Islamorada Marine Flea Market

The free flea market was pretty good this year. Of course, it is always nice to escape from Miami and go to the Keys.

Islamorada, for those of you who do not know your Keys, is in the upper keys. It does not take too long to drive down there from Miami - but it seems like a foreign country. In Miami-Dade County, everyone tries to kill you. Not with a gun or a knife, but with a 2,500 pound hunk of steel going 60 mph - and that is on surface streets. In the Keys, people are more laid back. Nobody tries to run you over. Nobody lays on the horn milliseconds after the light turns green. And so forth.

So here is how it works. Say you fly into Miami International Airport. Here is what I suggest you do.

1. Catch your connecting flight without leaving the airport. Have a great time!
2. If you do not have a connecting flight, consider catching one. American Eagle and Continental
fly to Key West if you do not have a passport.
3. Rent a car. Get on the 836 expressway going WEST. When you get to the Florida Turnpike head SOUTH. Stay on the pike till it ends, then keep driving south. Do not stop until you are in Key Largo.

Anyway, the day was GREAT. Last night it was all stormy and wet. This morning I was slightly concerned, because the sky in Miami was all grey and nasty and miserable looking. But when I got to Largo, it was nothing buy blue skies and white poofy clouds.

I did not really buy too much crap. I have A LOT of crap for the boats already. I mean - A LOT of crap. I do not even know why I continue to go to these things - I have that much crap. I left the flea market with only one or two things that I saw but did not buy. They wanted too much for it. What was it that I left? A handheld compass (not like the ones used for hiking, but the kind you use on a boat to take a fix), a bait bucket, and thats it.

I did get some good stuff. I stocked up on sabiki rigs, as usual. Sabiki rigs are 6 or 8 small hooks on one strand of line. You use them to catch pinfish for bait. At the bait store, they want 4 or 5 bucks for a sabiki rig, at the flea markets the going price is a buck. So I got 10 rigs, I might use 4 or 5 this year. I also got some high tech fishing line (8 lb test) for $3. And some cable ties, 6 bags for $5.

The most expensive item I got is something called the "Firefly 2". It is a battery operated rescue strobe light. When you turn it on, it flashes. It is USCG approved as a day/night electronic flare for life rafts. It is also waterproof to 200 feet, so it will work as a night diving strobe. Now when I go out on the boat at night, I can attach the strobe to my flotation device. If I fall overboard, I turn it on and I can be seen for 3 miles. I already have whistles on all the life jackets. The flare is more for the kayak I am still waiting for. It cost me $20, and it looks to be brand new. The cheapest I could find the same device for on Froogle was $45 plus shipping.

On the way back, I went to this place called "Snook's". It at MM 99.9 (thats a valid Keys address, mile marker 99.9). If you know Largo, this is at the intersection where the Mermaid Marina place is (there is a large mural of a reef and mermaid), right before Largo Honda if you are southbound. It is on the BAYSIDE of Largo. The food there is OK, but it is still a nice place. The outdoor area is nice, right on the waterfront. If you ever get to Largo, Snook's is a place to check out. Sit outside. If you eat inside, it is just another place. The outside tables are under a cheeke hut so you are out of the sun. There is a full bar and a blender for frozen drinks, but I just had a beer.