History: The Keys were originally inhabited by the Calusa and Tequesta tribes, and were charted by Juan Ponce de León in 1513. De León named the islands Los Martires ("The Martyrs"), as they looked like suffering men from a distance.[2] "Key" is derived from the Spanish word cayo, meaning small island. For many years, Key West was the largest town in Florida, and it grew prosperous on wrecking revenues. The isolated outpost was well located for trade with Cuba and the Bahamas and was on the main trade route from New Orleans. Improved navigation led to fewer shipwrecks, and Key West went into a decline in the late nineteenth century.
Overseas Railway: The Keys were long accessible only by water. This changed with the completion of Henry Flagler's Overseas Railway in the early 1910s. Flagler, a major developer of Florida's Atlantic coast, extended his Florida East Coast Railway down to Key West with an ambitious series of oversea railroad trestles. Three hurricanes disrupted the project in 1906, 1909, and 1910.
- - - - - - - - - - personal notes & photos - - - - - - - - - - - -
Our Key West travels (several with Ginger, one with Eddie) have us always travel US 1 the "highway that goes to the sea". Although each journey had a destination in mind - Key West, the excitement and emotion of traveling this 1-2 lane highway with 'water to the left and water to the right' in many stretches always leaves me wondering "why would anyone live in and area that is so vulnerable storm and flood disaster?" Scary but exciting, I guess that 'most' of the time the Keys are abound with activity and sun.
I enjoyed learning a little more about the history of the Keys (when preparing this post). Would I visit again - absolutely! I would consider doing it again in the fall of 2022 and targeting specific sites - especially taking the day trip to Dry Tortugas (see link below).
Photo Ops:
Wiki ... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_Keys
Florida Keys & Key West US1 https://fla-keys.com/the-highway-that-goes-to-sea/
Towns and Villages ... www.hotels.com/go/usa/us-towns-villages-florida-keys
Dry Tortugas https://keywest.floridaweekly.com/articles/explore-the-dry-tortugas-and-fort-jefferson/
Overseas Railway: The Keys were long accessible only by water. This changed with the completion of Henry Flagler's Overseas Railway in the early 1910s. Flagler, a major developer of Florida's Atlantic coast, extended his Florida East Coast Railway down to Key West with an ambitious series of oversea railroad trestles. Three hurricanes disrupted the project in 1906, 1909, and 1910.
- - - - - - - - - - personal notes & photos - - - - - - - - - - - -
Our Key West travels (several with Ginger, one with Eddie) have us always travel US 1 the "highway that goes to the sea". Although each journey had a destination in mind - Key West, the excitement and emotion of traveling this 1-2 lane highway with 'water to the left and water to the right' in many stretches always leaves me wondering "why would anyone live in and area that is so vulnerable storm and flood disaster?" Scary but exciting, I guess that 'most' of the time the Keys are abound with activity and sun.
I enjoyed learning a little more about the history of the Keys (when preparing this post). Would I visit again - absolutely! I would consider doing it again in the fall of 2022 and targeting specific sites - especially taking the day trip to Dry Tortugas (see link below).
Photo Ops:
- Shops and sites in each Florida Key community - Key Largo, and more
- Day long Dry Tortugas photo shoot
- Shops in route
Wiki ... en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florida_Keys
Florida Keys & Key West US1 https://fla-keys.com/the-highway-that-goes-to-sea/
Towns and Villages ... www.hotels.com/go/usa/us-towns-villages-florida-keys
Dry Tortugas https://keywest.floridaweekly.com/articles/explore-the-dry-tortugas-and-fort-jefferson/
Additional Photos on Google Photos ... Key West and the Keys