One of the most hilarious moments I ever experienced while vacationing took place on a boat tour we took at John Pennecamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo, Florida. The park is an underwater park that covers approximately 170 nautical square miles. This was another adventure that my two brothers, my son and I took to the Florida Keys. This state park has a lot to offer that help cut costs for the average family.
Arrival
When you enter the property of the state park, you will get to pay your fee for the day or for your entire stay. Do know that the fee is per vehicle with 2-8 passengers. Any passengers beyond the count of 8 will have to pay an additional amount. We paid our fee for the day and made our way to the center where we checked in for our snorkeling tour. We grabbed our gear and got on a boat that had enough room for about 75 passengers.
Boat Ride
Our boat was full and the trip to where we anchored down was about 30 minutes. The boat was large enough to make it a very smooth ride. It’s when the anchor dropped that the most entertaining event took place. My oldest brother, a Coast Guard veteran and seasoned diver, had gear in hand and made his way to the ladder rather hastily to be the first in the water. My younger brother, son and I were laughing as we yelled, “Women and children step aside!!!” as he barreled his way to make his exit. We have laughed about this on numerous occasions.
Jesus In The Water
While in the water, it took me a while to get acclimated to using my mask and snorkel. My older brother, not so much. He was like a fish in his element. He was taking deep dives to take pictures of the the big statue of Jesus at the bottom of the ocean. We spent a good hour and a half looking at he coral reef and the aquatic life around the reef. My biggest pleasure from the experience was watching my big brother show his skills as a diver and his enthusiasm for it.
Riding Back
Everyone finished their activities in the water as the captain sounded the horn to return to the boat. Want to guess who was the last one out of the water? That’s right. My big brother. We dried off and enjoyed the trip back as we laughed about women and children needing to proceed with caution on future trips involving Coast Guard veterans. These trips probably now have disclaimers provided.
The Conch House
After our fairly long day on the water, we were mentally drained and very hungry. We stopped at one of our favorite stops, The Conch House in Key Largo. We knew about this place because of the television show called Man vs Food. The four of us ordered a whole Key-lime pie and split it four ways. It didn’t last long. We even decided that we didn’t need to order anything else.
Future Travels
Traveling to the Florida Keys is a favorite of ours. However, I have asked my brothers if we can try other destinations and take on new challenges. We still want to take our trips to the Keys because there are still a lot of parks and underwater adventures to see.
That Park Place would like to know what your favorite destinations and activities you enjoy. Feel free to share with me and I’ll check with my family to see if we can enjoy your favorites too.
Be blessed and safe travels!!!
