Key West, Florida 23.07

Key Largo, Montego, oh, baby why don't we go.. 

Pärast hommikusööki ja suplust soojas ookeanivees (aga mitte enam nii suurte lainetega) oli aeg Miamist edasi liikuda. Ees ootas reisi kaugeim punkt alguskohast, Key West. Mitte sihtkoht, kõik peatuskohad olid omaette põnevad. 

Tollivaba tee Miamist Key Westi kestab ca 4 tundi (või rohkem), kuigi vahemaa on ca 260 km (tollitee ca pool tundi vähem, olenevalt liikluse tihedusest). Sest kiiruspiirangud ja kaherealine tee. Tegelikult võib selle vahemaa vabalt terve päeva või paariga läbida, oleneb, kui palju peatuseid teha. Aga hoolimata sellest, et kiirus on aeglasem ja kiirtee puudub, kõik sõitsid kannatlikult üksteise järgi. Kui järgmisel päeval Miami poole tagasi sõitsime tekkis mitu korda mõte, et Eestis oleks selline mööda süstimine toimunud. Seal lihtsalt ei olnud. 

Meie alustasime tegelikult natuke enne Florida Keys saarestikku, mandril, Robert is Here puuviljapoest. Kui Robert oli 6-aastane, avas ta puuvilja putka, et aidata isal farmi toodangut müüa. Tähelepanu haaramiseks tegi tema isa sildi "Robert on siin". Sellel päeval müüs 6-aastane (mõnedel andmetel 7-aastane, kuigi enamik kohtades ikkagi 6) Robert kogu oma toodangu - sündis ettevõtja. Aasta oli siis 1959. 

2024 on Robert ikka siin. Pereettevõte on laienenud. Lisaks puuviljadele müüakse hoidiseid, seal on loomaaedik, söögiala, lastele mängimiskoht. Ja isegi aare on aia taga palmi sees olemas. Hinnad on ka muidugi reklaamile vastavad. Aga kui juba seal, võtsime kõik smuuti. Saad ise valida kolm koostisosa, kõik värsked ja valmistatakse kohe kohapeal. Soovitatakse key laimiga, mida me ka tegime. Lisaks juurde minul kaks hapumat valikut. Ema võttis üheks mamey, mille tõlget ma ei ole leidnud. 

Seejärel asusimegi Florida Keyside poole teele. Florida Keys on Key-nimelistest saartest koosnev saarestik, mis on ühendanud sildadega, algupäraselt raudteesillad, mida on 182 km kohta kokku 42. Suurimad linnad Key Largo, Marathon ja Key West. 

Sain alles vahetult enne reisi aru, et The Beach Boys'i "Kokomo" laulus mainitud Key Largo ongi see Key Largo ja jääb meie teele. Tean seda laulu juba ammmmu, aga enne ei osanud kuidagi kokku viia. 

Esimese peatuse tegime kohe pärast Key Largot asuvas Tavernieris, lindude varjupaigas. Kõik sai alguse matemaatika õpetaja Laura Quinnist, kes hoolitses haavatud metsikute lindude eest. 1988. aastast Florida Keys mitteametlik metsikute lindude rehabilitatsioonikeskus avas ametlikult uksed 1991. Mittetulundusühinguna töötav varjupaik päästab, rehabiliteerib ja vabastab linde. Raha tuleb suuresti annetustest ja vabatahtlikust piletitasust. 

Lindude varjupaigas tutvusin lähemalt juba eelmistel päevadel nähtud põneva bengali viigipuuga, mis tundub koosnevat lõpmatu arvust tüvedest. Linde oli loomulikult ka. Ja hoiatus krokodillide liikumisala kohta. Ei näinud ühtegi. 

Ja siis ikka edasi. Istanduse Key's (Plantation Key) asub värviküllane Vihmatünni (Rain Barrel) küla. 

See on üks lahedamaid kohti. Küla ei saa märkamata jääda, vähemalt sissepääs, tee ääres on suur homaar. Nagu tohutu, 9m kõrge ja 12 meetrit pikk, realistliku välimusega homaar. Selle taha jäävad mitmed poekesed, üks värvilisem kui teine. 

Rain Barrel küla sai alguse 1978. aastal, pakkudes kohalikele kunstnikele eneseväljenduse ja sissetuleku väljundit. Kunagi asusid seal küpressist tünnid, mis inspireeris käesolevat nime. 

Homaar Betsy tellis kohalik restorani omanik skulptorilt Richard Blazelt ning selle valmistamine algas 1980ndal Marathonis ja lõppes viis aastat hiljem, aga siis oli restoran uksed sulgenud. Kui sinna kool rajati, siis läks Betsy lattu hoiule ja 2009. aastal toimetati praegusesse asukohta. 

Aga küla on täis võrratuid suveniire ning käsitööd. 

