margaritaville

(Note: This is the final post in a series on our December roadtrip. See the whole epic journey, from DC to Austin to New Orleans to the Everglades to Key West and home, here)

Although Key West wasn't exactly what we expected (I think we expected a charming, small-town feel, whereas Key West is much more boozy and tourist), we really loved exploring it. We were there for three nights, and quickly established some habits, the most important of which was the sunset. 

Every night the tourists (and lots of locals, actually), gather at Mallory Square to watch the sun go down and ogle the cruise ship. My favorite (to my chagrin) was the Disney ship. I can't help it: I'm a child of Orange County, and while the characters and kitsch don't do much for me, I'm always impressed with Disney's attention to detail.  

Anyway. That was definitely a digression about Disney (alliteration!). Mallory Square always had lots of scrappy street performers. Also, note the mix of sweatshirts and short sleeves. It was that kind of weather.

Sunset #1!

One of the things Key West is known for is its wild chickens (Seriously: see this quirky website). Apparently the city is somewhat split on the chickens, and they have lots of fans and detractors. We were fans.

On our first full day we went to visit the Key West cemetery and came across a hen with eight (eight!) chicks. Obviously, we watched them for a long, long time, as these ten pictures probably indicate. You're welcome.  

(This next photo is my favorite)

At one point, Mama Hen decided it was time to settle down, and within less than a minute all nine chicks disappeared under her wings.

As you can imagine, Key West is colorful and beautiful (in a well-worn, beach bum kind of way). Although there's a lot to do in the town, at this point in our trip we were pretty tired, and I was still feeling pretty crummy, so we spent most of our time just walking. It was wonderful.

Sunset #2!

I call this rooster Paul Newman.

Our second full day in Key West was Christmas day! We celebrated by calling our families and reading in the sun by the heated pool. Let me just say, there are far worse ways to celebrate.

Sunset #3! My favorite sunset. Because of Christmas. And pirates.

After Key West, we drove up to Savannah where we ate at Cracker Barrel (because our roadtrip didn't feel complete without it) and spent a pleasant morning in the town. And then we came home! Our roadtrip was exhausting and driving-intensive, and I'm not sure it's something we'd do in the same way again, but we're both glad we did it. We saw parts of the country neither of us had ever seen before, ate some great food, spent time with and met some wonderful people, and saw some intimidating and charming animals. I even wrote a paper. All in all, it was a grand American adventure. 

of alligators and illness

(Hey! So, predictably, I'm a bit behind on blogging. But today is a "snow" day [more like a day when it was supposed to snow, and the city freaked out and canceled everything only to be totally embarrassed by a boring gray day], so I'm going to try to catch up. A little. First things first, I want to finish blogging about our amazing December roadtrip. This is post 3 out of 4: see the whole thing here)

After our super fabulous extended stay in New Orleans, we drove to the Everglades. And when I say "we," it's really important that you know that I actually mean Ross. I was finishing a paper, and so Ross drove for twelve hours while I typed away in the passenger seat. Obviously, Ross is amazing. Obviously, I'm really fortunate to have such a supportive partner. Now let's never speak of it again. It was a stressful day for both of us. 

After a sleepless (for me) night in Naples, and with my last paper of the term totally and completely done, we drove into the Everglades. One of the nice things about our roadtrip was that we were able to hit a bunch of different travel categories. Austin: Food. New Orleans: Culture. And the Everglades? Behold: nature.  

There were air plants (also known as bromeliads, natch) everywhere.

Just a bald eagle in its massive nest. No big deal.

Our second stop was alligator alley. We were hoping to see some gators in the Everglades, obviously, but we weren't really expecting to. Ahem.

Turns out, the gators in alligator alley are more than used to people. I like to think we maintaining a respectful distance, especially compared to some of the other visitor who were getting awfully close to these incredibly reptiles.

To be fair, it was hard to resist the urge to approach.

We spent the evening camping in the southern end of the park. Unfortunately, I don't have a lot of pictures of this, since at this point I was feeling extremely and mysteriously sick. It took me several days to solve the mystery. Turns out, staying up all night staring into a computer screen and eating veggie straws is a really good way to get seriously dehydrated. Whoops. After a day or two, I figured out what was wrong, got some Gatorade, and suddenly felt worlds better. In the meantime, I couldn't shake this fantasy that Ross would have to suddenly pull over the car and I would accidentally puke on a gator. Luckily, this didn't happen.

In spite of my stupidity-based illness, we both loved the Everglades. It's a truly special place, and I, for one, am grateful to the efforts of those who are trying to conserve this incredible ecosystem.

Next up: Key West!

treme

(Note: This is the second part of a series on our December road trip. See the whole series here)

After two nights in Austin, we drove to New Orleans, where we stayed at our new favorite hotel in the known universe, La Belle Esplanade. Honestly, I can't say enough good things about this bed and breakfast. It was beautiful and historic and interesting, we had it all to ourselves when we were there, breakfast every morning was beyond delicious, and our suite was large and comfortable. See?

This chaise was the perfect home base for paper writing. Every academic should have one.

The best part of our hotel, however, was our hosts. Matthew and Melanie were quirky (Matthew) and sweet (Melanie) and funny. Every morning at breakfast we spent at least an hour chatting with them, and every day they gave us suggestions for what to do that day, where to eat, and what to see. We quickly realized that their taste was fantastic, and so we essentially did everything they told us to. 

Our first night, we went to dinner at a little (but packed!) Italian place and then walked around the French Quarter. The next day, we borrowed the hotel's bikes (for free) and rode to the Garden District, with stops along the way for the New Orleans glassworks and Audubon Park. 

The next day was rainy, so we spent some time at a library (so I could work on my paper) and walked around the French Quarter some more. Oh, and we went to Cafe Du Monde for beignets, but that happened every day.

Our second night we also went to a free, very casual Opera on Tap performance at a hotel in the French Quarter. Again, a Matthew and Melanie suggestion. Seriously, they were The. best.

Our last night in town (we stayed three, and left early on the morning we departed), we walked around the perimeter of a big Christmas light show in Lafayette Park. We arrived too late to go in, but we still saw some pretty cool decorations. This one, obviously, was the clear winner.

I was charmed by New Orleans. I've never seen a city that was so passionate about its history and so proud of its unique culture. I can't wait to go back.

Next up in Road Trip 2012: The Everglades!