Key West

After leaving Bahia Honda, we drove down to Key West and checked into our hotel where we were pleasantly surprised to find that a free downtown shuttle was included in our rate. After getting ready we hopped on to check out downtown Key West. Our first stop was the Southernmost Point in the U.S. The Southernmost point was originally just marked with a sign, which was often stolen. In response to this, the city of Key West erected the now famous concrete buoy in 1983. Despite not being completely accurate it’s still a must see tourist stop. There was a line to get your picture taken and while we were waiting we heard a ruckus and saw that one of the famous chickens had suffered a hit and run. The chickens have been around for 175 years but their numbers grew in the 1950s, when thousands of Cubans fled the Revolution and came to Key West to support a booming cigar industry bringing their chickens with them. Many escaped or were released and now roam the streets of Key West. After leaving the Southernmost Point, we wandered by the Hemingway house which is home base for another Key West staple, the six toed cat. Ernest Hemingway was given a white six-toed cat by a ship's captain and some of the cats who live on the museum grounds are descendants of that original cat, named Snowball. Key West is a small island and it is possible that many of the cats on the island are related. We ambled down Duval street which is the main drag and ended up at Mallory Square for the famous Sunset Festival.My favorite of all the entertainment was this act. The man would perform his guitar and the dog wandered around and took the money from people's hands. The man wasn't very good but that is so freakin adorable that I bet he makes tons of money.It was so packed that we decided to go grab dinner before the crowds descended on the restaurants. We dined at Red Fish, Blue Fish and I had Mahi Sliders and Key Lime pie which were both so delicious. We wandered around the harbor and I loved this charter boat: "The High Class Hooker-You Know You'll Catch Something."If I were to hire a charter it would be this one for its sense of humor.Waiting for the shuttle to take us back I got my picture taken with this sponge man.I really loved Key West. It is so laid back and I think the architecture of the homes is so gorgeous. It reminded me somewhat of New Orleans (minus the wrought iron).