The Keys are a glorious, glorious place. Even though it was too windy to snorkel and fish, the fun ensued. We hit up a whole slew of Keys hots spots (and by "hot spots" I mean hole-in-the-wall traditions that have been around since the invention of air conditioning, yet have refused to take advantage of said invention). We had a good time showing Michelle around on her first trip to the islands, and she seemed to enjoy our (borderline) obsession with conch fritters.

First stop, Dade Corners: the meeting place. Need some gas? Stop there. Feeling like you want to sport a black leather vest with fringe? No problem. Broken CB? They'll fix it at Dade Corners. Just be sure to walk quickly so you don't get stuck to the floor.

Next up, crossing the 7 mile bridge in the Middle Keys.

A view of the old bridge:

We picked up Michelle from the Key West airport and headed out to do some sightseeing. When we pulled up to the Southernmost Point in the continental U.S., it looked like there were a lot of people who had the same idea. But no, the gaggle of tourists were really made out of plaster. Believe it or not, Michelle and I are the only two warm-blooded people in this photo. Why the fake folks? Don't question the island logic.

After posing with the fake tourists, we embarked on a conch fritter mission. First on the tour was B.O. - a shack near the half shell raw bar. It had some great local color and tasty fritters.

Lots of chickens in Key West...

We managed to spend some time on the water, despite the wind. We started out in Niles Channel and tooled around the Torch Keys. Is there anything on this planet more beautiful than the Keys flats?

We spotted a few dolphins playing in the bay.

After getting bounced around in the boat, we decided to hit up some Keys hotspots. We had fritters and beer at the 7 Mile Grill in Marathon, and then more fritters and beer at No Name Pub. No Name is famous (or perhaps infamous) for the thousands of dollars hanging from the walls and ceilings - all in one dollar bills. Michelle and I added our own dollar to the mix - complete with our favorite stats equations and a bid for Plasticity Forever!

Sadly, the vacation had to end. We traveled back home through Dade Corners yet again - the crossroads of the Everglades.