White Street pier

Get off the island and get away from it all: Take a walk down the White Street pier in Key West!  Jutting out a few hundred yards into the Atlantic Ocean surround yourself with water, wind and open vistas of the south side of Key West.  The pier is hard, minimalist, brutalist concrete; the views from the end of the pier are panoramic.

And if you're very lucky, as I was for a short while, you'll be Alone on White Street Pier.

White Street Pier in Key West.  The distinctive combination of white concrete and black lights.

The end (inverted L-shaped bit) of White Street pier.  Alone on the pier.  Unusual not to see fishermen here.

Human sundial: KeyWestDavid is the gnomon, White Street pier is the sundial.  Can you work out what time it is?

One sailing boat, one bench.

My video - me and a seagull, and the fantastic views from the pier....

Snooze with a view.  Doesn't he look peaceful?

Looking north west from its pier along the length of White Street.

Compass rose painted on the concrete floor at the end of White Street pier.  The M is a W (West)

Not the Southernmost point.

Arty view along the wall of the White Street pier.  In the background a water sports hire center at Smathers beach.

You're never truly alone on the White Street pier!

Frequent sight from the pier - an American Eagle flight from Miami just about to land at Key West "International" airport

You can see the control tower of the airport, and on the right the bricks of the Fort East Martello Museum

Superzoom from the White Street pier looking towards Old Town.  In the foreground the broken pier legs of Higgs Beach pier.  In the far background the yellow accommodation of the Southermost Hotel and the end of Simonton Street, where Atlantic Shores used to be.

Clear shallow water, taken from White Street pier on a calm day.  This is about the best clear / shallow water you'll get anywhere in Key West.

Smathers beach from White Street pier

Looking south south east as far as the eye can see from White Street pier.  Can you see Cuba in the distance? (the answer is no as it's 90 miles away but if you sail this way, you'll hit it!)

Pictures of the week

Here are some of my personal favorite pictures I took over the course of my last visit to Key West.   I hope you like them too.

The colored tray rests (or whatever you call them) at Blue Heaven restaurant

That's mine, what are you having?  Drinks lined up and ready to go before the sunset celebration in Mallory Square

Yellow frangipani (in Truman Annexe).  Is it me, or does the consistency of the yellow petals remind you of ice cream?  Just me then?

Walking the marine tightrope. This bird seems to be concentrating very hard and looking very nervous.

The host at Sunday's Tea Dance.  I WILL be heard!

Delicate leaves of a Royal Poinciana and St Paul's church in the background

St Paul's church on Duval Street.  Sometimes you get lucky with the light, and the time of day, and the clouds.

A yacht just before sunrise in the Bight - lit up in the most vivid blue.  A very impressive, and I'm sure very expensive, boat.

Half Shell Raw Bar neon from the Caroline Street entrance before sunrise

High Class Hooker.  Just like Key West itself?!

Good morning!

Other interesting stuff (hopefully!) on my Key West blog:

Key West hotels - the best hotels, my favorites, lots of picture, lots of information on where to stay

Things to do in Key West - Conch train, harbor walk, lighthouse, Hemmingway house, bars and drag shows.  What's the best?

5.30pm in March, and it's hot

Yesterday in Key West was wonderfully hot.  Spring has definitely arrived.  It was beautiful, with hardly a cloud to spoil an intense blue sky.  It wasn't drippingly hot, not like the heat of the humid months of summer.  But just raw, powerful and unbroken sunshine.

I was out the front of the Truman Annex, where I took this video.  This was 5.30pm: look to see how high the sun still is in the sky this late in the day.

And I did a 360 degree series of pictures from one spot: spot the cloud!

The busiest 24 hours ever in Key West (again)

Saturday night through Sunday (the day of rest, apparently) was definitely our busiest day ever* in Key West.

It all started on Saturday night (last Saturday).  We did not get to bed until 5am, as a result of an Aqua drag show, followed by an excellent DJ and party at the Bourbon Street Pub.  Wild and very busy night in there.

Inga at Aqua started our night on Saturday.

The back bar at Bourbon Street pub on Saturday night/Sunday morning.  This is not me.

Let's pick up the story much later on Sunday morning.  This is how we were repaid the morning after:

Much worse that he looks, actually.  A restorative bloody mary in Blue Heaven.

First stop of the day was Sunday brunch at Blue Heaven.  Even though the pace was heaving as usual, I am pleased to report that the brunch was excellent and delicious.

After a quick siesta, the next appointment was 4pm at Le Ti Da for the tea dance.  It being Paddy's day everyone was resplendent in green. Lots more on the tea dance, more pics and a video - click here.

Unfortunately, the tea dance at La Ti Da's finishes at 6pm so then it was martini time - first in Virgilio's and then at the Pier House Hotel.

Martini with a view.  The ocean from Pier House Hotel, the Piano bar.

Sunset had crept up on us already.  Pier House hotel is actually a great palce to view the sunset, far away from the madding crowd a few blocks away.  Here are the views from Sunday's spectacular sunset...

Then it was dinner at veggie cafe and an early night after the excesses of the last 2 days! Good night!


*apart from the last ones.  See here.



Other interesting (maybe) stuff on my KW blog:

The Aqua drag show - pics from Saturday night

Bourbon Street Pub (Key West) - party, dj, electro dj and foam party, and dancers - all in one bar!

The gay tea dance on Sunday, Key West style