Cayo Hueso

After our awesome weekend at Wakulla Springs, we woke up on Monday ready to continue the fun.  We made a pit-stop in Tallahassee for breakfast at Cracker Barrel.

I scarfed down several homemade buttermilk biscuits with fried apples.

Austin had the Old Timer's Breakfast with scrambled eggs, turkey sausage, hash brown casserole, grits and biscuits.

After breakfast, we made the 3-hour drive to Jacksonville.

I can't even count the number of times I heard, "Are we there yet?" from my cousin.  I can't blame her, though, because we were all very excited about getting to the cruise ship!

For now, I am going to skip past Monday and Tuesday's activities, simply because we spent both days on the ship and didn't do much besides eat, hang out at the pool, and eat some more.  Full recap of food coming soon, I promise.

On Wednesday morning, we arrived in Key West at 7:00 am.  During our Conch Train tour into town, I learned that the island's original Spanish name was Cayo Hueso, which translates to "bone-key".

Exploring Key West

We had a chance to explore Old Town before our excursion started.  There were quite a few unique, old trees in town.

We got a kick out of the wild chickens and roosters roaming around.

Do you see the baby chick?

Poor guy, he lost his mama! 

Luckily, since wild chickens are so rampant in the area, no one bothers them.  There was a kitty cat lying across the street from this baby chick, and he never thought twice about getting up to chase him!

We glanced around the local shops, but we didn't have much time for shopping.

I would have liked to buy a sponge from the Key West Sponge Market, but I didn't have any cash with me!

Of course, if I'd brought my money with me, I would've insisted on browsing the mall!

Better yet, though - we went snorkeling!

Snorkeling in Key West

We bought our shore excursions though the cruise line, but in the future I would definitely purchase them locally once I arrived on the island.

Our Fury Catamaran Sail & Snorkel Adventure began at 9:00 am.  We enjoyed a breezy ride on the Catamaran out to the 3rd largest coral reef in the world.

We sailed right by our cruise ship, the Carnival Fascination.

As soon as we jumped in, I noticed a jellyfish-like species in the water.  I immediately started panicking because they were literally swarming around us, and I was already far away from the boat.  To calm my nerves, Austin shouted to one of the crew members and asked what they were and whether they would sting us.  They were in fact jellyfish, but they were babies and did not sting.

Every time I moved, I brushed up against one.  It was seriously strange to be swimming with jellyfish!  I was even brave enough to hold one in my hand.  It just looked like a clear blob when I pulled it out of the water.

While I was snorkeling, I experienced some intense cramping in my feet.  I am not sure if it was because my fins were too small, or what, but it was painful.  My sweet boyfriend actually pulled me along in the water most of the time so that I didn't have to kick my feet.

The water was absolutely clear and gorgeous. At one point, we found ourselves in some really shallow water above the coral reef.  We had to awkwardly swim above it, because you're not allowed to touch it.  This was even more difficult for me, as I was really wishing I could stand up and take my fins off!

If you've ever used an underwater camera before, you're familiar with how difficult it is to take good pictures!  Hence why there are not a thousand awesome pictures of our adventures.

You'll just have to trust me when I say it was absolutely an amazing snorkeling experience!

When we got back on the Catamaran, the crew kept us happy with free beer and soda.  The crew really made this experience so much fun.  They even posed for this picture with me!

When we got back to the island, it was already lunch time, so we headed back to the cruise ship.

We ate lunch on the balcony while enjoying the view.

The cruise ship departed the port at 3:00 pm.  Next stop: Nassau, Bahamas.

Have you ever been stung by a jellyfish?

I haven't, thank goodness!  I am certainly glad that those baby jellyfish didn't sting us while we were snorkeling!

Wakulla Springs

On our first day of vacation, we flew out of the DFW airport into Tallahassee and met up with my Aunt, Uncle and cousin.  I hadn't seen them in two years so I was thrilled to spend the weekend with them.

We made a pit stop for lunch at a deli called Talk O' the Town.

I had a Mediterranean Sandwich with cucumbers, red peppers, and tomatoes on it.  Austin had a Grilled Reuben, which I must say definitely trumped my veggie sandwich.

After lunch, we hung out at my Aunt's house for a little while before heading out to visit Wakulla Springs.

It started raining almost as soon as we got there, but we decided to go for a dip in the 68 degree water anyway.

We splashed around in the water for a while.

We even swam out to the platform and jumped off. 

The rain started to really come down, though, so we headed inside to the lodge to look around.

We went back to my Aunt's house and she made us a delicious Italian dinner.  Flank steak stuffed with cheese, marinated in red sauce and served with angel hair pasta, asparagus, and garlic bread.

Annie helped set up the table decorations.  I loved the flamingo centerpiece, it is so festive for summer!

The next day, we got up and ate a yummy french toast casserole for breakfast.  Then we headed back out to Wakulla Springs for the morning.

Austin and I jumped off the high-dive platform a few times.

Sadly, the rain interrupted our fun.  There was thunder and lightning, so we left the park and went home for lunch.

We relaxed for a while and played with the dogs. 

Daisy is the perfect lap dog because she is so cuddly!

The storm cleared up in the afternoon, so we hopped back in the car and arrived just in time for the boat tour.

The boat tour goes approximately 1.5 miles down the river.  Along the way, we admired the wildlife and beautiful nature.

Cute baby turtles!

I loved seeing all of the unique birds!

There was also a wide variety of alligators of different colors and sizes.

There is no barrier between these gators and the swimming area.  Of course, alligators are naturally scared of humans, so it is their instict to stay away from the swimming area simply because of the noise and commotion.

The boat ride was approximately 45 minutes long, and was very interesting.  I would definitely go again!

When we got home, my Aunt made us another wonderful dinner!  My plate consisted of BBQ chicken, sweet potato, green beans, and mushrooms.  I also snagged some steak off of Austin's plate, and it was delicious as well!

On Sunday night, we re-packed our suitcases and went to bed early.  In the morning, we got up and drove to Jacksonville!  Vacation recap continued here.

Do you like swimming in cold water?

It takes a minute to adjust to it, but I love how refreshing and clean the spring water feels!

Vacation is Over

I just got home from an awesome vacation!  I've been gone for the past 9 days, so I'm currently unpacking and getting organized for the week.

I will be doing a much more in-depth recap of my vacation in the upcoming week or two, but here's a glimpse of the fun I had during my trip.

Austin and I flew to Tallahassee to stay at my Aunt's house for the weekend.  They have two dogs, Mack and Daisy.  These two cock-a-poos (a mix between a cocker spaniel and a poodle) are hilarious to watch wrestling.

We went to Wakulla Springs while we were in Tallahassee.  This is one of the most gorgeous state parks I've ever been to.

The wildlife was so diverse!  We saw several different types of birds, fish, and of course, alligators.

On Monday, we drove to Jacksonville for our cruise to Key West, FL and Nassau, Bahamas.  We met up with my Grandpa and boarded the Carnival Fascination.

The food was amazing, the scenery was awesome, and we had a blast on our excursions.  I especially enjoyed getting to spend time with my family!

We spent a lot of time by the pool.

We got massages, went shopping, snorkeling, kayaking, and watched the dancing and comedy shows on the ship.  But mostly we just ate tons of food.

I took hundreds of pictures, so don't worry - I will definitely be elaborating on all the food we ate.  Meanwhile, I've got to unpack and get ready to go to work tomorrow!

I hope y'all are having a great weekend!