Hello from Key West

Hello, hope everyone is in good spirits today.  The weather is beautiful today. Light breezes, moderate temps and no clouds.  This is the kind of weather that make people from up north want to come down to get away from the cold, especially this year.  I gave you a short history of Key West sometime back, so here is a little more.

The weather isn't the only thing that bring people to this little island.  There are a few good points of interest to visit.  Oh, you can do the "tourist" thing and stay on Duval Street but there are other things to do here.  Ernest Hemingway lived here from 1931 to 1939 but he still owned the home until his death in 1961.  It is known as the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum and was designated as a    U. S. Historical landmark in 1968.

The house was originally built in 1851 by Asa Tift, who was a marine architect and salvage wrecker. It was built in a Spanish colonial estate style.  The construction is testament because it has survived many hurricanes.  It sits 16 feet above sea level and is the second-highest site on the island.

Part of its history is that it was the first house on Key West to have running water and an indoor bathroom. The water came from a rain cistern on the roof.  An interesting concept for that time. It seems that given the problems of today, rain water is being captured and used for many eco-friendly homes across the country.

During the time Hemingway lived here, the grounds were sparse and dry because of the lack of rain. The water came later with the Navy and the installation of a water line piped down from the mainland. The gardens today flourish as there are many tropical plants around it. Hemingway converted a urinal he obtained from the renovation of Sloppy Joe's bar. He converted it into a water fountain, where it remains as a prominent feature on the grounds of the home.  It serves as water resource for the many cats that reside there and are descendants of the 6-toed cats that lived there.

A prominent feature in the dining room is a Murano glass chandelier. The upstairs has a book display owned by Hemingway while he lived here. His writing studio is on the second floor of a free-standing carriage house and was once attached by a second-story walkway to the master bedroom.

There is a garage on the property, with an apartment on the second floor, built to house Hemingway's Buick automobile.

There is also a deep well-fed pool on the grounds.  Hemingway paid $20,000 to have the pool installed while he was away as a Spanish War correspondent in 1938. Upon returning home, he was said to be unpleasantly surprised by the cost and exclaimed:  "Well, you might as well have my last cent." The penny is embedded in concrete today near the pool.

Although this is a private, for profit landmark, it is a great place to start your tour of the island. It is located at 907 Whitehead St., across the street from the Key West lighthouse. Come for a visit, you will fall in love with Key West.