Key West

You know those really cool bridges in that Arnold Schwarzenegger movie True Lies? Well I got to drive across them today. When they say the Florida Keys there sure are a lot of them.

Dry Tortugas, Marquesas Key, Sunset Key, Wisteria Island, Key West, Fleming Key, Sigsbee Park, Stock Island, Raccoon Key, Boca Chica Key, Rockland Key, East Rockland Key, Geiger Key, Shark Key, Saddlebunch Key, Lower Sugarloaf Key, Park Key, Sugarloaf Key, Cudjoe Key, Knockemdown Key, Summerland Key, Middle Torch Key, Big Torch Key, The Seven Mile Bridge, Little Torch Key, Big Pine Key, No Name Key, Scout Key, Bahia Honda Key, Ohio Key, Missouri Key, Little Duck Key, Pigeon Key, Knights Key, Vaca Key, Boot Key, Fat Deer Key. Shelter Key, Long Point Key, Crawl Key, Grass Key, Duck Key, Conch Key, The Long Key Bridge, Long Key, Fiesta Key, Craig Key, Lower Matecumbe Key, Lignumvitae Key, Indian Key, Indian Fey Fill, Tea Table, Upper Matecumbe Key, Windley Key, Plantation Key, Key Largo and finally Cross Key. 

So I think you get the picture, it has more keys than a locksmith and is joined together by some spectacular bridges. These are just the ones the highway follows. Its like driving along the Gold Coast in the 1970's before all the high rise. The speed can be anywhere from 35 miles an hour up to 55 miles an hour with only a few spots for overtaking. There are certain drivers here that don't deal well with that. In some places its just a two lane road with the Gulf of Mexico on one side and the Atlantic Ocean on the other. The further south you get the more pristine the water becomes. 

It is damn hot here. I made base at 12.30pm and wandered up and down Duval Street and grabbed some lunch. I get the impression it will go off at night time. I will let you know. There is lots of amazing architecture about the place and you have must photograph taken at the marker telling you that your are at the Southern most point of the continental United States. The trouble is you're not, the actual southern most point is on navy land and not accessible to the public, but don't tell us tourists. I happened to casually mention this while I was there, you should have heard them, they were seriously pissed, not at me but by the government misleading them. I pointed out that I just looked it up on wikipedia and that didn't help it seems. I grabbed a photo but didn't want to stand in line so I just took one with some randoms in it and avoided the queue altogether.

I checked in to my digs for the night, Duval House, and hit the pool. 

There a couple of things I want to do here tomorrow, check out what is known as The Little Whitehouse and also see Earnest Hemingway's place, both of which are walking distance from here so I will hang around and do those then head on up to Miami. It's hard to believe I have been in Florida for so long.