Cruisin': Key West Florida

Okay, sorry about the delay, there. I had four cakes (two looked like this one and this one) scheduled for this weekend. And the Man may or may not be out of town, therefore leaving all childcare responsibilities to me. AND my van had massive issues on Saturday just as I was heading out to deliver cakes! Lovely.

So where were we? Ah yes...at sea.

I'm kinda glad they gave us the first afternoon to just relax, get unpacked, and periodically alternate between squealing with glee or trying not to cry because I missed Baby. Also? We were dead on our feet. The Man got a nice nap before dinner while I unpacked. No sleep plus constant adrenaline rushes? By the time we went back to our stateroom (cruise-speak for your room, also called a cabin), we pretty much crashed that first night. I hardly felt the boat moving.

Monday morning, we woke up in Key West. This was one of the Man's favorite things about the cruise. Your hotel moves to the next location while you sleep comfortably.


Key West is a tiny little island and really nice. Right off the boat, we were in a downtown, market area. I loved the little shops and stalls that lined the streets! The main drag is Duvall Street. The beach area is about a mile away from the pier. You can rent scooters and little electric cars or take a taxi. We opted not to go. Also, after seeing a woman on a scooter wipe out in the middle of an intersection, there was no way I was getting on one! There are other things to see: pirate museum, aquarium, seashell warehouse, a marina, and, of course, a multitude of key lime pie establishments. And if you buy nothing else, get a slice of key lime pie, dipped in chocolate and frozen. It was possibly the most refreshing thing I've ever tasted!


Since Key West is reachable by road, it has the southern-most highway in the United States. Here is where it ends (the other side of the street is the "Begin" marker). There was supposed to be a geocache here but we couldn't find it in the short amount of time we had to look.


This was another marina around the corner from where our ship anchored. We saw fish called tarpon swimming around that were longer than I am tall (which isn't saying much considering how short I am). I took a picture but my shadow was in the way...then I noticed the battery light flashing on my camera...crud! Did you know it is impossible to find a camera battery charger in the Caribbean? It's true. We looked everywhere. Ended up having to get a camera from the store on the ship (also had to get hairspray). Actually, I recommend bringing a disposable underwater camera. I didn't even think of how we would get pictures while snorkeling or climbing the waterfall. Turned out to be a good thing.

So...since my battery died on the first day, all the rest of my pictures are on 35mm film, which I still haven't gotten developed...I promise I'll get to it first thing this next week!