NASKW

February 4, 2012  Dateline: Key West, FL USA

NASKW stands for Naval Air Station Key West.  There are actually 5 different locations in and around Key West.  The station has served many rolls over its existence.  In the late 1800’s it served as a place where Navy Ships took on coal. In fact, the USS Maine received its last load of coal in Key West.  It also was a submarine base and it played a role in the Cuban missile crisis. President Harry Truman’s Key West White House is within NASKW.  Today the base continues to serve many missions.  One of those missions is the training base for naval pilots for aircraft carrier landing.

Rich and Carol met their friends John and Mary from MARY FRANCIS IV.  John had been a Brigadier General in the Michigan National Guard and therefore has access to military bases.  They all went to the Boca Chia landing area for the training pilots.  The jets land on a runway that’s painted to look like a carrier deck, and as soon as the wheels hit the “deck” the engine is run up to full power.  This is done in case the hook does not grab a restraining wire and the jet has to take off again. What a loud noise the engine at full power makes!  Once the land training is complete, the Navy brings an air craft carrier into the Gulf of Mexico so the trainees can land on a real carrier.

On the southern coast of Key West there is another part of the base where some WW I gun emplacements are located.  The area of the gun emplacements is highly polluted and is fenced off.  This sign indicated that the grass inside the fence is maintained to the proper length by a flock of goats.  Here is the sign describing how to treat the landscaping team.

Here is a picture of the landscaping crew.

The area is also home to a large number of iguanas.  Based on this picture it looks like there may be some baby iguanas soon.  Remember you can enlarge a picture by clicking on it.

John and Mary showed Rich and Carol where they could gather sponges that washed onto the shore.  These three lovely flower vase sponges were picked up and put in a plastic bag.  They smelled something fierce.  Attempts to clean them failed and they found their way into another plastic bag and then into a dumpster.

On the base, a pair of bald eagles had made a nest on top of a pole.  Carol took this picture of the pair feeding their young chick.  They are big and beautiful birds.

The other day I made note of a submarine that might have been a drug submarine.  At NASKW they actually have one of the early drug subs that was captured by the Coast Guard with 4.1 tons of cocaine on board.  It was made of fiberglass with Plexiglas windows.

One of the best places to each lunch in Key West is a cart called Garbo’s.  The seating is on coolers holding cold drinks and the menu is limited but the burritos, burgers and hot dogs more than made up for the lack of atmosphere.

Cindy, Sandra, Matt and Pat gave Rich and Carol a gift certificate to the Flaming Buoys Filet Company.  The restaurant was small with about 6 tables inside and a few on the outside porch. The food was fabulous.  Rich and John had an entree of lobster macaroni and cheese that was to die for. Carol had lobster thermador that also was very good

The cemetery at Key West contains interesting grave markers.  Here are several that were noted.  People in Key West still have a sense of humor even after death.

Within the next two weeks there is a boat show in Miami and that is affecting my ability to move north (marinas are all full), so I am staying in Key West for another week.  Rich and Carol decided that of all the places we could stay Key West is one of the best, so here I stay.