Siis tahtsin ära näha Fredi-nimelise puu, kes kasvab 7-miilisel sillal, mis ühendab Rüütli (Knight's) Keyd Väikese Pardi (Little Duck) Key-ga. Sild oli ehitamise hetkel üks maailmas pikimaid, olles osa USA Route 1-st. Tänapäeval on asukohal 2 silda, milles üks on avatud liiklusele ja teine jalakäijatele (1909-1912, raudteesild). Kui raudteesild 1935.aasta maavärinas kahjustada sai, loodi alus teisele. Ülemere maantee valmis lõplikult 1982. 

Fred on siis Austraalia männipuu, mis asus kasvama mahajäetud raudteesillale umbes 30 aastat tagasi. See osa sillast on ligipääsetav ainult paadi või õhu kaudu. Minu puudulik eeltöö selgus kohapeal, ja Fredi lähemalt ei näinud, kui mööda sõites. 

Ja siis jõudsimegi reisi kaugeimasse punkti, Key Westi, mis on 6x2 km saar Florida väinas. Kaugus 260 km Miamist ja 153km Kuubast, elanikke 26 tuhat, rahvastiku tihedus 1823 (Eestis 30) ruutkilomeetril. Key West on Route 1 kõige lõunapoolsem tipp. Palju hooneid pärineb 19. sajandi lõpust, 20. sajandi algusest. 

Vanalinna piirkonnas on tõesti armsad, pastelsed hooned. Jälle tuttav piparkoogi ääristus kaunistab nii mõndagi katust. Key Westis on elanud nii Hemingway kui Harry S. Truman. Ning Key Westis on USA lõunapoosemat punkti tähistav poi, mille juurde jalutasime õhtul. 

Enne seda parkisin Truman hotelli parkmismajja. Tagurdasin ilusti oma suure Jeepi kitsaste postide vahele. Käisime sisse registreerimas ja selgus, et parkimiskohad on kindlaksmääratud ja pean hoopis kõrvalkohale liikuma. Pole probleemi, tagurdasin veel kitsamate postide vahele. 

Heh. Sisse registreerides saatsin vanemad nende kohvritega tuppa ja läksin ise autoga tegelema. Hotelli sisehoovi jõudes olin toanumbri ära unustanud. Käisin paari vale ukse taga koputamas. USAs helistamine on natuke kallis, seega pidin retseptsioonist uuesti toanumbrit küsima minema.

Truman hotell on mõnusalt väike ning asub Key Westi peatänava, Duval St, paralleeltänaval. Õhtusöögi saime kohe üle tee asuvast Duffy's Steak & Lobster Housest. Hiidkreveti pastale eelnes kalasupp. Yumm. Isegi liiga suur portsjon. Vanemad piirdusid mereanni salatiga. 

Pärast õhtusööki vahetasime majutuses riides ning võtsime suuna Key Westi randa. Lõunatipus on ookean tõesti nagu supp aga erinevalt Miamist oli põhi kaetud mitte kõige pehmemate vetikatega. Heh. Pärnu ranna tunne tekkis, kõnnid ja kõnnid ja vesi ulatub juba poole põlveni. Lained njetu. Aga võtsime soojast ookeaniveest viimast. 

Seejärel tagasi majutusse, nüüd juba teadaolevale parkimiskohale ja edasi mööda Duval tänavat ja sellega piirduvaid suveniiripoode Põhja-Ameerika lõunapoolseimat tippu tähistava poini, mis paikneb seal aastast enne minu sündi. 

Õhtut jäi lõpetama Truman hotelli mõnusa meeleoluvalgusega bassein. Ja kui veel Miamis läks pimedaks 9ks, siis siin saabus pimedus järsku ja veel varem. 

After breakfast and swimming in the warm ocean (with calmer waves than before), it was time to move on from Miami. Ahead lay the furthest point of the trip from the starting location, Key West. Not the final destination though, as each stop along the way was exciting in its own right. 

The toll-free drive from Miami to Key West takes about 4 hours (or more), despite the distance being around 260 km (the toll road is about half an hour shorter, depending on traffic). Speed limits and a two-lane road slow things down. In fact, you could easily take a whole day or two to cover the distance, depending on how many stops you make. But despite the slower speeds and lack of a highway, everyone patiently followed one another. On our way back to Miami the next day, I couldn’t help but think several times that such patient driving wouldn’t happen in Estonia. There, people would be overtaking at every opportunity. Here, it just didn’t happen.

We actually started our journey just before reaching the Florida Keys, still on the mainland, at the “Robert Is Here” fruit stand. When Robert was 6, he opened the stand to help his father sell farm produce. To attract attention, his father made a sign saying “Robert Is Here.” On that day, the 6-year-old (or 7, according to some sources) Robert sold all his goods—a young entrepreneur was born. The year was 1959. 

