Whatever happened to the discussion about having a mini-meet somewhere in the Keys? I thought some people were pretty interested in it... myself included!

Faggetabout that old link with the discussion about a Keys dive in it, it's SO archived! lol

So lets just plan it here. We're in, just say when!

We're in anytime after the 1st week of Nov. (off to TN. for a month)

(Message edited by muddysoapfish on October 2, 2006)

I'm 90% sure we're in after the new year..
this year is booked

Wes and I are in if the timing is right. I can't do it during the school semester. May/June maybe?

June and July are great months for the best viz, plus the water will be about 86 degrees during that time. I'm hoping we could do it in summer as well.

Let me restate mine...any summer month would work from mid-May to mid-August. I have been in the Keys for Labor Day and Memorial Day, but never for the Fourth of July. Hmmm....

4th of July would be a blast !! I mentioned it to Steve several weeks ago and he asked me about it again... he wants us to come and bring Riley! He said he just wants to stay somewhere where they will have things to do while I am diving. This was HIS idea ! Yayyyy!!!

Anytime after Dylon graduates (late June 2007) is good for us

Kelly that would be awesome to see Mr. Riley guy!!! In the past, Wes and I have rented a house (half of a duplex) on Key Colony Beach (middle Keys). With the rental comes the Cabana Club - pool, beach, hot tub, and food/drink (for sale of course). It is a great place and lots of kidlets around and things to do for Steve and Riley. We absolutely love the place. Have been there a couple of times with groups. Rented out both sides of a duplex once and had boat dockage included. It was a riot. Wes got certified there as well. I could go on and on....

Tribs is there a website? Would love to check it out.

Any other ideas/suggestions??

http://www.flkeys.com/rental.html

The Dolphin Research Center is located on Grassy Key. It is a wonderful facility. You can just visit or do one of their programs. Wes and I did the Dolphin Encounter one year, and got to see a brand new baby dolphin born that day. Two years later we went back for another Encounter and got to swim with that same baby (Tanner) and his mother (Santini). It was awesome! http://www.dolphins.org/

I would love to do a Keys meet. We get rid of Boy for a few weeks around the 4th (little rat goes to the BVI's for 3 weeks sailing and diving). I believe that the 4th of July is on a Wednesday in 2007. Maybe that following weekend? The 6-8th ish?

Well count me in just let me know when. I need as much time to plan as i can get because of work.

Haven't been to the Keys in a while. July would be best for me. Don't know about me diving, all my gear is on Bonaire.. but would love to meet up with everyone! Will have to check with hubby's schedule.

If we're planning that far in advance I think I can swing it. August is a terrible month for me but July is OK. Usually have family reunion the week of the 4th. The week after would work though. I was impressed with the Keys diving when my husband and I went several years ago. Wouldn't mind doing it again. My hubby's a diver too.

Are Dutch people allowed to come?

Angela - you bet!

This is getting to be a great get together! It is always nice to have something to look forward to! Just may have to bring dive gear home with me in February!

NO! We leave for Bonaire the Saturday after the 4th........ You CAN'T have a Florida mini-meet without me!

I formally protest.

Can I also ask for NOT the 4th of July --- a non-holiday weekend would be so much easier

I have to say that a non-holiday weekend would be nice too...the key's on a holiday weekend? probably like a holiday weekend in laguna beach...or SB, right boom? I might have a hard time getting Michael to go! Angela, you better not think about swapping dates on me...;-)

After the 4th is better for me too!
Boom, I know what you mean about a non-holiday weekend being better, totally agree! I am going to have to pull out my Jimmy Buffet t-shirts for this meet!

We have 3 full sets of extra dive gear, if anyone is worried about that!

We're going to plan a Bon trip sometime in June or July, so I hope we can finalize the Keys trip in time!

What's everyone thinking? Middle, lower or upper Keys? Personally, we think you can't beat Looe Key, but you pretty much have to stay on Big Pine or somewhere thereabouts (but the Key deer are plentiful, tiny little things! But it's COUNTRY on the islands, the roosters will wake you up. ). Key Largo seems to have the healthiest reefs and the biggest creatures (but we do see caribbean reef sharks at Looe every time), but Looe is good, but all the way to KW you get coral bleaching BAD.

We've dove from nearly everywhere in the Keys, and for us, just going back to Key Largo is the best, with an occasional side to Looe and the Key West for a day trip, to eat and watch the sunset at Mallory's square (and the people circus there), then we head back to whichever Key we're staying on.

Summer is off season, btw. Rates are cheaper than you'd think!

