My husband was hoping to escape from the cold we usually have in Kansas City this winter so I told him to see what he could find. What he found was a 14-night cruise to the Southern Caribbean sailing out of Tampa, Florida. We have made two other cruises in the Caribbean to the Eastern and the Western, but not to the Southern area. I don't think he thought I would say okay when he told me about it because he was so happy when I did. The fun thing that happened was discovering that our friends Carol and Keith were going to be on the same cruise. Actually they went to the Western Caribbean the week before on the same ship and just stayed on it to take the next cruise.
Our ship - The Rotterdam
left port in Tampa at 4:00 Sunday afternoon
Another cruise ship left not too long after we did...
and we docked the next morning in Key West at 11:00. My husband and I had never been there and were excited about seeing seeing it. The ship wasn't leaving until 6 o'clock so we tried to see as much as we could. I don't know how far we walked that day, but I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't close to 5 miles.
You can read about the Custom House and the Lighthouse here. I focused on the Kiss statue instead of the Custom House in my picture.
We thought we were in Hawaii with all of the chicken and roosters running around...
Behind this wall is Ernest Hemingway's home.
Key West Lighthouse... (It was decommissioned by the Coast Guard in 1969.)
The Light Keepers Quarters and museum (built in 1887)
Views from the top after walking up 88 steps...
A fun thing that happened while we were at balcony was a young man trying to hold a Buffalo Bill football team flag over the side. He asked us to help hold it out for him (it was a little windy up there) while his father took a picture from the ground. He told us he had been to many places with it and taking pictures. Two places I remembered were the Olympics and the Taj Mahal.
Down the street from the Lighthouse was the Southernmost Point of the Continental USA. The line was long of people waiting to have their picture taken by it so I just took a picture of someone taking a picture of a couple who were in front of her in line.
My husband had to buy a coconut when he saw a man selling them along the street...(hard to see but that is a straw sticking out of it to drink the coconut milk)
Had to take a picture of this old movie theater that is now a drugstore...
Didn't tour this house (Patterson - Baldwin House) built around 1838 and moved to this location after the hurricane of 1846 but took a picture of it. Just didn't have enough time to see everything completely...It is also considered the oldest schoolhouse because classes were taught there until 1860.
My husband and I did go through this house - The Oldest House in Key West and Southern Florida built in 1829 by a ship's carpenter using cedar and pine.Captain Francis Watlington lived here with his wife and their nine daughters. Their descendants occupied the house until the 1970s when Mrs. Rosemary Austin bought the house and donated it to the State of Florida. It was really interesting and complete.
The front of the house...
A statue of Marilyn Monroe from the famous photo...
A pretty church...
We had to go in and give it a try. It claims to be the birthplace of the Key Lime Pie in Key West 1856. It was good. My husband got the Coconut Cream Pie instead and Carol got a piece of a Coconut Key Lime Pie.
Just some of the pretty homes...
Carol and Keith went back to the ship while we stayed to tour the Little White House. President Harry S.Truman used the house as a retreat and a functioning White House from 1946 to 1952. Five other presidents also used it. Photos are not allowed to be taken inside the house.
We had to leave the tour to hurry back to the ship before it was to sail, but I had time to take one last picture back at Malory Square and the Custom House (red building in the center).
Back on board, we spent the next two days at sea going to San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Our ship - The Rotterdam
left port in Tampa at 4:00 Sunday afternoon
Another cruise ship left not too long after we did...
and we docked the next morning in Key West at 11:00. My husband and I had never been there and were excited about seeing seeing it. The ship wasn't leaving until 6 o'clock so we tried to see as much as we could. I don't know how far we walked that day, but I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't close to 5 miles.
You can read about the Custom House and the Lighthouse here. I focused on the Kiss statue instead of the Custom House in my picture.
We thought we were in Hawaii with all of the chicken and roosters running around...
Behind this wall is Ernest Hemingway's home.
Key West Lighthouse... (It was decommissioned by the Coast Guard in 1969.)
The Light Keepers Quarters and museum (built in 1887)
Views from the top after walking up 88 steps...
A fun thing that happened while we were at balcony was a young man trying to hold a Buffalo Bill football team flag over the side. He asked us to help hold it out for him (it was a little windy up there) while his father took a picture from the ground. He told us he had been to many places with it and taking pictures. Two places I remembered were the Olympics and the Taj Mahal.
Down the street from the Lighthouse was the Southernmost Point of the Continental USA. The line was long of people waiting to have their picture taken by it so I just took a picture of someone taking a picture of a couple who were in front of her in line.
My husband had to buy a coconut when he saw a man selling them along the street...(hard to see but that is a straw sticking out of it to drink the coconut milk)
Had to take a picture of this old movie theater that is now a drugstore...
Didn't tour this house (Patterson - Baldwin House) built around 1838 and moved to this location after the hurricane of 1846 but took a picture of it. Just didn't have enough time to see everything completely...It is also considered the oldest schoolhouse because classes were taught there until 1860.
My husband and I did go through this house - The Oldest House in Key West and Southern Florida built in 1829 by a ship's carpenter using cedar and pine.Captain Francis Watlington lived here with his wife and their nine daughters. Their descendants occupied the house until the 1970s when Mrs. Rosemary Austin bought the house and donated it to the State of Florida. It was really interesting and complete.
The front of the house...
A statue of Marilyn Monroe from the famous photo...
A pretty church...
We had to go in and give it a try. It claims to be the birthplace of the Key Lime Pie in Key West 1856. It was good. My husband got the Coconut Cream Pie instead and Carol got a piece of a Coconut Key Lime Pie.
Just some of the pretty homes...
Carol and Keith went back to the ship while we stayed to tour the Little White House. President Harry S.Truman used the house as a retreat and a functioning White House from 1946 to 1952. Five other presidents also used it. Photos are not allowed to be taken inside the house.
We had to leave the tour to hurry back to the ship before it was to sail, but I had time to take one last picture back at Malory Square and the Custom House (red building in the center).
Back on board, we spent the next two days at sea going to San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Envious, hope you have a wonderful time and got to soak up a lot of Key West. Go see the "cat man" on the square, if you can!
ReplyDeleteHi Kevin, We did have a good time. It is a beautiful place. Guess we missed the "cat man" on the square. Hard being back in Kansas City now with the lower temperatures, but at least they are in the 50s and 60s so far. I had gotten used to all of the green and the beautiful flowers that we saw in Florida and then on the islands. Hopefully spring will come soon here. Patricia
Delete