Friday, July 16, 2004

We woke up. Early. We got our clothes on, and some showered. Members of our troop did the flag ceremony that morning. After that and breakfast, we made final preparations, and were soon on our way to Marathon, Key, where the Calypso Gypsy was docked. At around 87 feet long, she was one of the bigger ships, and we couldn’t wait to go on board!

Soon we were sailing towards Sombrero Reef, our first snorkeling spot on our trip. Some enjoyed what was for many of us our first experience snorkeling in the ocean. Others didn’t, for one reason or another. Either way, we’d all soon be enjoying it.

As far as sea sickness goes, we were pretty lucky, for very few had problems, and once we’d all gotten our sea legs (and made sure we’d taken our Bonine), we were fine.

That evening we snorkeled into Bahia Honda State Park, where we ate and had fun. But to those on watch, that first night was for most not to be a fun one.

Saturday, July 17, 2004

In the morning we ate breakfast and prepared for our, which would become a routine thing every morning. We went to a great snorkeling spot that day: Pelican Shoals. Everybody got great pictures from there, as the reef was shallow, colorful, and had good visibility. After that we had a lunch of chips and sandwiches, followed by snorkeling at Sand Key.

That day we caught 2 fish, which we stored for the next night. For supper we ate spaghetti, buttered corn, and garlic bread. After supper, some of us watched Pirates of the Caribbean. That night was a windy one, with little sleep for many.

Sunday, July 18, 2004

That morning we ate a good breakfast of applesauce pancakes, orange and apple slices, as well as sausage. We then sailed a little, and snorkeled in to an island. Here, close to the shore, we exercised, had a church service, and played Frisbee football in the water: Kids against adults. Let’s just say the kids would rather forget what happened.

By the time we were done, the ocean current had livened up. People had to be rescued by the dingy from land and from sea. It was pretty exciting!

For lunch we had mac & cheese, as well as hot dogs. A few of us had quite the time riding on the jumping bowsprit as the Calypso Gypsy powered through the waves. We then stopped at the Western Dry Rocks to snorkel. Two more fish were caught while we were there.

We sailed to Key West that night. It was a very beautiful sight, especially in the near darkness with its lights shining. We ate very well that night: A delicious chicken breast and lettuce salad, as well as the fish that had been caught. We had a lot to look forward to the next day, and soon went to bed.

Monday, July 19, 2004

After we got are menial tasks done, we headed out into the city in groups. Everyone seemed to have a lot of fun exploring, eating, shopping, learning, and just having fun. Some examples of places our scouts went to: Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! Museum, a shipwreck finder museum, Mel Fisher’s treasure museum, Hogsbreath, Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville, and Kozuchi Sushi Bar.

At night we went to an area of the city where street performers performed. We also went to a lot of shops. Some of us went to the "Most Southern Point in the Continental U.S." Many or all of us enjoyed the fresh seafood. Sadly, we had to be back at the Calypso Gypsy by 9:30 PM, and so our exploration of Key West ended.

That night, sleep for those sleeping outside was interrupted multiple times by rain.

Tuesday, July 20, 2004

For breakfast that day we had eggs, toast, and bagels. As we left Key West it began to rain. That day we stopped at Pelican Shoals again. It was a day of long travel. Finally, we got to snorkel in to Bahia Honda State Park again. Here we had what was arguably our best supper outside of Key West: Filet mignon, salad, and possibly another side.

That night some watched U-571, some fished, some slept, and others didn’t sleep (much).

Wednesday, July 21, 2004

Today was our last day at sea. We had an unrestful night, a small breakfast (Pop Tarts and cereal), and a small lunch (sandwiches and chips). That day we had our last dive, and it was neat to see everyone’s sureness and skills now compared with the first time we went there. We did a lot of cleaning, and soon we were back at Marathon Key, leaving the Calypso Gypsy and saying good-byes to the crew. It felt strange leaving people we’d spent so much time with over the past few days.

We returned to Sea Base, where we got our gear, cleaned up, and prepared for a skit. I had an idea, began writing, and pretty soon lots of people were contributing. We had fun at the Luau that night. Supper was good, and everyone’s hard work on our skit paid off, as it was well received. That night, we all enjoyed our last day "in paradise".

Thursday, July 22, 2004

The day began at 6 AM for some of us (who were going for a jog). For others it began around 6:45 AM. We left Sea Base around 8 AM, and rode on a bus to Everglades Alligator Farm, on the way watching Domestic Disturbance. We took an air boat ride, saw alligators, and ate (some even ate alligator).

We then came back on the bus to ride to the Miami airport, finishing Domestic Disturbance, and watching part of Wind Talkers. We had to rush to make our flight.

Soon we were at Atlanta, where we ate supper, shopped and rested at during our layover. The flight to Moline followed.

As we landed at the Moline airport, we knew our adventure was finally at and end. But the adventure lives on in our memories. We were warmly greeted at the airport by family, collected our bags, and soon went home.