Changes in Lattitude Changes in Attitude - Key West

Night 1

I'm sitting in the outdoor cabana bar at the Sheraton Key West. I just drove 3 1/2 hours from Ft Lauderdale so the ice cold Margarita feels good. Molly & I visited Key West eight years ago for a day. We liked it enough to always talk about going back, and here we are. This time we're staying in the city of Key West so we can soak it all in, experience the vibe, walk the streets, patronize the restaurants, bars and shops.

My boys are amusing me as they flirt with the teenage girls in the pool. We laugh as the boys disappear behind the waterfall with the girls. Ah, to be teenagers again.

I always think of Key West as a Carribean destination but it's not really. It's bounded by the Atlantic on one side and the Gulf of Mexico on the other. It's not dominated by African descendants, Reggae, Salsa or Junkanoo music even though the original inhabitants were Cubans and Bahamians. It's definitely Floridian, American. It's rock-n-roll, country, honky tonk and Jimmy Buffet nautical. The self proclaimed Conch Republic lives by it's own rules. It's beautiful with lovingly preserved Victorian architecture, blue skies, aqua waters and upscale boutique hotels.

The pool below me is an ameba shaped affair underlit by aqua lights with a waterfall at the far end. Behind the waterfall's faux rocks is the hot tub. White chaise lounge chairs line the pool in two rows and palm trees create an open canopy over it all. It's a fine tropical scene. The pace of life decreases with each tropical breeze that sways the palms and tussles the hair. "Bartender, how about a Pina Colada this time ...and float the rum please".

Day 2

The next morning we walk into town. It's quite a hike, about two miles. We walk along Smathers Beach on the sea level coastal roads. It's a little unsettling to see the sea, with no waves, lapping onto the street. The island is literally at sea level with the highest point being the northwest part of the island in Old Town at 18 feet. A cabbie told us that during a hurricane these lowlands can be under 6 feet of water! As we get closer to the old town/downtown we enter beautiful neighborhood’s of Flordian Victorian gingerbread homes and inns all under the canopy of Banyan and Palm trees.

Very idyllic. We enter the southern end of Duval St and walk it from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico. Along the way we stop for breakfast at La Francaise's café. We sit on the outdoor porch of the converted Victorian home turned cafe'. There's a nice hard body sunning across the street for Molly to look at as we enjoy the food and French Roast. I order the fruit plate. Amazingly fresh and tropical.

Duval Street is the main drag in Key West. It's full of shops and restaurants of all kind.The southern end feels like a neighborhood, it's low key and friendly with art galleries, coffee shops, bakery's and wine bars in single story buildings and converted homes. By the time you get up to the north end it's a full-on tourist destination. This is where you'll find the Hard Rock Café, Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville, Sloppy Joe's and Hog's Breath Saloon.

As we try to find the shuttle bus location back to the Sheraton I see a bone white sandy beach and aqua green seascape. We make for it like moths to a flame. It's a beautiful in-town beach next to the Hyatt Pier House. There are four people here including two hobo types waking up from sleeping somewhere. We exchange "good mornings" and smiles. Another guy lays sprawled on the sand soaking up the morning sun and his girlfriend is swimming in the aqua clear water. Molly and I walk out the small pier gawking at the beauty, amazed at our fortune to be in this beautiful place ..... then, as the girlfriend comes out of the water her top falls off. Hello!. Tit for tat really as earlier when we were walking down Duval Street some guy mooned the street from his hotel balcony. It was a morning of southern exposure for Molly and I.

Later we all go to Mel Fishers's Treasure Museum. Very cool. Mel spent a lifetime looking for sunken Spanish treasure. He lost a son and daughter-in-law in the quest but finally found a 400 million dollar motherlode of sunken treasure when they found the Spanish galleon Atocha. His company is still actively finding treasure. In 2007 they brought up 500 rare pearls! The museum is full of treasure from the deep. Cannons, swords, jewelry, pieces of eight and gold ingots. I lifted a 2 1/2" by 8” ingot. It must have weighed 40 lbs! ...Heavy!

