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Bat Tower LbNA #45766

Owner:Adoptable
Plant date:Feb 27, 2009
Location:
City:Key West
County:Monroe
State:Florida
Boxes:3
Planted by:bat cave
Found by: Alabama Mardi Gras Clowns (3)
Last found:May 20, 2017
Status:FFFFFFFFFFFaFFaFFFFF
Last edited:Feb 27, 2009
The Perky Bat Tower was built in 1929 by Richter Clyde Perky. Mr. Perky owned a resort on the property where the Sugarloaf Lodge and airport are today. State Road 4A was already established (the road at the end of Sugarloaf Blvd) but there was no way of getting people to the resort the 3 mile distance. Mr. Perky had a road built by the county, now Sugarloaf Blvd. to allow people access from the train to the resort down the Blvd. One problem, mosquitoes. He was familiar with oil derricks from Texas so he had a tower built in that design. Story has it that Mr. Perky purchased thousands of bats in the hopes of eating the mosquitoes and solve his problem. With no fresh water for the bats to survive, they flew away and never came back. Hence, the bat tower with no bats and there is still a mosquito problem in the keys.

Driving Directions:

From US1 North and South – At MM17, the blinking light, park at the Sugarloaf Lodge parking lot. You can bike it also if you want.

Clues:
*Box 1: Locate the airplane and stand at the tail. Go NORTH to the stone path. Head WEST until the large pine tree on your right. Turn and bear 140 degrees SE and walk. Look near the base of the sea grape. Please re-hide it carefully not to be seen.

*Box 2: Leave Box 1 and head down the road bearing 240 degrees towards the tennis courts. At the tennis courts head down the road towards the airport. Start counting telephone poles. At the 5th pole (SL8-11) stand at the right side of the road. Make 30 paces bearing 60 degrees. 22 paces bearing 0 degrees, due NORTH. There is a buttonwood tree on your left. Please replace carefully and cover so no one can see.


*Box 3: Return back to the main road and continue towards the airport. You may be lucky to see some skydivers while you are walking. There will be a fork in the road, head right towards the bat tower. Once you get there look around. Can you believe it has been there since 1929? Wow, still in good shape, besides the graffiti. Stand directly under the tower in the center. Take 3 paces due WEST. There it is. Please hide this box carefully as a lot of NON letterboxers go there and we don’t want them to spot it.