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{"id":1275,"date":"2022-07-03T03:10:29","date_gmt":"2022-07-03T03:10:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/samplingthesouth.com\/?p=1275"},"modified":"2022-07-03T13:38:01","modified_gmt":"2022-07-03T13:38:01","slug":"sampling-key-west-florida","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/samplingthesouth.com\/sampling-key-west-florida\/","title":{"rendered":"Sampling Key West, Florida"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cAruba, Jamaica, ooh, I wanna take ya\u2026. Bermuda, Bahama, come on pretty mama\u2026. Key Largo, Montego\u2026 Baby, why don’t we go\u2026. Off the Florida Keys\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Day four of our Florida adventure had us playing The Beach Boys on Spotify as we sang at the top of our lungs!  The Florida Keys had always been a place that Cavin and I had wanted to visit, and going to Key West is actually what had inspired our whole trip.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was only the week before when Cavin had declared matter of factly\u2026 \u201cNext Tuesday we are going to drive to Key West!\u201d \u00a0 I knew that he had already made up his mind,\u00a0 so there was no need in trying to talk him out of it.\u00a0 The best thing for me to do was pack my bags and embrace it!\u00a0 This was going to be something we would talk about for the rest of our lives! \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The past two years have been hard for everyone\u2026.  2020 brought the pandemic to the whole world\u2026 2021 brought Covid to our home along with some other unexpected challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As 2022 began, we were hopeful that it would be a great year.\u00a0 However, just a few hours into 2022 we got a call that Cavin\u2019s dad had fallen ill and was in a Nashville hospital.\u00a0 We rushed to his bedside to spend precious time with him.\u00a0 We had seen his body become weaker and weaker over the past few years, and this time he would not recover.\u00a0 Just two weeks into the new year, we said our goodbyes to my father-in-law as he went to his heavenly home. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The following month, Cavin fell ill himself with the Shingles Virus.\u00a0 Our hopes of a worry-free 2022 had been dashed once again.\u00a0 The stress was taking a toll, and Cavin and I realized that we needed time to detach so that we could be renewed.\u00a0 That\u2019s what led us to take a road trip and drive through the state of Florida. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During this trip, I felt myself loosen up and laugh\u2026. not the obligatory half laughs that I catch myself faking from time to time.\u00a0 I\u2019m talking about those all-out belly laughs that are truly medicine for the soul.\u00a0 Those times when it seems that we have no cares in the world.\u00a0 This trip had found Cavin and me belting out songs as we drove on the back roads of Florida. We were laughing more and just enjoying careless unplanned days that allow for adventure and the unexpected blessings of being with the person you love most in the world. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As we left the hotel in Homestead, Florida\u2026 we took off for the unknown world of the Florida Keys.\u00a0 The keys are all connected by U.S Hwy. 1 and to drive to Key West, you actually have to go through all the lesser-known Keys to get there\u2026 and you can\u2019t be in a hurry on this mostly two-lane highway. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We left early for the 2-and-a-half-hour drive.\u00a0 We wanted to make it to Key West by mid-morning to take it all in!\u00a0 Over 100 miles and 42 bridges connect 34 islands.\u00a0 Homestead led us to Key Largo and Key Largo turned into Islamorada which led to Marathon, Big Pine Key, and the Lower Keys.\u00a0 We finally made it to our destination\u2026 the southernmost point of the United States. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The island was full of tourists – including two from Brewton, Alabama!  We were ready to absorb all the beauty and history of this place in a span of one day!  Our first stop was the Butterfly Conservatory.  This was an amazing adventure.  I\u2019ve never in my life seen such beauty packed into such a small area.  There were literally thousands of butterflies wafting about in an enclosed jungle area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n