The official travel journal of Jerry & Ann Linebarger
www.linebloggers.com
The fort is surrounded by a moat which is surrounded by the ocean. The military liked the fact that this tiny island was bordered by a deep water channel, allowing them to get supply ships to the fort's dock.
We didn't count them but there were hundreds of arches lending a special beauty to the old fort.
Two of the many Cuban refugee boats that have landed at Fort Jefferson. The park rangers must arrest the boat occupants and deliver them to immigration authorities.
One of our side trips was to the National Key Deer Refuge on Big Pine Key. This refuge was established in 1957 to protect and preserve this tiny animal. About the size of a German shepherd, they have been classified as an endangered species and only inhabit a few of the Key islands. They have little fear of humans, having been surrounded by them their whole lives.
This old rooster oversaw our breakfast at Blue Heaven. It was a funky place with great food, earning it the reputation of being the best breakfast place in town. It is said that Jimmy Buffet eats here often when he's in town. All the tables are outside in a courtyard and there are lots of chickens and cats, as there are all over Key West.
Famous Duval Street in Key West.
No trip to Key West is complete without a stop at Ernest Hemingway's home. He and his second wife, Pauline Pfeiffer, lived here for 9 years. According to our tour guide, the home was a gift from Pauline's wealthy Uncle Gus Pfeiffer. The Hemingway House sits on one acre and, because of that, is the largest residence in Key West. It has beautiful gardens and is surrounded by a stone wall for privacy. The Hemingways had 2 sons while living here and Pauline often had to choose between traveling to exotic places with Ernest or staying home to take care of her boys. She said that she wasn't cut out to be a mother and often chose to accompany Hemingway on his travels to exotic places. As a result, her children reported feeling "abandoned" when they were young. In spite of her efforts, Heminway strayed (again). He and Pauline divorced in 1940 and three weeks later, he married his 3rd wife. Pauline spent the rest of her days in Key West.
In this studio at his home in Key West, Hemingway wrote several books including A Farewell to Arms and Death in the Afternoon, along with others. He also had a studio at the Pfeiffer's home (actually the Pfeiffers built Ernest a studio in their barn) in Piggott, Arkansas. He and Pauline visited Piggott often.
