Key West is 150 miles south of mainland Florida and was “discovered” in 1521 by Ponce de Leon. It became part of the United States in 1822. The shallow reefs gave rise to industries like wrecking, salvaging, salt manufacturing, and turtling making it the richest city per capita in the US in the mid-1800s. Henry Flagler’s Overseas Railway opened in 1912 connecting Key West to Miami. The Overseas Highway followed.
Our first stop was in Key West was Higgs Dog Beach, a wide sandy beach with a rocky shore line.
After some frisbee time, our doggie, Sadie, had fun meeting and playing with a fellow Australian Shepherd, Bear, on the beach and in the water. It’s best to get Sadie a little worn out before taking her for a walk on sidewalks with a lot of foot traffic!
Sunbathing, snorkeling and kayaking are popular activities here.
A memorial to 294 African men, women and children (who died and were buried in unmarked graves at Higgs Beach in 1860) is located here. The US Navy intercepted three slave ships rescuing 507 people from the Wildfire; 513 from the William; and 417 from the Bogota. Those buried here perished from the conditions on the slave ships during the crossing of the Atlantic despite the medical care, clothing, shelter and food provided by the Navy in Key West. About 1,000 survivors departed for Liberia by the end of the summer, but hundreds died before reaching West Africa. What a tragic chain of events in our nation’s history...
Driving the short distance to Duval Street, we found a parking space along the street (and paid at the parking kiosk in the middle of the block). We walked a block over to Whitehead Street where the Key West Lighthouse (built in 1847) can be seen. Because we had Sadie with us, we did not do the tour. It is 88-steps on a narrow, wrought-iron staircase to the observation deck. An admission fee ($14/adults) is required to enter the gated grounds.
Nearby, on the opposite side of the street, is the house where Ernest Hemingway, and his second wife, Pauline, lived during the 1930s. Tennessee Williams was a frequent visitor and wrote his first draft of A Streetcar Named Desire here in 1941. Again, the area is fenced in and there are, reportedly, about 40 cats (descendants of the ones here during the Hemingway years) on the grounds. A tour of the house is $14/adults.
We walked a block over to Duval Street, named for the first territorial governor of Florida (1822-1834). It is the “main strip” in Key West and the location of many well-known bars, restaurants and shops. Signs were still on display promoting Fantasy Fest 2018 (that ended on 10/27). A tradition that began in 1982, Fantasy Fest is a 10-day bacchanal (I love that word!) celebrated at the end of October that has become a legendary tradition.
Jimmy Buffett arrived in Key West in 1971 and the island has been associated with him his famous song, Margaritaville, ever since. Below is the entrance to his first cafe and souvenir shop. Many inns and shops were still decorated from Fantasy Fest. Both the rooster and clock are iconic sights on Duval Street.
The old Strand Theatre is now a Walgreen’s, of all things. But at least it has not been torn down!
As we walked along Duval Street we came to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, first established in 1832. I grew up in the Episcopal church and always enjoy visiting them throughout the country (but I did not expect to see one on Duval Street!). Multiple church structures were built and destroyed (by hurricanes) over the years here. The current structure was built in 1919, the stained glass windows installed in 1920, and the organ installed in 1931. A $1M renovation was completed in 1993.
The famous Sloppy Joe’s Bar was Ernest Hemingway’s local bar and hangout. Willie T’s is also a very popular restaurant and bar with live music.
Key West has the wonderful, laid-back, subtropical vibe we had hoped it would. There is so much to see here...we will be back!
No comments:
Post a Comment