B & D's USA Hideout: April 2017

It was a choppy ride across the bay. My rose colored lenses became cured with slapping sea spray. The wet salt was sharp and awakening and then welcomed. Sitting on the bow, fully immersed in conversation and pure enjoyment, we cut through the white caps in the 23’ center console charter boat carrying us across to our 42nd national park, Biscayne Bay.

Brian arranged for the charter to drop us off on one of the Islands in the park. Upon arrival, we decided that Boca Chita Key looked the most inviting to camp with its open ended landscape allowing for the breeze to push away the mosquitos and sway the palms. We had our pick of campsites on the island. Several others were there for the night but sleeping aboard their vessels tied to the bulkhead inside Boca Chita’s harborage. Aside from the roaring generators, we had complete peace on the island. Our captain, Ed, of Tropic Scuba would be back in two days to pick us up and take us diving in the Bay. Ed left us with some snorkel gear, a cooler and a promise of coffee and bagels for breakfast in a couple days.

Brian and I spent our time exploring the coastal zone where snook, spiny lobsters, barracuda and sea urchins thrive. We walked the trail through coral sands and mangroves around the Key by day and spent our nights trying to capture the never fading light from Miami. We also played cribbage, napped, read and found the rest and relaxation you’re supposed to when on vacation.

It has been since our honeymoon in Belize that Brian and I have donned the Scuba gear to really see the underwater world. Captain Ed brought us around to several sites on the Maritime Heritage Trail in Biscayne Bay to dive. We dove around the shipwreck of Mandalay. The schooner ran aground on New Year’s Day in 1966 on Long Reef. We also did a shallow dive to see another unknown ship’s remains that sank over 100 years ago. Wildlife highlights while diving included seeing a massive florescent green moray eel swim freely, an octopus walk across the ocean floor, colorful parrotfish, an un-puffed puffer fish and beautiful beds of coral and sponges.

I have unfortunately misplaced the disposable underwater camera I purchased from this trip. I’m sure it is probably a collection of blurry fish and poor underwater selfies but still. Hopefully it turns up somewhere.

Biscayne is our 42nd National Park visited and we couldn’t be more excited about that! With the time we have left in Florida, we are spending it with our awesome families. This weekend we are headed to St. Petersburg to hang with the Fredericks and my Gram and then toting our stuffed rental car across the Sunshine Skyway Bridge to fulfill the remaining days with Brian’s family, the Martins, and his Gram on the bright beaches of Florida’s Gulf. We also will be taking a trip to our new “home” in Bushnell. Brian and I are officially becoming Florida residents and filing for domicile status. This allows us to travel freely with the assistance of Escapees RV that provides us with a mail forwarding service as well as a permanent address. Saying goodbye to the ole Massachusetts identity of 30 years will be difficult!

We’d also really like to thank our family and friends (who are really family too) for letting us hangout/crash/spend time with you while on this vacation. Bernie & Cheryl, Matt, Darcy, Dakota & Conner, The Fredericks - Ruth & Al, Paul, Lauren, Ella & Colin, The Martins - John, Tracy, Caroline & Heidi, Grandma Mary Lou and Gram MacPhee, Lauren Norton and Abby Carrigan. Thank you all for your generosity, hospitality and memories, much love to you all.