The Libators go Corner to Corner: Key West and Dry Tortugas National Park

We made it to the other corner! Our farthest point away from home was Dry Tortugas National Park. We chose to spend a week on Key West. It was so nice to park the trailer and not worry about moving it for a week. Plus, I have wanted to spend time here for years, and now I am here. We did something everyday, usually one local attraction and one local restaurant. This place is dense with stuff to see and do, and we didn't even scratch the surface, but I feel like we got a good feel for the place. We found ourselves on Key West for the last two days of the Fantasy Fest, which explains why it was so hard to make a reservation for a place to stay. It also made our first trip into town on Saturday difficult. Parking was hard to come by and expensive because they had many streets blocked off for the big parade and for street vendors (lots of body painting, clothing, and art). After everything wrapped up on Sunday, it was much easier and more to our liking.

US 1 to Key West. Spectacular.

I noticed this sign while we were leaving Miami.

Our first piece of Key Lime Pie was in Marathon as we drove through.

Our spot for the next week.

Leo's Campground had a nice (alligator free) pond.

I could eat at Croissants de France everyday (we tried).

It was within walking distance of the R-Pod.

Day one in Key West... Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville.

I did order a margarita.

The Key Lime Pie was pink for National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Seemed like a typical Key West business, just a little bit naughty.

Every corner of town had something interesting going on.

End of the road.

Floats preparing for the big Fantasy Fest parade.

Chicken crossing the road.

The beach park.

Birds outside of the golf course fence.

Key West Botanical Garden.

Blue Heaven Restaurant.

Outdoor seating, live music, great food.

Blue Heaven is known for their Key Lime Meringue Pie.

We made it to a different breakfast spot: Moondog Cafe.

Moondog Cafe and Bakery.

They warn you at the Hemingway House.

The Hemingway House.

One of the most remote National Parks, Dry Tortugas.

It was a 2.5 hour boat ride to get here.

Our last sunset on Key West.

Our first day was really the day that we drove US 1 from Miami down to Key West. It is such an impressive highway. After the first ten miles, I had to recalibrate my awe meter, because I was wearing myself out with the excitement of every view. The road just kept going, and I took way too many pictures, but it was a nice drive. We stopped at Marathon for lunch at a random seafood restaurant that we chose because there was a large parking lot across the highway that would fit our rig. It was a good choice, with good food and our first key lime pie of the trip. I generally tried to order a key lime pie every time we ate out for lunch or dinner when we were in the keys.

I chose to stay at Leo's Campground on Stock Island (right next to Key West). There are only two RV options on Key West, and they are only for active military or veterans. There are three choices on Stock Island for the rest of us. I liked Leo's, it was closer, less expensive and nice. There was no bath house, though, so we had to use our shower which is a pain since it's so small, but it does work.

Highway 1 is a long series of bridges.

The colors in the water and sky were every shade of blue.

Cuba is out in this direction somewhere.

Ready for Halloween.

The coleslaw was especially good.

Our first key lime pie of the trip.

King Seafood was an excellent find.

The old bridges were mostly still there and sometime used as fishing piers.

Many small keys were left undeveloped.

Leo's campground office.

We put the AC cover back up when we stopped moving.

Sunset in Leo's campground.

The pond used to have an alligator, but not anymore.

On our first full day, we walked to my favorite find of the keys, Croissants de France for breakfast. I think we ate there at least four times in seven days. We then decided to go into town and have a late lunch/early dinner at Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville. We did not realize that this was the final weekend of Fantasy Fest, and that town would be crowded with a big party, lots of vendors and artists, and preparations for the parade. Parking was expensive and difficult (the one thing that never changed the entire time we were on the island), but we managed to find something and had a nice lunch. It was fun to see all the body painting and art booths. Everyone seemed to be having a good time. Crowds aren't our thing though, so we called an early night.

Savory and sweet treats.

Everything here was magical.

They were speaking French (this was the authentic croissant).

Yes. You did find it, Russ.

It was a pleasant walk from the R-Pod, too.

Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville was tacky, but in a good way.

The margarita was good, but not my favorite.

I did enjoy the decor. We were keeping our eyes on Hurricane Melissa while were were here.

The key lime pie was pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Seemed like the perfect business for Fantasy Fest.

Random vignettes appeared around town all the time.

A milestone. A mile marker. A zero. Whatever.

At Truman Waterfront Park.

