Just back from vacation and a quick report with a wargaming slant...
This was my first time visiting Key West, and we went for my wife and my birthday (they are only 4 days apart.) If you are considering visiting we were a little put off at first, as we are beach people and the ones in Key West are not very large. It was described to us multiple times while we were there as a "party" town, which is not our thing. But, once we scratched the surface, we had a great time and there are many things that might be of interest to my fellow wargamers.
Don't forget to click photos to enlarge
There is a plethora of boating, fishing, and diving in the area, but I can only comment on the snorkeling we did.
- The beaches are ok, but small. We went to Fort Zachary Taylor State Park. We liked it, it is a natural coral beach, so wear your water shoes if you have sensitive feet. It started to get crowded around mid-day, so get there early.
- Fort Zachary Taylor: An excellent example of pre-civil war coastal fortifications that were later upgraded during the Spanish American War. It is a small fort guarding the harbor at Key West and never fired a shot in anger. Like many other forts of the period, the top 2 tiers were knocked down during the Spanish American War for a modern, black concrete set of batteries. Similar to what you can see at Ft. Moultrie or Ft. Sumter. It was a lot of fun to crawl around and worth the visit.
- The Hemingway House: While I don't emulate the writer's heavy drinking nor approve of how much of a terrible husband he was, it is worth the visit to see where he wrote For Whom the Bell Tolls (my favorite novel that he wrote.) It is well preserved and descendants of Hemingway's 6 toed cat roam the grounds. The swimming pool his wife built is impressive and she kept the house after the divorce and raised her sons there.
Just stunning it was one of the highlights of the trip for us. The fort is well preserved and was NOT upgrade during the Spanish American War like most installations from the civil war era, so you can see the full 3 tiers where the guns were housed. It is very impressive and helps, at least for me, to put places I am more familiar with such as Ft Sumter into the context of how they actually appeared.
It was the largest of the masonry forts constructed in the period and covers 7 acres on Garden Key guarding the straits of Florida. Most famously it held the Lincoln conspirators, including the infamous Dr. Mudd, until they were pardoned by Johnson in 1869. It also held Confederate POW's and Union military deserters and other prisoners, all living in the casemates. For a flavor of the place and a cracking good story, read Flashback by Nevada Barr. I won't get into the Mudd innocence debate, I don't know enough about it beyond a documentary I saw 35 years ago.
There is an abundance of sea life, and while the water was a little murky on the day we went, the snorkeling was amazing. It is worth the 2-hour ferry ride and next year we intend to go back and camp for 3 or 4 days.
Here are some snaps:
Additionally, go see the CGC Ingham. It was closed for annual maintenance while we were there, but I saw it years ago when it was berthed in Charleston and it is worth it. I also saw LCS 11, USS Sioux City docked in the harbor but alas did not get a picture. It oddly had an Army dark green UH-60 on the flight deck (not a grey Navy Seahawk) but maybe not so odd considering the US Army Special Forces dive school is one of the tenant units at NAS Key West.
Other than that we enjoyed walking every night 8 - 10 miles, some good food, and an escape room!
Ok, now I am back to work and in the real world. Visit Key West of you have the chance, driving the keys is fun. Until next time, good gaming!