Parched from Mel's we take a food and drink respite at the famous Hog's Breadth Saloon and listen to a couple local musicians. We get a double order of conch fritters, Jamacian jerk chicken wings and mango shrimp washed down with Pina Colada's and Corona's. I could have lingered another hour but I get pulled to Ripley's Believe It or Not, believe it or not. If you ever find your self at Hog's Breath call family and friends and wave to 'em on the live web cam.

As evening approaches we head down to Mallory Square for the sunset celebration. We park ourselves at a cafe on Westin Pier next to the cat man. This guy is hysterical. He does a trained cat show. Who among us can get a cat to do anything? Nobody I know. This guy has house cats trained like lions in the circus. They jump on stands, they jump over each other and through rings of fire! It'd be impossible to describe him accurately. He is more amusing than the cats. Watch this video.

Eventually the sun sets below the horizon in a perfect disappearing act. Applause erupts at its complete disappearance and the curtain openes on night-time in Key West where things don't stop until 4:00AM. Inspired, Molly and I stay in town after we put the rest of the family in a cab back to the hotel. We discover a place called Nine One Five on Duval St and take a seat at the outdoor cafe. The gingerbread Victorian house turned restaurant is framed on either side by under-lit elephant palms. We each have a glass of New Zealand Sauvignion Blanc and enjoy the cacophony of Duval St. Next we head off to Loius' Backyard. Louis is halfway back to our hotel on the southern end of the island in a wonderfully quaint neighborhood. As we walk there the moonlight presses palm shadows down on the road and street lights flicker like stars through the palm and banyan. The sea smell fills the air as we walk toward a palm covered sandy white beach that is the side entrance to the Backyard. The ocean bellows it's hello with frothy whitecaps and a steady breeze. Entering at the back deck, the restaurant is to our left three deck levels up. The bar is straight ahead. Off to the right is the Atlantic, actively kissing the deck. We order a couple glasses of wine and find a secluded spot to enjoy a night cap and then head home.

Day 3

Like the Spanish, pirates, treasure hunters and assorted outlaws who came before us we head to sea the next morning It's Saturday and we're going an all day nautical excursion 70

miles west of Key West to Ft. Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas. After cruising a blue on blue landscape for 90 minutes where sky meets water, the Fort appears like a mirage out of the horizon. We circle the island and pull up to the dock where we're greeted by two manatees who slowly move to make way for the ship looming over them. The fort itself is a huge 19th century structure encompassing the entire island of Garden Key.

Inside you can see the barrel vaulted architecture used to build this gigantic structure. The group of islands (keys) here get their name Dry because none of the islands have fresh water and Tortugas because sailors use to stop at the islands to harvest sea turtles for fresh meat. The fort has an interesting history of protecting the Florida Straights from pirates and of being a Union jail during the Civil War. History later though, were here to snorkel! We start by swimming on the west side of the key along the fort moat wall and see the occasional fish but when I move over to the old coal dock piers I become Jacques Cousteau! There are fish everywhere! Parrot fish, trumpet fish, angel fish, yellowtail snapper and box fish. As I float languidly in the azur waters however, I'm shocked out of my bliss by a 5 foot nurse shark that swims under me. My heart leaps and I swim towards shore continuously turning my body in circles to look around me...is he coming back, any other sharks? After 15 feet or so I calm down and stop. Nurse sharks are bottom feeders, they eat spiny lobsters, crabs, shrimps, sea urchins, octopuses, squid, and marine snails off the ocean floor, not humans. What a wimp. I head back to the piers to enjoy the fish and look for the two manatee's we saw when we pulled into the dock earlier. After a tasty prepared lunch on the boat Dylan and I head over to a different set of old coal piers on the east side of the key. The water here was incredibly clear and the fish population was even denser. This last dive really made my day. Check out the water in this video.

Happy, waterlogged and sunsplashed Molly & I befriend the bartender on the trip back and get rewarded with terrific Pina Coladas with the rum floated on top, including an extra shot!

