White Street Pier

At the southern end of White Street, there’s a long pier that’s good for getting a fresh perspective on Key West.  You can often find people trying their luck at fishing from White Street Pier, but they don’t usually seem to have much luck.  Since the pier is right at the edge of Higgs Beach, it’s a great spot for looking back on the beach.  Kiteboarders love to launch from the end of Higgs Beach, right where the Pier starts.  This also makes it a great spot for watching them jump and fly during windy weather.

On the dunes behind Higgs Beach next to the Pier there are picnic tables, small palm trees, and chickens.  The tables often have “all-day” inhabitants who’ve set up camp on them, but you can sometimes find one that’s free.  As you can tell from some of these pictures, chickens are camera shy.  The trick is to bait them with oatmeal or bread crumbs, then snap a picture.  Chasing them does not work and eventually you feel like you’re harassing the poor things if you follow them too long.

There’s a large open space on the pier, which is nice because Key West is all about tiny tree-lined streets and small cottages and lots to see and do on a small island.  The large open space on the pier is a great place to be if you need a break from coziness and small places.  It’s wide open and unencumbered, you can check the visibility of the inshore waters, watch boats zip by to and from from Stock Island, or just watch the water lapping up on the jagged rocks.