in a guide book.

Today Tina and I spent most of the day on the ocean 6 miles off the coast of Key Largo on Molasses Reef. It is a coral reef located within the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and lies to the southeast of Key Largo, within the Key Largo Existing Management Area, which is immediately to the east of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. It’s a popular scuba diving and snorkeling location with numerous dive sites. Since the water ranges from 3-30 feet deep it’s the site of numerous shipwrecks. One ship in the 1800s, loaded with barrels of molasses for the local rum industry, crash in to the reed spilling hundreds of barrels of rum on the reef. The locals were devastated with the lost of molasses for rum and hence named the reef Molasses Reef. Having spent most of the day in the sun Tina and I are relaxing tonight with a Netflix movie. Tomorrow we move the RV to Key West then take a tour of the city. Tomorrow night we hope to hit Duval Street in Key West and go to Sloppy Joes, Hemingway’s favorite bar, to hear some local music. Friday we head to the Everglades National Park.