Key West: A Place of Forts and Beaches
We welcomed another day on Key West with an alfresco breakfast, accompanied by a cool ocean breeze drifting across the front porch. After a leisurely meal, we packed our Camelbak and set off for Fort Zachary Taylor Historic Park. A mile later, we arrived at the 19th century structure and wandered through each section on a self-guided tour.
Originally constructed in 1845, the fort served in the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, and both World War I and World War II. Its original 3-tiered design was reduced to a single-tier, which is all that’s left for visitors to see today. The architectural remains of the civil war-era brick construction are beautiful, though, and it’s fun to imagine what it must have looked like in its early years of operation.
Nestled along the southern coast just beyond the fort is Fort Zachary Taylor State Park Beach. We grabbed a shady spot among the trees and took a dip in the ocean. And by dip, I mean more like I dipped my toes in the water. It was a bit too cold for my wimpy cold-averse self, so I perched on a nearby rock and soaked up the sun while watching Julian brave the salty seas.
We felt prompted to ask a girl on a neighboring rock if there was something we could pray for her about, and with tears in her eyes she disclosed that she had just quit her job less than a week ago and was here getting away with her husband a few days so they could de-tox from that situation and try to figure out what to do. We had a sweet conversation and felt encouraged that we serve a God who sees. He knows whatever we are going through and promises that we are never alone. Sometimes He sends someone to us and sometimes He sends us to someone to be the reminder of that comforting truth to His children.
Rain clouds rolled in, along with a 10 degree temperature drop, so after a quick picnic lunch we packed up our things and began the trek home. A jaunt through a farmers market on the pier netted us a handful of samples of freshly prepared bites from India, Jordan, and the Mediterranean. Unfortunately, with no way to prepare foods in our B&B room, we had to savor the bites in the moment and pass up the offers to purchase more for ourselves. It felt like the days when I was a kid making the rounds at Sam’s Club on sample day, creating my own a la carte lunch!
After showering off sand and stickiness of the afternoon we returned to New York Pasta Garden to split an order of lasagna. It was really just an excuse to get another basket of garlic rolls! And thanks to our accommodating server, we enjoyed two baskets of the garlicky goodness along with a complimentary appetizer of fried artichoke hearts. The lasagna was a meat-lover’s dream, boasting a mound of beef and sausage and cheese and a grand total of one lasagna noodle. Not my preferred ratio, but Julian loved it!
We walked off dinner by meandering along Duval Street, a place of constant activity and no shortage of entertainment. “The Bush Man” makes money by hiding behind a few branches and scaring unsuspecting passersby and then collecting tips. Another man sets up his percussion station across the street with 5-gallon bucket drums and a cymbal. Further along, a man with a guitar occupies a corner of the sidewalk or someone playing a saxophone stands at the curb. One should also be aware that you are likely to be solicited by a scantily clad teaser or waved toward a bar by a drag queen, and the ubiquitous rainbow symbols and decor are not a reference to God’s promise to Noah post-flood… Julian said it reminds him of a mini Las Vegas. In short, probably not a place I’d want to vacation with children, but it’s been an interesting experience for Julian and me and has provided lots of food for discussion.
