What draws me to the Keys...gin clear water, the Reefs, sailing waters and Palm trees that whisper in the wind at night.

I had always thought that I would retire in North Carolina, one year I found out that it was too cold there in the winter, my next stop, St. Augustine Fl., too cold there as well. I discovered what the Keys had to offer by accident. I was on a motorcycle trip one year in Nov. and kept riding South until I was warm, when I finally turned off the bike, I was in the Keys, "no brainer", I said to myself and seven years later I still enjoy what the Keys has to offer.

This week has been a settling in time, unpacking, getting the boats ready for launching Etc., all is complete and it is time to sail and fish.

Flats boat just hanging around

The Florida Bay awaits

Dry and no bottom paint

Trolling motor, necessary to move over the flats for a period of time, and put one onto the fish

Right out the back door and all around the house

Potential bombs, no parking zone

Hand grenade, a baby coconut

A salt and drought resistant plant, don't grab a hand full

Arrived In The Keys!!!!

Left NJ Sat. morn, arrived in the Keys Sun. at 6:00 PM. Warm with rain that blew in from the Gulf by way of Mexico. Looking forward to settling in and launching two boats.

More to follow! 

Just the way I left It

Skyline Drive, Blue Ridge Parkway and the Great Smoky Mountains

My friend Scottie and I just returned from a week long tour of The Skyline Drive, Blue Ridge Parkway and The Smoky Mountains. The weather was great every day, no rain at all but the mountain temperatures were a little cool each morning.

We started out from Jackson, NJ then made our way West to Gettysburg, Pa. where we picked up 15 South to Front Royal,Va. the start of the Skyline Drive. The Skyline Drive is 105.4 miles long and ends in Rockfish Gap, Va. At Rockfish Gap we picked up the Blue Ridge Parkway, which is 469.1 miles ending in Cherokee, NC. The ride through the mountains offered us a great opportunity to see some of the  most beautiful scenery in America.

Ready to go from Scottie's house

Yours truly, ready for some more of The Beyond

We spent one of the evenings in Maggie Valley, a great spot to relax, have a good meal and charge your batteries for the next few days of travel. From Maggie Valley we headed South to the infamous Tail of The Dragon. The Dragon's Tail is a length of mountainous highway (129) that is eleven miles long which  twists and turns 318 times, featuring switch backs and wild turns to please even the most seasoned rider.

Tail Of The Dragon

After riding The Tail of the Dragon we started our trip back to NJ, heading to the Eastern Shore where we crossed the Bay Bridge Tunnel, up Hwy Thirteen and across the Cape May Lewes Ferry before getting on to the Garden State Pkwy for a short drive home.

We made it, had a great time, great weather and saw some very interesting sites to boot. The Bikes performed extremely well, no near misses and in my case will be tucked away for the winter while I am in Fl.

Only a couple of pics as we were on Bikes and did not feel like stopping every few minutes to capture a scene, after all that is why we are endowed with a Memory.

Ireland Vacation Slideshow

Slideshow design made with Smilebox

Some Highlights From Our Trip To Ireland

We left the US on Saturday, September 17 and returned a week later on September 24. After landing at Heathrow Airport, we boarded an Air Lingus flight to Shannon, Ireland.We then were transported to our first hotel in Galway City, in the South West of Ireland. There we strolled through the town, went into several Pubs and did some shopping. All in all we spent two days in Galway, taking side trips to the country side through an area called Connemara.

These are just a few of the two hundred and fifty five pictures that we took, to see them all go to the Flickr Site at the top of the page.

Air Lingus flight to Shannon from Heathrow

Galway Harbor, tide is out and the sailboat rests on the Hard.

Fran in front of the Connemara Marble Co.

This town is know for it's green marble, found only in this town.

Connemara country side

Pub where Fran and I watched a unique sporting event called Gaelic Football. This was the day of the Irish Championship.

In this store Fran bought a hand knitted sweater for her Grandson
The picture is of the owner, her shop had the privilege of making all the costumes for the film Quiet Man, 60 years before

Our next stop was Blarney, but not until we toured along the coast then stopping at a beautiful town called Kilarney. While at Kilarney, we took a horse and carriage ride through a 14,000 acre park, the views were spectacular and the weather was cooperating. This was also the day we stopped to see the beautiful and scenic Cliffs of Moher..

The Cliffs of Moher

Looking South

The Cliffs are 700' in most areas

"The Stack"

Looking North

We had a beautiful day but windy

Waves lapping at the Cliffs

A tower built to look for Napoleon's troops
He never invaded Ireland

Staging area for the Buggy Rides in Kilarney
That's Sean, our guide

Jaunting, as it is called in Ireland

Downtown Kilarney

Kilarney

Next stop, Blarney, where the famous Blarney Castle is located, home to the ever popular Blarney Stone. Kissing the Blarney Stone is supposed to endow you with the "Gift of Gab"; personally lying on one's back, bending over backwards and kissing a dirty stone that has more germs than a Grand Central Station bathroom, was not very appealing. "Did I do it", you ask, most certainly, it turned out to be funny and I could always use more ability to BS. We stayed in Blarney that night but not until we gorged ourselves on a great Irish dinner of Lamb, potatoes, veggies and Guinness.

Approaching Blarney Castle

Blarney Castle

Nice view of the Castle

Rest area

Tower adjacent to the Castle

Here goes!

Fran and me at the castle
The town of Blarney in the background

Visitors to the Castle waiting to make out with a rock

View from a window

The Blarney Stone from below

The leaves have already started to change in Ireland

Blarney woollen Mills

Dinner at The Blarney Woollen Mills Hotel

Yup! That's Guinness

Our next stop was Cork City in the County of Cork, there we went to the ever popular English Market, a great spot for fresh produce, meats and Seafood. It was in the English Market that we had our first traditional Shepard's Pie, mmmm good.

English Market in City Cork

The freshest meats, veggies and seafood you could ever wish for

Case after case of fine fare

Fresh veggies

Ah yes, those are Oysters!

Seafood galore

Smoked and pickled

I love these markets, we seek them out wherever we go

Dublin was our last destination, we stayed there three days, taking in all the sights, St. Patrick's Cathedral, Trinity College, the Famous Gardens and we even managed to go to an Irish Cabaret one evening. The twenty second of Sept. was Arthur Guiness' birthday and as an ingenious marketing strategy, all the Pubs served only Guinness. That day Fran and I had lunch at the Brazen Head Pub, the oldest Pub in Ireland, had to have a Pint I might add.

Dinner at The Irish Cabaret, Taylor's

St Patrick's Cathederal

Inside St. Patrick's

Recommended on the tour

Two fisted Fran

One of several bars in the Brazen Head

Walls are lined with American dollars, why, because they are worthless

Big day in the world of Pub's

Happy traveler

The sign says it all

Trinity College, Dublin

Trinity Courtyard

Fran and Molly

Street performer

We left Ireland on Saturday the twenty fourth, Air Lingus to Heathrow, then home on a huge Boeing 777. A great flight but a little long, never the less, it is always nice to get home again.