Where in the world's Wally????: Fort Lauderdale to Key West

We left Ft. Lauderdale on Jan. 10th 2012. We were very heavy with all supplies imaginable we could put on board for our trip on to the Pacific. We had to motor for a couple of hours until the wind shifted from S. to S.E. Then we had a nice sail the rest of the way. By evening we were passing Miami at sunset (above).

The 150 mile passage went very slowly. We were on the outside of the reef so we had a bit of the gulf stream current fighting us all the way. About 34 hrs later we arrived at Key West. sometime just before dawn. We anchored in a familiar anchorage that we had visited in the spring about a 1/2 mile N.W. of the main port. When we awoke a few hrs. later we saw a cruise ship tied up......

Ken was ill with a bronchial infection for a few days so we stayed mainly on board. There was a big blow going on here (up to 40 knots at times) so there was no point in moving on. Also we noted that there was some really bad weather to the South so we plan to stay on until Tues. the 16th. We also found out that our preferred haul out in Mexico was not an option because they charged $100 per day to be on the hard to do the work. They had a great deal for the lift but the rest of their charges were outrageous! Yesterday we took a 90 min. train tour of Key West......

We started the tour at 9 a.m. We had to dress warm for the 60 deg. weather. We had purchased the tickets the day before. There are 3 different operators here with different tours. The operator of this train did not check our tickets and off we went. At the end of this tour we found out that our tickets were with a different company so off we went again! There was a big sailing event/race going on locally billed as the largest in the US (but they all seem to say that). Going by the main harbor we saw several classic wooden schooners showing off for the show. Above you can see the rigging on a few of them.

Astonishingly Joni remembered a jewelry shop where we visited during our last visit. On our last visit she hounded it out as she had seen a necklace piece there several years earlier that she really wanted and she went in to see if it was still stocked. To my amazement (and expense) they still had it but the attendant was wearing it. Joni went to work on her and she abdicated it to Joni with some arm twisting. I watched here eyes light up as we rounded the corner where it was located this time knowing very well that we would have to visit the shop again (mercifully for free this time)!

It was located across from the ShipWreck Museum. We had visited that before. It is worth the price of admission. Key West's history is largely founded on a local population that lived off the spoils of ships that wrecked along the 170 mile long reef between here and Miami for many years until lighthouses and buoys marking the reef were put in by the Govt. many years later. The brass statue below depicts the locals looting a wreck.....

An interesting bit of trivia that I was not aware of regarding wild chickens. One seems to see them everywhere in the Caribbean also and probably for the same reason. Apparently they keep the population of tarantulas down (I guess I will have to quit complaining about the darn things crowing every morning and waking me up in the a.m. .....

I have always been a lover of trees. Key West protects some of its trees and very much its historic buildings. We came across one tree (not the one pictured here) that totally blocked the sidewalk ............

There a a few statues around town..............

This is part of a historic fort that was built during the civil war. Later the portion to the right in the picture was demolished as part of navy target practice as the fort was no longer needed.....

This famous marker is self explanatory and just a geography teaser....If you follow the line of longitude straight down from Key West, which country in S. America would you hit??? Answer later.

Another famous landmark............

We attended a church service. I tried not to sing during the hymns as the attendance was slim enough without me driving the regulars from the building......

Joni found a local costume shop and managed to purchase part of a wench outfit for future celebrations in destinations ahead............

Duval St. is the main drag here. Some might say the word 'drag' with tongue in cheek here though as there is a huge population of folks here that think alike so to speak..........

Sponging was one of the main parts of the economy here until a red alge bloom many years ago wiped out the sponges. There has been a modest come-back however and you can purchase the real thing at this shop where 'sponge bob' is seen here giving Joni a big hug.............