Park #139 – Bahia Honda State Park

We left our cottage in Islamorada early, so when we pulled into Bahia Honda State Park the morning light was just perfect! It was a beautiful clear sunny day, but the winds were still gusting up to 30mph!

We drove along the park road that winds along a narrow beach. Rick thought he saw a good place here to get out and wade, but I decided I was definitely going to paint the bridge, so I went back in that direction.

The remains of the original Flagler Railroad bridge looms large over this park, and that was the first spot we explored. There is a trail that leads up to the top of the start of the bridge and it leads you to an above the tree-tops view of the island. The old railroad bridge was retro-fitted with pavement at the top for cars to go over to Key West. I just couldn’t imagine driving over this bridge! It is very high and narrow and I’m sure there wasn’t room for two trucks to go by each other. I am so glad there is a new bridge to drive over now!

I set up to paint the view of the bridge from the crescent shaped Calusa Beach. Coconut Palms gracefully arched over the scene with the turquoise water glowing under the bridge. A couple of fishermen tried their luck fishing off a piling. When I began to paint it was just me and a heron on the beach, but just a couple of hours later the heron was chased off by a bunch of sunbathers enjoying the beach.

After a few hours of painting, the light began to change drastically and the beautiful morning light gave way to harsh afternoon sun. So I packed it up and we headed to our next and last stop – Key West!

For more information about this park, visit their website