Long Key State Park

After Bahia Honda state park, our Rv took us to Long Key State Park. It is a strip of a park with roughly 50 campsites. It was nice to arrive here from a rather crowded Bahia Honda State park. We will have two weeks of quiet (except for the road noise). We might actually get some work done here. If road noise bothers you, go to one of the private parks in the Florida Keys that might be farther from the road. Get your provisions before you go into the park as grocery stores are not around the corner. Marathon is about 15 miles but has just about anything you want (Winn Dixie, Publix, Kmart, etc.) 

All campsites are beachfront so you can plant your kayak at your site and take a spin in it whenever you wish. The beach in front of the campsites can be mucky so be aware of that…like suck your shoes off mucky.
It is one of the quieter campgrounds (not much to do than relax, fish, kayak, etc.) There isn’t a big day visitor crowd like Bahia as the beach here is not a swimming beach…more like picnicking or kayaking (rentals). There is a nature trail that we walk regularly and a shoreline to walk. There is a bike path that goes north and south outside the park. The north portion is rather short; the southern portion is longer.

A word about the bike path in the Keys. Some parts of it are a separate paved trail for bikers and walkers; they are working on parts of it as we speak. Other parts of it you are curb hopping (be REALLY vigiliant of

Cars as they don’t seem to notice us…wear your helmet). The curb hopping part is mostly in Marathon and Key Largo. Still other parts of it you are on the shoulder (which they have not been so generous with). I wouldn’t want to bike next to big vehicles (construction vehicles, fifth wheels, class A’s) as they go whizzing
By at 55 mph in some parts.)

Long Key Story:
One year we were rather late in taking our night walk through the nature trail/Golden Orb Trail and I remarked to David, “you think we are going to finish this before it gets dark (no flashlight naturally)”. He, of course, said, “no problem”. So off we went on a very brisk walk (I did not want to get stuck in there in the dark). We did get out of the treed part before it was too dark to see. Meanwhile we see another couple running past us and thought nothing of it. WELLLLLLLLLL, in about one minute I knew why they were running…serious biting bugs. I took off and yelled to David, see you at the trailer. He doesn’t run but I wasn’t going to be bug dinner either. The for better or worse part of our vows didn’t include this! I outran the bugs behind me but there were more in front to catch me. Neither of us had bug repellant on…



Just the other day David and I were sitting in our campsite facing the water with our feet up on the low height split rail fence...enjoying a beer as the sun was beginning to set. There are quite a few small lizards (think cute) in the keys and we were watching one. All of a sudden he zoomed across the fence and ran over David's legs (not usual at all). As I was marveling David says look.... About three feet away from me was
a black snake about 3-4 feet long and he was heading my way quickly. I had just enough time to fly over David's legs and watch from afar as he slithered
under David's legs looking for that lizard (whom hid in the split rail fence).
Now I don't mind snakes but I like to have a choice as to the distance I view
them. Had he already been under my legs, I would have been prepared to fly
over the back of the chair and onto the picnic table:)  Oh, yeah, I love camping in Long Key!