90 Miles from Cuba

From Mallory Square
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We discovered Key West on our second trip to Marco and immediately fell in love with it.  It is about a 5-6 hour drive down to Key West, but to us it's worth the days drive and wanted to share it with our friends.  We were on the road by 7:00 am so we could make the most of the day.  The drive takes us across US 41 through the Everglades and along the northern edge of the national park, which was amazing to Keith and Cheryl since they've not ever been here before.  For us, also the landscape is ever changing, especially after several hurricanes and the fires that can hit the area.  We warned them to watch for gators on the road, which we never saw but were visible in the canal next to us.  Heading south through Homestead we were soon on Rte 1 and headed south to the Florida Keys.  Passing through Key Largo, Islamorado, Marathon, Big Pine Key & many other small Keys in a couple of hours we were driving across the 7 Mile Bridge. with the Atlantic on one side and the Gulf on the other the water at times is a turquoise blue that just sparkles with the sun shining on it.  It truly is an amazing 7 mile drive, although I'm not sure I would want to be on it when an emergency vehicle would need to get through.

Cher & Cher
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Soon we were in the southernmost part of the U.S.- Key West.  We parked the car at Mallory Square and headed for lunch.  For many years Jon and I have eaten at the same restaurant, Two Friends, but this year we wanted to try something different.  How much more different could we get than "Hog's Breath Saloon".  It's a different experience eating in Key West with wild chicken's running around, but the food was wonderful.  Our main destination in Key West was the southernmost point and so we headed on down Duval Street.  Lined with shoppes, restaurants, and homes it is quite interesting.  You'll find Sloppy Joes Bar the favorite hangout of Ernest Hemingway, Margaritaville, Hard Rock Cafe, and a whole host of other great places.  Soon we were at the end of the line- the southernmost tip of the U.S. and only 90 miles from Cuba.

It's a different experience eating with wild chickens running around.

Southernmost Hotel
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After our photo shoots at the end of the line we headed back up Duval Street to the Historic Harborside where the scuba and snorkeling tour boats are docked.  We stopped at The Key Lime Pie Factory for an absolutely delectable slice of Key Lime Pie.

Some other things to see and do in Key West, besides shopping and eating, are to check out the Ernest Hemingway home and museum or The Truman Annex Community which includes the Little White House, the summer home of Harry Truman.  We've not ever had a chance to walk through the community but have most definitely added it to our must see list for next time. A walk down some of the side streets will also take you past some of the sweetest and most beautiful Key West home replete with beautiful gardens of those tropical flowers, vibrant colors and old world charm.

From the Southernmost Point
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Our day as Key Westerners came to a close as we headed back to Mallory Square for our 5 hour drive to Marco.  As much fun as it would be to have been able to stay for the Sunset Celebration on the square we knew that would make it a very long and weary drive along U.S. 41 in the middle of the night-something that wasn't very appealing to any of us.  We all agreed it would be fun to stay the night sometime in the future and just immerse ourselves in the life of the island!