Bucket List: Local
I've been thinking on the subject of adventure. One of the local places in my state that I've never been to is Key West. I remember mentioning it to my mother before and her reply was, "Oh, I've been there before." She's un-fucking-believeable. How does that help me? As if her having gone there before means that I don't need to go? Like I'm an extension of her? NPDs really are a breed unto themselves.
Anyway, back to the bucket list thing. I really don't care that much about Key West per se, there really isn't that much to do there. There are a couple museums and the Hemingway haunts and the funky graveyard that would be okay to see, but the place is really just a stepping stone for one of the places on my bucket list--the Dry Tortugas.
One of the cool things about going to Dry Tortugas is there are only two ways to get there: ferry service or sea plane. I've been on neither before so either way would be an adventure in itself. The little atolls that comprise the Tortugas are a bit of a schlep West form Key West. If I recall correctly, the ferry service, which is by fast catamaran, takes a couple hours to get there. The sea plane would obviously be quicker but also more expensive.
Once you get out there, the main attraction is the old crumbling ruins of Fort Jefferson which was used as a prison during the Civil War. One of the other cool things is that overnight camping is allowed outside of the grounds of the fort. This has interested me. To me, this seems both exciting and scary. Imagine camping out on a beach practically in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico with hardly anyone around! It's basically just you and the sea creatures and maybe a few other brave souls!
I think it would be kinda cool to do the camping thing. After the ferry leaves with the day trippers you'd basically have the whole place to yourself depending on if anyone else stayed for camping. It would be nice to do some snorkeling on the reefs and some BBQing. Of course, when the sun goes down it would be pitch black since the place is in the middle of nowhere with no electricity. There'd only be the moon and the stars. I've been down to the Middle Keys before and trust me, it's amazing how many stars there are up in that sky!
I know I'll visit the Tortugas some day. I'm just wondering if I'll work up the courage to camp over night.
Anyway, back to the bucket list thing. I really don't care that much about Key West per se, there really isn't that much to do there. There are a couple museums and the Hemingway haunts and the funky graveyard that would be okay to see, but the place is really just a stepping stone for one of the places on my bucket list--the Dry Tortugas.
One of the cool things about going to Dry Tortugas is there are only two ways to get there: ferry service or sea plane. I've been on neither before so either way would be an adventure in itself. The little atolls that comprise the Tortugas are a bit of a schlep West form Key West. If I recall correctly, the ferry service, which is by fast catamaran, takes a couple hours to get there. The sea plane would obviously be quicker but also more expensive.
Once you get out there, the main attraction is the old crumbling ruins of Fort Jefferson which was used as a prison during the Civil War. One of the other cool things is that overnight camping is allowed outside of the grounds of the fort. This has interested me. To me, this seems both exciting and scary. Imagine camping out on a beach practically in the middle of the Gulf of Mexico with hardly anyone around! It's basically just you and the sea creatures and maybe a few other brave souls!
I think it would be kinda cool to do the camping thing. After the ferry leaves with the day trippers you'd basically have the whole place to yourself depending on if anyone else stayed for camping. It would be nice to do some snorkeling on the reefs and some BBQing. Of course, when the sun goes down it would be pitch black since the place is in the middle of nowhere with no electricity. There'd only be the moon and the stars. I've been down to the Middle Keys before and trust me, it's amazing how many stars there are up in that sky!
I know I'll visit the Tortugas some day. I'm just wondering if I'll work up the courage to camp over night.
posted by Xul at 12:58 AM
13 Comments:
this seems both exciting and scary.
I have to wonder what it's like out there during a storm or a hurricane. Terrifying, I'd guess. When I was about 18 I went on a camping vacation with my parents in Limburg. Near the end of it there was this huge thunderstorm that went on all night. The whole of the camping grounds got flooded with rainwater. We left for home the day after that.
Have you ever camped anywhere else?
When I was a kid we had a small tent that I'd set up in the back garden. Just sleeping there was pretty terrifying.
