We weren’t even planning on going all the way down to Key West. In fact, by the time we got to Chattanooga, we hadn’t even really planned any of February’s travels. We knew we would be leaving Chattanooga at the end of January and that we had a few weeks to kick around, but we had to be back in Austin, TX for Javi’s dad’s 70th birthday (soon after Laura’s dad’s 70th!). We figured we might camp around the Florida panhandle but it wasn’t until a conversation with Laura’s uncle that we even thought about the Florida Keys. He and his family own a house in Key West, and when he heard that we had some extra time he offered the house to us. We didn’t even have to think about it, we immediately said yes. So down we went, and we are so glad we did, with three caveats.

First, Florida camping was a lot pricier than we expected, which makes sense once we realized how many people camp there, but it’s on par with, or in some cases more than, California camping prices. And we stayed in the most primitive tent sites we could find. We also did the Florida portion very last minute though, and a lot of the state campgrounds were already full, so that was likely a factor in our limited and pricy options. Second, it is a very long drive down to Key West, and although it should be obvious, we just didn’t realize how much gas it would take to get there.  Apparently, building a livable shack onto the back of your truck negatively affects the gas milage. Third, because we had to be back in Texas by late February, we felt a little rushed getting down to Key West, and didn’t really get to explore the Florida east coast as much as we would have liked.

That being said, despite the unexpected financial cost and time crunch, we really enjoyed our time in Key West. We were productive and we did several necessary repairs and touch ups on the truck. We also had some great beach days. Although Key West isn’t exactly known for its beaches, we had a blast biking around to all the different beaches. One day in particular, we loaded up the bikes with every beach item we had – towels, blankets, games, chairs, a kite – and rode to them all Higgs, Smathers, and For Zachary Taylor all in one day. A beach tour if you will.

Another day we wandered around the infamous Duval street witnessing the retiree-on-spring-break revelry, and of course had the inevitable mojito at Willie T’s. We somehow ended up at Southmost beach with more fruity drinks and watched the sun go down at Mallory Square. All that biking and cocktail drinking really builds up an appetite so we topped off our day with a delicious cuban sandwich at Sandy’s Cafe, which also happens to be a laundromat.

All in all, it was an awesome trip. We were ready to head on and get back to truck life, but were definitely a little sad to say goodbye to the good life. Definitely grateful for all these family members that treat us so well.