Can you believe the photo above is unretouched? True story. That’s the color the camera captured. Breathtaking. Okay, back to our regularly scheduled program…
We drove from Tampa all the way to the Florida Keys, with one stop for lunch. We had eaten our share of sandwiches in the RV, and fish and seafood at restaurants recently. What we were really craving was some good Mexican food. Living in San Diego, we know authentic Mexican food when we taste it. Not Tex-Mex, which is tasty as well, but real-deal Mexican food. We were craving carne asada and carnitas, and a salsa bar with everything ranging from salsa fresca and tomatillo salsa, to home made red sauce, and fresh lime and cilantro. I found a place off the freeway by a few miles, shortly before taking highway 1 south to the Keys. Taqueria Morelia is attached to a gas station, which meant parking should be fine. The reviews were plentiful and positive, so we gave them a try.
If there’s anything we’ve learned is to not judge a book by its cover when exploring uncharted territory. That’s not to say go blindly into bad areas. If there’s too much graffiti, broken down cars, bars on all windows, abandoned buildings, and mostly empty streets, it would be wise to move on. Rather, look for kids, teenagers, and older people all going about their business in their home town. Don’t be afraid. We’ve encountered some of the best food and kindest people in the most unlikely places.
Walking in, Taqueria Morelia could have been any of our favorite taco shops in San Diego, and the food was delicious. Our carnitas, carne asada, homemade tortilla and salsa craving tastefully satisfied, we hit the road south. Next stop, the Florida Keys!
A cheat sheet for the salsa bar – great!
Carne asada and carnitas on point, enough to share, and enough for another meal!
Our first sight of being in the Keys was this, and we were so excited to be so near.
Getting close!
First of the Keys!
Not always easy to get a focused photo in a moving vehicle.
Our first glimpse of the Caribbean blue water, even though this is still technically the Gulf of Mexico.
I want to be them!
Excitement grows as we approach the Middle Keys, our first couple of nights will be at Sunshine Key Resort. We will be just the two of us tonight, but tomorrow evening we will be joined once again by Brent & Jill. SO excited to be able to vacation with them a second time on this trip!
Our spot at this resort was terrific, right on the water, with a little grassy area in front. After settling in, we walked the beach, met the neighbors, both human and otherwise.
Iguanas are plentiful.
Fiddler crabs were plentiful, too.
One more:
After grilling dinner, we simply sat back and enjoyed the stunning sunset.
Keep looking up.