Yeah, the more I think about camping out on that island, the more terrifying it becomes. There is a laundry list of things that could go horrifically wrong. Anything from being raped and murdered by other campers or smugglers to being over-washed by the ocean during a storm and swept out to sea never to be seen again. Then there are all the possibilities for sea creatures to sting, bite, or eat you. I'm not sure if park rangers actually stay on the island at the fort. It's amazing how negatively psyched up I can get myself. If I got up the nerve to actually camp there, I'd be the shizzle, indeed! ;P
out there during a storm or a hurricane. Terrifying, I'd guess. Living 7 miles inland during a hurricane is terrifying enough. I don't think they would even allow visitors out there if there was a threat of a storm.
Have you ever camped anywhere else? When I was around 10 yrs old I had a small tent that my parents allowed me to set up in the back yard. I was never allowed to stay in it over night, though.
Staying in a tent is disconcerting, IMO. You leave yourself very vulnerable to the elements or animals or people. I like that in some of the state parks here there are small cabins for rent that are very reasonably priced. I'd like to do that.
So the camping trip to Limburg was your only "official" camping trip?
So the camping trip to Limburg was your only "official" camping trip?
No, there were a couple more, also in Limburg. And we stayed in a relatives house for a couple of summers.
My last vacation was with my parents and my sister's family in a cottage in the middle of the country. That was a couple of years ago. In fact, I think I may have told you about it.
In fact, I think I may have told you about it. No, I don't think you told me anything about that. I'm sure I would have remembered. I thought you said it had been ages since you last went anywhere?
So where was this cottage? Like literally in the middle of your country? Like Flevoland, Gelderland or Overijssel? Or just out in the boondocks somewhere? This sounds interesting. You must tell me about it! :)
Isn't Limburg where the higher bits of your country are? IIRC, isn't there some ancient quarry or mine there with some dark ages or medieval cave art? There must be lots of good things to explore in Limburg.
That's one of my idiosyncrasies...I have absolutely no fear when it comes to exploring nature or caves or ruins.
No, I don't think you told me anything about that.
Odd, I guess I made that up then. :/ I didn't tell you about the "Veluwe"?
I thought you said it had been ages since you last went anywhere?
That's pretty much true. It's been at least 5 years and at least 20 before that.
Like literally in the middle of your country?
Yep, in the Veluwe, near Apeldoorn. It was just a wooden building with room for 8 people. It was in the middle of a forest but with a restaurant and pool nearby. We stayed there for about 2 weeks and we went to places like the Dolfinarium in Harderwijk.
Isn't Limburg where the higher bits of your country are?
Yeah, there are loads of hills and valleys. And an old mine with fossils in it.
It's a rather narrow province, especially in the south. If you don't watch it you'll drive straight into Germany or Belgium.
.I have absolutely no fear when it comes to exploring nature or caves or ruins.
You're never worried you might get lost? What have you explored, any interesting castles?
I´ve never been in a cave but I've always like old buildings and ruins. Not that we have many of those around here.
I didn't tell you about the "Veluwe"? I remember the name and that you said it was a big nature preserve but I don't recall anything about the cabin bit.
I looked it up on the internet before. Don't they have bicycles that people can use to do exploring? That could never happen here. Peeps would steal them. This is not the America of even 25 years ago. :(
We stayed there for about 2 weeks Niiiiice! I've never been on a vacation for that long.
an old mine with fossils in it. Cool. There's a Natural History museum down there, too, IIRC. Those are my favorite. I like looking at old bones and fossils and crap. :)
If you don't watch it you'll drive straight into Germany or Belgium. Couldn't be all bad. As long as those Belgians and Germans give me some beers and chocolates! ;P
You're never worried you might get lost? Nah. I have a good sense of direction.
What have you explored, any interesting castles? When I was around 7 yrs old, my class went on a field trip to a local park in Davie. Back then, Davie was very rural and this park was still rather wild/in its natural state. There were lots of nature trails to explore. (This is where I saw the fairy/gnome's house.)