A day at sea deserves a good dinner. We head to Mangos for dinner. We have crusted red snapper with garlic mash, Chicken Picatta, raw in the middle ahai tuna and an iceburg lettuce wedge with blue cheese and bacon, flash fried. The food is complimented with an amazing olive bread with honey butter and another terrific New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. When we finish eating the back of my suburned calves hurt so bad I have to call Uncle and crash for the night.

Day 4

We got up early this AM (Sunday) to tour Key West on bikes. I totally recommend bikes. You can cover a lot of ground.

Breeze on our faces we wheel through the beautiful Victorians in closely settled neighborhoods. Most of the Victorians have two story porches and mature tropical plantings. Once on each block we peek through a gate or planted entry to see an Inn or Boutique Resort with beautifully landscaped grounds and a pool - or multiple pools. Cafe tables are full with guests having coffee and reading the morning papers. On the southwest side of the island we explore Bahamatown and make our way out to Fort Zachary Taylor beach. This is in my opinion the best beach in Key West. There are the ruins of the old fort, a sculpture park , a wooded picnic area and a nice sandy beach with concessions, beach chairs and umbrellas for rent. The water is crystal clear and there is a parade of boats exiting Key West into the turquoise waters for the day. This is our plan too, more snorkeling but this time out over the coral reef.

Later in the morning we board the cataraman Fury http://www.furycat.com/key-west/snorkeling.htm with 50 other people and head out to the coral reef a few miles south of Key West. The excursion provides all the masks, fins and life jackets. All we have to do is jump in the water. The ocean floor varies from 4’ to 40’ depths as we swim. My son Drew dives down pretending he's a scuba diver. Being out over the reef in endless water in all directions is amazing. It must be what it feels like to float in space, ... if there were tropical fish in space. We spend the afternoon snorkeling, swimming alone or holding hands to stick together. Too soon we hear the call to re-board the boat. As we swim up to the boat to climb the back stairs we have a final treat as a 4 foot Barracuda eyeballs us from the shadows under the boat.

It’s free beer on the way back, and after an explanation of Key West’s liberal open container law we get full glasses of beer as we disembark too!

Tonight we head back to Bahamatown for dinner and to check out Earnest Hemingway's house. The house is a handsome two story stone Spanish Colonial built in 1851. He lived there with about 50 cats, whose descendants, including famed six-toed cats, still roam the premises. It was here he wrote some of his most famous works, including For Whom the Bell Tolls and A Farewell to Arms. Great tour. I recommend it. I love his books. I re-read the Old Man and the Sea before this trip and next on my list is his novella set in Key West called "To Have And Have Not".

Adios to the cats, we're off to a restaurant called Blue Heaven. Through the years the property has hosted a bordello, cock fighting, gambling and Friday night boxing matches refereed by Ernest Hemingway. We’re just here for dinner. J The “dining room” is outdoors under a leafy canopy of trees. You have to keep an eye out for falling almonds, Spanish limes, coconuts, and roosters. Yes roosters. Roosters are free roaming inhabitants of Key West. They are everywhere and their crowing is a constant reminder. There are cats here too, lounging on railings and the tin roofs of the restaurant and bar cabana. We order latitudinal cuisine of Carribean BBQ Shrimp with Jamaican jerk seasonings, Jamaican Jerk Chicken, Goombay Gumbo Soup, and Sauteed Yellowtail Snapper with Citrus Beurre Blanc Sauce. I wash it all down with an ice cold favorite we discovered in the Bahamas, Kalik Beer. Here's short peek at the restaurant.

This being our last night in town we head to Duval street again and take a shortcut through Trumen Annex which is a beautifully restored and redeveloped naval base. President Truman's summer White House is here. The Clinton’s have stayed here. A lot of Presidents and Royalty have stayed here. When we get to the opposite end of the Annex to exit we find we’re locked in! Turns out George Bush Sr is here fishing. He must have a file on Molly and has her trapped! But before George can swoop in and ship her down to Guantanamo an employee of one of the local inns comes buy with a key and we escape to Duval St. Whew!

