✈️✈️✈️2002 ~ May 29-June 6, Trip to Key West, Florida

Day 1: May 29, 2002

Teresa, Rick, Rebecca, Dad, and I flew from Huntsville, Alabama, to Atlanta, Georgia.

We flew from Atlanta, Georgia, to Miami, Florida, where my sister picked us up and drove us to her house in Marathon.

We stopped at Burger King for lunch.

After lunch, we stopped and walked along the Ocean and gulf.

My sister's house was along the waterfront, 10 feet from the inlet.

In this area, boats were docked, and you could fish and swim.

My sister cooked a seafood dinner, and we walked down to the beach after dinner.

We picked up seashells and watched the setting sun.

Sunset in Marathon 

Spiny lobster

Day 2: May 30, 2002

We went to one of the small islands in the Ocean and were dropped off with a picnic basket full of food and a cooler.

While we explored the island and ate lunch, the men folks left in the boat.

When the men came back in the boat, the tide had started coming in. The island was covered with water but too shallow for the boat to land, so we had to swim out to the boat with our basket and cooler.

The men caught some fish, a Spiny lobster, and a small shark. 

We had lobster for supper and fresh coconut from their yard, which Rick struggled to open.

The carapace of Panulirus Argus is subcylindrical and bears many strong, forward-facing spines. 

A pair of rostral horns project forward over the stalked eyes. 

Whip-like antennae are longer than the body and are studded with small spines and setae. Antennules are also elongated, extending the approximately 2/3-body length. 

The abdomen is notched along its lateral margins but is otherwise smooth. 

Each segment of the abdomen has a transverse groove that is disrupted at the midline. 

Two pairs of biramous uropods flank the central telson. 

The body color is varied but generally a gray or tan base color mottled with shades of green, red, brown, purple, or black. 

The second and sixth segments of the abdomen have large yellow or white ocillas, with smaller ocillas scattered dorsolateral along the abdomen. Legs are striped longitudinally in a dull blue color. Dactyls of the walking legs are setose. Pleopods are bright orange and black. 

The endopodites in female pleopods are well-developed and hook-like, bearing many setae. In juveniles, the antennae and pereiopods are banded white, and a broad white stripe runs the length of the dorsal midline across both the carapace and abdomen.

Island, where we had a picnic

Day 3: May 31, 2002

We went snorkeling in the Ocean, where the water was shallow at one point and over our heads at the next point.

We saw many unusual seashells but could not bring the live shells out of the Ocean.

We walked along the 7-mile bridge that was used in the making of the movie True Lies.

The highway included the Seven Mile Bridge, the Bahia Honda Bridge, and the Long Key Bridge (although these three original bridges are no longer open to vehicular traffic, except for part of Seven Mile Bridge, they are listed on the National Register of Historic Places and are currently used as fishing piers).

The 7-mile bridge runs over a channel between the Gulf of Mexico and the Florida Straight.

The new bridge is called Overseas Highway US1.

Movies made on the Old Highway are 2 Fast 2 Furious, License to Kill, Up Close and Personal, and True Lies.

We saw Marquesa Hotel, 600 Fleming St, Key West, Florida.

Seven Mile Bridge

Day 4: June 1, 2002

We went to the Tropical Crane Point Hammock Crane Point History Museum, where you can feed the fish and interact with hands-on sea critters. We also visited Los Ninos De Los Cayos, an interactive vessel complete with pirate clothing and treasures.

Crane Point, MM 50.5, Bayside, 5550 Overseas Hwy. Marathon, FL

Phone: (305) 743-9100

Here we also saw:

Loggerhead Sea Turtle

Hawksbill Sea Turtle

Kemp's Riley Sea Turtle

Leatherback Sea Turtle

1. The Loggerhead turtle weighs about 200 kg, with reddish-brown markings.

2. The Hawksbill turtle is a small, beautifully patterned turtle weighing about 50 to 100 kg.

3. Kemp's Riley Turtle is the smallest and most endangered sea turtle. It has an oval, olive-green shell and weighs about 50 kg.

