Little Torch
This Saturday marks the start of our massive week-long family trip to Little Torch Key, our first trip to the Keys in 4 years, and our first time staying in the Lower Keys ever. Nine adults, one baby, one dog, two vans, and a boat. The drive down should be action-packed.
A number of times through elementary and middle school, we’d go down and stay either in motels or a family friends’ vacation home in Marathon. Later on our trips migrated up to Islamorada/Tavernier, where we’d stay in our uncles’ family’s condo. Islamorada was always a popular family spot in our older years because of its lobstering and fishing community (we got more interested in fishing than in snorkeling in our teens), and of course Robbie’s and World Wide Sportsman. Going to those places was our idea of “sightseeing.”
I’ve been to Key West a number of times, but aside from there, the only place below Marathon I’d ever really visited was Bahia Honda State Park. Next week we’ll be staying in a house on Little Torch Key, one of hundreds of small islands that make up the Lower Keys. There are a lot more little islands to explore down in that part of the archipelago, with more variety that what we’re used to. Up north of there in Islamorada, you’ve got the Atlantic on one side (deep with nearby reefs offshore) and Florida Bay on the other (sandy, shallow and flat, with not much to do other than fish). Little Torch and its surroundings will mix that up a little more. Nearby you’ve got shallows, numerous small islands to explore, deep channels, dropoff walls for diving on, reefs offshore, and all a short boat ride from the house. It’s only about a half hour drive to Key West, too, for shopping and whatnot.
Colette and I have a reservation to eat dinner on Little Palm Island, a “private island getaway” and the self-proclaimed “most romantic place on Earth.” They’ll pick us up in their boat and taxi us out there for the evening, so that should be pretty darn nice.
We’re excited to do some more photography. The Keys (especially with my family) always offer plenty of hilarious memorable moments. I’m just stoked to get to take enough time off to possibly get to relax for real.
Who am I kidding? It’s going to be non-stop action and by Thursday I’ll be exhausted.
Grayson laying into some nearly-captive tarpon at Robbie's.
