April 29, 2019

April 29, 2019

We slept in this morning getting acclimated to the Eastern time zone. Our hotel sits on the eastern end of Key West, on land that was used in olden times for the production of salt from sea water. We caught the 10am shuttle bus that takes us across the island to the historic section. And Key West has a surprisingly long history. Originally called Bone Key or Cayo Hueso, it was mispronounced Key West by us Anglophiles. With a good port and the westernmost key with reliable water it was valuable property. It became easy to access when Standard Oil founder and Florida pioneer Henry Flagler extended his rail line down the keys to here. When it was damaged in the 1935 hurricane, it was converted into the Oversea Highway US 1 we drove yesterday.

We did a little shopping and then started our walking tour at Truman's Little White House. While he spent almost six months here on eleven visits, many other presidents also visited. This large house is just one of many that used to be part of the large Key West Naval Station. Most of the buildings in this nice historic pedestrian-only palm-lined district are now privately owned. Some like the marine hospital look like they could be movie sets.

From the naval station we walked further into Key West’s past by visiting Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park. This pre-Civil War era brick fort, with the nickname Gibraltar of the West, was built to protect the vital Florida Strait that links the Atlantic with the Gulf of Mexico. Despite being in slave Florida, it remained in Union hands and helped in the blockade of southern ports. Interestingly Truman’s Little White House used to be waterfront and this Fort was offshore. Significant infill has made both landlocked now.

Before stopping for a lunch of fish tacos we walked by the home of Key West’s most renowned resident, the enigmatic author Ernest Hemingway. After lunch we passed the bars he frequented and made famous.

Our feet are tired and the heat and humidity are draining, so in the late afternoon, we take the shuttle back for a nap under the A/C and Happy Hour at the pool.

April 28, 2019

April 28, 2019

This morning, we rose early and drove west from Miami. An hour later we reached Big Cypress National Preserve. This swamp is part of the Everglades ecosystem; instead of being added to the Everglades National Park, it was made a Preserve to allow hunting, fishing, and some limited private activities. After watching the park movie, we strolled the boardwalk, seeing dozens of alligators basking in the sun. We also were amused by these male Brown Anoles who would extend their bright red dewlap to mark their territory and attract females.

On the way back east, we stopped at Everglades National Park’s Shark Valley Visitor Center to buy a National Park annual pass. We continued south of Miami reaching Biscayne National Park after lunch. Biscayne is mostly a marine park enclosed by a mangrove wilderness. A Ranger recommended kayaking the bay. He said we might encounter some marine creatures. Aimee only heard Alligators and said no way. I only heard Manatees and said yes!

After a little cajoling Aimee and I paddled a two-person kayak across the bay to a fresh water canal. There we were pleased to see a bunch of Manatees or Sea Cows cavorting all around us. These fat blubbery sea grass-eating mammals have a whiskered face with a broad fan-like tail. Aimee figured out that she could attract them by gently splashing her hand in the water.

After an hour, we paddled back to shore. Biscayne is the start of the long chain of Florida Keys. These islands are the exposed fossil remains of a barrier reef that formed thousands of years ago when the sea level was much higher. We thought the Keys would be fun to explore so we drove nearly four hours along US 1 to roads-end at Key West. After this long driving day, we were more than ready for a welcome drink and then fish tacos and Happy Hour at the pool bar. This is Aimee’s favorite, a vacation from our vacation.

April 27, 2019

April 27, 2019

We took Uber to the airport for the first time. Our driver turned out to be a very enterprising man. He lives nearby and works by the airport. So to profit off his long commute, he drives a traveller to the airport every morning and an arrival home every evening. As a bonus, he even charges his electric car at work. These kind of go-getters are what makes capitalism and America such a great place to live.

Aimee and I decided to splurge a little this trip. We booked First Class flights. Instead of leg-crimping seats we had nice comfy chairs, and meals served on china with real cutlery. No plastic for us. Unfortunately I might find it difficult to get Aimee back in economy on our next excursion.

Our two flights east were uneventful and went by too quickly. Our path over Louisiana followed the Mississippi River from Baton Rouge until it finally petered out in the Gulf of Mexico. We spent the night in a hotel near the Miami Airport.