Cruise- Day 1 and Day 2 (And we're off... to Key West, Florida)!

I went on a cruise with my mom, dad, and sister, Heather! This was my first time on a cruise and it was a fun experience!

We embarked on our journey from Miami!

On the ship!

On the sixth level of the ship, walking 3-1/2 times around was a mile.

We arrived early in the morning of the second day to Key West.

We rented a golf cart to get around.

Our first stop was the Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory. I really loved this place! A whole greenhouse of beautiful butterflies, birds, and plants. It's hard to convey in pictures how cool this place was.

Our second stop was Ernest Hemingway's house. Before our tour, the only thing I knew about Ernest Hemingway was that he was an author. I learned a lot about him during the tour.

Hemingway was a drunkard and a ladies man. He had nine confirmed concussions in his life most of them happening while he was drunk. He was married four times.

Hemingway was known for having many cats but not just any cats but polydactyl cats all named after famous people. There are still many descendants of his original cats roaming around the property. It was fun to see them walking around!

Can you tell what the water bowl is?

One day Hemingway came home with a urinal (I think while he was drunk). His wife didn't know what to do with it at first, so she cleaned it up, covered it with tile and made it a drinking bowl for the cats.

Hemingway was an amateur boxer and had a boxing ring put into his back yard. 

After learning that her husband was having an affair and while Hemingway was traveling, his second wife spent $20,000 to turn the boxing ring into a swimming pool just to spite him. As you can imagine Hemingway was not happy about that. 

It's a beautiful pool though! ;)

Where Hemingway did some of his writing!

The front of Hemingway's house!

I thought the name of this restaurant was funny. :)

I love these trees!

After Hemingway's house, Heather and I dropped Mom and Dad off at the ship and drove around a bit more. We found the West Martello Tower, Joe Allen Garden Center. We didn't have much time here but it was a pretty place.

The garden center was our last stop before having to get back on the ship.

It was hot and humid this day (and the whole trip) but I really liked Key West and had a lovely time there!