Key West

During our trip to The Keys we spent one day in Key West. It was an intense day of relentless overstimulation. Key West is an enticing mix of vintage and modern, religious and secular, natural and man-made. 

Seward Johnson's sculpure "Embracing Peace" outside The Custom House.

Key Lime Mom.

Sue and mom at The Southernmost Point of The Continental United States.

Love Locks placed on the gate just behind The Southernmost Point.

A pair of sunglasses forgotten in a tree.

The Hemingway House.

The Grotto behind The Basilica of St. Mary Star of The Sea. It was built out of local rocks in 1922 by Sister Gabriel to serve as protection from the devastation of hurricanes. Since its constuction there has been no major hurricane that has hit The Keys.

Stunning trees growing in front of The Harvey Government Center.

Disco ball in the trees.

White chocolate covered wine glass at Better Than Sex. By far the best thing about the meal was listening to my mom and Sue giggle over the names of the desserts and suggestive pictures on the walls. I'm certain I saw a glimps of what they were like in high school.

The crowd gathering to watch the sunset at Mallory Square.

The Florida Keys

I realized that I had lived my whole life in Florida but I had never been to The Keys. I planned a road trip for my mother and I as well as Sue, my mothers best friend since high school. 

Sue and my mother on the patio outside The Blond Giraffe Key Lime Pie Factory.

Bridge on the Overseas Highway.

We got out to admire the view and my mother spotted wild manta rays. 

My mom on the dock ouside of our hotel room.

Catch of the day: a beautifully painted wooden fish.

Wild iguana.

Breakfast slice of key lime pie with a view.

Uninhabited island along the highway.

Kitesurfer.

Shallow coral outcrop.

Mom in an oversized beach chair.

One of the boats docked at our hotel.

Ended The Keys the way it began: with a stop at The Blond Giraffe.

The Coral Castle

The Coral Castle was built by a Latvian immigrant named Edward Leedskalnin. He had come to Florida in the early 1920's following the separation from his fiancé and his tuberculosis diagnosis. He began constructing the castle as a tribute for his ex fiancé but he was a very secretive man. Ed did the majority of the work at night and no one witnessed any of the building. The vast majority of the coral has no visible signs of any tool markings. He did some tours for visitors but always kept his methods a secret. He passed away in 1951 at the age of 64. 

Ed's unique creation was turned into a museum and I was lucky enough to see it for myself. 

Sign in the entrance way.

The Tower.

The North Wall.

The Feast of Love Table. 5,000 lbs of coral make a perfect heart shaped dining area. The blooming ixora tree in the center is the original planted by Ed.

Entrance way to The Tower. Ed lived on the second floor and kept his tools in the storage space below. 

Some of the tools Ed used to create The Coral Castle.

The upstairs where Ed lived. We were allowed to go inside but it was difficult to take good photos because of the barriers. Ed's few posessions were pushed towards the walls. His bed was a narrow plank of wood suspended from the ceiling by two heavy chains. The whole set up was incredibly spartan. It's amazing to think that a man who desired so little had the capacity to create so much. Of all the mysterious sights his room stuck out to me the most. It made me wonder about the kind of person he was, what he thought about when he was sitting by himself every night. What made him so motivated to create this world that he gaurded so closely. He was a private person and perhaps it was fitting that I had no photos of his living space that I was willing to post. 

Standing in the center of his room you could feel the breeze from all four windows, one on each wall. The bed sways softly. The mason jars in the corner are still collecting dust, most likey right where he left them. It's incredible to think that he created a castle. 

Ed's BBQ cooker. Apparently he would used it to make hot dogs for childern during their school trip visits. 

The Florida Table.

The Obelisk.