Key West continued

We continue our wanderings around Key West and the lower Keys, taking in the sights and sounds of the area. The Custom House is the one of the oldest government buildings in Key West and is currently serving as the Art Museum with emphasis on local history. One of the featured local artists is Mario Sanchez, who was born on Duvall Street and spent all of his life in Key West. Most of that time was spent chronicling the everyday life in Kew West. His medium was carved wooden boards with vibrant colors. There was also a special exhibit of Seward Johnson, who uses famous icons in other’s works and turns them into impressive sculptures. In fact, for the steadfast reader of this blog, you will have seen his work entitled “unconditional surrender” in a write up of Sarasota, FL.

The sunset on Mallory Square is considered to be one of the highlights of any visit and indeed it was spectacular and the entertainment is part of the charm.

The guide book suggests that a quick tour of the wild life refuge on Big Pine Key that protects among other animals, the endangered Key Deer is worthwhile. Based on the steady warning signs about the deer and the drastically reduced speed limits in the area, there was an expectation that they would be everywhere. Despite our best efforts we did not find one in the refuge, but did see our first alligator of the trip. Later, as we were checking out some of the homes for sale on Big Pine Key, we spotted a Key Deer along the road and just managed to catch her on the fly.

As you drive on HWY 1, you cannot help but notice that Honda Bahia State Park had a great looking campground right on the water and we had to check it out. The park has many attractions including several long beaches that have been highly rated by those who do such things, but unfortunately you need to reserve a campsite as much as eleven months in advance.

We were planning to spend two full weeks in Key West, but we got an offer for a cruise that we could not resist, starting this Sunday. So we will be leaving the motorhome in storage at the base for the duration of the seagoing adventure. As luck would have it, the vessel we are going on was docked at Key West this week.