Saturday, March 3 - Marathon, Florida

After four wonderful days in Key West, it is time to say good-bye.  

We head out of Gallieon Marina and Resort at 8:15 a.m.

 Boy, those cruise ships are BIG!!!

Soon we find the channel that welcomes us to the Atlantic Ocean!!!

Rounding the bend of the "REAL most southern point of the USA"! ;)

The southern-most point is a beautiful campground and picnic area 

(the landmark, however, is about a half-mile north of here 😉)!

 We say good-bye to Key West!

And hello Atlantic Ocean!!!

Soon jets from the local Navy Station are doing practice runs over our heads!

While the winds are blowy (15-20 mph!), they're coming from the North and Northwest, so we hit them bow on and enjoy the spray over the boat (sometimes spraying us on the top deck)!!!

After Key West, we pass Boca Chica Key, then five more Keys 

before we come to our destination of Marathon.

When we get to Big Pine Key (the third Key before Marathon), we notice that the trees are all brown.  We find out later that this is the effect of Hurricane Irma (Big Pine taking the biggest hit); the locals are hopeful that the greens will come back.

Once again, we encounter many crab pots!!!

Of course, we also see a lot of bridges!

Here's "Seven-Mile Bridge" or as our family likes to call it: "Kenny Chesney Bridge".  On one occasion when our family was cruising the Keys, we saw Kenny Chesney playing his guitar on the old Seven-Mile Bridge, while a helicopter flew overhead making a video for one of his songs!!!

And there it is, our destination; Marathon!!!

The channel ahead takes us to our home for the evening; Marathon Marina and Resort!

We are excited to be in such a beautiful marina!  We arrive at 1:30 p.m.

First, a little boat clean-up!  I think we could fill two salt shakers with all the salt on our boat!!!

The salt from just wiping down that little bit on the railing!

 Later, we find out that our "Looper" friends, Angie and Gary, are in the marina across the highway on the Gulf side at Faro Blanco Resort Yacht Club.

A beautiful home sits on its own private island just to the south of our friend's marina.

Another beautiful "Keys" sunset!!!

Enjoyed a cocktail on "Unruly" with hosts Gary and Angie, and then a scrumptious dinner at the marina/resort restaurant.  

Tomorrow, a reunion of "Looper" friends at an incredibly private resort: Ocean Reef in Key Largo!!!