Marker 77 ... A Special Location ... A Special Bond ... The Power of Place
In 1970, while driving down US1, our Overseas Highway, in our beige 1968 Ford Falcon (No Air Conditioning. Roll those Windows down, Baby!) my Father spied a little gravel road leading into the woods and brush just past Marker 77, Oceanside on Lower Matecumbe Key. As my Father's curiosity was always game, he pulled off the road and followed the trail. That Moment, that decision, would change both his and my life forever.
What he found driving the 150 yards off the Highway, and reaching the water was Shang-ri-la!
Actually, it was a dump. No, Really, it was a dump. People used to dump their old appliances, furniture, etc, back here in the woods. BUT looking beyond the dump, was Paradise!
A Half Mile of natural Sandy Beach, with at that time, only one burnt out house and an Old Hotel at the very end. Water of multiple hues brimming with so much life, and the loveliness of Indian Key perched just in the near distance. My Dad had been enjoying the Keys since the mid 50s but this spot was different. It had everything. Flats that went on forever in low tide, and a coral jetty that bordered a deep channel. In all the years we went there, we never once came back empty handed. SOOOO much Lobster, Conch, and Fish we hauled from those shores
As my parents did not like boating, We would constantly visit this spot for over 20 years. It would become my Dad's favorite place on Earth. He taught me to snorkel there in 1970 when I was 5. When I was older, he taught me how to catch my first lobster there. This was his escape, his...Happy Place. His de-stress zone. My parents could even be having a raging fight, but when they came here, they would both smile, let their cares ebb away and rejoice in each other and the incredible beauty that was surrounding them.
Yes Marker 77 as we called it then, was for us...Magical.
My Father passed away two weeks ago. At his burial, I sprinkled fresh ocean water and sand, I had just bottled from Marker 77 the day before, over his casket. I wanted his to take a piece of our Beloved Keys with him, from his favorite place. In Know he was smiling.
 |
| Though my Father's spirit glides into the Sunset, the Gift he gave to me of the Florida Keys is Indelible. |
So much of what I am today, stems from that Magical Strip of land. my love of the Ocean, and snorkeling and fishing. The whole Keysz lifestyle that I embrace and expound. It all came from there. Now, that dump is populated by Multi-Million Estates. And that Old Hotel? It is now the spectacular enclave of Luxury Residences that I am now privileged to be marketing and showing for sale,
Tarpon Point. But that Magical Essence is still there.
Place is important. Place is the backdrop of our lives. The Power of Place can leave an an indelible stamp on all that we become. I am so proud and honored to be able to enlighten my Clients to our magnificent Florida Keys and to be able to help them fine not just a Home...but a PLACE that will resonate in their hearts forever.
Let me help you find YOUR PLACE. Put the experience and expertise of The Conchquistador to work for you!
For more information on the outstanding real estate opportunities that exist in the Keys, call me at 305.439.7730 or email me at
DropAnchor@TheRealEstateConch.com
