I lived in Florida from 1996 to 2000, and one of my big regrets from my time in the Sunshine State was never seeing the Florida Keys. So when my parents said they’d be spending the winter there, I knew it was time to make the trip.

A little background: Around the time I moved to Florida, my parents ditched the house in favor of a 41-foot sailboat. They live on it full-time, spending summers in Maryland and winters where it’s warmer.

This was going to be a short trip for me: Fly into Miami, Greyhound to Mararthon, spend time with the folks, see Key West, go sailing, all in four days. Unfortunately, it rained during two of them — and Florida’s water temperature hadn’t recovered much from the coldest winter in recent memory. Still, I arrived for a beautiful sunset, we went for a great sail (during which dolphins frolicked under the bow of the boat) and the skies parted enough to give us a day of sun in Key West — through late-arriving clouds obscured any sunset.

This was a vacation trip so I didn’t spend a lot of time focused on serious photography, but are a few of my favorite snaps.

Crane Point Museum & Nature Center

Crane Point Museum & Nature Center

Crane Point Museum & Nature Center