Upper keys please. Bad weather days take the trip down to Key West for Mallary Square and the Duval Street crawl.

Angela, sure you can come but do you have to drag along that crazy hubby? Now that he's not moderating we can talk bad about him and he'll never know.

Angela, I think it's unanimous -- YES !! I would love to see you again and love for you to meet Steve and Riley.

I think we are pretty much open with the schedule for summer.... this would be so cool if it can all come together!

Well heck yeah! Angela if you want to cross the pond we would love for you to join us. I've been in the Keys for Labor Day and Memorial Day, no real issues with it being holiday weekends. We pick the holiday weekends because we then use less vacation time. Plus I thought someone posted the 4th falling in the middle of the week.

Kelly wanted things to do...
Feed the Tarpons - always a riot!
Bahia Honda
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park
Uh....can't remember the exact name, Mangrove Museum in the middle keys
Kayak the mangroves - really cool birds!
Charter a fishing boat (1/2 or full day)
Visit all of the cool beaches, Sombrero, Cocoa Plum
Go to the only family style breakfast place on Marathon just south of Key Colony Beach and pick up their place mat. It is a wonderful map of what to do in the Keys. (Besides going to Key West)
They have a web cam at Hog's Breath! Can you say BT Flag moment?

Tribs, they have a live cam at Sloppy Joes, too (Hemingway's hangout). Just say when is all I say.

No way Kathy! I didn't see that one. Woooo hooo - multiple cam opportunities!

(I got so excited that I forgot how to spell multiple! LOL!)

(Message edited by jeanineclark on October 3, 2006)

I am okay for the 4th of July, but if most can't make it, that's fine. Like I said, we are open pretty much any time. I'm with Tribs, I just take less vacation time that way but heck I get 5 paid weeks a year ! I'm usin' it!

We are talking about trying to make Bonaire in February and taking Riley with us. I'll probably start a new thread on the feasibility of this... I may regret the decision somewhere over Jamaica..lol.. Taking him to Bonaire would probably more for me than for him, he won't remember much but I think it's a great tradition to start and he loves the water! We'll see... gotta get the new birth certificate and passport FIRST... Riley Fulton Baum !!

How do we decide on which Key? Doesn't Key Largo have the Spiegel Grove? I'd love to dive on that wreck. I am open to suggestions.

And this is my stupid question for today. Can we fly into there or do we have to rent a car from Miami and drive? Steve wants to go, but would rather not fly in a Ford Festiva with wings if possible. Of course I can always feed him drugs from a pez dispenser.

Cecil, DOWN BOY!!! I'm still reading the messages... You can talk bad about me, but I might start to behave like my haircut!!! And that's not a pretty sight!

Kelly...we fly into Miami and drive down; but I have heard that you can fly into Key West on one of the smaller planes. I think you can connect to Key West from most of the Florida airports. I might be wrong on this. I have also seen the airport on Marathon, but the only planes I have seen there were private jets.

Deciding where is always the fun part. We pick the middle Keys because then it is only about an hour in either direction to visit the other keys. We also pick that area because most dive operators are willing to go in either direction from there. We have stayed on Key Largo at this really nice campground on the Gulf side, but finding houses to rent are an issue. They passed a law a while ago about restricting rental units. We stay at Key Colony Beach because it is its own political entity and the law restricting renting houses does not apply to it. I think Key West is also exempt because of its political status.

Martin, not a pretty sight indeed. I do miss the sun reflecting off it though. That would be pretty cool if you guys could show up.

I've always done the fly into Miami (MIA, FLL or WPB) and drive down route. Easy, cheap flights and they give away rental cars (well almost).

I got a laugh when on this last trip we rented a car in Fort Lauderdale and returned it to West Palm Beach and Art was worried they would charge a drop off fee. Yeah right, not at those three airports. To much competition.

I did a little research a bit a go on where to stay in the Keys. Here's one place I found that looked promising, Holiday Isle. This is in Islamorada which is a little north of the middle.

I'll let those of you with more experience in the Key's pick the area. I'm pretty flexible as long as it's not too noisy, comfortable and has good food somewhere near. The idea of a middle key is a good idea I think. It would give us the most flexibility on diving. I'm not nuts about camping, however!

We were in the vicinity of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park the only time we dove down there and it was good.

Is anyone ready to begin narrowing down the time?

I'd love to set it somewhere in the last two weeks of June so I can plan our trip to Bonaire in July.

Patrick has a condo he has use of on Marathon and needs to "lock it in" as well, so if we just made a decision on the dates, we could all begin planning!