Day 8 - West Palm Beach to Bluewater Key via Fort Lauderdale (mileage 230 miles)

---

A long driving day, made easy by some extra company and a local travel guide in the R.V. Because of the long drive, we set off early from Lion Safari in West Palm Beach and dropped straight onto the turnpike heading south towards the sun.

On the way down we stopped off to pick up Kristin my sister-in-law from her house in Fort Lauderdale as little brother Justin was on a work 'jolly' in Utah. Having swerved by the Moore mansion for a quick pit stop, it was on to Publix supermarket to stock up on the essentials for a Moore brothers weekend away...Peroni, Peroni, Peroni, crisps, chocolate biscuits, barby food and a small bottle of red wine for the ladies!

Back on the turnpike it was time to avoid Miami and hit the US1 for the 127 miles and 44 bridges down to Key West. The drive down the Florida keys is one of my favourite drives ever, usually best done in a convertible but this time in an RV was the first and surprisingly easy.it was surprisingly easy.

We passed through the top of the keys through the more built up islands such as Long Key, Key Largo and Islamorada. With Kristin on board we were able to see a number of different views of the keys although having a 30 foot RV makes it difficult to just pull over into a number of the parking bays that provide excellent views of the various spectacular views.

As we reached the end of Islamorada, Kristin recommended a lovely little restaurant just by the side of US1 with views over the mangroves out to sea. The Island Grill is a great place to stop on a drive south but driving a 30 foot RV means a slightly challenging uturn off the highway to your left and then hope you are lucky enough to find a space big enough to park up the beast! The restaurant serves lots of locally caught fish dishes as well as all the standard diner favourites but it is the view that really sells it, out across the sea. It was a gorgeous day and the break from the road was a welcome one.

After lunch, we were back on the road and crossed the 7 mile bridge in gorgeous sunshine. Throughout the keys there are some amazing feats of engineering and driving the seven mile bridge alongside the 100 year old, now disused railway bridge is one of the best. We were so engrossed in the conversation we nearly flew past our final destination, Bluewater Key RV resort, just pas mile marker 15 (so essentially 15 miles from the southernmost tip of Key West).

Bluewater Key RV resort is another amazing place and really geared up for the RV'er who has a 'big rig' that they want to park udoor a while but they do cater for short term stays as well. All of the plots are privately owned and the owners make them available for rental when they are not in town. The owners have each taken time to customise their own spaces and some have reallygone overboard. Half of the spaces are on the 'sea side' with views across the bay whilst the others have access to the picnic area and pool. Each space has a thatched 'shelter' on the spot or Tiki hut as they are known, some are basic with tables and chairs underneath whilst others are almost thatched cottages with full blown kitchens, dining rooms or even bars inside.

Within 10 minutes of parking up and hooking up to the services the girls had the deck chairs out on our space's own floating boat deck and the beers and wines were out. Within an hour little bruv turned up as a surprise fresh from Utah via Atlanta and Fort Lauderdale airport a day earlier than he was meant to and the party got started. That evening we were also joined on the deck by another assortment of weird animals including a crab that frightened the life out of the girls as it danced across the floor and a couple of iguanas...this trip is turning into the next David Attenborough series!

Dinner that night was courtesy of Justin and Kris and lobster tails, steaks, prawns and burgers rolled off the little barby and were devoured sitting in the Tiki hut by the side of the sea. Plenty of alcohol flowed and somehow a Marco Pierre White lookalike competition was born.... Always a strange night when the boys get together. A great day and the start of a long weekend in the Florida keys.

---