Key West

Tuesday April 28, 2015

It's been a while since I posted anything significant so here it goes.

My neighbors and I wanted to see what Key West was all about so we decided to take the Key West Express boat to Key West for the day.

Angela and John are my neighbors here in Bonita Springs.  They moved here about two months before me from the Cherry Hill area.

One thing I have learned is that I am not a boat person.  What does that mean?   It means that I get sea sick very easily.  I thought with a big catamaran that would not be the case but there were bad storms in the area so it made for a rocky ride and I ultimately succumbed to nausea.   I was sure glad to get off the boat when we arrived 3.5 hours later after leaving from Marco Island.

You get to stay about 5 hours in Key West which is really not enough time to see everything.  Next time I will drive instead.  It's about 5.5 hours from where I live but the drive is suppose to be beautiful.

Here are some views from the boat

This big baby is the Carnival Magic cruise ship that was docked in Key West.

We had decided to take a trolley tour at the suggestion of one of my cycling buddies and it turned out to be the excellent choice.  It felt like 100 degrees and there was no way that we could have covered the island on foot.  Key West if 4 miles long and 2 miles wide!

The sites of Key West

Route 1 actually ends in Key West!

There are 360 bars in Key West.  What a party town!!  Duval Street which is the main street has over 150 bars located on its street.  One is the famous Jimmy Buffet Margaritaville and this one pictured above is famous for it's 3 floors.  The first one...The Whistle Bar....is just a bar.   Didn't get a photo of the second floor bar or its' name but if you make it to the 3rd floor....The Garden of Eden.....clothing is optional.   It's Key West style where anything goes.

The Lighthouse near the Hemmingway House

This marker indicates that this is the Southern most part of the US where the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico meet

Key West is famous for it's Conch Fritters but with my stomach being unsettled I settled instead for a frozen margarita and some Conch chowder....both which were tasty.  Angela did order the fritters and said they were very tasty and worth the calories.

Time went fast and before you know it we were out of time and headed back to the boat for the return trip. I was not looking forward to another boat ride.  Of course we ran into a storm going home but luckily I slept through it.  It doesn't mean that I didn't feel nauseated but I made it back without getting sick.

It was an interesting day.  Glad that I made the journey there but definitely not something that I feel that I would have to see again unless I make the scenic drive.  Boats are just not for me!!!