Bucko's World

Friday 14th

All this glorious weather, all these lovely beaches, all the superb places to eat and shop, can really take it out of you.  I'm so knackered already, I'll need a holiday just to get over the holiday once we're home, and we're not even a week in yet.  What is needed today then is a relaxing sit on the beach under azure skies, a light lunch at an outlet mall, followed by some relaxing retail therapy....

We find ourselves visiting Lovers' Key, a beach designated as part of the National Park and it's upkeep is covered by the $8 parking charge.  Exorbitant as this may seem, you do get a tram ride to and from the beach included, so perhaps it's easier to swallow if you think of the charge as bus fare.  It's interesting to think that back in the late 60s and early 70s there were plans to turn this area of exceptional beauty and biodiversity into "The Miami of the Gulf" a thought the beggar's belief in these more enlightened times.

The beach is very nice, and extremely warm, but due to the big storms out to sea that have been a regular occurrence most nights, the sea is a bit more murky than usual.  No problem for swimming in its bath water warmth, but no good if you like snorkelling, which is a bit of a shame.  Perhaps if it was clearer the little boy in the sea beside me could stop yelling that everything that passes by him is a stingray - so far it's been little more than seaweed...

There had been a plan to do the two mile nature walk offered up as part of the entrance fee to the park, but it is so damn hot we decide to grab the tram ride back to the car and head for the soothing climes of an air conditioned bar with plenty of Sam seasonal on tap.  We head back to the Mirrormar mall and and intriguing restaurant called Naples Flat Bread and Pizza.  The Sam is indeed cold, the flatbread with Chicken, Blue Cheese and Frank's Red Hot is delicious - and big - and we're soon set for another round of shopping.  Amazingly all we come back with are some GAP t-shirts and a pair of Levi's.  A complete shopping fail in the big scheme of things.

After a day of being broiled alive we decide the most we can manage is to stay at Chloe's where the tucker has been pretty first rate so far.  We have the Lobster Burrito to start, which is pretty orgasmic, many a chef has made their name with a lesser plate of food than this.  Lisa then has an amazing Dolphin Mahi Mahi, blackened, with all the trimmings, and I have a mahoosive steak, with jacket spud (with both soured cream and butter natch) and it is all wonderful.  Tasting the Dolphin fish, it's beyond wonderful, and my steak suddenly seems only fucking superb in comparison.  Good times!  This is definitely one of the best places I've eaten in the states, and I can only assume it's half empty due to it being the "off season", it deserves to be packed every night.  Although this is the last night we'll eat in here this trip, I'm hoping it isn't the last time we'll have the amazing food here...and so it's off to bed and looking forward to more National Parks tomorrow.