Miami to Key West a trip down memory lane

[britfrog 180]

when i was a kid in the 60's a walk down Flagler st was akin to a visit to Disney land, I loved Miami !!! it was so,alive, then as it was populated by the  Cuban immigrants and it lost its thrall sadly but Collins avenue and the hotels on Miami Beach still had class. and here we are cruising down Miami beach with star island in the background.

This is Government Cut where the Miami - Nassau powerboat race used to start it is  the entry to the Port of Miami with Fisher Island

This is Dodge Island, where as a teenager and second engineer on cargo ship on which I worked  would moor up and load a mixed cargo to go to all points in the Caribbean.

This is part of Virginia Key and the Rickenbacker Causeway with the Miami Seaquarium under the wing

This is where my Father worked as a boat designer after he retired from flying, the buildings were originally the home for the Pan Am clipper service to the Caribbean (by air boats of course) and next door is the dinner key auditorium where i saw the Broadway cast of HAIR !! very risky in those days , all in the nuddy. leery grins from this young lad at the time.

Homestead Raceway was not there in those days the airbase nearbye was though.

and this is the first stop on the overseas highway,-- Key Largo,, remember the song? this is where you can regularlt see Manatees

Marathon airport

All of these islands and houses are never more than 6 feet above sea level so when a hurricane strikes there can be devastation as a storm surge can be up to 12 feet or more

Finally getting near the end of our journey , the Naval Air Station of Key west

Late downwind for Key West International and the lighthouse underneath

Long final for the airport passing over a large cruise ship , the small dock near the bow of the cruise ship is where i last stepped foot on key west

 

Well lots of pics a few out of order no doubt but I hope you enjoyed my visit and my home made scenery

and just a little reminder of the stock scenery

 

 

[allardjd 1,853]

Nice tour...

You wouldn't like Miami much any more. I suspect you don't speak the language, for one thing - haga me entiende? The Keys are still a pretty neat place but the character of Key West itself has changed considerably and mostly not for the better. Marathon is a good place - have vacationed there several times - nice airport with a little EAA museum that's worth a stop. Mind the balloon cable NE of the Naval Air Station. It goes up to about 18,000 feet at times and is clearly marked on the Sectionals. Some guys in a Skylane clipped it a few years ago and everyone aboard died.

John

[britfrog 180]

Hi John, I thought the balloon was no more, but sadly nothing stands still , I have also heard stories of KW and the new incumbents

[hifly 925]

Nice trip and scenery. Yep, happy memories eh?

[allardjd 1,853]

I thought the balloon was no more...

 

 

It's still shown on the current sectionals.  The crash I referred to was in 2007, so a while ago.

 

John

[IZ0JUB 162]

Some very nice pictures of your flight. I think your getting the hang of this homemade scenery now Nigel, BUT when to STOP!!!!!

 

Cheers, Mike

[rosariomanzo 545]

Very nice pics

[britfrog 180]

John one of the last times I went to an old cinema with some friends on Flagler street one had to keep ones feet up on the back of the seats in front because the rats kept running over your feet and virtually all the great shops had moved out to miracle mile . Even then shops had appeared with signs like yo hablo inglese or similar

Oh the film?? its a mad mad world

that will tell you how long ago it was

 

even then when we moored at Dodge Island there were no buses so one had to walk into town , and boy was it hot!! by the time you walked to town it was time to get back onboard, i used to get only 4 hours off in port in those days