Curry Hammock & Bahia Honda State Parks – 2nd 2 weeks in the lower keys – Mar 22 – Apr 4, 2024
We really enjoyed our bonus time in the lower keys. We met up with friends we met there in past years and made many new friends. We made the most of our time camping there, since we have not booked any campsites for next year. Florida residents can now book 30 days earlier than everyone else and there is nothing available when we can book. We may find a way, in the future to visit northern Florida, but we believe the keys will be extremely difficult. (We are not sad because we have some very fun travels planned for next winter, without the RV.)
Curry Hammock State Park. This was our least favorite campsite in the lower keys, as it was across from the dump station and trash. Otherwise, it was a nice spacious site. We were fortunate to pick up a cancellation at a much better site and leave this one early.
(site #26)
Curry Hammock Stae Park after a storm.Watching the University of Iowa women’s basketball and Caitlin Clark at Curry Hammock State Park. We had to keep the boards inside because of high winds.We caught the last weekly winter music bonfire at Curry Hammock State Park. The camp hosts managed the fire while seasonal park volunteers played the music.One of our favorite Florida camping dinners is fish tacos – tuna, grouper, mahi or ono (wahoo) with cheddar, chipotle ranch, avocado, lettuce and salsa. We use paper plates when we are in one place for a period of time and want to conserve space in our gray tank.Enjoying a cold one Sparky’s Landing in Marathon.Seagrass on the beach at Curry Hammock State Park. We were happy that it was just normal seagrass, rather than the smelly Sargassum seaweed that was there last year. The Sargassum seaweed causes high bacteria levels and a very repulsive odor.Marathon Park is on my morning run route, when we camp at Curry Hammock State ParkEarly morning walk on the Old Seven Mile Bridge. Like the Bahia Honda Bridge, it was originally part of the overseas railroad, built by by Henry Flagler as part of the Florida East Coast Overseas Railroad and later became a highway. When the new bridge was built, the old bridge was converted to a paved 2.2-mile walking and cycling path connecting Pigeon Key and Marathon Key.The beach at Curry Hammock State Park
The best site at Curry Hammock State Park is enormous, has a view of the ocean and is just steps from the beach. Someone had cancelled a reservation, allowing us to leave the dump station site early and to stay longer in the lower keys. (site #8)During our bonus time in the lower keys, we had more time at Keys Fisheries for live music.We often get to know musicians when we are traveling. We had the opportunity to listen to the very talented Corey Young a couple of times. He has recently released some new original music, some of which was recorded with the famous Mac McAnally, from Jimmy Buffet’s band. Hopefully he will remember us when he is famous.Sunset at Curry Hammock State ParkMy daily lunch is a salad, which is especially good in Florida. We always find really good fresh produce during spring, there, at farmer’s markets or Publix grocery stores.Fred the Tree on the Old Seven Mile Bridge, Marathon, FL. Fred is decorated for the holidays every year. The small tree is known as Fred, Jr. or Wilma, depending upon who you ask.Yes! another cancellation! We exended our stay in the lower keys by 3 days and camped next to the lagoon at Bahia Honda State Park. We were able to paddle from the campsite and saw manatees regularly. (site # 12)At Jolly Mon Pub & Grill, Big Pine Key. Once a week a group of park volunteers, from Bahia Honda SP and Curry Hammock SP, meet up for a jam session/hootenanny. They include a beginner, a couple of novices, and the rest are very experienced. There were 20+ musicians, including our friend Rachel, some with multiple instruments (guitars, banjos, mandolins, steel guitars, ukuleles, etc). They just wing it, making sure everyone is featured. So fun and inspiring!At the walking/cycling path on the Old Seven Mile Bridge.Our friends cancelled a reservation at the best site in Bahia Honda State Park, allowing us to stay two more days. We had slowly reduced our planned stay at John Pennecamp State Park from two weeks down to two nights. We had never been there, but had not heard anyone say that they liked it and we hated to leave the lower keys. We would later learn we made the right choice, for us. (site #14)Ocean view from inside the RV at Bahia Honda State Park. (site #14)View of our premium campsite from the Old Bahia Honda Rail Bridge walkway. Bahia Honda State Park (site #14)Our final dinner, for the year, in the lower keys. Ceasar pita with blackened tuna at one of our favorite restaurants, Burdine’s Waterfront in Marathon. This is for one person??….really????Dave’s bacon cheeseburger with fries at Burdine’s Waterfront in Marathon.The outdoor bar seating at Burdine’s Waterfront. This area was empty because it was a weekday and very windy.A manatee in the marina at Bahia Honda State Park.
