An interesting day was at hand with a full-day given over to exploring the Florida Keys. I set out this morning with nothing much of a plan other than to see Key West and what else this part of the world had to offer (www.fla-keys.com).
I made several stops along the way south, visiting a few churches that looked interesting including Saint Justin the Martyr RC Church in Key Largo (www.parishesonline.com/Scripts/HostedSites/Org.asp?ID=9015) and Burton Memorial UMC in Tavernier (www.burtonmemorialumc.com). Both have some really exciting ministries going on, so visit them if you're down that way.
I then continued on south, stopping at the Florida Keys Wild Bird Center (www.fkwbc.org) which offers respite to injured birds of all sorts, particularly pelicans and falcons. It was nice to see the support they get from the community to do this important work.
I made it at last to Key West, a place I'd always wanted to visit. I'd love to go back when Belinda can go too! After catching a bite to eat at "Red Fish, Blue Fish," where I had the best Conch Fritters ever and the shrimp po-boy was awesome too!!!
Then it was on the famous "Conch Tour Train" which took me all over the historic part of the island. Following the half-way break, I choose to follow the map and visit the sites that I had seen and wanted a bit more time to explore this fascinating place. The highlights included:
The Ernest Hemmingway House, http://www.hemingwayhome.com/ - Wow, what a great house and museum given to showcasing this important American writer. His legacy is rich indeed and his visage is seen in many corners of this place. And of course, no visit to Key West would be complete without mentioning the famous "Hemingway 6-toed cats." Yes, six toes! There are some 48 cats living the life at the house, direct descendents of house cats that Hemingway and his wife had. All of them have a least one paw with six toes and many have several six-toed paws!
The Key West Lighthouse, www.kwahs.com/lighthouse.htm - This important landmark is right across Whitehead Street from the Hemingway House and offers some awesome views of the entire island. It was worth climbing the 101 steps up the spiral staircase to get that view! And the Lighthouse Keeper's house on the grounds offered a wonderful glimpse into life in 1800's south Florida.
Key Lime Pie @ The Blond Giraffe, www.blondgiraffe.com - Well, how could I leave here without getting some pie?!?! And trust, me: walk for a bit before you stop by the Blond Giraffe, this is the absolute best key lime you'll ever be allowed to enjoy!
I made several stops along the way south, visiting a few churches that looked interesting including Saint Justin the Martyr RC Church in Key Largo (www.parishesonline.com/Scripts/HostedSites/Org.asp?ID=9015) and Burton Memorial UMC in Tavernier (www.burtonmemorialumc.com). Both have some really exciting ministries going on, so visit them if you're down that way.
I then continued on south, stopping at the Florida Keys Wild Bird Center (www.fkwbc.org) which offers respite to injured birds of all sorts, particularly pelicans and falcons. It was nice to see the support they get from the community to do this important work.
I made it at last to Key West, a place I'd always wanted to visit. I'd love to go back when Belinda can go too! After catching a bite to eat at "Red Fish, Blue Fish," where I had the best Conch Fritters ever and the shrimp po-boy was awesome too!!!
Then it was on the famous "Conch Tour Train" which took me all over the historic part of the island. Following the half-way break, I choose to follow the map and visit the sites that I had seen and wanted a bit more time to explore this fascinating place. The highlights included:
The Ernest Hemmingway House, http://www.hemingwayhome.com/ - Wow, what a great house and museum given to showcasing this important American writer. His legacy is rich indeed and his visage is seen in many corners of this place. And of course, no visit to Key West would be complete without mentioning the famous "Hemingway 6-toed cats." Yes, six toes! There are some 48 cats living the life at the house, direct descendents of house cats that Hemingway and his wife had. All of them have a least one paw with six toes and many have several six-toed paws!
The Key West Lighthouse, www.kwahs.com/lighthouse.htm - This important landmark is right across Whitehead Street from the Hemingway House and offers some awesome views of the entire island. It was worth climbing the 101 steps up the spiral staircase to get that view! And the Lighthouse Keeper's house on the grounds offered a wonderful glimpse into life in 1800's south Florida.
Key Lime Pie @ The Blond Giraffe, www.blondgiraffe.com - Well, how could I leave here without getting some pie?!?! And trust, me: walk for a bit before you stop by the Blond Giraffe, this is the absolute best key lime you'll ever be allowed to enjoy!
Other fun places to see in town: Sloppy Joe's Bar, Capt. Tony's, Jimmy Buffet's original Margarittaville restaurant, St. Paul's Episcopal Church (built in 1832), the Hog's Breath Saloon, Duval Street, Key West UMC (the "old stone" church), Kapok and Bunyan trees, stunning flowers and of course, the colorful people!
Oh, and did I mention the chickens that have free range of the city? There are chickens running around all over the place, really strange to be walking along the street of a busy city and have a rooster walk past you!
Deciding that I wanted to save the rest of Key West and the Keys for when Belinda and I could enjoy it together, I set out back up US 1 towards Miami. I did make one brief stop, just before Marathon Key, to watch the sun go down. It was so moving to watch the bright orange ball slowly melt into the Gulf of Mexico, and to think I got to see a sunset like that for free!
I ended up back in Florida City where I was last night. I enjoyed a light nosh across the street from the hotel and then settled in for the night. Come back tomorrow and see where I end up!
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