KEY WEST THANKSGIVING

My daughter visited from Phoenix, last month, and I took her fishing aboard the Mako Flats for her first time.  She caught Spanish Mackerel, Gag Grouper and Mangrove Snapper along the Gulf Intercoastal near Little Gasparilla Pass. The Pompano are in for winter, as evidenced by my last two trips out but none were found on the day my daughter visited.  We enjoyed her fresh Mackerel, broiled and served over club crackers with green pepper tobasco sauce. 

For Thanksgiving, we had planned to take the Key West Express out of Fort Myers but high seas foiled that plan and the boat was cancelled for the day. We made the six hour drive down and traffic was fairly light. We stayed at the Double Tree Grand Key, as usual, and the place was terrific, as always.  This year we opted in for the Thanksgiving dinner buffet and it was well worth the $33 per person.

We enjoyed four live music acts while in Key West.  Scott Kirby, at the Smokin Tuna Saloon; Michael McCloud, at the Schooner Wharf Bar...these are our usual favorites, but we found two new cover bands at Sloppy Joes Bar and loved them both.  Karri Daley is a Key West local and her band will be on our list every time we go back.  We also enjoyed a visiting group from Hattiesburg, MS called Whiskey Kiss.  The music in the Keys is yet one more reason we keep going back, every chance we get. 

The day before my daughter arrived, I caught these two nice pompano.

She did pretty well herself out there

While listening to Scott Kirby at the Smokin Tuna, we paused for a selfie.  Yeah, those are coats we were wearing to protect ourselves from the 62* wind chill in Key West that night. 

Kimber and Kathy at Mallory Square in Key West, taking in the memories of last Thanksgiving when we were all on a cruise in the Eastern Caribbean. 

Father and daughter slurping oysters at the Schooner Wharf Bar, while listening to the music of Michael McCloud

Karri Daley and the band at Sloppy Joes

Kimber and I walked a 5k a day during our Key West vacation