Irish Rovers - Off on a cloud of heifer dust : Key West

We arrived in Key West on March 29th, driving south on Highway 1 through a number of keys. We had no idea there were so many little islands (keys - duh). The distance is about 130 miles from Homestead, but traveling on the highway was slow, due in part to one to two lanes for travel and slower speeds required as we drove through the keys and towns. It was quite pretty, although the temperature has been hot (80's +) and the humidity has been high since we arrived.

Our RV park is located on Stock Island, about 4.5 miles north of the old town of Key West, and we've used the local bus to get into town and back 'home', usually spending about 4 hours away. The dogs are managing OK as we've had our air conditioner on non-stop since we arrived. Fergus has enjoyed this park: There's a lagoon with mangroves outside our door, along with lots of lizards/chameleons and iguanas that he loves to bark at. There's a small fenced dog run in which he can play ball several times during the day/early evening.

We've been enjoying lunches in the old town, trying out the local cuisine and there's a fish shop only 5 minutes from our RV park, making our choice for at-home dining easy. We ended up staying a couple of extra days here, not so much because we're so enamored, but because we couldn't get an appointment to get our satellite TV dish repaired in south Miami until this coming Tuesday. Key West seemed the best place to wait it out, especially since access to town is relatively easy, without driving the RV.

The community is quite lovely. There are lots of lovely houses - big and small, and interesting architecture, too. The tropical vegetation - trees, shrubs, flowers are beautiful. We enjoyed the wild chickens that roamed the streets. We didn't go swimming or snorkeling due primarily to logistical issues, but happily meandered around the Old Town. We enjoyed a tour of the Hemingway house and were reminded that he had four wives, an affinity for cats - especially polydactyls and did some of his best writing while living in Key West. We visited Truman's Little White House and walked to the beach and fort of Fort Zachary Taylor. While there, we watched the arrival and set-up of the Budweiser team of Clydesdale horses and their famous wagon down by the park. We also meandered through some of the old city cemetery and walked through less congested parts of the town, enjoying its charms. Overall, it was a very nice stay in Key West and we we're happy to have made the trek to this southernmost and quirky point in the Continental USA.

Hemingway's Studio - Key West