State: Florida
So once more, everyday’s an adventure. I truly believe that anyone who needs their faith in humanity restored, should travel.
Well, today I went to the No Name Pub at the suggestion of a local and a fan (Patricia Stanley Share).
Patricia met me there for lunch. We actually met on the plane ride down to Key West. She was sitting in front of me and we didn’t talk that much, but she caught bits and pieces of the conversation I was having with my seatmates and chimed in when I was talking about how I was looking forward to the Dry Tortugas and learning about its history. We talked briefly about how Dr. Mudd from the Lincoln assassination was sent there when it was a prison. I gave her a business card and she’s been following me ever since.
When we met for lunch we talked about how she’s been a resident of the Keys for 30 years. I told her about my past three days weathering the storm in my hammock. She then bought me lunch and then offered me a place to do my laundry since I mentioned that Big Pine Key doesn’t have a laundromat and I was looking forward to getting to Marathon so I could clean my clothes.
I took her up on her offer and we went to her house. Not only did I get to do my laundry that was in my backpack, but the clothes I had been wearing for three days. She gave me new ones that I was able to wear while I got all of my clothes washed.
She lives with her boyfriend Bob and they are amazing people. They’ve been cross-country twice and love fishing in Alaska (Bob has some great catches, in pictures and on the wall). Patricia was telling me how she and her friend found a gator in the road and then caught it and moved it off to the canal.
Patricia showed me around Big Pine Key and took me to a place that I wanted to check out, but there was no way I was going to walk there since I only had one sunny day before more storms.
It’s called the Blue Hole. It’s at the Key Deer Wildlife Refuge on Big Pine Key. It’s a big pond with gators. We didn’t see any, but we did get to see some good-sized soft-shelled turtles.
We drove around and she showed me No Name Key. It was awesome when we got to see an Osprey just hanging out on a bridge with some fisherman.
When we got back, I packed up my laundry. She asked me what my plans were and I told her I was going to work my way down to the edge of U.S. 1 and hunker down for Sunday (Sunday was supposed to be a massive thunderstorm with 25mph winds), then on Monday head out across the 7 mile bridge.
She talked with Bob and they let me stay with them for 2 nights. So I don’t have to weather yet another storm in my hammock.
Truly great people with amazing stories. Human kindness on the road is real people. Don’t be afraid to travel because everyday is an adventure!
Forever your friend,
~The Outsider