Preparing for the Fantasy Fest Parade.

The chicken crosses the road.

I loved the architectural details and the local building style.

All dressed up for the party.

Our next day turns out to be a calm one, we (again) walk to breakfast at Croissants de France, then do basic things back at the trailer before driving into town to eat at a restaurant where we can watch the sunset, Alonzo's. It turns out we had a discount for Alonzo's from our RV park that we didn't use. I tried the conch fritters, and was underwhelmed, so I never went for those again, even though it is a local specialty.

Good morning!

I could eat here every day... and I would have if it weren't for all the other places to try.

The wall of sunscreen.

Pigeons love a good sign.

Aperol Spritz.

Pigeons love a few crumbs.

Conch fritters.

Ahi tuna bowl.

Sunset from the table.

It was a lively waterfront.

We splurged the next morning on a Dunkin' Donuts breakfast. It was good, and something we can't get at home, but I think we should have tried something local instead of a chain (even though it was my idea). We then walked through the Key West Tropical Forest and Botanical Garden. They provided mosquito repellent at the main entrance, so I should have been warned, but even with help, I still picked up a few more bites. Ugh. The garden was beautiful, though. I like that these plants are unfamiliar to me; I recognize some of them as species sold as houseplants, but most are completely new. I got a reservation for Blue Heaven, the one restaurant on Key West that I wanted to visit. Our dinner there was in the top three things we did all week for me. Good food, live music, and a lovely, outdoor ambience. The music was a single guitarist and singer, who played and sang in a blues style. She was fantastic. I wish I had caught her name.

Good morning from the trailer window.

Dunkin' Donuts. We don't have one at home.

Many buildings are elevated like this to protect against storm surge damage, I presume.

The Gulf of Mexico is on the other side of those trees. (They are in the water, actually).

A nice beach park ran along the main highway on the south side of Key West.

The light was lovely.

Hurricane Melissa was approaching Jamaica.

Our campsite.

The birds loved this wet area next to the golf course.

This was at the Botanical Garden.

Lots of turtles.

A group of musical sculptures was set up by the pond.

The trail was very lush (more mosquitos).

The small lake was eutrophic. The red color is from leaf tannins.

The boggiest areas had elevated boardwalks.

They had decorated for Halloween.

Several small lakes dotted the property.

All the plants were well identified, but I didn't record each one.

Small sculptures decorated the garden, too.

Outside the Botanical Garden, the birds found an easier meal.

Blue Heaven.

Our entertainment. I wish I had learned her name; she was great.

Cheers.

Fresh, house-made mozzarella for the house salad.

More birds looking for an easy meal.

The bar along one side of the restaurant courtyard dining area.

Feeling my cocktail.

The chickens had free range tendencies. I liked that he was a living weather vane.

Key lime meringue pie.

Breakfast the next morning was at Moondog Cafe and Bakery. I would have liked to eat here more than once, but it was in town and the parking was a pain. It was next door to the Hemingway House and Museum, so we combined the two stops and only had to park once. I really wanted to see the famous polydactyl cats, and they were so sweet. The cats were obviously in charge. The house was lovely. The style of building on Key West is so appealing. I especially liked seeing Hemingway's writing studio, and the cats, of course.

After our tour and day about town, we hung out back at the R-Pod and got some relaxing done, then walked across the road to the One Love Food Truck for some Jamaican take out. Hurricane Melissa was pounding Jamaica all day, and we got to chat with the chef about his family on the island and about how he had worked volunteering for hurricane relief efforts for other storms. The food was good, too.

Mangrove tree getting a start (took the photo from the truck window).

Latte at Moondog Cafe.

Iced latte with journal.

They make the english muffins, too.

Welcome to the Hemingway House.

It is very gracious and welcoming.

Polydactyl cats everywhere. They have 61 cats right now.

The master bedroom.

Big, wide porches and decks surround the building.

The lighthouse view from the second floor deck.

The breeze would be important before air conditioning.

The fountain basin is a urinal recovered from Hemingway's favorite bar.

The pool. It looked inviting. There was a boxing ring here, originally.

A bookstore is always welcome.

The writing studio is above the bookstore.

I loved the space and the eclectic decor.

It's all the original furniture.

Cats on every level.

They were really sweet and friendly.

Don't sit on the furniture doesn't apply to the cats.

The cats had a separate outdoor kennel, too.

