My plan was a good one, to go downtown and wander early on a morning when there was no cruise ship in town, I could meander and photograph the sordid underbelly of the tourist areas.
However the best laid plans of mice and men go haywire when there is unexpected weather in the Caribbean.
Cruise ships get diverted when there is a chance of rough weather, this is high season for such events which is why tickets cost less now, and one such ship was unexpectedly in town.
Imagine my surprise when I saw all the tourist shops starting to open and the trolleys and trains lining up.
This place was closed at the early hour...
...but this guy was delivering bread anyway under the interested gaze of a bum perched nearby.
The rest of downtown looked pretty quiet.
This city worker grinned when I said: "Keeping the city pretty for the visitors..."
The pigeons crouched on the roof saying not much at all.
The culprit:
An unscheduled stop brings the city a lot of extra money in port and landing fees. Mallory Square never quite seems to be free of people mooching around.
Or people staring at the sea.
Or of people trying to catch fish.
I liked this image of a rooster behind bars- it wasn't really, it was just lurking behind a municipal bike rack.
Cheyenne waited impatiently while I went to the loo. I have read some unfavorable comments about the public toilets at Mallory Square. Either I was lucky or early or something because they seemed fine to me.
The sculpture garden filled with heads of Very Important People. It's known locally as the Pez Garden. (Obvious enough if you know what a Pez candy dispenser looks like).
Finally a few tourists started to appear from the ship,wandering distractedly as they tried to make the most of their precious time ashore.
When my wife and I took a cruise to the Western Caribbean from Miami our ship stopped in Key West. I came ashore to buy a newspaper (my besetting vice is the desire for the day's printed paper) and then we took advantage of an empty ship to enjoy the adult pool for ourselves.
Lots of lovely people coming to town to spend lots of lovely money.
Some people argue they only benefit Lower Duval, the area closest to the dock.
Which does not negate their benefit overall I think, to a city whose economy is based on tourism and repeat visits.
I liked this shot of a rider on the trolley blocking her ears to lock out the commentary. I wondered why she spent her money to take a ride?
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.
The walkway into the center is paved with donor plaques. Once inside, and entrance is free, the center puts on a good show.
Dioramas display flora and fauna.
This was the main reason for my visit.
A staff member clued me in on the fish which has become imported to these waters by accident and has no natural predators except for the Blue Wrasse that likes to eat it's eggs. Which is a good thing as each Lion fish can produce hundreds of thousands of eggs. The Lion fish is aggressive and eats anything it can kill. It's spines are poisonous but apparently it's meat is delicious, like Hog fish. Also delicious to some people is the Queen Conch sitting in solitary splendor in it's own tank. This is a native mollusk eaten almost to extinction in these waters and is now imported from Central America to feed Key West.
An air conditioned refuge from the world outside. 
I can't remember why I don't come back more often.