I wandered by the southernmost point and became entranced by the sight of people lining up to take their pictures.
So what is the fascination with this, the supposed southernmost point in the continental United States? Through the fence you can see the tip of the actual southernmost point, tucked away inside the Navy base and thus not accessible to civilians.
In Hawaii there is a the southernmost point of the whole United States (excluding territories which would put it in American Samoa I daresay?). Judging by the pictures I've seen they don't make much of a song and dance about it.
In Key West the Point gets afresh coat of paint each year after the ocean has washed the last lot away.
Those tourists not overwhelmed by the whole experience line up to get their pictures taken.
It's a family thing, apparently.
That would be the Southernmost Shed in the background, behind the patient line.
The cars roll by, locals acting all impatient, taxis and pedicabs pointing out this natural wonder as they go.
The funny thing is that a good few years ago the City Commission considered moving the Point as the neighbors were complaining about the crush of tourists. We sometimes get complaints at the police department of local scammers charging tourists money to take their picture. But still they keep coming, in droves, to stand just 90 miles from Cuba, the Forbidden Isle, which is closer than Miami from here.
I got tons of pictures of all this activity...
...yet there isn't really much to say.
I suppose it's inevitable that living close by...
...one becomes a tad indifferent, like this pedicab passenger...
...to the charms of the stubby little dildo, a rather less than charming description of the Point. I doubt they call it that on the sightseeing tours that pass by periodically.
And still they line up at the corner of South and Whitehead Streets.
To get their pictures taken.
Half a block away at the not-quite-southernmost House they sell souvenirs of this splendid monument.
The not-quite-southernmost Point. Near enough for tourist work.
I wandered by the southernmost point and became entranced by the sight of people lining up to take their pictures.
It's a family thing, apparently. 
That would be the Southernmost Shed in the background, behind the patient line. 
The cars roll by, locals acting all impatient, taxis and pedicabs pointing out this natural wonder as they go.
...yet there isn't really much to say.
...one becomes a tad indifferent, like this pedicab passenger...
And still they line up at the corner of South and Whitehead Streets.
To get their pictures taken. 
Half a block away at the not-quite-southernmost House they sell souvenirs of this splendid monument. 
The not-quite-southernmost Point. Near enough for tourist work.
16 comments:
Ha another place I found out where people want their picture or(pitcher if you are from Pa.) taken is mile marker 0. The first time I was in Key West someone asked me to take a picture of them standing next to the sign. Isn't that sign stolen alot?
Whose was the motorbike? Did you find out?
I will take my next stand under the kapok tree at te courthouse and take pictures of people at mile zero.
The owner of the bike was some bulgarian tourist pontificating about the point or the bike or traveling by motorcycle I think...
That "Southernmost Gift Shop" was established by a Taiwanese-American long-time resident single woman friend who busted her ass and her budget to get it going. After a while she was just starting to break even, when the biznezz man who owns the Southernmost House jacked up her rent to force her out so that the deeper-pocket renter of the other stall there could expand into her space (and now they sell almost the same dust collectors that she had been selling there).
Yeah, "free enterprise" and all that. :-(
What I don't get is why not just pull the Southernmost Point pic off the web (and there are thousands of them) and say you were there. No one will know the difference and you'll get to imbibe a lot more.
I still don't get how it is the Southern most point in the continental USA if Key West is an Island. Wouldn't that be in like the 10,000 islands? I guess it is the definition of continental which is in question.
Nice pictures.
Sorry, I mean in the mangroves north of the 10,000 islands (since they are islands of course).
I always call Key West "the Southernmost place in the US you can drive to". (Of course that ignores those US drivers who already happen to be in Hawaii...)
I never got this. When I tell people I'm going to KW, they say to be sure to see the Southern Most Point cone. I always thought the southern most point was where the big satellite dishes are that you can see from Louie's After deck, plus you can have a few drinks there and see the sunset.
Bob from Montana
Dear Conchscooter:
I no longer feel compelled to go to Key West to view the southernmost point, as its replica — a hysterically chintzy snow-globe with the "0" milemarker surrounded by flating conch shells — is now sitting on my desk. This most thoughtful gift, along with the palm tree cup, number among my prized possessions.
It was great meeting you... Great ferrying you fat Brit Eye-talyun ass up to the BMW/Triumph dealer... And great showing you around. Next time, come for a longer stay and we may get some riding in.
Fondest regards,
Jack • reep • Toad
Oops, made two errors in my comment:
1) It's 2500 miles.
2) Whitehead walk is tomorrow (Sat).
I was going to take a picture of this the last time we were there because I just don't have one (to replace the one I used on the other blog from the web) and I just didn't have the motivation to fight the crowds. It's ridiculous! We drove by there a couple of times on the way to go somewhere (can't remember where) and the traffic jam was just ridiculous. I did take a picture of people down by the Mile 0 marker and plan to write a little something on that.
The southern most point on the Big Island is quite spectacular with sea cliffs and blow holes. The KW version while scenically lacking has more entertaining manifestations of the human condition.
The headline on CNN.com right is about the Texas man that was reportedly murdered by Mexican drug cartels and is now missing. The masthead photo for the story though is of him standing next to the Southern Most Marker.
Yes, but it IT NOT THE SOUTHERNMOST POINT in KEY WEST! That belongs at Truman Annex. This is a joke and I dance and sing everyday on the REAL southenrmost point at NASKW TRUMAN ANNEX cuz I can and you can't !
HA!
I thought this is the southernmost civilian point because the real one is the antenna collection visible through the fence on the navy base. that's how they listen to cuba. I listen to radio rebelde at 620 am on my car radio.
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