Quick Trip to Delray and then on to the Keys



Our neighbors Sandy and Herb spend the winter in Delray Beach.  They had forgotten a few items back at Church Prong so we incorporated a quick visit to catch up with them over dinner.  What a fantastic set up they have – they rent an apartment on the grounds of a gorgeous home along the ICW.  From their living room balcony you can watch mega yachts gliding down the ICW.  The beach is a block away and there are lots of exciting restaurants to explore.  Sandy and Herb went out of their way to accommodate Fin and found a yummy tapas restaurant that would allow us to dine al fresco. 

The only downside of our quick visit was that we were staying in an RV park in Deerfield which turned out to be in a horrible part of town.  The two ladies at the check-in desk could not have been more friendly, but they advised me not to carry my purse, to lock up the bikes with chains and not to leave the premises after dark.  We should have taken Sandy and Herb’s advice of camping in the parking lot by the local Macaroni Grill in Delray!  Instead we drove back to our RV park after dinner and managed to get little sleep. What sounded like the Long Island Expressway just beyond the gates roared all night long. 

At the RV park, the vast number of visitors were Canadians packed in like sardines,most of which were from Quebec.  You barely heard an English word spoken as the campers chit chatted away in French over a game of petanque.  

 



 

 

After a less than satisfying experience the night before, we arrived in the Keys and are staying in a very nice RV park for two nights.  Our site is a prime postage sized piece of real estate on a little jetty 10 feet from the water.     The park has its own marina so many of the visitors have their fishing boats and kayaks here.  Last night several couples returned with a fresh catch of mangrove snapper which they later grilled.  

Today we bicycled ~10 miles RT to Coco Plum beach.  Fin was a good sport and didn't complain too much even though it was very warm on the bike trail.  There must have been a retriever convention going on because there were at least 7 retrievers -- black, chocolate, golden...just about any shade -- romping on the beach.  Fin was thrilled and got his day's share of exercise.

The ride out was a breeze and Stephanie naively thought the recent spinning classes she's attended had gotten her legs in prime shape, but when it was time for the return trip the slight up hill and the wind blowing in our faces meant lugging the 85 lbs black lab and 20 lbs of gear was a lot more difficult!  But the time we returned to the RV park, she was famished and ready to eat just about anything aboard MerSea 2!  The afternoon was spent lounging by the pool and taking in the beautiful scenery.  Off to the little restaurant down the road for a good seafood dinner tonight.