Key West vacation, day 3 -- touched and fed sharks!

One of my meteorologist friends who worked in Miami for a while used to tell me, "The sun always shines in Key West!" But it was a blessing in disguise that it was raining today. I needed to catch up on some serious work, and I got a lot done while I was in my room. It really helped me to focus!

Still, it was obvious that I was on vacation, because I kept the balcony door open to the fresh, balmy breezes wafting through the palm trees. My background soundtrack was the gentle lapping of the waves on the shore! HEAVEN ON EARTH.

I barely ventured out of the hotel today, but I did take myself to Mallory Square. I passed by the Little White House.

 Made it to downtown Key West.

 Saw the trolley.

 I think this is the Arts Museum? I took photos of the titles of things, but of course forgot that (I'm typing all this at midnight) so can't remember the names of stuff.  :)  My bad, yo.

Love the view from the top of the Shipwreck Museum, my husband and I went there a couple of years ago.

 I was disappointed this little shack was closed. It makes such yummy conch fritters! It's right beside the Key West Aquarium.

The rain quit around 4:30 p.m. and I was bound and determined to get a sunset photo. 

The sunset was disappointing from the cloud cover, but the Key West Aquarium more than made up for that.

 Horseshoe crabs. Freakin' prehistoric.

 Moray eel.

 I've never seen sea horses while snorkeling... maybe one day!

 Saw this fish out in the ocean yesterday.

 Cool anemone.

 Really wish I could remember the name of this cool fish...

 Eel and lion fish.

 I LOVE YELLOW TANGS! They look so bright and cheerful!

 Well, hello there, Mr. Lobster!

 Blue-striped grunt, I think.

I believe this one is a scrawled cowfish.

 So the sunset wasn't the spectacular phenomenon that Key West typically boasts, but it was still an attractive gray sky.

 Conch pride!

 This is a tomato clown fish! Unique coloring, right? I had never seen one before.

 Grouper. I think it's a red grouper?

 Even the baby gators were snuggled up in the chilly air.

 I've seen these huge manta rays at the Atlantis aquarium in the Bahamas... their size is truly impressive. And slightly terrifying, although they are gentle giants.

 Just some of the marine life you can pick up.

 You can touch all the stuff in the aptly-named Touch Tank!

 The guide shows off a sea cucumber and a horseshoe crab.

 We got to touch a nurse shark! The skin was rough...

We also got to feed a huge group of sharks! Click HERE to watch my video of all the shark-feeding frenzy! Plus other cool stuff.

This large sea turtle is named Spike. She was rescued in 1998, when she was just the size of your hand! Now she weighs 200 pounds.

 So after my aquarium adventures, I made my way around Duval Street again. It's like a magnet to me, although I'm not really a partier. I just like to look!

 It's so pretty! So much like New Orleans, but less stinky!!!

 Yay. :)

 I had amazing pizza again from Duetto's, and this time ended the meal with mint chocolate chip gelato. Happy ending to a great day!

 Bye, Hemingway!

Key West vacation, day 2

9 a.m. -- Woke up to this glorious view...

I am feeling a bit cracked out from drinking a triple espresso since the rooms didn't have a regular coffee maker. Lesson learned: an espresso is not a regular cup of coffee.

10 a.m. -- I have made my way down to the hotel's private beach. Just want to say how glad I am that they have fruit-infused water... It's the little things that make for big luxury!

When you first walk out of the lobby:

Love the sand sculpture.

Found the shadiest hammock, you can see our room balcony from here.

Looking left from my hammock.

Get it, Jetski Man!

I'm reading this February 2015 O magazine, and it has a wonderful deep thought.

It says, in Martha Beck's column, the following:

"If you're hungry and you eat a square meal, you'll feel better. But you won't feel ten times better if you eat ten square meals. Our culture instills in us an unfettered lust for more, more, more. Like a cancer, that lust doesn't know when to stop. Consider asking, How can I make do with less? You'll find yourself headed for the even-keeled moderation that leads to real happiness."

SO POWERFUL! Love it, as I eat my leftover chocolate cake from the Better Than Sex dessert restaurant...

1 p.m. -- I was so busy working in my hotel room (yes, unfortunately I have been spending a chunk of time daily having to keep up with my job)... I almost missed my planned snorkel trip! I didn't realize the time was 12:30, and I was supposed to already BE AT THE MARINA!!

I flew out of the door and raced in my car, parked and ran there. I was out of breath by the time I made it onto the catamaran, and the captain was like, "Slow your roll!" But I had made it!

 Notice the LSU flag on this mega-yacht. Geaux Tigers, even in Key West! :)

The ocean conditions were decent with clear visibility, although winds were high and there was chop. It made the snorkeling a little rough because I was fighting the waves. I think this mag be my final snorkel excursion for quite a while. The Blue Heron bridge snorkel trail in Riviera Beach has me so spoiled, nothing really compares.

The only things of note today that I sighted were huge barracuda, and a sting ray. Of course my camera battery was dead by the time I saw the sting ray. But it wasn't a big deal since I see them all the time at the Blue Heron bridge.

Yellowtail snapper...

 Brain coral...

 I think this is some kind of boxfish...

 The big, bad barracuda. This picture doesn't convey how large they were.

 Check out dem teefs!

 #SnorkelSelfie

The catamaran, from Key West Sebago. The company offers snorkeling, sunset cruises and sailing. The crew members were perky and helpful. Highly recommend.

On the way back in, I admired what was allegedly Oprah's vacation home (one of them) until she sold it a couple of years ago. The internet confirms she did rent out all of Sunset Key cottages to celebrate her 44th birthday with a few of her celebrity BFF's... 

I love Sunset Key -- it's this little island with fancy homes and bungalows, only accessible by boat right off of Key West's shores. No cars are allowed on it so people just drive golf carts.

There it is, the distant island...

4 p.m. -- Best slice of pizza ever at Duetto's, a delightful, small cafe-type spot right between the marina and Sloppy Joe's Bar on Duval. It bills itself as "A Taste of Italy in Key West." 

Totally gave them a glowing review on Trip Advisor because they were so hospitable, the pizza was so crazy-good and inexpensive, and another customer suggested it. I literally said "Wow!" as soon as I bit into the garlicky goodness, and the fellow customer heard it and said to me, "Best pizza ever. Give it a good review online." So I did!

7 p.m. -- Awesome dinner with Kelly Aline's work posse at the Casa Cayo Hueso. This spot is cool! I wish it had a secret passageway I could explore. It looks as if it would have one.

10 p.m. -- Shenanigans ensue on Duval Street. 

Angela Street!