We were walking from our house to Higgs Beach, and we noticed that the Key West Garden Club at West Martello Tower was open! We’ve been peering through the fenestrations for weeks, but always manage to have bad timing.
This was a civil war fort and now it’s a lush tropical garden that is free to the public. It’s the first place we’re taking friends who come to visit. Map boy will tell you where to go.
He will lead you to the hanging orchid “room”.
I love this one.
It is very important, when you live in a tropical climate, never to look up. No matter how large your computer monitor, I guarantee it cannot display this overhead web full size.
Here is the maker of this web, the Spiny Orb Weaver. This spider is the most common one I’ve seen in Key West. This is a super close-up, she’s no bigger than a pea. Again, I will say it: Never google Florida spiders if you live here…*shudder*
These guys are also everywhere, but they don’t give me the willies. We even find them inside our house, and once there was a gecko that only Zach saw.
There was even a funny assortment of pool noodle arrangements. My sisters will think this is as hilarious as I did.
This is a strangler fig or maybe a banyan growing over the archway.
and a lovely banana flower pendulum.
Out the archways and on to the beach!
I know this is my first blog post from Key West. It is absolutely amazing how quickly we have adapted to island time, and find the hours just whittled away each day and week. I’ve resolved to post more about this great place we stumbled upon, and will get my camera out more often.