Key West Day 2

Today we found the Kino Sandal factory, and that was really neat. They are handmade there in a small shop, and of course, you are limited to whatever sizes and colors they have at the moment! I bought my friend 2 pair, and in the second pic you can see which ones I got for myself!!!

The winner was celery green Lili's!!! I love them...I decided I will wear them all summer regardless of what color clothes I am wearing...they are fairly calm in color and they shouldn't be too glaring!!! LOL. Now...if I can find some nail polish....

We were sitting waiting for our trolley and some of the roosters and chickens that freely roam the island came walking over so we had gotten a few pics!!! When I looked up from that, my eye hit the house in the next pic...

A cute little shotgun house...painted so nicely...I couldn't help but think of my blogger friend, Claude and his little previously painted magenta house that he discovered in Dallas area...so this pic is for you Claude!!!

Here is a pic of Hemingways writing room...he had such a relaxed and comfortable home...and we saw so many of his 6 toed cats lounging around in the yard and on beds and couches inside too!!! It was like a cat sanctuary really. Beautiful gardens around the home also! Very lush.

The next 3 pictures were taken in Margaritaville on Duval Street. We both had Cheeseburgers in Paradise...





AND...last but not least...check out this absolutely stunning Hoya that I found inside the Butterfly and Nature Conservatory!!! WOW!!!!! Sure wish I could bring this baby back home with me!!!!!

We just got home from a great little Japanese place were we ate some outstanding sushi. Now we are leaving to walk a bit...not far...just around the hotel where it is safe...

Will post more tomorrow night, and also I will be showing pics of my front garden space that I cleaned up and out prior to leaving for Key West....on Friday I will be planting some vegetable plants and a few annuals...it is strange because this area is right at the front door to my house, and to have vegetables there is odd...but I am looking forward to remembering to water them and also to see them several times daily and REALLY enjoy growing them!

Oh...that was the longest drive EVER!!!

WOW...we thought we would never get here...so much water everywhere, bridges and places to see!!! We stopped at this McDonalds and it had these cute tiki huts inside, and really cute bahama fans! We decided it was the cutest Micky D's we had ever seen!

Next we stopped at John Pennycamp State Park. The glass bottom boats to the coral reef areas was going to take 2.5 hours, so we enjoyed the visitors nature center, and gift shop. We started to take the nature hike, but decided we do enough of that same type of stuff at home, and wanted to make take getting down to Key West...so we departed there. Below is some coral stuff we took a pic of in a tank...nice color, eh???

I thought these pretty kayaks against the Atlantic Ocean made such a pretty picture at Bahia Honda State Park!

A sweet little butterfly garden there, which featured the Blue Miami Butterfly, and Monarchs! The Blue Miamis are white with a hint of blue...very sweet little things! I have Monarchs all in my yard at home, so they were not as interesting to me. We never could get a good picture of one of them...they are fast moving little buggers!!!

And a pic of the beach there at Bahia Honda...the water varied green- clear bright blue, and every shade between...all varied, and add in white areas where we saw a lot of sandbars! The water is DEFINATELY not the same color at home!!! Clear and gorgeous here in the Keys!!!

This was a little place off the beaten path that I had read about on the internet prior to coming down. It was at the Key Deer Refuge just before you cross over onto No Name Key...yes, that really is what it is called. Sadly we drove all through that refuge and never saw one deer! They are the smallest of the whitetailed deer. This little pub is so interesting...they claim to have "The Best Pizza in this Universe"...and it's true!!! We has the Key West Shrimp Pizza, with white sauce, rather than red...and it was to die for!!!

My daugher and I took a few pics, and I got this one with her in it taking a picture! The ceiling is coated from up top, and down the walls, in every nook and cranny...in one dollar bills that customers have put there over the years! Many have been drawn or written on. You feel like you are in a dark, small cave when you are in there, and as much as we enjoyed it, I was ready to get back out in the sunshine and fresh air!


So we are now in our hotel, and taking naps! I drove 8 hours in the end...and that was just from Miami to here! Of course, with many stops and fun in between, but now we are dead dog tired!!! Tomorrow we see all of Key West, and then drive home on Thursday! If I am not too tired I will check in again tomorrow night.

Did I tell you we shopped at South Beach for hours yesterday afternoon and ate sushi at this ultra groovy place, where the sushi comes around to you on little boats??? Oh, goodness, that was cool!!! The sushi was the best we ever ate...and now, since it only took us 2 hours to drive to Miami, we plan to be back for more of that place!!! I think I could get used to the hustle bustle of Miami...it has such an energy to it, and is so much darn fun.