Day 45 - Marco Island to Key West - We Reach Our Goal!

When we first started planning our Loop last spring, one of our goals was to me in Key West for News Eve.  100 miles of open water now separated us from that goal.  The day started out cloudy and slightly cooler as we pulled lines from the dock at 8:05 a.m.  We navigated the channel with the charter fishing boats.  We passed by the Snook Inn where we ate with our friends the day before.  Waves on the Gulf started at about 1 foot, building to 2 -3 feet with an occasional 4, then settling back to all 2 footers.  The high speed ferry left Marco Island at 8:30 a.m. and it passed us at 9:18 p.m.  We saw two other boats that appeared to be traveling to Key West; one stayed with us for a while, then speeds ahead; the other is a larger trawler and we pass it.  Crab pots are in this area, but not as many as in other places we have been.  About 20 miles from Key West we saw a shrimper, then more fishing and pleasure craft as we draw closer.

Galleon Marina is the first Marina off the channel on the north side of the island, and we pulled in at 1:05 p.m.  The weather is now warm and sunny and we eagerly walk into town for lunch.  Key West is overflowing with people!  All the hotels are full and 2 cruise ships are docked.  We ate at Caroline’s on Duval at Caroline Street.  We shopped our way to Mallory Square for the sunset celebration.  After watching the sunset, Randy got a chair massage to relieve the stress in his back from steering the boat around crab pots.  The famous cat show is now over by the Westin Hotel and by the time we got there, the main show was over.  We saw a few minutes demonstration by the 1 year old cats who were in training.  No worries as we would be here for 5 days and could catch the show another night.

We walked along the water through the Old Seaport neighborhood, where several marinas and restaurants are located.  We had appetizers and drinks at Schooner’s Wharf – drunken shrimp and seafood chowder, and the best rum runner Captain Randy had so far on the trip.  The live music was also very good and this was a fun place to top off our first night in Key West.