IN PICTURES: CLOUDLESS 4TH OF JULY IN FLORIDA KEYS

Tropical Storm Elsa stayed far enough away to “save” Fourth of July for Florida Keys residents and visitors. (Keys officials and weather experts were in constant communication over the weekend to monitor conditions and had plans in place.)  The festivities in Marathon went off without a hitch at Sombrero Beach where the Marathon Rotary Club set up to sell beverages and food to beachgoers. Later, after dark, the skies over the beach were alight with colorful firework displays. One of the worries going into any holiday weekend in the Middle Keys is the traffic at the city’s boat ramps. On July 2, the situation at 33rd Street was orderly, with most captains pulling boats out of the water to avoid the weather.