Key West Scenes

One weekend we drove down to Key West, a place we'd visited in much earlier years but wanted to see again. We spent just a day there, enjoyed it immensely, and are sure to return.

Driving on the (new) Seven Mile Bridge; remnants of the old bridge are
off to the right; possibly interesting anecdote...my parents knew one of
the bridgetenders (a neighbor) and on a few occasions we spent a weekend living
with him and his wife in their quarters beneath the bridge, always returning to
Miami with an ice chest full of fish; some great neighborhood fish fries then, in
the fifties, some of my earliest memories...hush puppies, the smell of beer...

We've seen Tiki bars, Tiki cafes, Tiki restaurants, but never before a Tiki
garage...quite a large one, in fact, part of one of the Key West dealerships

The old Key West lighthouse, near Hemingway's house, once
on the shore, now several blocks from the sea, all reclaimed...

Street scene nearby; note the metal roofing...required on every building
after the 1886 fire (except Tiki garages)

On Duval street, the main (touristy) drag

Interesting architecture at every turn; all of it having
weathered many hurricanes, because...typically, they
were built by shipwrights, who knew what they were 
doing

There are free range fowl everywhere, reminiscent of
Cow Eye (Kauai), but not quite so repulsive

Obligatory tourist train

Lots of murals

We inadvertently had lunch at a Guy Fieri-featured
seafood shack; Vicki had the fried clams (her one seafood)
and I the coconut shrimp, both pretty good

Sic transit, Gloria

Among the many interesting buildings

Sloppy Joe was an actual person, taught Hemingway marlin-fishing

Far from the best Key Lime pie we've had

Incredible tropical and sub-tropical foliage everywhere

Saved for next time

The road does not go ever on from here

On the flip side, dining at Shorty's in south Miami, a Vicki favorite
since the 50s

Soon to be replaced by a high-rise or parking garage: sic transit, etc.