Stuck in Key Largo! I'm driving down a few days ahead of Veronica and Chris from West Palm Beach to check out the keys. A boat is going under the bridge... Key Largo, FL save file: small medium large | The final stretch to Key West! The keys are a couple of hours long driving wise. It's not what i thought it would be, but i loved it! Key West, FL save file: small medium large | I think this is the sourth end of 7-mile bridge, but i could be wrong. This could be where in a few minutes i get soaked going thru a thunderstorm with the convertible top down. That sucked... 14 minutes of pain- that's how big the water drops were. And everyone goes 1/2 speed because they can't see, and there's no place to pull over. I spent the next few days trying to dry out the car : ) Florida Keys save file: small medium large | One of the things i wanted to do was check out my old school. On my first day to school we were being driven into campus, and the driver said the dorms were nice. Unless you happen to be unlucky (and a guy) and get assigned here, Robert's Hall. Yeah.. the 2nd floor window in the shade would be mine for the next year! Melbourne, FL save file: small medium large | I'm not sure how it happened but FIT has gotten a big collection of palm trees from around the world in the 'garden'. A spooky place to walk a night that's for sure... Melbourne, FL save file: small medium large | Ahh, good old 6206. Our communal mailbox! Melbourne, FL save file: small medium large | The science tower in the background, computer lab in the glass... Melbourne, FL save file: small medium large | A mostly unknown tunnel my freshman year, it leads to the university apts on the other side where i spend my 2nd year. Melbourne, FL save file: small medium large | If you're dying to know the layout of the campus.. Melbourne, FL save file: small medium large | The regular computer labs, mostly x86 stuff. I'd find the sparc room later on in my freshman year. Melbourne, FL save file: small medium large | I see you! It was during summer break and i got a few funny looks wandering around campus (with a camera) when the place was devoid of students. Melbourne, FL save file: small medium large | I hated chemistry... Melbourne, FL save file: small medium large | Nerd central. The VAX terminal room in the corner... it housed us geeks telneting to the various text based BBS's, MUDs, and other sundry bits. Melbourne, FL save file: small medium large | Yeah, it's not a big school. 2000 undergrads or so. You can see most of the academic buildings here (except the science tower and the engineering building) Melbourne, FL save file: small medium large | Looking thru the crack in the science tower toward Robert's Hall over campus. Melbourne, FL save file: small medium large | I'm not entirely sure what this is but the school has expanded since i was there in 92-94. Melbourne, FL save file: small medium large | The 5th floor, physics central. Some grad students were looking at me funny here. But if you act like you belong hardly anyone says anything. melbourne, FL save file: small medium large | new building of some sort... Melbourne, FL save file: small medium large | The road leading thru/next to campus. Melbourne, FL save file: small medium large | More campus shots.. Melbourne, FL save file: small medium large | Lecture hall where i spent my 18-19 year days. Melbourne, FL save file: small medium large | Aeronautical building lecture hall. Melbourne, FL save file: small medium large | More aero building stuff. Melbourne, FL save file: small medium large | The registration building. Each quarter we'd line up to signup for classes. In person w/ a counselor! The web didn't exist yet. Melbourne, FL save file: small medium large | Moseying over to the student apts Melbourne, FL save file: small medium large | Big paint Melbourne, FL save file: small medium large | I think i was just spotted by security.. my old apt is on the 2nd floor on the left. Melbourne, FL save file: small medium large | This frat-boy paint/logo on the ground is a big source of... issues between frats. If you wanted to piss off whoever they are just splash your colors on it. Melbourne, FL save file: small medium large | The coed dorms. WTF wasn't i put here? Shit..i could've learned a lot more. Melbourne, FL save file: small medium large | Back to my dorm and the scene of 3am tennis matches. Melbourne, FL save file: small medium large | The 1st floor of my dorm. The building had a special funk to it. Melbourne, FL save file: small medium large | Florida Tech admin entrance. Melbourne, FL save file: small medium large | The church next to the dorm. I had a bit of fun with the pastor using fireworks... ask me sometime : ) Melbourne, FL save file: small medium large | Scene of agricultural purchases of fireworks. They even made me sign something that they were for farm use! Melbourne, FL save file: small medium large | Like Miami is hard to find. Florida save file: small medium large | July 4th festivities in West Palm. Chris and I would light off some fireworks in a parking lot somewhere... Boyton Beach, FL save file: small medium large | Lunch on the way to the keys! Palm Beach, FL save file: small medium large | West Palm area, scene of our lunch. West Palm Beach, FL save file: small medium large | Heading down the keys with Chris and Veronica. Florida Keys, FL save file: small medium large | The start/end of A1A!!! Key West, FL save file: small medium large | Downtown Key West! Key West, FL save file: small medium large | We made it to the bottom of the USA! Key West, FL save file: small medium large | Some plaques or something at the civilian south end of florida Key West, FL save file: small medium large | Dammit Chris... Key West, FL save file: small medium large | Back to our 'hood where we stayed.. Palm Beach beach, FL save file: small medium large | The start of something perhaps? Palm Beach, FL save file: small medium large | Chris covering up Palm Beach, FL save file: small medium large | Veronica waiting for the boys to do whatever they're doing... Palm Beach, FL save file: small medium large | Here's me swimming through a bunch of fishes. From my point of view. Marathon, FL save file: small medium large | Some midnight parrotfish cruising. Marathon, FL save file: small medium large | A coral head