Anyway, after exploring all the official trails, there was this one area that was off limits. It was on the other side of a canal and the bridge over the canal had a big chain-link fence gate across it closing it off.
Well, I was determined to see what was back there so I slipped around the gate and convinced some of my friends to go with me. Looking back on it now, it was likely that area of the park was reserved for horseback riding. There wasn't anything back there but the trails and trees(the whole park was heavily wooded).
My friends were scared that we'd get lost back there but they trusted me to get them back to the rest of our group. Obviously I did or else I wouldn't be sitting here typing this! LOL I had a good sense of direction even as a little kid. :)
As far as castles, we don't have much of that here. The closest things to an old castle would be the Castillo de San Marcos up in St. Augustine and the Ancient Spanish Monastery in NMB. I've been to both places a couple times and they are two of my favorite places in the state. St. Augustine is the oldest continually occupied European settlement in North America. There's lots of old Spanish crap up there to explore. And the monastery was something that was bought by William Randolph Hearst in Spain and shipped over here. IICR, it was quarantined in NY and then sat in a warehouse for many years. Then some peeps bought it and had it reassembled in NMB. I think the building is 700 or 800 years old. It's really cool. Peeps like to have wedding photos taken there.
Another place that could rightly be described as a castle is the Biltmore House in Ashville, North Carolina. It was one of several mansions of the Vanderbilt family. It is all kinds of awesome. The whole of western North Carolina is awesome, actually.
The one cavern that I've been to was just over the western border of North Carolina in eastern Tennessee. It was very cool.
Another thing that was cool was Chimney Rock in NC. There was this one trail that led to the cliff where the waterfall went over. If I had my way, I would have went exploring back down the river into the woods but my mother wasn't having any of that. LOL
Not that we have many of those around here. Doesn't your town have that ripoff of a ruin that is just the corner of some old castle? I'm surprised gravity hasn't claimed it yet. ;P
Caves are awesome. If you ever get a chance to go in one you should definitely do it. :)
I've never been on a vacation for that long.
Really? What's your longest vacation?
I'm surprised gravity hasn't claimed it yet. ;P
I'm pretty sure that surprises everyone.
Really? What's your longest vacation?
I think 7 days. Probably the time I went to Ashville, NC, with my family.
Aw, look at you two having a wee comment-fest. Cute.
Is the Hemingway house with all the cats with six toes in Key West? I really want to go there. It's on *my* bucket list.
Probably the time I went to Ashville, NC, with my family.
Did you have fun there?
BTW new Doctor Who episodes as of today :)
Is the Hemingway house with all the cats with six toes in Key West?
Yes, it is! (I used to have a six-toed cat when I was a little girl.) You should go. I tried to convince Arekino that he's make an excellent Conch* but he'd have none of it.
*Keys resident
Key West also has the museum with the possessed doll that they based the Chucky movies on. Robert the Doll, to be exact. Creepy little bugger.
Did you have fun there?
Oh, yes. Absolutely! That's one of my favorite places. The Smokey Mountains are beautiful.
So, it's Easter. Are you doing anything Easter-y? Maybe you dance naked around a maypole? :P
I've indulged in some Advocaat with slagroom. It's egg related so I guess that's my way to celebrate the advent of new life (Although it seems Spring is either postponed or cancelled altogether)
I see you weren't sucked into the wi-fi? ;)
Are you doing anything Easter-y? I've got a massive ham in the oven as I type. :) I made a gingerbread cake last night(although that's not really a traditional Easter cake, carrot is) and there may be a hard-boiled egg left in the fridge for later.
No nekkid maypole dancing, here. Too hot out side--wouldn't want to get my tender bits sunburned! ;P
Later tonight I'll be watching the first new episode of season 3 of Game of Thrones. Huzzah for free HBO!
Spring is either postponed or cancelled altogether I think the Snow Queen is holding on a bit tighter this year in your area. You should tell her to come to Florida!
Don't overdo it with the Advocaat. That stuff goes down a little too easily!
Post a Comment
<< Home