Making it to Mile 0

We left Miami early to avoid traffic and, of course, get to Key West as early as possible. Here are some photos from our trip down. Our original reservations were made at a hotel near the airport but our friend and honorary Cruisin’ Crew member, Kathy Witt and her friend Donna Moody had other plans. First, they made contact with City Commissioner Teri Johnston who arranged for a police escort for our caravan. These guys made the trip to Mile Marker 0 and the Southernmost Point possible. They also made connections with some unbelievably generous people and we wound up staying at two magnificent properties. Cindy DeRocher at The Gardens Hotel on Angela Street was our main host (thank you Kate Miano, owner). Part of the crew also stayed at another property right down the street called Ambrosia Key West (thank you Claude Vansteaden, manager). We were all equally thrilled with the accommodations. The next time you make plans to visit Key West you HAVE to stay at one of these locations! The property is beautiful and every staff member is friendly and professional. We cannot say thank you enough for the generosity we enjoyed but want to say a special thank you to Alicia, Billy and Jessica for taking care of us.

After checking in, Nikki and I along with some of our crew headed over to Bahama Village to do a 2 hour clinic at the Frederick Douglas Gym. Thank you to City Commissioner Clayton Lopez for helping make the clinic possible. We had a great turnout and the kids were very enthusiastic. Thanks to Beth Bass and the WNBA we were able to provide 20 basketballs and cool giveaways to every participant. These were two of the most satisfying hours we spent on the road. A special thank you to Mr. Major for facilitating the event.

Once the clinic was over, we returned to the Gardens Hotel for a reception in our honor and Nikki and I were made honorary citizens of "The Conch Republic" by Secretary General Sir Peter Anderson.

Check back for more updates tomorrow!

Go Cruisin’!

Holly