In 2024, Robert is still here. The family business has expanded. In addition to fruit, they now sell jams, and there’s an animal pen, an eating area, a children’s playground, and even a treasure hidden behind a fence in a palm tree. The prices match the hype, of course, but since we were there, we all had a smoothie. You can choose three ingredients yourself, all fresh and made on the spot. Key lime is highly recommended, which we opted for. I added two more tart ingredients. Mum chose mamey, which I couldn’t find a translation for. 

After that, we headed towards the Florida Keys. The Florida Keys are an archipelago of islands named “Key,” connected by bridges—originally railway bridges. In total, there are 42 bridges along the 182 km route. The main cities are Key Largo, Marathon, and Key West. 

It was only just before the trip that I realised the “Key Largo” mentioned in The Beach Boys' song “Kokomo” is, in fact, the very same Key Largo we’d be passing through. I’ve known that song for ages, but I never made the connection. 

Our first stop was in Tavernier, just after Key Largo, at a Wild Bird Sanctuary. It all began with a maths teacher, Laura Quinn, who took care of injured wild birds. In 1988, the Florida Keys unofficial wild bird rehabilitation centre officially opened its doors in 1991. The sanctuary is a non-profit organisation that rescues, rehabilitates, and releases birds. Most of the funding comes from donations and voluntary ticket fees. 

At the bird sanctuary, I also got a closer look at the fascinating banyan tree, which I’d already spotted on previous days. It seems to consist of an endless number of trunks. Of course, there were birds as well, and a warning about crocodiles in the area. We didn’t see any.

Then we continued on. In Plantation Key is the colourful Rain Barrel Village. It’s one of the coolest places. The village is impossible to miss, at least the entrance, as there’s a huge lobster by the roadside. It’s enormous—9 metres tall and 12 metres long—and looks very realistic. Behind it are several small shops, each more colourful than the last. 

Rain Barrel Village began in 1978, offering local artists a space for creative expression and income. At one time, there were cypress barrels here, which inspired the name.

Betsy the Lobster was commissioned by a local restaurant owner from the sculptor Richard Blaze, and it began being built in Marathon in 1980. It took five years to complete, but by then the restaurant had closed. When a school was built in its place, Betsy was put into storage, but in 2009 she was relocated to her current spot. 

The village is full of delightful souvenirs and crafts.

Next, I wanted to see a tree named Fred, growing on the 7-Mile Bridge, which connects Knight’s Key with Little Duck Key. At the time of construction, it was one of the longest bridges in the world and forms part of the famous U.S. Route 1. Nowadays, there are two bridges—one for vehicles and the other for pedestrians (the old railway bridge, built between 1909 and 1912). When the railway bridge was damaged by an earthquake in 1935, it laid the foundation for the new one. The Overseas Highway was fully completed in 1982.

Fred is an Australian pine tree that began growing on the abandoned railway bridge about 30 years ago. That part of the bridge is only accessible by boat or air. Unfortunately, due to my lack of planning, I didn’t see Fred up close, just as we drove past. 

Then we reached the furthest point of our trip, Key West, a 6x2 km island in the Florida Straits. It’s 260 km from Miami and 153 km from Cuba, with a population of 26,000 and a density of 1,823 people per square kilometre (Estonia’s density is 30). Key West is the southernmost point of Route 1. Many buildings date back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. 

The Old Town area is full of lovely pastel-coloured buildings. Once again, I noticed familiar gingerbread-style trim on several roofs. Both Hemingway and Harry S. Truman lived in Key West. The island also has a buoy marking the southernmost point of the USA, which we walked to in the evening.

Before that, I parked at the Truman Hotel car park. I carefully reversed my large Jeep between narrow posts. We checked in, only to find out the parking spots were assigned, and I had to move to the next space. No problem, I backed into an even narrower spot. 

Heh. After sending my parents to the room with their luggage, I went to sort out the car. Once inside the hotel courtyard, I realised I’d forgotten our room number. I knocked on a couple of the wrong doors. Since calling in the US is quite expensive, I had to go back to reception to ask for the room number again.

The Truman Hotel is nice and small, and it’s on a side street parallel to Duval St, Key West’s main street. We had dinner across the street at Duffy's Steak & Lobster House. The huge shrimp pasta was preceded by a fish soup. Yummy. The portion was almost too large. My parents stuck to a seafood salad. 

After dinner, we changed clothes back at the hotel and headed to Key West’s beach. At the southern tip, the ocean is truly like a warm bath, but unlike Miami, the seabed was covered in not-so-soft seaweed. Heh, it felt a bit like Pärnu Beach—you walk and walk, and the water only reaches your knees. There were no waves. But we made the most of the warm ocean. 

Then we headed back to the hotel, parked in our now familiar spot, and strolled along Duval Street, browsing the souvenir shops on our way to the marker for the southernmost point in mainland North America, which has been there since before I was born. 

The day ended with a relaxing swim in the Truman Hotel’s pool, lit by mood lighting. While in Miami, it was dark by 9 pm, here nightfall came suddenly and much earlier.