Travel the Florida Keys

Twenty-five years later, my husband and I decided it was time to celebrate our marriage with a fancy trip.
“It’s a miracle,” he said every time anyone commented on our marital accomplishment.
You would think I’d feel insulted hearing that over and over again as we traveled down the Florida Keys.
Not so. There’s just enough truth in the comment to be funny. After all, I was there for those same twenty-five years together, miraculously enough.
We both know Who gets the credit for keeping us committed to each other and to the process called marriage.
Given that marriage is one long negotiation, we wisely decided on a destination that produced no squabbling; the beach.
It turned out to be a judicious choice, even given Florida’s propensity for hurricanes. Days were balmy and lazy, filled with sunshine, surf, and seafood.
Here are the places along the way that deserve consideration for honeymooners, families, or old lovers, like us.
-Palm Island. There’s no car access to the island, so prepare yourself to be taxied over in a gorgeous wooden motor boat named “Bess” or “Truman” after the presidential couple who made Palm Island one of their favorite fishing get-aways. Executive Chef, Luis A Pous, is the #2 chef in the world, apparently. I have no idea where #1 works, but the food on Palm Island was terrific. I also enjoyed dancing under the stars to live music.
-Deer Key. The last remaining 700 or so of their own special species are making a comeback here in this tropical paradise. These tiny deer know they are loved, so they think nothing of coming up and nuzzling humans.
-Casa Marina in Key West. Recently updated, this jewel of a resort hotel has two swimming pools over-looking the Atlantic and luxurious, crisp linens.
-Turtle Kraals. Sit upstairs on the deck, watch the sun set, and enjoy nachos even Texans can appreciate while you watch the yachts come and go at the marina.
-Southpoint Scuba. Its tempting to laze by the pool all day and take in the innumerable restaurants in Key West, going from lounge chair to table and back again, but don’t miss an amazing chance to get scuba certified in a matter of two days on the #3 choral reef in the world.
-Graffiti’s. It is hard to narrow down the best boutique shopping in Key West, simply because there are so many stores and they were all running sales while we were there. My pick is Graffiti’s where the owner sells his own design of Speedo-style trunks for men. However, if I write too much about the swim trunks I bought there for my husband, I may not make it to our twenty-sixth.
The total drive time from Miami to Key West is an easy four hours; that is, if there is no threat of hurricane. The locals tend to view hurricanes as an excuse to have hurricane parties.
I’ve already started negotiating for another relaxed trip to the beach for our thirtieth. I’d wait to our golden anniversary, but it will be miracle enough just to live that long.
If only marriage were just one long trip to the beach. Wouldn’t that be grand!

Cathy Primer Krafve, aka Checklist Charlie, lives and writes with a Texas twang. Comments are invited at cathykrafve@gmail.com or http://checklistcharlie.blogspot.com.