Like many summer vacations in the past, we headed South to Key West. It was a really nice trip and we even got to stay an extra day when our flight leaving Key West was delayed. Our bonus day turned out to be a really fun day with big waves in the morning, followed by fishing, catching lizards, going to the playground, a second trip to the candy store and drinks,snacks, and swimming at Laggerheads.
We did many of the things we usually do in Key West, including going to our favorite restaurants. We also went to Higgs Beach, Fort Zachary Taylor, and Geiger Key. We spent lots of time in the botanical garden, where the boys enjoyed catching lizards. Carl and I were also able to enjoy a sunset sail, while Grandpa hung out with Evan and Preston. We did the Ultimate Adventure again as part of Carl's 40th birthday celebration. The snorkeling was AMAZING during our Ultimate Adventure trip and we also enjoyed jet skis, parasailing, and the water playground. We also go to see some of our favorite ocean animals, including sharks and a manatee during our trips to the harbor and to the pier.
We also had some not so great things on our trip, many of which happened to us for the first time. We went out on a fishing boat, which was mostly a bust, because no one caught any fish to keep and it was really hot with no wind. The kids did enjoy the boat ride to the reef though, so it wasn't a total loss. The Duval Loop was VERY crowded on several different occaisions. It was so crowded that they would stop at a bus stop, but they could not let any passengers on because not one other person could squeeze on. It was nuts. Evan also got sick, which was awful. Even once he felt better, he was pretty lethargic. We were definitely happy when he was feeling completely better and was able to have fun.
Evan wanted to go fishing most every day, which is more than he has ever wanted to go fishing. He was lucky that most days he had someone willing to take him. Preston did really well snorkeling and he was able to snorkel several times, including out on the reef during our Ultimate Adventure trip. Preston also visited the aquarium, which he absolutely loved.
The boys spent LOTS of time catching lizards. They caught lots of anoles, but they also caught an iguana and some curly tail lizards.
The boys worked together to catch this small iguana.
They also used team work to catch this curly tail lizard.
Preston caught lots of anoles and he helped Evan catch some of the bigger lizards. This was the very first curly tail lizard that he caught all by himself. He was thrilled!
We spent quite a bit of time in the botanical gardens. I enjoyed looking at the beautiful flowers, while the boys caught lizards.
I love this picture. I asked Preston to be cute and this is what he did. I think he looks pretty awesome!
The boys did a lot of fishing on this trip. Evan loved every minute and Daddy liked it a lot too. Grandpa went a couple of times, which Evan loved. Preston had fun when he was catching fish, but he wasn't a fan of fishing when he wasn't catching fish. He had lots of fun when he was able to hook a fish and reel it in.
We didn't have great success on the fishing boat, but the water was beautiful and the boys had a great time riding out to the fishing spot.
We spent a lot of time playing games in Bonnie Mom and Grandpa's pool.
The boys enjoyed snorkeling with Daddy at Higgs Beach.
One evening we went to the U.S.C.G.C. Ingham for drinks, ice cream and the sunset. It was pretty fun, but a bog boat was blocking the view of the sunset, so we let the boys play at the playground and water park and then saw the sunset from the dock. It was a really nice evening.
The boys didn't nap at all on this trip and we were very busy during the day. Evan and Preston would often go to bed early, which meant Grandpa would stay with them and let us go out. We really enjoyed our date nights to The Upper Deck, Moondog Cafe and our sunset sail.
We went down to the harbor to walk around and have lunch. We were so lucky that we got to see a manatee!
We were able to see several sharks. Each sighting was super cool.
We went to Geiger Key, which is one of our favorite places to go when we visit Key West. It so beautiful and there are lots of fun things to do. It was bit windy when we went and there was a lot of seaweed, so we didn't venture too far on our walk, but we made it to Red's Fort and the boys had fun climbing and exploring. We also went kayaking. We finished with a delicious lunch at Geiger Key Marina. It was my favorite meal of the trip. The food was delicious and the views were great.
When Evan was recovered, but still tired, I took Preston to the aquarium. He loved the one-on-one time and he loved showing me all the animals at the aquarium. He especially liked to touch tank, the octopus and the sharks. He also thought the alligators were cool too. We also did a bit of shopping and stopped for ice cream.
We had a great day at Fort Zachary Taylor. We explored the fort, went swimming, and went snorkeling. We also had a nice outdoor lunch from the beach cafe.
The Ultimate Adventure was awesome! I am sure we will do it again the next time we go and the water is warm.
On of our last days in Key West, we went to dinner at Salute. The dinner was great and the view was really nice too. After dinner, the boys liked playing at the beach. It was a really nice evening.
Our Bonus Day in Key West was so much fun! It was a perfect way to end our trip.
