I awoke this morning with a hint of ambition to get out and have a look around Marathon but as the morning progressed my motivation waned. We have been steadily on the go for the past several days and today just seemed like the right time to take a little break. We idled around the campground reading books, getting quiet and taking long naps. In the late afternoon, we mustered up some initiative and drove over to Sombrero Beach to explore the area and maybe get in a little swim.

For all of the hype, we were somewhat disappointed. The beach was a short stretch of imported sand and the seaweed was thick along the shoreline. The crowds were bumping heavy Latino beats and partying under the awnings. We strolled to the water’s edge but the desire to wade through seaweed quickly faded and we just wandered around the beach area for a while before heading over to Publix to restock before tomorrow’s travel out to Chokoloskee where it doesn’t look like there are much provisions.

Back at Grassy Key the wind had died and the gulf had a smooth green surface so we grabbed the boards and glided down towards the mangroves to the north. Crystal clear water exposed all of the sponges and sea life passing by beneath us. Not many fish but a few grunts and a couple of horseshoe crabs. We anchored ourselves up out in front of the docks (by our ankles) and swam around while watching the sunset light up the sky. Another beautiful evening, our last in the Florida Keys.