Kev n Jens Adventures: 2022-02-20

Sunday February 20, 2022 - Today we decided to take our bikes to the Old Seven Bridge, that we had walked across part of the way, last week. We were going to ride our bikes the 2.2 miles and look around Pigeon Key, that the bridge ends on. This was the island where the workers lived that were building the 7 mile bridge, back in the early 1900's. Some of the buildings are still there and there are daily tours of the island. I thought this would be fun to do, but we got there 30 minutes before it opened and decided that we didn't want to wait around. There was an interesting article about the building of the bridge in this month's Smithsonian (thanks Betsy!). It was quite an amazing engineering feat, for the time.

smithsonian article

Another sunrise at Curry Hammock

Biking across Old Seven, this time

We walked under the bridges. The freshly painted blue bridge on the right above, is Old Seven (the pedestrian bridge) and to the left in the picture is the 7 mile bridge that currently carries cars across the 7 mile span from Marathon to Little Duck Key

We then rode our bikes to the Marathon Air Museum. We ride our bikes by this museum all the time, and decided today to go in and check it out. Luckily it was free, because it wasn't too much of a museum!

There was another Sunday night concert at Sunset Park in Key Colony Beach, so we rode our bikes there. It was a 15 mile bike day!

The sunset ride home from the concert on the Overseas Heritage Trail (that we spend so much time on!)

Sunset at Site 22

Monday February 21, 2022 - Today we hung around Curry Hammock and had some beach time. In the afternoon we rode our bikes to the SS Wreck Bar and Grill for some beers and appetizers.

Lunch and a crossword at our Curry Hammock Beach

We found a little spot all to ourselves and enjoyed the view and floating in the ocean

The Wreck

Puffy clouds from our campsite

Tuesday February 22, 2022 - Today we rode our bikes to Crane Point Hammock which is a museum and nature center. Several people had told us this was a was a worthwhile afternoon and we really enjoyed it. There were lots of trails, and restored buildings, a bird hospital, natural history museum and a shell collection. The 64 acres was originally purchased by George Adderley, who arrived here in 1890 from the Bahamas. He lived here with his wife and adopted daughter and made a living fishing for sponges and making charcoal. He would sell both the sponges and charcoal in Key West. The land was bought by the Cranes in 1949 and was bought by the Florida Keys Land Trust in 1989 to preserve it as a non-profit museum/nature center.

Everyone knows I like unique benches and this one caught my eye because it's made from a wooden canoe

We stopped for a fish pedicure

the lagoon for fish pedicures

George Adderley's house, the only building left standing on the property from when he lived there. It's made of tabby (a mixture of sand, lime and shells)

This beautiful Banyan tree is in front of the house that the Cranes built on the property in the 50's

The Crane's house (which is currently being renovated, set to open in July). Architect was Wahl Snyder

In front of Crane Point. One of the train cars from the 1935 hurricane

We stopped on the way home for a snack

chocolate dipped key lime pie on a stick...YUM

another sunset

Wednesday, February 23, 2022 - We got up early to get some laundry done...the laundromat was BUSY. Then we headed down the street to the Marathon City Park, where we have found a group that plays pickleball each morning. It's been fun to play, when we have time. Then off to Burdine's, on 15th St, which everyone we've talked to has recommended. We got there 10 minutes before they opened for lunch and there was a line of 30 people in front of us!