Key Largo... Baby why don't we go...

Florida is an awesome state. There is so much to see and do. And from the top to the bottom scenery and style are way diverse. We've been wanting to adventure out to Key West and see what Miami is about on the way. So 2 weeks ago we just so happened to find the time to go. I finally got the gumph to plan the trip the day before we left. Things hadn't been coming together for me, I guess it just takes that last minute stress and pressure to get things going (reminds me of my college days).

Dave had been out of town for the week and flew back home the night before we left at 11:30 pm. Poor thing, we were up and at it at 4am the next morning heading down to the infamous World of Disney. It was the kids first time (since we're so cheap) but I found a way to get 2 free tickets if we listened to a timeshare (since we're so cheap). Sure, laugh, as you may. Typical Ferguson style. But hey, it works for us and saved a fat $160.

As you can see, everyone REALLY enjoyed themselves. The weather was great and our longest line was only 20 minutes! Isaac and Ethan held hands or had their arms around eachother most of the day. They both about peed their pants when I took them on the first ride of the day, Thunder Mountain. Oops, that was a little much for the first ride. We had to coax them into the next few rides until they were sure that every ride wasn't fast, dark and scary. After all was said and done though, they both say Thunder Mountain was their favorite ride. We all loved It's a Small World, Buzz Light Year, Peter Pan, and the 3-D movie. Even Mason wore his glasses for the show.

After that hard days work of fun we pricelined a hotel in Orlando. We got a much needed full night's rest and spent the next morning swimming in their pool until we got the checkout boot. Off to the Keys we go!

We camped at Bahia Honda State Park. It's a state park on Big Pine Key and has the reputation for the prettiest beaches in the Keys. Wow, it was awesome. Do you like the view from our tent window? And can you tell the boys were excited to be sleeping in a tent?

(Dave and Mason ended up sleeping in the car half of the first night because Mason thought it was time to play at 3 am. He did better the second night thank heavens).

Even though we were sweaty and dirty 100% of the time there at Bahia (believe it or not we did take showers), we had a great time. This is Mason a few minutes after his shower.We spent the heat of the day swimming in the crystal clear warm waters. My friend Loralee lent us snorkel gear so Dave and Isaac and I all took turns looking for shells, fish and different corals. There were plenty to be seen and Dave and Isaac found a big, live conch shell. It was Isaac's first time snorkeling and he really picked up on it. From then on out that was all he wanted to do. When it was my turn to go out guess what I found? A shark! Yes, my greatest fear come true. Believe me, the whole time I was out there I was freaking myself out imagining looking up and seeing a shark swimming at me! It happened like this: I was snorkeling alone checking out a big rock where lots of pretty fish were hanging out. I looked up and something laying on the bottom of the sand caught my eye about 25 ft. away. I thought, "Ooh, that's a big fish! I should get closer." Just then it registered in my brain that wait a second, that was a big fish, that was a big scary looking fish, that was a nurse shark!

I couldn't believe my eyes so I floated there a moment trying to take it in a bit better. Was it really a nurse shark? And then the tail moved and that was enough for me! At first I started swimming with my back towards it but couldn't take the fear that was overcoming me so the rest of the way in I swam backwards, facing where the shark had been. When I got to the where Dave and the kids were I was out of breath and my heart was racing. After I told Dave I'd seen a shark he was quite jealous. Well, he can have that experience if he wants it. I'm just glad it was a nurse shark, laying on the bottom, and not a blacktip swimming at me. I didn't take this picture but this is just what it looked like. Nurse sharks are mainly non-aggressive and generally will swim away when approached. However, some unprovoked attacks on swimmers and divers have been reported. They are also very common in shallow reefs and in the Keys. They are nocturnal and rest during the day on the floors of the ocean, commonly in groups of up to 40 sharks. Let it be known that I didn't go out snorkeling again. I rented a kayak the next day instead.

Other fun things we saw while island hopping were:

• iguanas


• awesome trees


• a baby alligator we could have reached out and grabbed









• fun sidewalk shows in Mallory Square, Key West (Ethan got to participate- he held up a hoop for a fat dog to jump through)


• the southernmost point in the continental U.S.



• Ernest Hemmingway's house



• lots of gays



• lots of beautiful vistas and bridges



• we fed some fish to these tarpon (a huge, prehistoric looking fish) that hang out at the docks of Robbie's Marina. I just prayed the kids wouldn't fall in while throwing in their fish. Those tarpon are fierce.



• sea turtle nests



• tons of hermit crabs came up from the ground in the middle of the night at our campsite. You could hear them unburrowing (I know that's not a real word, but that's what they were doing). Ethan got a kick out of it and would wander into the forest by himself with a flashlight to find them. Brave Ethan.

Saturday evening, after our fun times in the Keys, we drove to Miami to spend the night. We drove into the city that night to take a peek. Wow, that place is awesome. Really, quite the beautiful and happenin' place. Not really a place I'd like to raise kids, but if you're 30 and single, and not Mormon, go there.

(This picture does nothing for the coolness of Miami, it's to simply show "we were there")

Sunday morning we wrapped up the trip by attending church in Miami (it made me grateful for my ward in Jacksonville). After church we drove around some more gawking at the modern day palaces. Those drug lords sure put most wealthy people to shame. I mean, we saw deep money. After the gawking it was time to head home. So we happily and not so happily headed the 5 hours back to Jacksonville with a car full of sand, trash and sugared out boys.

What a trip!