All that Marathon Has to Offer – May 20, 2013

We decided to head in the other direction today and take in the sights and sounds of Marathon.  It’s only about 37 miles away, but with just a two lane road to travel, it takes about an hour to get there from here.

Of course the first thing we did was eat.  We found a place called the Cracked Conch Cafe that had been there for 33 years and looked like locals ate there.  We had conch chowder ( I had Manhattan style and Jim had New England style) and then a grilled dolphin melt on rye with Swiss cheese and all the other goodies that make it tasty.  It was good!  Trivia information:  All the conch served in the Keys comes from the Bahamas.  It is unlawful to harvest conch in the Keys.

From lunch we went to Crane Point Museum and Nature Center.  We had low expectations especially after seeing the entrance, but we were pleasantly surprised once we got inside.  This reserve consists of 63 acres NEVER developed and kept in its natural state ever since  Mr. and Mrs. Crane bought it in 1952 from the original owner, George Adderley.  Adderley came to the Keys from the Bahamas with his family.  He built their home using a technique used in the Bahamas call tabby (made of burnt seashells) in the early 1900s.  The home is still standing in its original spot and preserved.The Original Adderley home

When Flagler was bringing the railroad down to Key West, Adderley gave him the right of way through his land in exchange for a train stop on this Key.  The Cranes came to the Keys on vacation from Massachusetts and like so many others, decided to stay.  They bought the property from Adderley and quickly understood just what they had acquired.  All around the property, the key was being developed and most trees and vegetation was being destroyed.  They began the process of building a home on the bay side of the point off the water without destroying its virgin state.   The view from the point is unbelievable!

When we started back on the trail, I notice something big on the pathway but we were about 30 yards away.  I first thought it was a snake of some kind but as we got closer, I realized it was a HUGE lizard of some kind.  When I asked at the gift shop, they told us it was probably an Iguana.  They have a lot because people buy them for their kids and they bring them here when they get too big for them to handle.

Today, the property preserves one of the world’s last remaining thatch palm hammocks containing rare and endangered species.  I counted no fewer than 5 different types of cacti growing in the natural wooded areas.  There are over 50 of the 150 types of trees growing on this property and many of them are not seen anywhere else. Sunburnt tree – This tree is constantly peeling and looks like someone with a bad sunburn as the red part peels away. 

There is a Wild Bird Center where rehabilitating birds are kept until they can be released back into the wild.  There is a butterfly meadow with plants attracting butterflies and the museum is small but houses many displays worth seeing.  We had to catch a ferry to Pigeon Key so we couldn’t stay as long as we would have liked.  We did get a rain check and we are coming back tomorrow to enjoy the property more leisurely.

Pigeon Key was one of the camps where the workers who built the railroad and bridges lived during construction.  House on right was the home of the Bridge Engineer/foreman after bridge was completed.
It is the key just before the infamous seven mile bridge considered at its time to be a major architectural feat.  Flagler built this entire series of bridges and railroad track with his own money.  Remember all the issues the government had at Fort Jefferson, well in true entrepreneurial fashion, Flagler thought of all that and sent his engineers to Germany to find the best solution for concrete that would withstand the salt water.  When it was completed in 1921, it had expectations of lasting for hundreds of years.  Unfortunately, the depression hit and travel to Key West was scarce.  The railroad and the bridges fell into receivership and the government bought everything for $684,000 which was a bargain since it cost Flagler $80 million.  Just like the Bahia Honda Bridge, the tracks were removed and a roadway for cars was constructed on the top of the railroad foundation.  The toll back then was $1.00 per car plus the driver and .25 for each passenger.  It was a scary roadway back then with no place to stop or turn around, so the government built a ramp down to Pigeon Key and created one of the first rest stops on US 1.One of the houses built on the island to house families of top ranking personnel who maintained the bridge after construction.

Today, there is a new wider bridge that was built in 1984 and the old bridge has been disconnected from US 1.  It’s also possible to actually stay in one of the remaining cottages for a long weekend or week with your family right on Pigeon Key.  It sleeps up to 10 people and has two full baths.  Kinda different and priced comparable to other rooms in the area.  You actually share the island with several interns studying marine biology.

When we come back tomorrow, I think we are bringing our bikes and we will ride the old bridge.