We have reached the southernmost point of the United States of America in Key West. The Florida Keys are but a string of little coral islands held together by the overseas highway, which long ago began as a railroad.The railroad was the brain child of Henry Flagler, partner with John Rockefeller in Standard Oil.He believed that Key West would become a major port city and that construction of the Panama Canal would provide enough shipping to pay for his railroad.Unfortunately, he was wrong.The railroad was in operation for only 23 years when a hurricane destroyed a major portion of it and it was never rebuilt.Flagler however never knew this as he died 16 months after the railroad commenced operation. His dream did succeed however, in opening Key West and the rest of the Florida Keys to tourism.The current economy of all of South Florida depends largely on tourists (like us) as 39 million per year make their way to the Sunshine State.

In places the Keys disappear under water entirely and are connected only by bridges.At many places you could stand in the Florida Bay and throw a rock into the Atlantic Ocean. However as the speed limit is mostly 35-45 miles per hour it is the longest 117 miles Tim has ever driven. We snorkeled, sunbathed, sunburned, and saw some amazing sailboats (to which everyone kept saying "Grandpa should be here!") We witnessed a sunset ceremony, Mallory Square street performers, Duval Street, dolphins swimming in the same ocean as us, fed slimy dead fish to enormous tarpon, one of us got bitten by a pelican, but she shall remain unnamed, and finally we stood at the southernmost point which is only 90 miles from Cuba.

Tomorrow we head north, obviously, as there is no more south to see.Being consistent with our new style though, we aren't in any great rush.