A Walk to the Nature Preserve

A Walk to the Nature Preserve

Friday January 15, 2021

This morning we set off to walk to the Crane Point Hammock Nature Preserve.  It’s located at Mile Marker 50 and the City Marina is at MM49.  It wasn’t an enormous undertaking in terms of distance but it was all along US 1!  That’s one busy, fast road. We were very relieved to arrive at our destination.  We were uncertain if it would be touristy or more natural and were happy to find very pleasant paths and trails. We avoided the orientation film and as a result we walked the main loop “the wrong way”.  The consequence was—nothing! We walked through hardwood hammock, palm hammock and mangrove swamp.  At the furthest point we emerged on the Florida Bay side with a view out across the water.

Within the park there is a home from the early 1900’s that was built by a George Adderley who settled here from the Bahamas.  He built his home out of tabby a form of concrete that is made from shells (burned to produce lime), sand, rocks (or more shells) and water. The family lived on a 32-acre parcel of land and was largely self-sufficient raising chickens, goats and pigs.  A kitchen garden supplied fresh fruit and veggies.  George’s income came from harvesting sponges and making charcoal.  These products were taken by boat to Key West for sale.  Over time a small community grew up around the site and was known as Adderley Town.  The other buildings have been lost (probably built of wood) but the Adderley homestead still exists and has been restored. Sometime in the fifties the parcel of land was purchased by the Cranes and re-named Crane point.  They built a “Florida style” home that you can tour in other times.  

At this point it was after 1:30 pm and we were getting hungry and tired so we skipped the museum.  We made our way back toward the marina by way of the post office.  Then in the nick of time we stumbled into a taqueria and had some very satisfying burritos.  It was more of a food truck than restaurant if the truth be told.  Some might have said it was lacking in ambiance—wedged between Route 1 and the entrance to a storage farm and gravel pit.  I think the near constant stream of dump trucks added a certain something. 

Gloria

24 42.220 N, 81 06.131 W

Crane Point - looking north from the keys towards Florida Bay. We saw lots of fish here including parrot fish and gar

A decaying old boat at Crane Point

Water lily at Crane Point preserve

Small spider working its web

Mangroves on a canal at Crane Point preserve

Shy little green lizard

Inside the Adderley house