Key West Photoblog » Things to do in Key West

Vandenberg Pics

Caty — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 01:44:58 +0000

Current on the Vandenberg was strong today, so for freediving it was a quick drift and that was it, all over in a minute. Here are a few pictures from today.

USS Coast Guard Cutter Ingham

Caty — Thu, 13 May 2010 16:26:56 +0000

USS Coast Guard Cutter Ingham is part of the Key West Floating Maritime Museum. It’s located at the Truman Waterfront and also includes the USS Mohawk. For a short time before its sinking, the USS Vandenberg was also docked here while it was prepared and cleaned for sinking as an artificial reef. It’s 327 feet long and was launched in the mid-1930s. It’s an important part of US history because she is one of only two such ships that have been preserved and still in good condition today.

Cutter Ingham saw action in WWII, the Korean War and in Vietnam. During the 1980s she performed search and rescue operations while the Muriel Boat Lift was taking place. Decommissioned in 1988, she was brought to Key West, FL in 2009. She is now a National Historic Landmakr. You can visit USS Coast Guard Cutter Ingham and take a tour.

The View from White Street Pier

Caty — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 13:16:36 +0000

White Street Pier is a great walk, any day. You can stroll out the edge and gaze south over the Atlantic Ocean, or you can look back on the beaches and condos that line water’s edge. You might see shrimpers heading out from Stock Island, or sport fishers doing the same. At night during summer you might see a line of lights during a hurricane warning. That’s big boats waiting out the rough weather on the inshore waters, where it’s safer than being banged around at a dock. You can check the visibility of the water if you are a diver or snorkeler. During windy weather you can watch kiteboarders jump the wind right in front of you. If you like sunsets but not crowds, White Street Pier is your spot at sundown.

Smathers Beach Condos

Caty — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 12:12:19 +0000

Smathers Beach offers the most convenient beach experience in Key West. It’s easy to find, has plenty of parking, and offers shade, tables, and the widest stretch of sand on the island. Located on the south side of the island, you can easily find this beach by driving along South Roosevelt Blvd, which is the southern perimeter road of Key West. You can park right on the street next to the beach, along a mile-plus stretch. There’s a public restroom, and a few vendors parked near the beach, selling shaved ice, seashells, and other beach-related treats and baubles.

If you’re biking, lock up at any of the bike racks along the sidewalk in several spots along the road. A row of cute palm trees separates the dune area of the beach from the sidewalk, providing a nice backdrop for pictures of your Key West vacation. The other side of South Roosevelt is lined with condos and hotels, and vacationers staying at these properties can be seen dragging beach chairs, coolers, and towels across the road all day long, so drive slowly in this area.

The most popular vacation rentals along Smathers Beach would probably be the condos at La Brisa. Many of these units offer ocean views, covered parking, and great location at the western end of South Roosevelt Blvd. This end is closer to the Casa Marina area and Old Town. They are condos, so of course if you rent them as Key West vacation rentals you get full kitchen, bathrooms, living rooms, all furnished and ready to go.

A Key West Video

Caty — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 18:39:08 +0000

Scenes of Key West:

Fishing for Mahi Mahi
Mallory Square Sunset Celebration
Shark Fishing
Sunset Cruise
Snorkeling
Smathers Beach
Jet Skiing
Kiteboarding

Green Sea Turtles

Caty — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 13:08:49 +0000

This is a Green Sea Turtle, not a Loggerhead

If you snorkel or dive in Key West waters, you might get to see a Green Sea Turtle. Most of the turtles you see around here are this type, not Loggerhead turtles. The easiest way to tell the difference is the prefrontal scales, which are between the eyes. In this picture, you can see that this turtle has one pair…so it’s a Green Sea Turtle.

The Green Sea Turtle is listed on the Federal Endangered Species list, mainly because harvesting of eggs, bycatch in shrimper boats, and disturbed nesting areas. We like them because they eat jellyfish!

Spring Break 2010

Caty — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 14:26:56 +0000

Spring Break 2010 – Smathers Beach is covered with bodies- from water’s edge to the cop-occupied dunes behind the sand, it’s mass people. So many bikinis- the kids not wearing bikinis or board shorts stick out like awkward guests wearing pajamas to a hip nightclub.

Boats pull up providing soundtrack and vibrating pods of bikini girls, moving and dancing as one organism.ï¿½ Almost everyone is on the sand, not in the water but some venture in, shoulders raised instinctively against the cold shock of in-shore frigid waters. These kids come from all over the country, many from colleges and universities in Florida but others from colder parts, like the upper midwest.

We get the full range of schools here, from large state universities to small private colleges, all come to enjoy the sun and water in Key West. It’s probably the highest concentration of learned minds you’ll find all year here in the Southernmost City. Key West isn’t known for its academic culture…we do have one community college here, and there’s something on the Navy base offering college courses, but otherwise it’s all about fun and sun here.

If you want to get ahead and work on a new degree, you have to search out and choose one of the accredited online schools that suits your needs. There are more and more of them these days, catering to the academic needs of people who have chosen island living or who are otherwise isolated from academic institutions.

The Vandenberg, 6 Mos. Later

Caty — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 15:57:48 +0000

It’s been just over six months since the USS Vandenberg was sunk. Our artificial reef is coming along nicely- not everything is stark white any more, but covered in growth at this point. We were out snorkeling and freediving recently, and the vis was about 80 feet. No current, and hardly any wind. Perfect Key West snorkeling conditions! Here are a few photos.

: You can see the growth

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Bubbles at Mallory Square Sunset Celebration

Caty — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 01:32:45 +0000

This guy blows bubbles with a net draped between two large sticks. He also makes bubbles with a long cord tied to two long sticks. Really big, beautiful bubbles! His dog circles the crowd wearing short shorts and collects dollar bills.

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Dry Tortugas

Caty — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 16:17:38 +0000

Fort Jefferson at Dry Tortugas

For locals in Key West, August and September are the quiet months, when fewer tourists are around, and even some year-rounders pack up and leave the island. It’s deep hurricane season, and some restaurants close up for a month. This is when local businesses are offering deep discounts on everything from Key West bracelets to Key West tour tickets. One of the best deals is the day trip to Dry Tortugas on Yankee Freedom. In summertime, it’s half price for locals. An amazing deal! I know someone who goes several times a year, during summer, and camps.

Dry Tortugas is actually seven remote islands, 68 nautical miles west of Key West. The National Park covers about 100 square miles and protects not only the island habitats but also the marine world that surrounds them. The largest island, Garden Key, hold historic Fort Jefferson, which you can tour and explore during your four and a half hours on the island before your ferry takes you back to Key West.

The ferry ticket buys you breakfast, lunch, water all day long, snorkel gear, a 40-minute guided tour of Fort Jefferson, and an excellent naturalist who rides along, giving talks on the way out, setting up a telescope on the beach to view birds on the other Dry Tortugas islands, and answering any questions that come her way.