June 12, 2011

Key West Trolley Tour

Today we set out to do a trolley tour of the town.
St. Paul's Episcopal Church was restored in 1994.

This was the birthplace of Pan American World Airways.
The Banyan is one of the many resorts and guesthouses.
The kapok tree can grow 130 feet.  Read more about this tree below.

Chickens are welcome almost as pets around town.  In the 1860's Cubans, disheartened with the situation in their own country following the Ten Year's War, began moving to Key West.  Their love for cockfighting brought many chickens with them. Today you will see chickens roosting in trees and around town in many areas.

One can't visit Key West without visiting the Hemingway House.
Tours of the home are given daily.
Hemingway did a lot of his writing in the upstairs of a garage in the back of the house.
A luxury for a 1930's home was this pool costing $20,000 dollars in 1930's money to build.
Home to Polydactyl cats (six- toed cat), there are currently 40-50 cats at the Hemingway home. Ernest named his cats after famous people.
On this hot day, a smart cat found a cool spot to hang out.
With the sun going down and the tourists headed for Mallory Square, it was a good time to get pictures at the Southernmost Point.
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To be continued...

June 11, 2011

Sunset in Key West



We started the day walking around town exploring all the sites. Key West has a lot of historic buildings to see.
The Strand Theater opened in the 1920's and became Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum in 1993. It has since became a Walgreens.
In 1969, the Coast Guard decommissioned this lighthouse and it was later turned into a museum.
The cemetery is 19 acres and it is estimated that 100,000 people are buried there. This is a lot considering the population is only around 30,000. You will notice that, in many case, tombs are stacked on top of each other.
The Southernmost Point Marker is a popular area for photographs and only 90 miles from cuba.
Completed in 1866, Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park played a major role in the Civil War and Spanish-American War. Today, this area offers some of the most popular beaches in Key West.
Want to know how far away you are?
At Sunset in Key West, you will find tourists gathering around Mallory Square to watch the many street perfomers.
Some visitors catching the final sunset.
One of the many street performers.
A party boat coming in from a day out.
Dominique's Circus Cats are always great fun
The Cat Man poses with Doug
Key West is where Highway 1 begin.

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To be continued...

June 10, 2011

Heading For Key West

There are 42 bridges from Miami to Key West.
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The longest bridge is 7 miles long and was built after the railroad bridge had considerable damage from the Labor Day Hurricane in 1937. The current bridge was built from 1978 to 1982.
Setting up camp at  Geiger Key Marina RV Park near Key West, Florida
View behind our RV
If we had a boat, we could pull it up right behind the RV.

  

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To be continued...

The Bodyguard at Theatre Winter Haven, Winter Haven, Florida

Tonight, we attended the next to final performance of The Bodyguard: The Musical at Theatre Winter Haven. The curtain call for the four main...