Duval St. is full of musicians in the back of bars throwing their music out to the sidewalk through open windows and doors. Inside IS outside here. Everything is wide open. Outdoor living is what you do. Every other building has live music. Mostly singer songwriter types, guitar in hand perched atop a stool with their mouths wrapped around a mic. As day turns to night solo and duo acts give way to bigger groups and bigger crowds. The town draws it's share of talent. Kenny Chesney just played at Sloppy Joe’s. Looking through an open window into a bar on Duval street Dylan & I are frozen by a guitar master. He's attacking a medley of Led Zeppelin songs, rocking hard. He pulls out a bow for the middle section of Whole Lotta Love and draws it across his electric lady love. I knew Jimmy Page did this but I've never seen it done, Dylan's never heard of such a thing in his life. When the music stops Dylan and I find ourselves alone and quickly beat feet to find the rest of the family and we all head towards the throngs of sunsetters in Mallory Square again. This time we find ourselves in front of an entertaining British juggler, a tightrope walker and a dog show as we stroll down the square and boardwalks. The square itself is paved in brick. It’s very large, like a European piazza and is framed on three sides by shops, restaurants, the Key West Aquarium and hotels. On the west there is only a handrail between you and the open aquamarine sea. The sky is turning a reddish orange at the horizon fading to deep blue above. Behind me the clouds glow orange against the blue sky reflecting the spent rays of the sun.

The tanned and toned crowd mills back and forth, drink of choice in hand enjoying the street performers, talking, laughing, cheering. There's about 1000 feet of waterfront to traverse and enjoy every night. Schooners, yachts, Glass Bottom Boats and Catamarans parade by the boardwalk as they make their way back to safe harbor.

At the far north end of the Square we enter a boardwalk and end up at a bar/restaurant called the Conch Republic. Molly & I indulge our new interest in Mojito’s.

A pony tailed hipster sits down next to a tanned and cute women next to me at the bar. He puts his arm around her and starts talking to her. He grabs the drink in front of him and starts drinking until the bartender comes over and tells him “that’s not your date”. He looks at the girl with a surprised look on his face and quickly moves down two stools to his own date who is unaware her date is blind, or a dope. Lol. – that was funny! Mojitos gone, we hop in a cab and call it a night.

Our Last Day

We fish today! I pull everybody out of bed at the crack of dawn and down to the Key West Bight. That’s Conch talk for the little natural harbor and marina where we catch our boat. After a quick breakfast at Pepe's Cafe, the oldest eating establishment in Key West we board the boat. It’s a typical party boat fishing. Rods are at the ready around the side rails and next to them are bait buckets full of squid and Ballyhoo. The squid is already diced up ready to hook. The Ballyhoo is cut up into chunks as well but if you grab a head you still have to break the needle off it’s nose otherwise no fish will bite it for fear of stabbing themselves. The sea is calm and the sky is that ever present cloudless blue. The fishing is slow but every once in a while someone pulls in a Yellowtail or Makerel. We were hoping for giant Grouper but alas, it wasn't meant to be. Dylan catches an Atlantic Croaker which Drew proceeds to use as live bait. Dylan’s not happy with his fishing prowess but we’re all amused by a pelican who’s following us. We feed him fish and he floats effortlessly by the boat every time we reposition.

After catching his fair share of fish Drew gets bored standing at the rails and makes his way over to the bait fish tank where he amuses himself by chasing the fish with his hand shaped like a shark. Bum,bum,bum,bum,bum,bum,bum,bum! Then when that's not fun any more he proceeds to do what all 12 year old boys do to fish. He grabs a sharp 8" knife, pokes the eyes out, cuts the head and tail off, slices open the belly and looks at the guts. Classic.

On the way back in we spy a turtle and flying fish. Wow. I though flying fish just jumped out of the water like porpoise, then went back under. Was I wrong. These things look like they are flying and stay 8” above the water for 100 yards or so. And they move fast. They literally look like a bird skimming the water for prey. Freaky. Happy, tanned and sufficiently saturated with good food and drink we make the drive back to Ft Lauderdale. Sun glasses on for protection and looking cool. I survey the waterworld from the never ending bridges and Keys, enjoying the colors and swaying palms, savoring the change in lattitude and the change in attitude plotting my triumphant return.