We did lots of the usual things in Key West, such as swimming in the pool, going to the beach, going to the botanical garden, visiting the wildlife center, etc. We also did so much more! Evan went to Coral Camp, which he absolutely loved. He got to go to the Key West aquarium and the Eco Center, as well as the new water park and playground. He also got to go out on boats and snorkel, dissect a barracuda, and lots more! He even came home on the last day with a huge sea turtle painted on his back!
Carl and I did something that we have been excited about for quite awhile. We went to Dry Tortugas National Park! We tried to take the ferry that goes out each day, but it was full. We decided to check on the prices for a sea plane and got an amazing deal for a full day at the island. I am SO glad that we were able to take the sea plane, because that part of the trip was amazing! We could see sea turtles, sharks and dolphins from the plane, as well as having great views of Key West, ship wrecks and some of the other keys.
While we were on the island, we enjoyed some good snorkeling. We also had fun on the beaches, which were not very crowded. We also had fun walking around Fort Jefferson. The water was super clear and we even saw a shark while walking on top of the fort. It was a really nice trip and Carl and I had lots of fun together. We hope to take the boys there when they are older and maybe even camp overnight!
Preston got to do something new and special too! When we got to Key West, he worked hard to learn how to snorkel. On our previous trips, he has enjoyed going out with Carl and Evan. He couldn't use the mask and snorkel though, so he just used his goggles and would put his head up to breathe. He really wanted to learn to use the mask and snorkel on this trip and he did! He was so excited and so were we! Bonnie Mom treated Preston to a trip to Aquarium Encounters in Marathon. It was an awesome aquarium and it was very interactive. Preston got to see several touch-tanks and also got to pet and feed the sting rays. We also got to see sharks in the wild, that were in the ocean just outside the aquarium! The best part was that Preston got to snorkel in the big aquarium, where he got to feed rays by hand, feed the small fish and even feed a shark! He LOVED it!
Preston got to feed the rays in the touch tank, as well as pet them. He really liked this part!
The aquarium had turtles, alligators, and hermit crabs, which Preston also really liked.
The two large aquariums were really cool. Preston liked the sharks.
The touch tanks were cool. Preston got to hold a starfish and a horseshoe crab.
Preston was very excited to snorkel and I was pretty excited to get to help him!
We couldn't get many good pictures of the underwater activities from outside of the tank, but these were pretty good. Preston hand fed a ray and a shark!
It was awesome! Thanks, Bonnie Mom!
The last really awesome thing we did was got out for the Ultimate Adventure with Fury. It is an all day adventure where you go out on a large catamaran for snorkeling, large water toys, jet skiing and parasailing. The boat ride itself was pretty cool and the boys probably would have been happy to do that alone. They both really enjoyed the ride out to the reef and Evan and Dad even saw a few sea turtles. When we got to the reef, we went snorkeling, which Daddy and Evan liked, but the water was pretty rough for Preston and me and we didn't stay out very long. We had a nice lunch on the boat as we headed to the next stop. We played on the giant water toys first. The boys liked the big slides, as well as jumping from the ledges into the ocean. Next, we went jet skiing. I took Preston out and he literally squealed with joy the entire ride! Our last adventure was parasailing, which was my favorite part. It was so much fun and the views were amazing. Carl and I got to enjoy adult beverages once we were done and the boys enjoyed cookies on the way back to shore. It was a really amazing trip and we will definitely do it again!
As I mentioned before, Preston learned to snorkel! This was his first real time to snorkel in the ocean.
We had fun at Higgs Beach for the first few days of our trip. Unfortunately, the water on that side of the island was too rough and murky for most of our trip.
As usual, Evan caught lots of lizards! On this trip, Preston became VERY excited about catching lizards too. We spent LOTS of time at the botanical gardens (otherwise known as the "Olive Garden" or the "Mechanical Garden" to Preston. At the garden, Preston could easily find lizards and catch them. Thankfully, the gardens are an enjoyable place to visit and I also got some great pictures.
On our last day in Key West, both boys caught lizards at the same time! They were so happy! Soon after, the boys also found an injured king bird. We hopped on the Duval Loop trolly and rushed it to the wildlife center/bird sanctuary. The boys were happy to have helped the bird!
The boys liked the new playground and splash park. We went a couple of times while we were in Key West.
This large banyan tree was lots of fun to play on. It was located right by the playground, so the boys spent a lot of time climbing around and exploring.
Carl and I enjoyed a few date nights. We went to The Upper Deck at Louie's, which is our favorite outdoor dining place. We also went to the Cafe and out on our traditional sunset sail.
The pool is always lots of fun!
Evan caught a baby iguana! He was excited because it was the biggest lizard that he ever caught!
We didn't have a lot of fun at our visit to Fort Zachary Taylor, as the fort was closing when we got there and the boys were super tired and cranky. They did pose for one nice picture though!
Preston put on Grandpa's hat and declared that he looked just like Grandpa. It was too cute!
Daddy and Evan enjoyed walking to the pier and getting some special time to hang out and talk.
We visited USCGC INGHAM Museum. The ship was active in World War II and is the only boat left that sunk a German submarine during the war. It was really cool to take a tour of the ship. Carl and I found it really interesting, while the boys thought the ice cream was the best part of the tour.
We spent a couple of afternoons at Lagerheads, where the water was clear and the boys could swim and snorkel. We were thankful that the water was calm an clear on that side of the island.
I love this palm tree, which is near Bonnie Mom and Grandpa's house. The boys posed for picture here and it turned out so cute!
We too family pictures on our last day. We had a wonderful trip! I love that we get to travel and do so many fun things together. I hope the boys will always remember our special times in Key West.