rising up from the sands. Marathon, FL save file: small medium large | Some staghorn coral, slightly out of focus. Marathon, FL save file: small medium large | French Angelfish. View courtesy of Capt Banny and his Never Enough Charters. Marathon, FL save file: small medium large | A bunch of something or other nibbling about for lunch Marathon, FL save file: small medium large | That'd be me with a conch (pronounced 'konk' to you land lubbers) Marathon, FL save file: small medium large | Some barrel sponges. Marathon, FL save file: small medium large | A shitty picture but it's the only one i have of a the ray Marathon, FL save file: small medium large | A conch dragging itself slowly across the sand... Marathon, FL save file: small medium large | So here i'm set to dive at one of the best sites in florida i'm told. And the recommended dive boat is taking some students out. Crap... that generall means shitty diving. So here's a 14yr kid working on his open water. Looe Key, FL save file: small medium large | Chow time for a parrot fish? Looe Key, FL save file: small medium large | A barracuda chillin' Looe Key, FL save file: small medium large | Instructor with his to-be certified diver Looe Key, FL save file: small medium large | Trumpet fish in stalker mode behind a fan. Looe Key, FL save file: small medium large | Parrotfish swimming past a barrel sponge Looe Key, FL save file: small medium large | A funny looking thing cruising by.. Looe Key, FL save file: small medium large | A green moray trying to find food Looe Key, FL save file: small medium large | More of the moray Looe Key, FL save file: small medium large | A group-ish fish chillin' out Key West, FL save file: small medium large | Fans swaying in the water Key West, FL save file: small medium large | Somehow this guy escaped the dinner crowd.. Key West, FL save file: small medium large | A fishie just sitting and hanging about. Key West, FL save file: small medium large | Somesort of fishie in the algea rocks Key West, FL save file: small medium large | Non-pelagics doing their thing under the cover of rocks. Key West, FL save file: small medium large | A plain-o angelfish trying to get away from me. Squirrel fish doing acrobatics in front of him. Key West, FL save file: small medium large | A bunch of schooling fish Key West, FL save file: small medium large | a bottom fishie Key West, FL save file: small medium large | So being a single diver i got stuck with a random. Meet... cruiseship diver. Mr Hoover. Ugh. Didn't know what buoyancy is. Good thing the diving sucked, otherwise i'd feel like i missed out on something. Key West, FL save file: small medium large | That's me. Key West, FL save file: small medium large | Fatboy trying to be athletic or something for the camera. Key West, FL save file: small medium large | Fatboy with conch. Key West, FL save file: small medium large | Fellow divers at 120 ft. Compare this 35mm MX10 picture with the digital photo below. Speigel Grove, Key Largo, FL save file: small medium large | That's me again at the prop. Speigel Grove, Key Largo, FL save file: small medium large | Artsy view of the props Speigel Grove, Key Largo, FL save file: small medium large | To confirm where we are Speigel Grove, Key Largo, FL save file: small medium large | Probably the best photo this camera ever took. I never really learned how to use it... Speigel Grove, Key Largo, FL save file: small medium large | A guy with a digital camera (pics below) Speigel Grove, Key Largo, FL save file: small medium large | So we dove the wreck just weeks after it accidentally sank. They were going to have a big ceromony, etc to sink it. But shit happens and it went down a day early, on its side. I found this written on the hull, i think it was the schedule they wanted.. Speigel Grove, Key Largo, FL save file: small medium large | The deck, note there's no growth, etc. Speigel Grove, Key Largo, FL save file: small medium large | Some folks chilling before heading up. Speigel Grove, Key Largo, FL save file: small medium large | I think this guy was my dive buddy, note that alge has already grown on the sunny parts of the ship. Speigel Grove, Key Largo, FL save file: small medium large | Heading up the line looking down Speigel Grove, Key Largo, FL save file: small medium large | There were a lot of us on the line Speigel Grove, Key Largo, FL save file: small medium large | A digital shot of the folks swimming about Speigel Grove, Key Largo, FL save file: small medium large | Inside the hold of the ship. Not really inside, but that's me at the top in the distance checking out my bubbles as they puddle up on the ship. Speigel Grove, Key Largo, FL save file: small medium large | A school of divers swimming about the wreck Speigel Grove, Key Largo, FL save file: small medium large | Artsy shot Speigel Grove, Key Largo, FL save file: small medium large | Another parting shot of the ship Speigel Grove, Key Largo, FL save file: small medium large | More folks swimming about Speigel Grove, Key Largo, FL save file: small medium large | The prop. Compare this shot to mine above. Speigel Grove, Key Largo, FL save file: small medium large | Me looking at someone else taking my picture Speigel Grove, Key Largo, FL save file: small medium large | Me again on the ship Speigel Grove, Key Largo, FL save file: small medium large | More folks swimming about Speigel Grove, Key Largo, FL save file: small medium large | Our second dive of the day was on a reef, i would've preferred the ship. Key Largo, FL save file: small medium large | Bubbles percolating through the coral as divers go through a swim-thru. Key Largo, FL save file: small medium large | Swim-thru. Key Largo, FL save file: small medium large | The base of a coral head. Key Largo, FL save file: small medium large | Coral scene with fish and bubbles. Key Largo, FL save file: small medium large | So here Chris and I are, signed up with Splashdown Divers out of Boynton Beach. It's a deep drift dive, and we could go on air longer than we should. Chris didn't have a computer : ) West Palm Beach, FL save file: small medium large | One of the better shots with my camera, i didn't get the thresher 5 ft behind chris : ( West Palm Beach, FL save file: small medium large | More barrel... West Palm Beach, FL save file: small medium large |