Florida

Amusings.

Good: temperatures higher than freezing!
Bad: conference schedule at awesome resort which just taunts you cus you're stuck inside (that withstanding the talks are awesome but due to a turn of events, I will have to leave early.)

Good: Did you know that there is a part of Florida which stretches way down towards Cuba? Holy crap am I a west coaster.
Bad: Toll roads.

Good: Alligator crossing signs!
Bad: Alligators!

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Hawks Cay resort on Duck Key. Wish I could spend some time exploring the keys, but, alas, life calls,

Temps higher than freezing? Dude, it was 80 yesterday in the Sarasota area, and looks to be today. 80 degrees! That's a lot better than just "above freezing".

And if you think the alligator signs are cool, check this out. I have a close up of him, too... the most bad ass pictures I've ever taken.

Hawks Cay resort on Duck Key

I used to live south of Miami but I don't remember where Duck Key is. What's the nearest milepost on the Overseas Highway? (The locals will understand the significance of that question.)

Key West is closer to Havana than to Miami. Decades ago (pre-Castro, of course) there was a regular ferry service.

Regarding toll roads: At least they have a road, and a dedicated source of funds for maintaining it. Freeways aren't really free; you (the user) have to pay for them one way or another.

Florida is one of those places where, any time evening temperatures drop below about 50F, they have to explain "wind chill" to the locals. The all time record low at MIA (at least when I lived there) is/was 28F. I don't think there has ever (since temperature measurements have been made) been frost in the Keys.

One of the musts: order key lime pie. You get the real thing there; key limes are grown only in the Keys and southern Dade County as they do not take frost well. You can buy stuff they call "key lime pie" in places north of Miami, but it's a pale imitation of the real thing.

By Eric Lund (not verified) on 27 Jan 2009 #permalink

Duck key is just north of Marathon, I think.

I don't object to the money paying at tolls, I'm happy to pay for a decent road system, but the idea that you have to STOP to pay the damn thing offends my sense of efficiency.

I had some key lime pie and it was good.