we surrender!

On our way to Starbucks in Florida City, we decided to try the Gator Grill.  Having tasted gator before, we went for good old beef hamburgers and fries.  Not disappointed!  And of course Tank got some fries...

When Karen went to cook her omelet on Thursday morning she discovered that we had run out of propane...   that, along with the continued mosquito assault and heat in Flamingo, led to the easy decision to make like a tree and leaf!!!  Gone!!  Down the road!!  Outta here, amigo!!!

Obviously we were not the first or only ones to think about jumping ship!

In packing up, we discovered that we had a hitchhiker, a little tree frog, inquisitive!  We put a cup over him and slid a thin cutting board underneath, and safely transported him back outside.  I don't know if mosquitos attack frogs, but I guess he lives here...

We drove into Florida City again and Karen did her online wizardry to find another campground.  She came up with gold, Larry and Penny Thompson Campground in Miami.

 She called and reserved 3 nights there.  Paradise!  No mosquitos and a huge pool to boot!  We swam for a while, beating the heat!  So grateful to be away from the constant buzz of the skeeters!!

And then it began to rain!  It has been raining more or less constantly since then.  Take a look at the pics!

We did manage to get a new set of tires for the van, and to eat lunch at a great little Cuban cafe.  The salsa music was in the air and the staff obviously was having a good time!  It was tough to decide which of the great looking food to order, but I took a Cuban sandwich and Karen ordered a Cuban hamburger.   Wows, baby!  We hit pay dirt!  Plus a little Flan de Leche for dessert, all together under $10!!

What's his name, Jimmy Bucket???

This will be a short one, since we just posted 2 days ago.

Last night we managed to have a great time in spite of the biting monsters by staying in the camper playing Rummikub and then going out to the screened sanctuary for music.

I've won 3 out of 4 games of Rummikub...Just sayin' Boston Larry and Mary!

Playing music with Jim in our mosquito den last night. He claims I'm a natural. ;)

Just like Tina Weymouth...NOT! 

Just an update on the mosquito coast.  They are alive and well in force, and seem to be developing an immunity to the 98% DEET!!  OMG!!!  Sales continue to be brisk at the camp store, however.  When I went to take a pic today, probably 30 bottles had been sold since yesterday!

Our own personal Starbucks retreat. We walked in today and the
guy who served us the other day says, "Hi Tank!"

Karen broke down in tears today, so we are back at Starbucks in Florida City, FL! It is so pet-friendly that they even allow Tank to come inside!












So far, most people that come in smile at him and 6 people have come over to pet him.  Two women in their mid 20's asked to pet Tank and we told them we were traveling. They asked if we were going to Key West and gave us some great tips on what to do there. One of them suggested we should stop by "Jimmy Bucket's" Bar! Arrrrrrggghhh all of you Parrot Heads!

4 1/2 year old Jackson told Tank to be a good dog for us. :)

Tanky...loved by one and all!!
We went to Walmart and filled a couple prescriptions for her and ordered 4 new tires for the Safari.  It has been taking care of us, and we aim to take care of it!!

MAYBE WE SHOULD WAIT TO POST AGAIN TIL AFTER KEY WEST...that way you won't have to hear about mosquitos anymore ... just the no seeums that will most likely be at the campgrounds where we will be tent camping because all of the trailer camping was reserved...a year ago!!!!

While camping at Pennekamp in Key Largo, we went to a restaurant called Sharkey's overlooking a canal . They touted the best fish tacos in the country and they were right! We had blackened Mahi Mahi fingers that were to die for. And Tank loves it here because most of the eateries welcome dogs and give them bacon treats.

Not the best shot but this is the full moon rising over the canal.

Key Largo is really only miles of strip malls on US 1...the no seeums were atrocious at the state park and our neighbors were BIG, LOUD and OBNOXIOUS. For Thanksgiving breakfast they cooked up 20 pounds of bacon! No Joke!

We did some biking and saw some beautiful things along the way!

We took an hour's drive south to Long Key State Park for part of a day. As we drove further south, the water changed from a deep midnight blue to a sky blue and then finally an incredible opalescent aqua marine. Can't wait to go back next week after the Glades to Key West to go snorkeling!

After 3 days in Pennekamp, we headed to the Everglades...  Camping in the Keys had few openings when we called for reservations last summer, so this is the deal...  we camped with the camper for 3 nights, then we are booked in the Everglades for 14 days, the last 4 of which we will use the Everglades spot as a place to leave our camper as we head back to the Keys for 4 nights of tent camping at a different state park, Long Key.

Good news or bad news first?  Well, the good news is that the camping in the Everglades is quiet and cheap (only $15  a night with electric hookup)!  The bad news is that there are 43 species of mosquitos in the Glades!!  The semi-good news out of that is that only 13 of the species go after humans, while the other 30 species target small mammals, birds and reptiles.  However, those measly 13 species send out about a gazillion female foot soldiers!  We had Off Deep Woods which was like barbecue sauce for them evidently.  We discovered that Deep Woods only contains 25% Deet.  The camp store in the Glades sells the real stuff, with 98% DEET!!  This stuff works!  As a matter of fact, I did a mini-experiment this morning...  I was spraying the stuff on my arm and spied a skeeter sucking blood from my right forearm.  I sprayed her and she basically dissolved on the spot!!  HOO RAH!!  I remember a TV ad from my youth, where a guy sprayed his arm, then put it into a netted cage absolutely full of mosquitos!  The announcer intoned, "They don't bite, they don't even light!"  I hate wearing that stuff, but it's self-defense in the first degree!

We have adjusted our daily game plan, and yesterday was better than the day before...  we head into our screened tent about 4, watch the sun go down and the skeeters swarm outside the tent, then head into the camper about 8 for a game of RumiKub or a movie.  And believe me, it's a dash for the camper!!  The first night we sauntered, and ended up in hand to hand combat, killing probably 30 or more, with blood smears on the camper walls!

Karen and I each took a rather expensive boat tour yesterday, hoping to spot manatees and gators.  She went for the 2:30 open bay tour and I took the 2:00 back country trip.  Very little of any wildlife spotted, but it was still nice to be out on the water.

My tour guide, Seishein. I was the only passenger on the boat!

While waiting for the boat to go out at the little Marina, I spotted three manatees playing with a red solo cup and an osprey proudly perched on his nest.

So this morning it rained and the wind died down.  Rather than face another day in the swarms, we headed 50 miles back down the road and are typing this outside a Starbucks at a busy intersection.  Can you hear the semis rolling by?