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.