Key West, Florida
After three years of
trying we finally made it to Key West in February of 2009. We
never really understood all of the 
breathless excitement that many of our
friends had for this place that we now call paradise. Words
are not sufficient to describe Key West until you see it for yourself,
experience it and take the whole lifestyle to heart. Our
primary purpose for the visit was to participate in a Civil War Reenactment at
Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park. In order to do that we were
allowed to set up on Sunset Beach within the park boundaries.
Sunset Beach is acknowledged to be the most beautiful beach on
the island and at sunset everyone is required to leave except for those
of us participating in the reenactment. It was dry camping but a
fantastic venue at the foot of the fort adjacent to the beach where the
sunset weddings are usually performed.
During the reenactment we fired a salute to all soldiers, sailors and Marines at Clinton Square at the foot of Duvall Street, then we paraded up Duvall Street to the Green Parrot where we fired off another salute to the well known establishment. The next day was a sea battle in which Federal forces on-board the schooners Liberty and Appledore bested the rebel forces on a blockade runner, bringing her captain to justice. In true Key West form, as we were assaulting the enemy ship with muskets and verbal taunts, the crew of the Liberty was firing off round after round of stale French dinner rolls using a tennis racket. Jet skiers at one point broke our ranks into the line of fire and were "sum
arilly dispatched." Then, since no one
ashore bothered to fly flags over the shore batteries indicating which
was friend and which was foe, the colonel commanding the 14th Brooklyn gave
orders to "disable both batteries and let God figure it out."
While all of this was going on the bikini clad ladies (and laddies) on the beach kept sauntering by and the Conch Republic Air Force kept buzzing us in their bi-planes. Never before has war been so much fun.
The following day Commander Reynolds was involved in the trial of another blockade runner and served as second to the Federal commanding general who had challenged a Reb major to a duel. True to the lowly nature of the Rebs the major's second opened fire when his principal was felled. A horrible assault on the manly art of chivalry, and an attack that no gentleman would consider being a party to. The general retrieved his $100 from the rotting carcass of the major.
While at the fort we met Paula and Ken Largin who have been fulltiming in RVs for ten years. They are knife makers who have retired and now spend their time teaching others how to make knives. They were demonstrating their craft during the reenactment. Ken is the most prolific living knife maker having hand ground more than 75,000 blades in his 30 year career as Kelgin Knife Makers, including knives made for Paul Harvey and General Colin Powell who gave them to General Norman Schwartzkopf and all Gulf War POWs. They are great, laid-back folks who are always looking for a venue to demonstrate and teach. In addition to being super people and professional artisans, they put on a great show. They can be reached at www.kelgin.com.
When the reenactment was over we got to spend a couple more nights in the State Park before we had to move. This time, to the other side of the island to the Navy's Trumbo Annex, adjacent to the Coast Guard Station. There were guards at the gate--most likely to keep non-Key West attitudes from escaping to the island (or perhaps serve as targets for the French dinner rolls during Conch Republic Independence celebrations).
We did all of the touristy things like the Conch Train tour, the stroll down Duvall Street and the Sunset Cruise. We did our cruise on board the Liberty Schooner out of Boston. She spends her winters in Key West and her summers in Boston Harbor. She is a three masted, gaff-rigged schooner and is the tallest ship in Key West (so long as the Western Union keeps her topgallant folded down).
breathless excitement that many of our
friends had for this place that we now call paradise. Words
are not sufficient to describe Key West until you see it for yourself,
experience it and take the whole lifestyle to heart. Our
primary purpose for the visit was to participate in a Civil War Reenactment at
Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park. In order to do that we were
allowed to set up on Sunset Beach within the park boundaries.
Sunset Beach is acknowledged to be the most beautiful beach on
the island and at sunset everyone is required to leave except for those
of us participating in the reenactment. It was dry camping but a
fantastic venue at the foot of the fort adjacent to the beach where the
sunset weddings are usually performed.During the reenactment we fired a salute to all soldiers, sailors and Marines at Clinton Square at the foot of Duvall Street, then we paraded up Duvall Street to the Green Parrot where we fired off another salute to the well known establishment. The next day was a sea battle in which Federal forces on-board the schooners Liberty and Appledore bested the rebel forces on a blockade runner, bringing her captain to justice. In true Key West form, as we were assaulting the enemy ship with muskets and verbal taunts, the crew of the Liberty was firing off round after round of stale French dinner rolls using a tennis racket. Jet skiers at one point broke our ranks into the line of fire and were "sum
arilly dispatched." Then, since no one
ashore bothered to fly flags over the shore batteries indicating which
was friend and which was foe, the colonel commanding the 14th Brooklyn gave
orders to "disable both batteries and let God figure it out."While all of this was going on the bikini clad ladies (and laddies) on the beach kept sauntering by and the Conch Republic Air Force kept buzzing us in their bi-planes. Never before has war been so much fun.
The following day Commander Reynolds was involved in the trial of another blockade runner and served as second to the Federal commanding general who had challenged a Reb major to a duel. True to the lowly nature of the Rebs the major's second opened fire when his principal was felled. A horrible assault on the manly art of chivalry, and an attack that no gentleman would consider being a party to. The general retrieved his $100 from the rotting carcass of the major.
While at the fort we met Paula and Ken Largin who have been fulltiming in RVs for ten years. They are knife makers who have retired and now spend their time teaching others how to make knives. They were demonstrating their craft during the reenactment. Ken is the most prolific living knife maker having hand ground more than 75,000 blades in his 30 year career as Kelgin Knife Makers, including knives made for Paul Harvey and General Colin Powell who gave them to General Norman Schwartzkopf and all Gulf War POWs. They are great, laid-back folks who are always looking for a venue to demonstrate and teach. In addition to being super people and professional artisans, they put on a great show. They can be reached at www.kelgin.com.
When the reenactment was over we got to spend a couple more nights in the State Park before we had to move. This time, to the other side of the island to the Navy's Trumbo Annex, adjacent to the Coast Guard Station. There were guards at the gate--most likely to keep non-Key West attitudes from escaping to the island (or perhaps serve as targets for the French dinner rolls during Conch Republic Independence celebrations).
We did all of the touristy things like the Conch Train tour, the stroll down Duvall Street and the Sunset Cruise. We did our cruise on board the Liberty Schooner out of Boston. She spends her winters in Key West and her summers in Boston Harbor. She is a three masted, gaff-rigged schooner and is the tallest ship in Key West (so long as the Western Union keeps her topgallant folded down).
visit to the Green Parrot for Margeuritas. We did go past the
"Southernmost Point" monument and got a picture of it with a bunch of
people we don't know around it. We never got back to get the
requisite photo of US at the monument. So we have included here a
photo of the monument and a drawing that Glenn made to indicate the
photo we should have taken. We will replace it as soon as we get
back to Key West and remember to take the photo. Citizens of the
Conch Republic will understand completely, others may be just a tad
confused.
It is located on Schooner Wharf. That is Glenn's finger pointing to the unbroken end of the Southernmost Broken Cleat.