Key West and the End of 2011

One advantage to being retired military or retired DOD is being able to stay at the many military bases around the country.  My favorite is Trumbo Point at Key West.  Boondocking just a mile from downtown Key West, it's easy to walk down to Mallory Square every evening to watch the sun set, or it's only a short bike ride over to the beach.  

One more item to check off on my bucket list.  

You are about 600 feet behind the boat and about 300 feet high.

All too soon it's over and they reel us in.

This osprey was raising her 2 chicks in the campground.  You sure knew when they were hungry.

The next few pictures are some of the highlights of Key West.

The name says it all.  No tables, no chairs, just a walk up bar.

I haven't been on all of it, but I imagine I traveled 80% of it this past summer and fall.

This is where it begins.

And of course there were the beaches.

I took the picture from the back side rather than stand in line for 30-45 minutes.

You can't miss Mallory Square

Sometimes as many as 5 or 6 street performers are going at once.  You can wander from performer to performer.

Even his dog gets into the act before it's over.

Live music every afternoon and evening.

We spent one afternoon just listening to the music.

The only country bar in town.

This was our first stop on New Years Eve.

Not many people dancing but everyone wanted to ride the bull.

We decided to wander to see what else was happening and found CNN was covering the 'dropping of the shoe'.  The streets were packed.

Yes, that really is someone in the shoe and it will drop to the ground on the last 10 seconds of the year.

But at the other end of Duval and down on the waterfront was the dropping of the wench on a pirate ship.

She made it down safely and we rang in the new year.

Wishing everyone a wonderful 2012.