She watched over the bookstore.

I loved this tree.

From the side yard.

Downstairs patio.

A refreshing drink on a hot day.

The lighthouse from the street.

Picket fences with style.

The One Love Food Truck.

Waiting for our food.

Our most anticipated day was our visit to Dry Tortugas National Park via the Yankee Freedom. The government was still shut down, so only three of the eight rangers were working in the park, but the guide from the boat gave us a little history lecture about Fort Jefferson and filled in a little bit. The fort was so impressive, and the two and a half hour boat ride really gave the park experience something extra. The water was not particularly rough, but I know how I am even on much bigger boats, so I took precautionary Dramamine; I was so glad I did. It was only four foot seas, but the boat had an uncomfortable side-to-side roller action. Ugh. There were many passengers regretting their choices. The boat crew was great, we were fed well, and we got to spend about four and a half hours on the island, which was enough time to explore the fort and the beaches. I was so glad we were able to get tickets for the boat. We could have taken a float plane instead, but that was more expensive, and I think the boat ride out gave a more historical picture of the reason the fort was built the way that it was.

Waiting at the terminal - bright and early.

Our boat to Dry Tortugas.

They provided breakfast.

Turquoise water.

Pilings (from the old docks?).

The fort takes up the entirety of Garden Key..

It is one of the most remote national parks.

No swimming in the moat.

This is the only gate into the fort.

The birding here is fabulous.

Clinging to the shore.

This neighboring island had a connecting sandbar, it is often inaccessible from Garden Key.

Our helpful guide from the Yankee Freedom II, Hollywood.

The lighthouse and a twisted tree.

I have no idea what this bird is called.

Russ and I walked over to the pristine beach. This key is an important nesting site (not currently).

The park service is leaving the fort in its original state, no handrails or guardrails.

The breakwater was broken in an earlier hurricane and under repair.

Cannon emplacements around the whole fort had a 900 mile range.

The passage next to the cannon rails.

From the interior.

I think this was gunpowder storage.

Every view was out to sea.

Spectacular.

This shot shows the scale of the place.

Russ looking over the gulf from the roof.

Looking along the top of the fort towards the lighthouse.

The way up (and down). These were non-standard rise stairs.

The lighthouse is still in use.

The ride home. We didn't participate in the contest.

It was a catamaran.

After returning to Key West, we decided to grab dinner at a local restaurant (close to where we were camping) called Roostica. Excellent Italian food and pizza. It felt like a great way to end the day. We were able to walk to dinner and back and enjoy the warm evening.

The walk was nice. It was a beautiful evening.

Excellent pizza and beer.

Key lime pie. This was one of the better ones.

Sunset as we walked back to the R-Pod.

There was some kind of race finishing up (stragglers).

Sunset.

 

Our last full day on Key West was a chore day, basically. We ate breakfast at Croissants de France, again, and cleaned up an prepared the R-Pod to move. I did laundry and some more travel planning. The laundry at RV Parks is annoying now; the machines all use apps to run instead of taking quarters, so I've ended up stranding money on various apps because they only let me load set amounts that don't match with the prices for washing and drying. Technology fail.

We had dinner at Stoned Crab, which we had been passing every day on our way to and from Key West attractions. It was well located with nice views and outside dining. We were able to park there and then walk the promenade on the north shore of the key and watch a spectacular final sunset.

I will miss Croissants de France.

Several birds visited me as I waited for my laundry to finish.

Key West Ibis. He hung around the RV Park.

Our last cocktails on Key West.

Stone Crab Soup. This was so good.

Shrimp and Grits. It was ok, but I could have skipped it and just had the soup.

Russ appreciating the view.

The protected waterway next to the restaurant.

Rental scooters waiting for a tourist.

The restaurant viewed from the sidewalk.

The sidewalk. There was no beach here, just the seawall and some mangroves.

The power lines coming in from the east.

41 Crab.

Sunset and mangroves.

It just kept getting better.

The clouds were moving.

The palm trees indicate how strong the wind was.

Glory.

Almost set.

Just set. Goodbye to Key West.

This was our farthest point of travel for this trip, and the farthest we have driven the R-Pod. I really loved Key West, and would have loved to stay a bit longer to see some of the other Keys, but I'm starting to feel the pull of home. It has been strange to be in such a tropical place when we would normally be settling in to the routines of winter and the holidays. There is still a lot for us to see before we can do that!