Posted by Monty
After threatening since we got here, and probably passing on the best opportunity on New Years Eve (we're a couple of old people now), on Friday we went to Key West.
This means we walked to the bus stop. We didn't want to take the boat as it is about 50 miles (a day's travel for us) and there are no good anchorages when the wind is out of the north. And the wind, lately, has been out of the north. And usually around 20mph. There are also rumors of a little bit of a crime problem in the area. So we took the bus. A day pass is $8.00 each. Sixteen bucks for a hundred miles and somebody else drives. I'm a player.
The bus ride was interesting but uneventful. One guy did get on with a dog. I kept waiting for a child with a chicken or the like. No joy. The trip down, with stops, took about two hours. We arrived around noon near Mallory Square. Carol declared it "Picture Day".
This means we walked to the bus stop. We didn't want to take the boat as it is about 50 miles (a day's travel for us) and there are no good anchorages when the wind is out of the north. And the wind, lately, has been out of the north. And usually around 20mph. There are also rumors of a little bit of a crime problem in the area. So we took the bus. A day pass is $8.00 each. Sixteen bucks for a hundred miles and somebody else drives. I'm a player.
The bus ride was interesting but uneventful. One guy did get on with a dog. I kept waiting for a child with a chicken or the like. No joy. The trip down, with stops, took about two hours. We arrived around noon near Mallory Square. Carol declared it "Picture Day".
We had lunch at the famous Sloppy Joes. Of course we had Sloppy Joes. They were pretty good, washed down with a cold beer. We then proceeded to walk the length of Duval Street. This is the "main drag" in Key West, ending near the famous "Southernmost Point in the US". (My understanding is that the actual southernmost point is actually on the military base next to it. But who is picking nits?)
We then retraced our way back to Mallory Square, with several side trips to ogle the very Key West flavor of architecture. Carol took more pictures.
One of the most interesting things to me was the famous (I had never heard of them) Key West Chickens. These things are everywhere, and gorgeous. Also camera shy. Carol managed to sneak up on them and get a few good shots. I wish I had a picture of her sneaking up on the chickens.
A pretty place, this Key West. But by 3:00, we were back at the bus stop, having had enough. The bus ride back was basically the reverse of the ride down, including the guy with the dog.
Intrepid followers (or anyone who knows me) will ask: "You went to Key West and left in three hours, having had only one beer? Were you sick?"
The answer is no. And I am a bit puzzled myself. I'm sure it's not the city's fault. There were plenty of places to quench my thirst. The problem lies not in what the place is, but rather what it is not.
I'm too late. (A Pirate Looks at 60?) Key West is not the frontier town I had built up in my mind. I thought it was going to be this renegade place that had refused to change with the times and held onto it's sun bleached and non conformist roots. Maybe it reverts to something else after the sun descends. Probably it does. But the tourist trap with the cruise ship parked at the edge is not what I came for. Blame it on me, but it's just not my style.
So we landed at 5:00 back in Marathon, across the street from Boot Key Harbor, at one of our frequent haunts for beers and appetizers for dinner. We were in bed before 10:00, as is usual.
All in all, I'm glad we went. Been there, done that. Passed on the tee shirt. Back to Sea Bird and more new adventures!
Intrepid followers (or anyone who knows me) will ask: "You went to Key West and left in three hours, having had only one beer? Were you sick?"
The answer is no. And I am a bit puzzled myself. I'm sure it's not the city's fault. There were plenty of places to quench my thirst. The problem lies not in what the place is, but rather what it is not.
I'm too late. (A Pirate Looks at 60?) Key West is not the frontier town I had built up in my mind. I thought it was going to be this renegade place that had refused to change with the times and held onto it's sun bleached and non conformist roots. Maybe it reverts to something else after the sun descends. Probably it does. But the tourist trap with the cruise ship parked at the edge is not what I came for. Blame it on me, but it's just not my style.
So we landed at 5:00 back in Marathon, across the street from Boot Key Harbor, at one of our frequent haunts for beers and appetizers for dinner. We were in bed before 10:00, as is usual.
All in all, I'm glad we went. Been there, done that. Passed on the tee shirt. Back to Sea Bird and more new adventures!