Key West!

We continue to appreciate the days that are spent here in Boot Key. 

We went out for our 3rd teaching session with new boat friends. The winds were light, the waves flat and the sun hot! We had a great time and allowed the captain and first mate to run the show. We were there merely to offer guidance, an extra hand, support as needed. The confidence they developed from Day 1 to Day 3 was obvious! We plan to take Aletheia out tomorrow for Sailaway Sunday! I think she is excited!

Day sail lesson #3!

We took a much anticipated day trip to Key West on Friday and had a great time exploring the quaint town by foot. A bus trip on the Key West Transit system cost $4pp each way. A kapok tree greeted us as we stepped off the bus in the heart of downtown Key West. We brought snacks, water, lunch and sunscreen to last us through the day. We meandered up and down Duval Street, Whitehead Street, popping in and out of shops, mostly to enjoy the refreshing and welcoming air conditioning! We wandered passed Ernest Hemingway's Home and decided not to take a tour. We peeked over the brick wall to get a view. I bought a postcard. $13pp (cash only people!).

We explored the Truman Annex and the Harry S. Truman Little White House that he, along with several presidents frequented to conduct business as well as retreat from the stresses of Washington, DC. We bucket-listed the famous Southernmost Point buoy, which, turns out, it an old sewer junction that was dug up in the area and found too heavy and large to move (source: wikipedia). So, when life hands you lemons, you just paint it to look like a buoy! If you click on the link above, you can read about the actual location of the southernmost US point. Knowing that we have sailed from Southwest Harbor, Maine to just 50 miles north of the southernmost point in the continental US gives me goosebumps and puts a smile on my face. 

As the afternoon wore on under the baking sun, we continued to explore off the beaten path into Old Town Key West. We are drawn to the outskirts of new places, where tourists don't tend to explore and where the locals hang out. When we do this, we find the special places, meet the friendly locals and get a taste of local attractions. We fell upon the beautiful Key West Firehouse Museum. A proud and wonderful preservation of Key West history and lots of neat stories dating back to 1907.

Mallory Square Sunset Celebration was our evening destination. A nightly arts festival where local buskers, artists, psychics and one-man bands converge with tourists to provide talented entertainment. It was a great opportunity to people-watch while resting our tired feet. We must have walked nearly 10 miles around that island. And what day wouldn't be complete without a hand dipped key lime pie on a stick...OMG!

Here are some photos of our Key West excursion!

The Kapok Tree greeted us

A beautiful neighborhood annex also filled with $3M private homes

I love this mural

The Ernest Hemingway Home (over the fence photo)

The southernmost point hotel

Street art

Fire Alarm Box circa 1940

Wahoo!

It was like a shoebox, built b/w two buildings

Fresh coconut water anyone?

Cheaper than going to the bar!

Love to all,
Jenn & Nate