Vacation Redux: Florida and Key Largo

Last week we traveled across the country to visit my mom and step-dad in Florida.

They had planned a wonderful trip to Key Largo for all of us. We knew it would be nice, but didn't expect the sheer tropical beauty we would experience there. We stopped at the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park to have lunch and snorkel off the beach. Brian and I snorkeled a cool early Spanish shipwreck and saw so many different types of fish.

This was the view for our lunch.

It was crowded and we were getting overheated so we then headed to the hotel to cool off before dinner.
The hotel overlooked the ocean.

We went to dinner at the Islamorada Fish Company. They had beautiful white sand docks and a little harbor area where they feed large Tarpon fish and nurse sharks. We enjoyed watching the fish and the view right before sunset.

 The next day we visited the Bass Pro Shop which had Ernest Hemingway's boat on display.

 This was inside the cabin along with his old typewriter. 

There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.- Ernest Hemingway

We then headed back two hours to their house where my mom made amazing Blackberry Mojitos from scratch.
Hayden wanted to go fishing after we relaxed a bit so my parents set us up on their boat at the dock and we caught and released a bunch of catfish.

Hayden was surprised we caught one right away. Everything was fun until Brian got stabbed in the palm by one of their barbs. Salt water catfish have venom on the barbs and he had an instant reaction to it. We soaked his hand in hot water per the WebMD suggestion and then put baking soda paste on it until the pain went away.
We spent the next day on the boat in the inter-coastal and Hayden discovered the awesomeness of SNORKELING. Last week he wouldn't put his face in the water at all. Now with a mask and a snorkel he's addicted.

That's him looking at barracuda and collecting shells. He did this for hours and had so much fun. Grandma and Grandpa sent him home with his very own flippers and snorkel set. He's planning on snorkeling around our pool.
Overall we had a great trip and came home a little burnt and a little tan.
It went by quick and we'll miss grandma and grandpa.