Lunch Stop at Islamorada - Lazy Days

We experience quite a traffic slowdown as we head back toward Fort Lauderdale, at times stopped for several minutes at a time, and decide to stop for lunch at Lazy Days after reading the positive reviews.

https://www.hideawaycafe.net/

The view is terrific and the upstairs deck is shady and breezy.

Of particular interest is what appears to be a large and genuine anchor that lies on the beach below.

We both had hamburgers - tasty! The service is slow but the young server apologizes and tells us they are suddenly slammed with customers.

The drive from there up to our Hilton Garden Inn near FLL was no fun, but we’re parked and checked in, with our fingers crossed for late checkout privileges tomorrow as we look forward to our 6:10 PM FLL-SEA non-stop flight.

Last Night in the Keys

If we didn’t have to cross the Overseas Highway, we could have walked from the Hampton Inn to the Island Fish Company.

https://islandfishco.com/

We waited only 20 minutes for an outdoor table, all the better to watch the sunset.

The setting is spectacular and the service is speedy but decent.

We start with an excellent stone crab claws appetizer.

Kathy’s pasta and Brian’s French Dip sandwich are fine.

The sunset lives up to its billing.

Beautiful!

Checking Out Marathon

We get a relatively early start to beat the heat and find a couple of nice little parks on a causeway not far from our Hampton Inn.

We share nachos at Havana Jack’s, which features a large shaded deck with a beautiful breeze.

Frank’s Grill in Marathon

Recommended by our neighbors (Thanks Bob and Carmen), Frank’s proves to be a good choice.

We share an excellent mussels appetizer.

Kathy’s lasagne has lots of Italian sausage.

Brian’s ziti with broccoli has a lot of garlic zing.

Another enjoyable meal in Marathon.

Shade at the Pool

We’re so happy to see clouds, unlike at home.

We spend an enjoyable 90 minutes in the pool and the hot tub before dinner.

Marathon: Irie Island Eats

It’s a food-truck sort of place, seemingly parked permanently  next to the Paradise Farmer’s Market in a beautiful setting.

We find a shady spot near a fan, a necessity for us on another 90-degree day, and admire the surroundings as we wait for our order.

It’s a tasty lunch with tacos for Brian and this Curry Chicken Bowl for Kathy.

https://irieislandeats.com/

Evening Appetizers at Marathon

Points off for presentation but bonus points for content...

Marathon: Aquarium Encounters

Uncrowded, entertaining, and friendly and knowledgeable employees make this a fine stop.

https://floridakeysaquariumencounters.com/

Kathy feeds an African Spurred Tortoise.

We pat a young alligator.

We see Southern Manta Rays up close.

At about 90 Fahrenheit (32 Celsius) and humid, it’s time to retreat to our cool hotel room for awhile.

Marathon: Fish Tales Market & Eatery

This is another great find only a mile or so down the highway from our hotel.

It’s not just the ambiance.

It’s the food and the value. We each enjoy a cup of stone crab chowder, fish sandwiches, and a Yuengling draft for about 38 bucks. That’s good value in these parts.

We also pick up some shrimp and cocktail sauce to store in our refrigerator for our own Happy Hour this evening.

Great place!

Marathon Hampton Inn

It’s nicer than the reviews indicate and we start the with a dip in the deserted pool and some lounge time, a short walk from our “patio.”