Six-toed cats and feral roosters

Monday, March 5, 2012 MARATHON, FL – We got as far south as you can go and still be in the continental USA today – and here is the picture to prove it! It’s only 90 miles away from Cuba, and a favourite photo opportunity in Key West, where we went today. We didn’t get on our way quite as early as we had planned. After a restless night with the wind howling and shaking the motorhome without a moment’s respite, we weren’t sure we could venture out even today. It was still blowing hard at first light, and the waves were still rough when we looked out. However, when we actually stepped outside (with our hands firmly gripping the handle as we opened the door) it was bearable, though still very windy. Our poor little Honda was completely caked with dried salt, having borne the brunt of the lashing waves in its parking spot facing the water. It sparkled almost like frost on the windshield when we ran the wipers through it. So our first order of business was to find a car wash to get the corrosive stuff off. It was well past 10 before we got on our way to Key West, a 50-mile drive from our RV park. We crossed the Seven-Mile Bridge toward the Lower Keys, and passed through the Key Deer preservation area, where big signs warned of deer crossings along a section of highway that had fences on either side higher than any deer I know could leap. We never did catch a glimpse of a single one. Rather than getting snarled in city traffic once we made it to Key West, we decided to park the car and take a tour on one of the hop-on, hop-off trolleys. We didn’t stay on for long before we came to a likely-looking lunch spot, next to Ernest Hemingway’s home, called the Six Toed Cat. Apparently, such creatures still inhabit the grounds of the Hemingway establishment, descendants of Papa’s six-toed pet. Our light lunch lightened our wallet alarmingly, but we had been forewarned, and we were hungry. It was a short walk to the cairn that marks the Southernmost Point of the USA, and the day was lovely and fresh after all the heat and humidity we have had. We passed quaint wood-frame houses with picket fences, shady porches and gingerbread trim, decorated with tumbling splashes of bright bougainvillea. Several times, we spotted feral roosters strutting about and crowing. After our photo opportunity, we walked back to re-connect with the trolley tour, which took us on a wide loop through the old town and out to the more modern edges of the city. We learned that the name “Key West” was actually an anglicised version of Cayo Huesa, the Spanish name that means island of bones, since pirates in early times found such evidence from shipwrecks. When our route took us past the shopping, eating and beach areas, we appreciated the full impact of Spring Break, which has just begun. The beach especially was jammed with huge crowds of young people, looking for a good time with their friends. On the main street, hundreds of shoppers jostled each other on the sidewalks, and shopkeepers smiled as their cash registers chimed regularly. If we had more time, we would have had a closer look at the Hemingway house and a nearby butterfly museum, but we wanted to get back to the RV before nightfall, so we left that for another time.