ONE SUMMER ABOUT 6 YEARS AGO MY FAMILY TRAVELED TO FLORIDA TO VISIT MY HUSBAND'S BROTHER'S FAMILY. WE TOOK A TRIP TO KEY WEST, THE SOUTHERNMOST CITY IN THE U.S. THE TERRITORY HAD CHANGED GREATLY SINCE I HAD LAST BEEN THERE. THAT SUMMER IT WAS FAIRLY COLD. SO WE DIDN'T GO SWIMMING BUT RODE SOME BIKES THROUGH THE CITY AND VISITED A REAL NEAT BUTTERFLY MUSEUM. IT IS A TROPICAL PARADISE WITH 50 - 60 BUTTERFLY SPECIES. YOU CAN WATCH THEM PREPARE THE FOOD FOR THEM. THESE INSECTS ONLY LIVE FOR 10 DAYS. THEY FEED ON NECTAR OF FLOWERS OR POLLEN OR ROTTING FRUIT. THEY LAY BY THE BUTTERFLIES FROM FARMS IN THE TROPICS. THE EGGS HATCH AND CATERPILLARS FEED ON NATIVE HOST PLANTS. ONCE THEY PUPATE TO A CHRYSALIS THEY ARE SHIPPED THERE.
WE HIKED BY THE NAVEL AIR STATION, A TRAINING SITE. THE FIRST EUROPEAN TO VISIT WAS JUAN PONCE DE LEON IN 1521. THE VILLAGE IS STILL VERY HISTORIC LOOKING. IN 1763 WHEN GREAT BRITAIN TOOK CONTROL OF FLORIDA THE COMMUNITY OF SPANIARDS AND NATIVE AMERICANS WERE MOVED TO HAVANA, CUBA! TWENTY YEARS LATER FLORIDA WAS CONTROLLED BY SPAIN. MANY RESIDENTS WERE IMMIGRANTS FROM THE BAHAMAS WERE CALLED CONCHOS. MANY BLACK IMMIGRANTS LIVE IN THE AREA OF OLD TOWN NEXT TO THE TRUMAN ANNEX.
IN 1860 WREAKING MADE KEY WEST THE WEALTHIEST TOWN IN FLORIDA PER CAPITA. MANY PEOPLE WORKED SALVAGING SHIPWRECKS FROM NEARBY FLORIDA REEFS. THEY CATCH GIANT TURTLES FROM THE SHORE TO EAT! KEY WEST HAS AN HISTORIC WHERE WE STAYED OVERNIGHT. THESE HOUSES DATE FROM 1886. SOME ARE BUILT ON PIERS IN CASE OF FLOODS. SINCE THE 1940'S THE ISLAND HAS MORE THAN DOUBLED IN SIZE WITH LANDFILL PROJECTS. HURRICANES RARELY HIT KEY WEST. THE WORST STORM WAS IN 2005 WHICH FLOODED 60% OF THE HOMES. CHICKEN FAMILIES ARE FREQUENTLY SEEN ON THE STREETS OF DOWNTOWN.
WIKIPEDIA.COM
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