We woke up at Everglades Isle to a foggy morning. It had rained overnight, and everything was soggy. We really were kind of bummed to leave Everglades Isle so soon, as the area was full of things to explore and the facilities were by far the fanciest we had seen on the Loop so far. We were also eager to move south, so off we went.

We left at high tide, which was conveniently at sunrise, and tentatively followed our path back out into open water. There were a few nail-biting moments, but Owen has learned, for better or worse, to just turn off one of our depth finders. One of them blares like a car alarm when the water gets shallow or a tiny fish passes under the sensor or there is grass on the sea bottom. Owen was already carefully watching our monitor and other depth finder. He didn’t need the piercing alarm cutting into the quiet morning, too.

The fog persisted through a lot of the morning, making the time pass slowly. At some points we could see about a half mile out and others to a mile or two. It kind of felt like we were in a snow globe, but a very boring one with no snow and only a bobbing little boat.

Eventually, the fog lifted and left us with a gorgeous, sunny day. We loved the contrast of the green water and the bright white foam our wake created. The temperature was just right, and the sea was either glass or just a soft ripple.

When we approached Marathon, it seemed like we had arrived too soon. The day was too perfect. Alas*, the end of our day’s journey was here.

We followed the directions from the Marlin Bay Marina and called on the radio when we got to the appropriate marker. They directed us to our slip, and two men were there to greet us and help us back in. They hooked up our power and water and were on their way. Next, we were greeted by two of the marina staff, who told us about all the amenities we were there to enjoy. Super friendly.

There were a ton of Loopers there. It’s a rather expensive marina, probably the priciest on our trip so far. Their pricing policy made it pricier than it would have been elsewhere. They didn’t have any 45′ or 50′ slips for our boat, so we had to dock in a 60′. They charge by the foot of the boat or the size of the slip, whichever is greater. So, we are paying for an extra 15′ of air. $56.25 of air each night we are here. Ugh. I can’t think about it too much because the people are nice. I’ll get over it.

The resort has a lot of amenities, but few that appeal. There’s a beautiful pool and pool bar. The hours are 1-7 pm for the bar. The pool is open from dawn until dusk. There’s a boaters’ lounge that’s only open until 6 pm, including restroom and shower. The clubhouse is only open until 7. There is, however, a beautiful area to watch the sunset, and there are several grills with nearby seating for guests to use. There is a lot of sea grass in the marina and the outer area is not well protected. On a windy day, we bobbed like we were at anchor.

The fellow boaters, however, were very friendly and kind. We enjoyed meeting several couples.

Marathon is home to one end of the infamous Old Seven Mile Bridge, and I spent a morning walking over the portion of it that’s newly reopened to get to Pigeon Key. It was about 9.5 miles round trip. You could make it shorter by taking a cab (cabs are cheaper than Uber here, I’m told) to the parking lot at the foot of the bridge and walk the 2 miles to Pigeon Key. The tiny key has a lot to do. I was offered a $5 fee to use the restroom and spend 5-10 minutes there. There are other things to do, including checking out a shark tank, learning the history of the island, and some sort of animal rehab, I think it was. I was there too early for things to be open. I enjoyed it and wish I could have been there for a tour.

On another day I went in the other direction to the Crane Point Hammock Museum and Nature Trails. I loved this little park. The entry fee was $14.95, and I thought it was worth it. The trails are wide and well-maintained, with descriptive signs along the way regarding the trees and sea life encountered along the way. There’s supposed to be a 9-minute film to summarize what’s in the park, but the projector was not working that day. I saw a nurse shark in the water off of the Sunset Boardwalk. I walked through the bird rehab area and saw dozens of birds. The Crane house was closed for renovations, but the saltwater pond was open and just waiting for my feet to get a fish pedicure. The water was a little chilly, but those tiny little fish did their thing to my tootsies. I was mesmerized and sat there for some time. I also saw the largest spider I had ever seen. Thankfully, it was way above my head in a giant web catching gross bugs. A passerby pointed it out, and I never would have seen it on my own.

After that, I continued on the path to the unique Adderly House, the home built by a Bahamian settler who made charcoal and harvested sponges. I had never seen a house built of tabby concrete. I love learning about how settlers lived, and this story was new to me. One the way out of the park, I walked through the museum that gave a brief history of the island, the animals, and the sea life. I spent a few hours at the park, and I’m so glad I went.

We went to a few restaurants within walking distance. The food was good at Overseas. Breakfast was yummy at the Smoked Pig. Brunch was great at the Cracked Conch. We enjoyed the pizza at Upper Crust. All were in walking distance of the marina.

When it was time to leave Marlin Bay, the dock crew helped us out and sent us on our way.

*I don’t know that I have ever in my life used the word “Alas” until just now.