Key West

Our first port of call was Key West, Florida. We started the morning with room service on the balcony - coffee, melon, bacon, and eggs. At 10:00, we disembarked for the first time, getting our seapasses scanned as we left the ship. Key West is a highly walkable port that's probably better explored on your own than with a ship excursion, which is what we planned on doing.

Walking directly east from the port, we soon ran across the Truman Little White House and snapped a few pics there. So far, I was impressed - Key West was prettier and quainter than I'd expected, with lots of white picket fences, sprawling tree roots, and green foliage.

We'd decided to start at the southernmost point and work our way back up. I'd discovered a less expensive option than the Conch Train - the free Duvall bus loop. We waited by one of the sign posts; I checked my phone and worried that the info I'd found was out of date, while Mom snapped pictures of roaming chickens. Within ten minutes, the bus arrived and we hopped on.

Departing the bus a short ways away, we could see the line for a picture by the Southernmost Point marker was ridiculous, stretching all the way down the block. (The picture below is actually two pictures photoshopped together to remove people.) We chose to snap a few pics with the statue nearby instead, then walked east past several shabbily grand Victorian B&Bs to reach the beach.

The water was clearer than I'd expected, but the beach still felt a little grungy. We stopped at the first of many shops we'd visit and bought postcards. I also found a neat decorative bowl made of half a coconut, with eggshell lacquered inside to create a cool pattern. 

It was hotter now, with fewer shady trees along the sidewalk. We took our time walking past sunbleached bungalows (and an iguana that may have been dead or alive), until we arrived at our next stop - the Hemingway House.