4. The leatherback turtle is the largest of the sea turtles. It has no shell but leathery skin with raised stripes.
It can reach over a meter in length and weigh about 700 kg.

All sea turtles are protected because they are classified as Endangered.
Their numbers are reduced because of human activity, such as capturing or killing adults for food and their shells, taking eggs, the destruction and pollution of nesting beaches, ocean pollution, and being caught up in fishing nets.

We took the many trails in the park, and it was a very hot day.

Teresa and Rick Milberger walked ahead, and Paula and Becky returned to the museum because the mosquitoes were biting them.

After walking the trail, Dad wanted to cool off, so he asked me if putting his feet into the water was okay.

The next thing I knew, he called for help, for he had lost his balance and fallen into the water.

I knew I could not pull him out by myself, so I called out for Rick and Teresa, and they came running.

Rick pulled Dad out of the water. When he found them, his glasses had fallen off his face into the water. 

They were broken, and he was dripping wet.

This was another wild adventure with my family.

Tropical Crane Point Hammock Crane Point History Museum 

Tropical Crane Point Hammock Crane Point History Museum 

Day 5: June 2, 2002

We rode the Henry Pigeon Express to the Overseas Railroad, built by Henry Flager from 1912 to 1935. It is the eighth wonder of the world.

Pigeon Key Museum—Located on Pigeon Key, where Flagler railroad workers lived, this museum houses memories of the railroad's construction. The museum is actually a restored home where several families lived during the construction era and throughout the years. Today, hundreds of postcards and early photos of the island are displayed inside the house. A display model of the Seven Mile Bridge details the construction process.

MM 47, Oceanside, Marathon, FL

Phone: (305) 743-5999

Henry Pigeon Express 

Day 6: June 3, 2002

We took the Old Town Trolley Tours of Key West - Old Town Trolley's 90-minute tour covers more than 100 points of interest, and passengers can enjoy the tour at their own pace. At any point, passengers may choose to get off at any of the routine stops to shop, dine, or sightsee and then re-board another trolley later.

Mallory Square, Key West, FL

Phone: (305) 296-6688

After the trolley tour, we walked to Ernest Hemingway's home, located at 907 Whitehead St, Key West, Florida 33041.

Ernest Hemingway lived and wrote for more than 10 years.

We walked past the cruise ship Enchantment of the Seas, which was docked in Key West. Florida

We stopped at many of the shops along the way, where I:

Bought postcards of:

The Hemingway House Key West

Key West-The Conch Republic Southernmost Point Continental USA Key West FL.

Key West Lighthouse

Teresa, Rick, and Becky walked up to the Key West Lighthouse, and I walked through "The Keepers Quarters' Museum."

The lighthouse is 938 Whitehead Street, Key West, Florida 33040.

We walked to the Southernmost Point at Whitehead.

South Street in Key West, Florida, is 90 miles from Cuba. Point 1.

Before leaving the Florida Keys, we enjoyed a lovely meal at

Margaretville Café located at 500 Duval Street, Key West, Florida 33040 

Hemingway House Key West Postcard

Key West Lighthouse Postcard

Southernmost Point Postcard

Margaretville Café

Day 7: June 4, 2002

We loaded into my sister's truck, and she drove us to Miami International Airport, where we boarded and flew to Atlanta International Airport, then to Huntsville International Airport and the road home.

May 29-June 6, 2002, Miami, Florida, Delta Airlines

Delta Flight DL378

Leave 6:40 A.M. Huntsville International Airport (HSV) Seat 28E gate 6-ticket ticket 1 006-2198887297 4 LG6JHFN.

Arrive Atlanta International Airport (ATL)

Leave Atlanta International Airport (ATL)

Arrive at Miami International Airport (MIA)

Return Flight

Leave Miami International Airport (MIA)

Arrive Atlanta International Airport (ATL)

Leave Atlanta International Airport (ATL)

Arrive Huntsville International Airport (HSV)