June 3, 2011

This is a restaurant where we had breakfast on Isle of Capri, near Marco Island.

Our dock master and restaurant owner recommended this for breakfast.  We were warned that the owner was abrasive and treats customers rudely but had a  great breakfast.  We found the food as described but the owner just had a dry sense of humor and we enjoyed  talking  with him.

Don't recall if my last attempt to blog included our stay at the Isle of Capri or not, if not just wanted to say what a great stop.  The owners of the restaurant and marina offered free docking if you ate at their restaurant.  The restaurant was a gourmet spread of 5 courses and each were the best we have had.  However very expensive, even with free dockage.  But the owners were great host, offered us their car, gave us a golf cart to use on the island and told us we where welcome to stay and were not required to eat at their restaurant again.  We ate down the road at a crab shack which was OK and after we felt we should have eaten at the gourmet restaurant again.

 Picture of the gourmet  restaurant and dockage.  By the way, they only had two docks, you can see Miss Ellen in one of the docks in this picture.

 We had a great crossing of the gulf from the Isle of Capie, Marco Island.  The sky  was clear blue , the ocean calm and blue green.  We set the auto pilot, and navigation GPS for Key West buoy number 1.  We arrived per our ETA cruising at a speed of 15 miles an hour after 8 hours on the open gulf waters.  Weired feeling being out of sight of land for that many hours, hoping you set . the GPS coordinates correctly.  I guess I did it right because below is the picture arriving at Key West, a welcome sight.

This is one of the first things you see after leaving the port and walking toward the down town area of Key West.  We docked at the Westin Hotel Marina, located next to the Cruise ship port and the area where the entertainers perform on the dock. 

   This is one of the street performers.  You can see by this picture the large crowds they draw for donations.

 This is a picture of  one of our favorite sister in laws, Sue.  My brother and sister in law drove down from Miami to spend the weekend with us in the Keys. 

Picture of the Marina at the Westin Hotel. 

One of the restaurants recommended by our host at the Isle of Capri was Pepe's.  This is a picture of the restaurant.  Its been around since world war II when the original owner started the business and was a favorite place for the soldiers stationed at the naval base.  The place was crowed at 10:00 AM and we had to wait an hour to be seated.  It was worth it.

Rudy with one of his favorite waitresses.

This is a picture of my brother, sister in law, Cona and her brother Jim inside Pepe's, waiting to be seated.

   Rudy and Cona having a drink with friends on the dock  at the north end of Key West.

 Rudy being attacked by sponge man.

The three of us spent a day here.

Inside the garden of Eden.

We spent 3 days in Key West and had a great time.  We walked the streets in the afternoon looking and watching the strange local and weird tourist (like us).  We ate at a couple of great restaurants, and enjoyed having Royce and Sue join us. 

The next day we departed Key West and headed to Marathon Key.