Key West

Last night was new years in Key West, we tried to get close enough to see the shoe drop but the crowds where thick.

There is Bar called Cowboy Bills on Duval Street where they have a mechanical bull you can ride if you are so inclined.

They don’t usually crank up the speed at first, our friend had to actually take 3 rides before he got to a speed that threw him off.

From the Miami Herald

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/miami-dade/story/817451.html

The ship would become the world’s second-largest artificial reef that was intentionally sunk. The 911-foot Oriskany, sunk off the coast of Pensacola in 2006, is the largest.

McPherson said he expects the Vandenberg will provide a boost to the struggling Key West economy.

”We’ve never been able to draw wreck divers before,” McPherson said. “Wreck divers brought a whole lifeline to Key Largo and the Upper Keys with the Spiegel Grove [sunk in 2002] and to Pensacola with the Oriskany.”

Once the Vandenberg is sunk, Verge said there will be no additional costs for maintenance.

Excellent news for Key West. According to another Article the ship will be docked at the cruise ship docks for its final preparations. It will sit (if everything goes according to plan) in 140 feet of water with the top super structure reaching up to 40 feet from the surface. Which means theoretically on a day when the water is really clear you could see it from the surface.

Kite Boarding is becoming more and more popular in Key West. Even on weekday afternoon there are multiple boarders enjoying the wind on Smathers Beach

Powerboat Races where yestersday and huge speed boats where flying through the harbor being chased by helicoptors

Fantasy Fest 2008 has started and you can view pictures of what’s been going on downtown

Warning though pictures are kind of adult in nature

http://www.kwflausa.com/blog/category/fantasy-fest-2008/

motorcycles

custom chopper

chopper motorcycles

custom chopper motorcycles

custom chopper motorcycles

motorcycles

motorcycles

chopper

custom

chopper motorcycles

custom

custom chopper

Thousands of motorcycle enthusiasts poured into Key West for the annual poker run. Most of duval street was closed for car traffic and bikes where parked along either side of it.

The motorcycles where amazing with many custom builders showing some of their best creations.

Hurricane Ike is scheduled to be passing the Keys tomorrow and all on residents have been evacuated. The mandatory evacuation of residents was lifted today at noon. I don’t think very many locals evacuated.

Luckily for us the storm has made land fall on Cuba and weakened significantly. For many in the tourism industry this storm looks like it will be more of a financial hit then anything else. Most places are boarded and closed and Duval street is deserted.

The way the forecast is appearing now, 24 hours before the storm is predicted to be closest to the Island, it appears the most we will be getting is tropical storm force winds. But anything is still possible.

Kite Boarders Where out enjoying the winds before the storm

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