Escape to the Keys

 Going to the Keys is an exotic staycation in the world of Covid where we pretend we are somewhere exotic, but comfortable enough with our surroundings to relax. Key Largo was our island and vintage Rock Reef Resort (motel)our home base. Arriving on a Sunday ensured less traffic and few guests. The trip down was quiet and there were few people at any of our stops along the way. 

Sunset view from our bungalow

Our beachfront bungalow was rustic pine with no drywall or finishes. We had a full basic kitchen and outdoor grill, along with a front porch and swing. Steps away was our beach and tiki hut for watching sunsets, fish, boats, and the world go by.

Turk surveys the islands, drink in hand

We brought bikes and kayaks to play. Keys have a great bike trail throughout which is fun to ride. The Turk found fresh fish each night and prepared amazing dinners.

Chef is working it!

Scallops, snapper, grilled veggies

Informative!

 

One of the locals we should not feed

Biker Turk

Morning yoga

We do have a few favorite treats when we visit Key Largo area.  Keys Brewery in Islamorada is fun with their outdoor beer garden and great beer selections. Small boutiques and galleries sit around the corner. And we always must get chocolate and almond croissants from Cafe Moka. Really the best we've found in Florida.

What's in the box!?

Soooo good we ate there twice!

We found a local Cuban diner near Cafe Moka and HAD to get some Cuban coffee and black beans and rice (to carry around with us in case we got hungry). Lots of old Cuban men hanging out to show we were in for good Cuban food. And it was! 

Being Cuban - not hard for the Turk

 Morning was always fun. No one was around to 'disturb' our beach and tiki hut wakeup coffee.  Sunrise, on the other side of the Key, was still beautiful.

 

I see by the window light, the Turk is up

Sunrise is just as colorful as sunset!

ya, sun is up and so am I, kind of

Evening had its own set of activities every night starting with sunset. The moon was almost full and made sure we knew about it.

More sunsets

 

Moonlit Turk

hello moon!

ya, its a tiki bar boat!

 

Being in our 'private resort' was indeed a respite from Covid, elections and daily stress. I felt completely different than I have been feeling and I realized, it was the feeling of RELAXATION!!! 

Thank you Keys!!