October 30, 2024 Someone did not get the memo
Well, first of all we skipped a trip. Posting on our trip from Buffalo to Salt Lake City, UT to the California coastline, to Eugene, Oregon, was somehow neglected. We obviously did not get the memo (or maybe we were too busy), but a lot was happening. We traveled from August 28 to September 11th and visited family and friends. Unfortunately it was complicated by the fact that Kathy’s mother was gravely ill and keeping tabs on her status in Puerto Rico kept Kathy tense during the whole trip. Unfortunately, mom, AKA grandma, AKA great-grandma and aunt, passed away the day after we arrived home. We will miss her vigilance on following the blog and commenting on our happenings. She was our Number One commenter (well, okay, our ONE commenter!) A few weeks later we headed back to SLC to attend the memorial service. It was a solemn occasion but was brightened by the fact we were together as a whole family.
The trip from SLC to Oregon had lots of highlights, including a trip along memory lane as we revisited Redwood National Park which was Kathy and Dave’s first trip as a couple. While at Redwood, we may or may not have seen one of the recently released California condors. It was in the area where the condors have been released, but was too far away to positively identify. The lack of a visible orange band on it (as all newly released condors have) leads credence to it being a large immature Bald eagle. Dave says, “Orange band, smorange band! It was a condor!” We also made new memories and managed to squeeze in a few “first-visit” parks along the way including: Rosie the Riveter NHP, California Historic Trail, John Muir National Historic Site, Muir Woods National Monument, Point Reyes National Seashore, Lava Beds NM, Tule Lake NHS, and Oregon Caves NM. We are exhausted just writing this…… The best part is we saw all our kids and grandkids and spent quality time with them. Arriving home, we spent time arranging our next upcoming trips.
Wow, the next trip is already here! Did someone forget to give us the memo about taking time off and just relaxing at home? Well, it did seem relaxing at home to mow the lawn, rake the leaves, and – oh yeah – fall cleaning. Geez we needed a vacation!
Soon we were off and landed in Key West, Florida on 10/28/2024. Upon arriving, we determined that the city of Key West did not get the Governor Ron DeSantis memo about the LGBTQ community and some of the stark decency laws. While waiting for our luggage – a wait that took way too long for such a small airport – we got to read the signs above the luggage belt about a clothing optional rooftop bar (a “no” on Kathy’s part), and a resort for men only, which included men, gay men, bi men, transsexual men, and transgender, and was clothing optional (a “heck no” on Dave’s part.) Finally getting our luggage, we headed to the rental car to find our Airbnb which actually turned out to be a hotel room at a resort. Again, did we miss a memo? Grumbling about resort fees, we trekked to the room and set out to discover the area. Having been in Key West before, we decided to opt out of the downtown area and instead find a nearby grocery store and just chill. The next day would be an eventful one as we head off to visit Dry Tortugas National Park, the big reason for visiting back at this area.
The next day dawned bright and early, with Kathy putting in some hours of work. We then headed out for a walk before our seaplane trip to the island. Arriving at the seaplane headquarters, we checked in and found out that the ferry boat to the island, of which we originally were told was not running, was indeed running. Dave obviously did not get the memo and instead of a cheaper option of a ferry boat ride to the island, we had booked the more expensive option of the seaplane. Oh well, we made it to the island. While we had originally planned on snorkeling, we instead opted for a walk along the beach where we admired a multitude of sea conches that were intact and pristine. Kathy, wishing she could take one home was reminded that NPS rules does not allow the taking of items from the park. Wistfully putting a beautiful pink conch back on the sand, she followed Dave as we contemplated traversing a shallow portion of the ocean to get to another island full of birds. Deciding that discretion was the better option, we back tracked and headed to explore the fort. Dave enjoyed thoroughly his conversations with park staff while Kathy thoroughly enjoyed seeing a lighthouse, a win-win day all around. While Mother Nature did not get the memo that we wanted a calm day for the winds and the sea, in this case we did get the memo that it was not the best conditions for snorkeling.
Finally heading back to the “mainland”, we opted to walk to our hotel. We probably should have read the memo that said walking 1.9 miles in sandals was not conducive to the health of your feet. Oh well, we made it back safe and sound and enjoyed chatting as we walked. Dinner that night was from a food truck that exceeded all food expectations. The Korean BBQ burrito was awesome and we enjoyed eating by the pool in our shorts! Tomorrow sees us head out to start visiting friends and family.
