On Friday, we woke up to some warm(er) weather and made a quite spontaneously unanimous decision to play hookie from the Boat Show and travel down the Keys. And so spurred into action by the thought of sun and beaches and sand, we got ourselves ready, enjoyed our free breakfast, loaded up the car with everything but the kitchen sink and off we went.

Since our hotel was only a few miles from the start of the Keys we were literally right there (at MM 127 I think) and so we found our journey starting with Key Largo, through to Islamorada (the Purple Isle), Marathon, Lower Keys (famous for Key Deer - that can actually swim between the islands !! but we didn't see any) and then finally Key West. In the Keys, directions and locations are given with MM's (mile markers) and sure enough, Key West appears at MM 0.

I somehow thought that the Keys would be more desolate, more highway with more scenic ocean views, more foliage and "naturalness"... instead we were presented with billboards and hustle and bustle and traffic and lights and everything else. This was truly a(nother) very popular tourist destination, and signs for diving, snorkeling, fishing, boat rentals etc, etc, etc... were everywhere. We decided to drive all the way down to Key West, tour awhile, and then stop at a few locations on the way back...

Driving down, the tourist guides presented us with historical information on the keys, "keys" coming from the Spanish word "Cayo" meaning low flat island, and there are over 800 Keys (30 of which are inhabited). The land belonged to the Spanish and was sold to a businessman from Mobile for $2000 and so, Key West was founded in 1822. It came to be inhabited by "wreckers" people from New England and Bahamas, who came to "work" at salvaging the loot from the many ships that run aground almost weekly. In the early 1830s Key West was one of the riches city per capita in the US. Later the city became the leading cigar manufacturing center, and then this was followed by wealth coming in from sponging, Key West sponges being superior to those of the med, however the Red Tide killed the sponge beds a few years later and so that business collapsed. In the early 1900's, railroad tycoon Henry Flagler wanted to extend the Florida East Coast Railway from Miami to Key West and 7 yeas later the railroad was finished. He died shortly thereafter and the railroad was destroyed by an 18 foot tidal wave resulting from a Hurricane. The Overseas Highway was then built directly on the old railroad bed, opened in 1938, and driving by, you can still see remnants of original railroad trestles (some of it useable by bikers, joggers, walkers and tourists... however much of it closed off as it was decaying and probably none to stable to be jogging on). The Great Depression hit and Key West eventually went bankrupt, having gone from being the richest city to the poorest city, and FERA took over, it transformed the keys to a tourist haven. Oh, and the famous Seven Mile bridge was the one used in the movie True Lies.

Arriving in Key West we stopped for refreshments (Mojito's anyone ?) at a cute little Cuban place and the owner let us park behind his shop for free  and so we imbibed in another 2 for 1 special and enjoyed some plantain nachos (yummm !!) before we headed for a walkabout. A truly tourist town with lots to do, and lots to see, from the Ghost House to Ernest Hemmingway's abode, and everyone milling about with drinks in their hand. Resorts and hotels and people everywhere, the sun was shining and every restaurant full. As we toured the marina we were accosted every few seconds by locals wanting to take us out on a dolphin cruise, sunset cruise, fishing cruise, you name it we can do it cruise !

We stopped at the most Southern tip of the Continental US of A ... Cuba is what, 90 nm due South ?? By then we were hungry and Dave was taking me for a cheesburger in paradise (@ Jimmy Buffet's). Delicious and bigger than big. I couldn't finish mine, but Dave did a great job on his !!

Sadly, it was getting time to leave and but our trip was cut a little short as the radio stations were announcing the arrival of severe thundershowers and you know, one road in and one road out.... About halfway home we noticed some very dark and ominous clouds, darker than the night sky, with lightning flashes seen off in the distance. Very ominous indeed, and just as we put the car in park, the deluge hit and we were drenched in the couple of seconds it took us to run into our hotel room.

Another gloriously fantastic day !!