If this is Sunday, I must be in Cocoa Beach

The whirlwind vacation of Florida continues with stop three: Cocoa Beach.

We departed Key West yesterday morning and after a short stop at the Ft Lauderdale airport we continued on to Cocoa Beach.

It was sad to say good-bye to Pennie and Scott after a great week in Key West--we had a lot of fun and some great new experiences.

Sailing was one of the highlights. A day on the water at the mercy of the wind and waves. OK--the boat had a motor which was good too since the winds were very light. But it was a blast. It was weird to lay in bed at night after sailing and still experience the gentle rocking of the boat due to the magnificence of the inner ear's ability to stabilize almost anywhere.

Of all the days do far in Florida--yesterday was weather wise the worst--it rained on us almost all day as we drove up the coast. Who knew it was so far from Key West to Cocoa Beach. By the time it was done it was an all day affair. We departed Key West about 10AM and arrived in Cocoa Beach about 5:30 PM.

So now I am back, where my vacation began watching the space shuttle launch. And I am looking forward to a great week with Mike, Nicole and the boys. We've already been out on the beach and now we are ready to rock and roll.

The sun is shining again, the boys are up. Bring on the sand and the sun.

Diving the Vandenberg

Well I actually accomplished one of my big goals for this vacation. I was able to dive the USNS Hoyt S. Vandenberg. The Vandenberg was sunk as an artificial reef about 6 miles off Key West in May 2009--so it is a real new wreck. There isn't a lot of sea life taking residence yet. But, that's not why I wanted to dive the wreck.

I wanted to dive the Vandenberg for the history and to remember a good friend who used to be deployed on it.

But enough of that--the dive was awesome. I had a chance to chat with the dive master on the way out and he did a couple things to make my dive rally special--like taking me over the side to get the picture of the name of the ship on the side. That is normally a bit deep for the usual dive--but it was really cool flipping off the deck along the bow to take the inages of the name, just hovering there with my camera.

Visibility wasn't all that good--but it was still a most awesome dive.

The descent was easy down the line and there was no current--which made the dive easier. The American Flag was not unfurled--meaning no current.

The Vandenberg's most recent claim to fame was a starring role in the movie: Virus. So I guess I need to rent that. There is some Cyrillic writing in places on the ship which supported the filming of the movie.

I had watched some of the videos of the sinking of the Vandenberg and I always felt that the tracking dishes probably wouldn't survive in place--and it is true--the dish has been pulled off its base and is laying on the side if the ship. I spent some time trying to get a good picture of it--but the poor visibility got the better of me.

But--a great day and a great dive. And, if you are thinking of diving the Vandenberg, I highly recommend Bonsai Diving.

There is no better way to spend a day than slipping below the surface of the ocean to see the treasures below,

Hemmingway House

It has truly been a busy week and we really started it off with a bang on Sunday with a visit to the Hemingway House.

The house is located away from the center of the action, but yet a short walk from where it is happening. It is in a nice neighborhood and has been restored to the condition that it was when Hemmingway lived there.

The house is a museum and one of the unique features is the cats which live and thrive there. There are 44 cats currently living there and they are all descended from a single cat and many are six toed cats.

The house is from the 1800's and is a snapshot of life in Key West in the 1930's. The grounds are well kept and the tour is a definite plus. The tour book says to plan on at least 30 minutes--but in reality you need at least an hour to fully appreciate the entirety of the museum and home. It is chock full of artifacts and memorabilia. Who knew that Hemmingway was decorated with a Bronze Star during World War 2?

Recommendation: A definite place to visit and enjoy. If you appreciate Hemmingway--all the better.

Bells & Whistles 2003: Review

St Marys winery in Penola, Australia has fashioned a good blend of cabernet sauvignon, shiraz, and cabernet franc in its 2003 Bells & Whistles.

The wine is a fine blend and a good table wine. It bristles with fruitiness and warm flavors on the dry side of life. The wine has very good color and the nose is excellent right from the bottle.

The wine is a good middle of the road wine. It is very good by itself with cheese and crackers and also stands well on its own with a meaty dish.

Recommendation: A solid wine for something different. At $17 it probably isn't worthy of a standard house table wine---but its versatility bodes well for being in the wine rack for occasions.

Blue Heaven Restaurant Review

Dinner at the Blue Heaven Restaurant in Key West was an exciting experience.

Although the address is Thomas Street, the entrance is really around the corner on Petronia Street.

The atmosphere includes dining outside under large palms and in a courtyard setting complete with cats and chickens. It is fun and creative as well as relaxing. There is something for everyone here. I did enjoy watching the chickens run across the roof of the building--how did they get up there?

The food was excellent. The wine list is extensive and has something for everyone. The menu is not inexpensive--if you are looking for entrees in the less than $20 range--go elsewhere. But if you enjoy good moderately prices food--eat here. I had the scallops and they were fantastic. The portions are large and filling-so you won't leave hungry.

One of the specialties seems to be the Key Lime Pie which comes piled with a mountain of meringue. Not my idea of the perfect Key Lime pie--but a very interesting version which is something to admire--how high the meringue is piled.

Recommendation: Go there. Enjoy the dinner and the experience. Plan to spend some time to experience everything the Blue Heaven has to offer.

Wow am I getting sunburned

Two days and just a short time in the water and I have managed to get sunburned--even though I was applying sunscreen.

But it was all worth it. Snorkeling two days in a row in two different places! Wow.
Today was great tough. We rented and Scott captained a 43 foot sailboat and we took off on our own only with a GPS and some vague directions to a reef. It all worked.

Of course the day began by getting rear ended by a local. Ugh! All because a bicyclist was riding in the middle of my lane, towards me, and I had to stop in order to avoid making him a hood ornament. Fortunately, our vehicle only have a few scratches--the other car though, the whole grille is gone.

But the boat was fabulous. The sailing was all the fun. We tied up at the reef and swam about 300 feet out to the reef for snorkeling--but the visibility was not all that great--call it 18-20 feet. The visibility affected the fish too--at one point Chris and I swam up on and surprised a barracuda. We were all surprised--the fish too. I didn't get a good picture of him before he swam off.

I am learning how to use my underwater camera, too. Like make sure all the water is off the lens before shooting pictures on land--or above the water. Of course, it didn't help that I was treading water while shooting.