sights for the day included: shell world and treasure shop, two massive
souvenir shops - the second of which was shaped like a castle and 'guarded'
by an immense model lobster; the Rain Barrel - a series of very expensive
shops run by artists, hippies preserved from an earlier age; and Windley Key
Fossil Reef State Geological Site - like a mini national park. All of these
places were within a couple of minute's drive of each other - the Keys are a
weird microcosm.
Most of these places only provided us with brief distractions, however
we spent over an hour at Windley Key State Park. This was the home of the
stuttering ranger previously mentioned, who gave us a very entertaining tour
for free.
On reaching Fiesta Key KOA we were ready for some partying or at least
some sunshine, and so we quickly found our spot and parked. As soon as we
did so it poured with rain.
From now until the end of our trip the camps had quite a different
atmosphere from those we had stayed at earlier in the tour. They were much
busier, and not just with snowbirds, but families too, and Fiesta Key KOA
came complete with a bar and drunks. We only spent two nights there but the
children next to our first spot were so noisy we asked to change site. We also
encountered some very obnoxious natives in the huge pool during the brief
period we spent sunbathing.
We had been trying unsuccessfully to snooze for an hour or so while
our fellow campers swam, chatted and in fact breathed noisily. Then we
became aware of a couple, probably in their thirties, who were either newly