The American Glory arrived at Punta Gorda around lunchtime and anchored about a mile offshore. The water here is very shallow – back in the 19th Century, the Florida Southern Railroad built a “Long Dock” (4000 feet) so that ships needing 12 feet of draft could load and unload cargo; the Long Dock is long-gone, so we had to tender to shore, landing at Fishermen’s Village. Lots of boats were moored there; some had been destroyed by Hurricane Milton, and I guess they’ll be there until insurance matters are settled.

Our excursion today took us to the History Park and Artisan Market, which houses local non-profit groups specializing in fabric arts, pottery, woodworking, and glass. The demonstration of marbling was fascinating – it almost seems simple enough for me to try!

Diane and I walked back to Fishermen’s Village; the path was paved and busy with walkers and cyclists, with a mangrove strip next to us and a clear sign that we were in Florida.

The tender ride back to the ship was slow because the water had gotten very choppy; everyone in the front half of the boat got wet anyway, including us. We survived.

Happy New Year!

We didn’t have any excursions scheduled for this morning, so we took the Old Town Trolley to Stop 5 and walked south from there to the Key West Butterfly Conservatory. There are interesting things to see in Key West…and the butterflies, birds, and flowers in the Conservatory were wonderful to visit.

The Conservatory was only a few blocks from the Southernmost Point buoy. On our way there, we passed the Southernmost Bar, the Southernmost Restaurant, and the Southernmost Dispensary (and probably a few others). I didn’t expect to find the Southernmost Chanukkiah, but there it was!

We also saw the Southernmost Southernmost House, which is on the market for a mere 18.5 million dollars. I’ll pass.

We walked back to the ship on Duval Street; there were countless bars and restaurants, as well as an unusual Walgreens and the Oldest House in Key West (now a museum).

After lunch, we took the White Glove Tour to Truman’s Little White House, beginning with a ride in his limousine.

Our tour was similar to the public tour, except that we were allowed to take photos and got to see the modernized bedroom where the Carters and the Clintons slept in their visits to the Little White House. We also visited the Truman Foundation and got to handle a few artifacts from his visits to the Little White House (hence the white gloves).

We’re now sailing to Punta Gorda – see you in 2025!