Day 5 and 6- Key West

We really enjoyed our 3 nights and two days in Key West.  There’s so much history here, and touristy stuff to do too. This is Earnest Hemingway’s office as it was in the 1930’s when he wrote books such as Green Hills of Africa, Death in the Afternoon and started For Whom the Bell Tolls at this desk. The cat sleeping in the chair is one of the 57, mostly six toed cats, from the original “Snow White” cat  given to him by a captain when he first moved into the house around 1930. 

That’s Hemingway on the right and his drinking buddy Joe Russell of the eponymous Sloppy Joe’s Bar where it’s said Ernest hung out every afternoon when he was done writing. Apparently Joe was a rum runner from Cuba as well as a fishing buddy to Earnest during and after prohibition.  I haven’t been to Sloppy Joe’s yet, even though we’ve walked by a dozen times on Duval St. but I hope to make it tonight.  

This is the obligatory picture of the Southern Most Point in the US marker.  There was a line of people waiting to get their picture taken by it.  We were good with this shot as we passed by on one of our many walks. 

We did a lovely sunset set cruise on the Appledore Star, a two masted sailboat with about 20 guests on board.  

We had made to order omelets every morning by the pool side at our hotel. Not a bad way to start a day in Key West. 

Besides the Hemingway home and a “Hop On Hop Off bus tour we also got a tour of the historical “Southern Whitehouse” that was founded by President Harry Truman.  He originally came to Key West on Dr.’s orders due to poor health, but he came to love Key West and spent about 120 days out of his presidential terms working from his “Whitehouse” home by the sea.  

After our morning walk-a-bout we were becoming a bit peckish, and….we hadn’t had a cheeseburger in forever, so we decided to stop in at Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville and have a Cheeseburger in Paradise, a Rum Runner and a “It’s Five O’clock Somewhere” rum drink for our lunch.  We did a good job of staying hydrated today! And thinking about what a legacy Jimmy Buffet left behind!

I wish I saw more of these bike friendly bumper stickers on cars passing us by.  It’s really nice if the 3’ clearance is a real law, even nicer if they let more drivers know about it.  

So we’ve been having some very fine dining during our trip, and we’ve been sampling Key Lime pie almost everywhere we’ve gone since we were in New Orleans. We’ve had some mighty fine Key Lime pie but today, we think we found the best at Seven Fish just down the street from our hotel.  It also was our finest dinner as well.  Way to finish strong Key West!  Tomorrow we ride again!