December 17-21, 2021

FLORIDA KEYS

“The Florida Keys are a string of tropical islands stretching about 120 miles off the southern tip of the U.S. state of Florida, between the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. They’re known as a destination for fishing, boating, snorkeling and scuba diving. The southernmost city of Key West is famous for Duval Street’s many bars, Mallory Square’s nightly Sunset Celebration and the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum.”  Google

When my family visited Florida while I was in 8th grade I know we came to the Florida Keys. I remember the long highway with water as far as they eye could see on both sides of the road, and I remember getting the worst sunburn of my life after spending some time on a beach somewhere along that highway. I don’t remember if we went all the way to Key West, but we definately got a feeling for what the Keys were like.

This trip I camped on Sugarloaf Key, about 20 miles from Key West. From my campsite I could see water and a small beach was only a few steps from my RV door. The campground, part of the KOA network, was very nice and I paid dearly for the four-night stay justifying it by saying it was a once-in-a-lifetime event for me.

It was a 30 minute drive to Key West which I did three times, twice for sight-seeing and once to do some shopping (fuel and groceries). I discovered there is a lot to see in the island city and I did not get to take it all in. Maybe this wasn’t a once-in-a-lifetime trip.

On my first day in Key West I went to the Butterfly and Nature Conservatory followed by walking by the Southern Most Point marker and ended the day with a visit to the Ernest Hemmingway Home and Museum. It was a delightful afternoon. On day two I took the Old Town Trolley Tour, which gave me a lot of history and anectdotal stories of the city. I then visited the Truman Little White House and the Key West Museum of Art & History at the Custom House. I ended the day with a Glass Bottom Boat Reef Eco-Tour combined with a sunset viewing. The perfect way to end the day.