Exploring Dry Tortugas: A Day of Adventure

Kevin and I went to the Dry Tortugas National Park last weekend! It could not have been a better day for this journey. It was a nice, sunny 75° in Key West. We had to get up early to make it to the ferry by 7 AM. The ferry boarded and left by 8 AM. They provided a nice breakfast - fresh bagels with options of cream cheese and jam. The ferry ride was about 2.5 hours and when we arrived on the island we took, of course, the obligatory pictures by the national park sign and then waited for our tour guide, Asa, to start a guided tour. The tour was about an hour and a half with the first 20 minutes setting the scene for the history of the park, which is actually, a fortress built back in the mid-1800s to protect the Gulf Coast channel.  The channel allowed ships to get goods from South America and Europe into the Gulf and down the Mississippi.  The funny thing is that the fort was never actually put to use after years of developing it, it never saw a battle. The tour was great and we appreciated all the details that Asa provided. 

After the tour, we got back on the ferry for lunch, which consisted of a choice of turkey or ham  Jersey Mike's subs with chips and cookies. I don’t know if it was because we were so hungry, or the sandwiches were really good, but either way, it was a good lunch and much appreciated. 

After lunch, we went and got my passport stamp from the gift shop to remember the date of our visit. I collect these along with all of the national park stamps to mark all of our visits to national parks. One stamp and a souvenir t-shirt down,  Kevin changed into his swim trunks so that we could get our snorkel gear and check out some of the coral reefs around the island. I have to say I was a bit disappointed in the snorkeling as we only saw a few fish and they were nothing spectacular. However, the very cold water did wake us up for the afternoon and it was nice to say that we had done it! We wrapped up about 3:00 for the journey home on the ferry arrived back in Key West at 5:30 and headed back to where we had parked “Beauty”, our trusty abode at Fiesta Key RV Resort in Long Key. 

Retreat at Fiesta Key RV Resort

Returning to Fiesta Key RV Resort after a day brimming with adventure was a welcome reprieve. Nestled in Long Key, our cozy retreat awaited us, providing a haven of relaxation after our escapades.

When we arrived back on Saturday night, we headed right over to the  Oceans 305 restaurant, which was right in front of us and on the beach! Serenaded by the rockin' music of the live band, we enjoyed some great food!!

We started our meal with salads and calamari. The marinara sauce that accompanied the calamari was outstanding.  The salad was good but not being a huge fan of romaine, I would say it was pretty basic.  Next, we couldn’t resist trying the lobster bisque and it did not disappoint - yummy! FYI - those following our health journey should not that this is NOT an OPTAVIA-approved meal - LOL, but we went in with the intent of enjoying an off-plan meal.

The main course was PIZZA! Kevin had a specialty pizza with filet and chimichurri.  I had my old go-to of pepperoni and jalapeño! The crust of great and both were very flavorful. I will have to admit that Kevin’s was the winner for the evening with the most tender filet bites and seasoned to perfection.

We ended the evening listening to a trio of songs noted by the band as their love song set - Bodies by Drowning Pool, Thunder Kiss '65 by White Zombie, and Bawitdaba by Kid Rock!  It was ‘off the hook’ as Kevin said!

Needless to say, it was a full day and we passed out in bed by 9:30. For those of you who know us well, that is extremely early for us!

As far as the campsite, it was all gravel with a cement patio and picnic table.  We had a back-end site. The only negative was that the sites were very close and the hookups were on the opposite site which would make for a challenge if you did not have long cords or hoses.

All and all, our site and the park were pretty great with incredible views of the beach.  It was clear that there were many extended-stay folks and we could see the attraction. The staff was very good with communication in anticipation of our arrival and were also very helpful during our short stay. We didn’t have time to check on the facilities other than the restaurant but can note that they have a nice pool and spa, a nicely manicured beach with palapas and beach chairs for use. They have other water rentals available and you can purchase saltwater fishing licenses on site.  There were other recreational areas with cornhole and similar games. Their activities calendar was extremely full and I can see why you would want to stay there for longer than we did.  One of the reasons for our short stay was due to availability and price - it was the most affordable option that was available for us that weekend to be close to Key West and we paid a bit over $600 for two days!  Even though the price tag was large, we don’t regret the investment - it was one of the best places that we have stayed on this trip!

Until next time, keep spinning the wheel of adventure!

Happy RVing!

2KidsatHeart 🚐💨