Drive To Key West

[CarlS]

My oldest daughter and her hubby are down visiting from Redmond. Washington. Steve had never been to Key West and Sheryl wanted us to go down there. Though they both ride I didn't have bikes for all of us to ride down there. I only have my T120 and Ilse's CBR 1000RR, which is not exactly a two up Touring bike. So we had to take my Toyota and cage it.

Once you get to the tip of the peninsula, the Overseas Highway through the Keys is 110 miles/177 kilometers. The history of the Overseas Highway is fascinating. It started out as a railroad from Miami to Key West in the 1920's. The drive is beautiful.

US1 ends or begins in Key West and Key West is the southern most point of the continental US.

Steve, Sheryl and I

I have more photos of the trip in an album here at Triumph Talk. We spent three days and two nights here.

I snapped the photo above from the Key West Lighthouse. It shows a tree top. Can you spot the iguana in sunning in the tree top?

 

[sikatri]

Fabulous trip! I know I could look it, but what is the sense of the island’s size when you’re on it? On the map it seems so tiny.

 

[CarlS]

The geographical area of Key West is approximately 5.6 square miles (14.5 square kilometers).

As of the latest data in 2020, the population of Key West was around 26,000 residents.

 

[CarlS]

Fabulous trip! I know I could look it, but what is the sense of the island’s size when you’re on it? On the map it seems so tiny.

When you are on it, it seems larger than it really is due to the crowds, and little space between buildings, etc.

 

[sikatri]

When you are on it, it seems larger than it really is due to the crowds, and little space between buildings, etc.

If you’re at the center can you forget you’re surrounded by water? LoL. Is tourism the only industry or is there some other businesses on the island? Seems like a long ride to get any other services if they are not on the island itself.

 

[CarlS]

If you’re at the center can you forget you’re surrounded by water? LoL. Is tourism the only industry or is there some other businesses on the island? Seems like a long ride to get any other services if they are not on the island itself.

It's a city and there are goods and services like any city: grocery stores, lots of bars, restaurants and fast food business, automobile dealerships, big scooter dealerships, machine shops, hospital, doctors and dentists, etc.

Tourism is the main industry. The marine industry is big and all of services connected with that. Seafood is big also. Key West does have an international airport. Boca Chica, next island north and immediately adjacent to Key West, has a large naval base and naval air station.

Lots of history in Key West. Key West is truly tropical whereas most of the peninsula is humid, subtropical. When you are there you tend to forget you are on an island.

And Key lime pie is yummy!!!

 

[sikatri]

It's a city and there are goods and services like any city: grocery stores, lots of bars, restaurants and fast food business, automobile dealerships, big scooter dealerships, machine shops, hospital, doctors and dentists, etc.

Tourism is the main industry. The marine industry is big and all of services connected with that. Seafood is big also. Key West does have an international airport. Boca Chica, next island north and immediately adjacent to Key West, has a large naval base and naval air station.

Lots of history in Key West. Key West is truly tropical whereas most of the peninsula is humid, subtropical. When you are there you tend to forget you are on an island.

And Key lime pie is yummy!!!

Good sales pitch! LoL. I’ve always wanted to go with the link to Hemingway and cats! Yes, and I love Key Lime Pie and seafood too!

 

[Rocky]

I always enjoy your road trips and adventures
Great shots and I spotted the iguana

 

[CarlS]

I always enjoy your road trips and adventures
Great shots and I spotted the iguana

Thanks, Rocky, and good spotting the iguana. We have iguanas here too. They can be a nuisance. It gets colder here than it does in Key West. When the temps fall into the low 40's, the iguanas hibernate. That means they no longer hold onto the limbs and fall out of the trees. People actually get hurt by falling iguanas!

 

[Vector]

No bike? That's okay they rent pink scooters in Key West.

 

[CarlS]

No bike? That's okay they rent pink scooters in Key West.

and every other color under the rainbow! Seriously, scooter rentals and sales are a big business as are e bikes. If were to stay any time in Key West, I'd rent an e-bike. One can split lanes and thread through traffic on an e-bike.

 

[sikatri]

Thanks, Rocky, and good spotting the iguana. We have iguanas here too. They can be a nuisance. It gets colder here than it does in Key West. When the temps fall into the low 40's, the iguanas hibernate. That means they no longer hold onto the limbs and fall out of the trees. People actually get hurt by falling iguanas!

I’ve heard of the falling iguanas, it sounds funny, but I suppose if they are big enough it ceases to be funny. How big do they get?

 

[CarlS]

Around here I see 3 to 4 ft, 1 to 1.2 meters. They can grow up to 7 feet (2.1 meters) long and weigh around 40 pounds (18 kilograms). Here 20 to 30 pounds is about average. I have seen the reality big ones in Central America
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This measurement includes the tail, as green iguanas have a long, slender tail that makes up about half of their total length.

 

[CarlS]

Key West obtains its fresh water primarily through a desalination plant. They also have some local freshwater wells and import water from the mainland through an underwater pipeline. Additionally, conservation efforts and rainwater collection help sustain their water supply.

 

[Vector]

and every other color under the rainbow! Seriously, scooter rentals and sales are a big business as are e bikes. If were to stay any time in Key West, I'd rent an e-bike. One can split lanes and thread through traffic on an e-bike.

I enjoyed Key West both times was there.

 

[CarlS]

I enjoyed Key West both times was there.

I really like Key West. Don't think I'd want to live there full time.

 

[sikatri]

Around here I see 3 to 4 ft, 1 to 1.2 meters. They can grow up to 7 feet (2.1 meters) long and weigh around 40 pounds (18 kilograms). Here 20 to 30 pounds is about average. I have seen the reality big ones in Central America
```
This measurement includes the tail, as green iguanas have a long, slender tail that makes up about half of their total length.

Yeah, 30-40 pounds of anything dropping on you will either injure you badly or if unlucky kill. Kitty litter comes in 40 pound bags, it’s a significant dead weight pulling it out of the trunk. I can imagine having it drop on me and I don’t think I’d survive.

 

[CarlS]

Yeah, 30-40 pounds of anything dropping on you will either injure you badly or if unlucky kill. Kitty litter comes in 40 pound bags, it’s a significant dead weight pulling it out of the trunk. I can imagine having it drop on me and I don’t think I’d survive.

Last winter, a man was sleeping under a tree locally. One fell on him and crushed his ribs. He had to be hospitalized.

 

[sikatri]

Last winter, a man was sleeping under a tree locally. One fell on him and crushed his ribs. He had to be hospitalized.

Yeah, I bet looking up into trees is a habit where you are!

 

[CarlS]

Yeah, I bet looking up into trees is a habit where you are!

Staying out from under trees in cold weather is definitely a habit!