Go west young man….. Key West.

At the southern tip of Florida there is a 120 mile long chain of islands known as the Florida Keys. I’m not sure if anyone has ever come up with an official total as to how many islands there are but there must be hundreds. Most of them are small, tree covered and unoccupied but the larger ones have been strung together like a jade necklace by a two lane ribbon of concrete called The Overseas Highway. What makes the road seem even longer is the 35-45 mile per hour speed limit for most of its length. Couple that with the seemingly obligatory slow driver who wouldn’t be caught dead going anywhere near the speed limit and you have a trip down the chain that seems to go on forever. However, for those who are able to wait out the aggravation the reward at the end of the road makes it all worth while because the city of Key West is one happening place. There are only a few towns that I’ve been to where I was really sorry to leave after visiting and this is one. There’s just something about the place that makes you want to stay as long as you can. And the word “eclectic” certainly fits when trying to describe what has to be Florida’s, and one of the countries, most bizarre towns.

Although interesting things are happening all day long, a little before the sun goes down is when the fun really gets started. There is a waterfront wharf area called “Mallory Square” which is known world wide for its beautiful sunsets. Every evening, hundreds… and if there is a cruise ship at the wharf… thousands of people will gather to watch the sun descend behind a nearby palm tree covered island. With a few clouds around to turn any number of colors of red and orange, the scene truly is beautiful. But while waiting for natures show, and for long after darkness descends, the place is alive with a different kind of show. Street performers in the form of fire eaters, jugglers, fortune tellers/tarot card readers, magician/escape artists, various animal acts, musicians, portrait artists, living statues and any number of other vendors of entertainment and crafts all vie for the tourists attention…. and wallet. Some of the acts aren’t too bad but others remind me of the old Mickey Rooney movies where at some point someone would yell out “Hey, let’s put on a show”. Very amateurish.

After the fun of the sun is done, there is any number of bars up and down the main drag of Duval Street and almost every one has some sort of live music… somewhat reminiscent of 6th street in Austin. And although I don’t drink, I do appreciate good music (though my two sons might take exception to that comment) so a leisurely stroll from one end of the street to the other presents any number of music styles. Rock, country, reggae, and so forth all greet you during your walk.

One of the more famous bars is “Sloppy Joe’s” where Earnest Hemingway was a patron of the first order. One time when the bathrooms were being remodeled, he told the owner that he wanted one of the old “porcelain facilities” from the men’s room. His rational (I’ve cleaned the story up here) was that he had deposited so much liquid down it that he had purchased at the bar that he felt he had a right of ownership of that “facility”. He wound up taking it home and using it as a watering trough for his many cats. If those cats only knew.

Then there are the clouds of people walking around in the dark behind men dressed like an undertaker. And in a manner of speaking, they are. There are two companies that operate “Ghost tours” in Key West, creeping through the darkened back alleys from one area of the town to another, speaking in a non-stop dialog about both the accidents and the depravity of mankind that resulted in the town becoming of one of the most haunted cities in America… IF you believe in ghosts. But for those who don’t, it’s still a very entertaining walk. And, at the end of the tour, your ticket gets you a buck off the cost of a drink at one of the aforementioned watering holes. No guarantees though as to what you’ll see… or think you see… after the drink.

I could go on with some more stories about Key West but the need for some semblance of brevity in these writings dictates that I end now. Besides, I think some of those ghost stories are starting to get to me. I’m going to go hide under the covers now. More photo’s in the gallery... maybe even of a ghost.