Wednesday 7th August

After an early breakfast, my brother and his wife arrive just before 9am, and we begin an 83 mile journey to Key West. The scenery is spectacular as we drive along, almost grazing the Atlantic on the left-hand side of the car and on the right, the gulf of Mexico. The Seven Mile Bridge seems to stretch forever in front of us, as on either side of us the water sparkles and glistens, cut through by the wakes of many pleasure, fishing and dive boats. What a great day to be on the ocean!

Having reached Key West, we find a parking lot with shade, and then make our way to Starbucks for morning coffee, midway along Duval Street. An hour later we meet up for lunch at the Conch Republic, overlooking the marina, with a great open-air feel. The afternoon is spent wandering around Mallory Square and sipping ice-cold drinks on Sunset Pier, watching the jet skis, yachts and ferries splash past us. A very hot day, but we walked slowly, conserving energy and finding shady spots.

On the return journey we stop off at Leigh Ann’s Coffee Shop in Key Colony Beach for tasty ice cream, key lime pie and Danish pastries. Yum!

That evening, we cross the Overseas Highway, to have dinner at the Lorelei, an amazing beach bar, having the most spectacular sunsets. A magnificent end to a long day.

Tuesday 6th August

A lazy day spent at the resort, walking along the beach, swimming in the pool and chilling on the covered porch with the cool breeze keeping us relaxed and laid back.

Monday 5th August

Happy birthday Mum!!

The first thing I do is ring my mum to wish her a very happy birthday. It’s cold, grey and rainy at home so different to what we have woken up to today ~ the sun is shining, the sky is blue, and it’s wonderfully warm.

My brother arrives late morning for a cup of tea, and then we head to Robbies for lunch. The pelicans are hoping for scraps, as the tourists feed the enormous tarpon.

Having finished our tasty tuna tacos, we head South to Bahia Honda State Park. Beach chairs, mat, and parasol, and we’ve staked out our place on the beach. The sea is delightfully warm, and so relaxing to just float about in.

We have dinner in our covered lanai, and watch the colours of the sky change.

Sunday 4th August

Wake up at 7am only to be confronted by many little black flying  ants crawling all over the walls! A quick call to the front desk has us allocated to a new room. I have never re-packed all of our belongings in so short a time. Our new room is nearer the beach, has a better view, and we will not be woken up by a screeching cockerel at 5am, ha ha!

We spend the morning in the shade of a palm tree, lounging on sunbeds, overlooking the ocean. So peaceful, calm and relaxing.

Lunchtime finds us meeting up with my brother and his wife, who have flown in from Chicago. And in the evening we have an awesome sunset dinner at a wonderful beach bar, overlooking the Gulf. The colours in the sky are breathtaking.

Saturday 3rd August

We leave Cocoa Beach at about 9:30am and head South to Melbourne, then West onto I 95.

The sky has amazingly dark clouds as we head towards Tropical Storm Dorian. We have a couple of stops for shopping, eats and bathroom breaks, and we turn onto the Florida Turnpike just North of Miami. And yet again, as we drive by Miami we are hit by a torrential downpour and have very little visibility! As we reach the Southern end of Florida the rain dries up and the sky brightens. Welcome to the Florida Keys and our home for the next seven days.

Friday 2nd August

We leave Jacksonville fairly early and have a relatively short drive down to Cocoa Beach. The beach is inviting and we dip our toes in the ocean. The pool is crowded with children, so we avoid that, making instead for the beach bar and a late lunch and an ice-cold beer!

Thursday 1st August

Leave Little River at 9:40am.

First stop Charleston for lunch at MacDonalds.

Next stop at the Georgia state line.

Rains all the way through Georgia!

Big thunderstorm as we reach Florida state line.

Reach hotel in Jacksonville at 6:40pm. Nine hours of traveling!!!

Wednesday 31st July

We spend the day shopping, then packing, ready for the start of our journey South to Florida tomorrow.

We go to bed feeling excited!

Tuesday 30th July

We go to the beach for a couple of hours in the morning, before it becomes far too hot. The parasol gives welcome shade from the burning rays. The sky is a beautiful blue, the sea is warm, and life is good.

A wedding party arrives on the sand, and all the guests go down to the water’s edge for photographs.

We return to the hotel for a shower, visit our yacht broker to pick up some wooden boat pulleys my father had made, and then cool down in a shopping mall!

We end the day having dinner with a great group of friends.

Monday 29th July

Early wake-up this morning as we have an appointment at the bank.

Then it’s back to the Tanger Outlets looking for Vans shoes. We end up having an epic messaging and photo session, so that son can choose his particular shoes! We finally have success, and buy a powder blue pair of canvas high tops!

We then decide to hit the beach for a couple of hours. Sunshade, sunhat and sunscreen make for a really great afternoon. Slowly the clouds build, and as we pack away, the thunder begins to rumble.

We arrive back at the hotel just before it begins to pour with rain. Baths and showers all round then an early dinner at Applebees is followed by a mega laundry visit to clear up the backlog of grubby clothes.

Everyone and everything ends the day fresh and clean.