Fun in the Florida Keys!

Don-cha love them Florida Keys?!

Now retirement is about having fun, and that’s just what we’ve been doing. A trip to Florida, preparing for a cruise sailing from Miami, prompted us to do that long-anticipated trip to the Florida Keys. Yep! We did it in style!

Tom likes to tell me the story of how he made it partway down the Keys at the tender age of fifteen. True, it’s a long trip with a carload of kids on a hot Florida day. His mom and dad packed up Tom, Ann and Joey and headed out for a trip to the Southernmost spot in the Continental U.S.A.

But somewhere along the way it became apparent that this was not going to be the day to go all the way. And soon, the tired little family was headed back to Miami, somewhat short of their dream.

That was 53 years ago, and Tom wanted to complete that trip, so we set out once more. But this time, we had a plan! Yep, we made hotel reservations at the Radisson, and packed our bags. No turning back this time, no sirree! I will tell you that if we had it to do again, we might have left after breakfast instead of near lunchtime, but that’s what we did, so…

We were staying in Pompano Beach, so we hopped on the Florida Turnpike and buzzed happily along for a while. Soon we were leaving Miami behind and skimming through fields of Sawgrass toward Key Largo, the first of the hundred or so tiny islands strung like shiny beads on a seaweed necklace. The often single-lane traffic can crawl like a turtle in the summer sun. But that’s just more opportunity to point here and shriek in excitement there over every quaint little shack selling seashells or hand-carved totems.

For lunch, we swung in at a roadside restaurant. Perched at water’s edge in Islamorada at Whale Harbor Restaurants and Marina, Wahoo’s Bar and Grill offers casual fare for daytime travelers and various marina folk. We dined on sumptuous seafood and cold, frosty mugs of beer. Tom had a hard time getting me to stop taking photos of pelicans, sailboats and suntanned guys on waverunners, though. But I finally put the camera away and scarfed down my lunch, including my first piece (that day) of Key Lime Pie. Yep, it’s a definite must to get at least a taste of the real-life key lime pies while you’re in the Keys.

We searched frantically for Key deer on Big Pine Key, but to no avail. There may be 300 or so there, but they must have been sleeping. Too bad. I’d have liked to see just a few of the lil’ guys on the way past. They’re the smallest deer in North American, only about thirty inches tall when full grown.

And so, we arrived late that afternoon at Key West. In the Keys, casual is the rule and party is the name of the game, so relax and have fun. It’s compulsory!

Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville was a disappointment. It seems Jimmy has sold the roost and loaned his name, for a price! But Margaritaville is not the place it used to be here in the Keys, it’s dingy, the food’s a dog, and the people are kinda rude. They don’t even play Jimmy’s music! So what’s the use going?

Now dingy can be charming as well. Take for example, the Hog’s Breath Saloon. Now there’s dingy with character! From the Hogs parked outside to the off-key guitar-playing performances by the bar, here’s real class. Well, in a good ‘ol boy sorta way.

And then, there’s Sloppy Joe’s. Yep, you heard me right. The original Sloppy Joe’s. And they even serve the signature Sloppy Joe sandwich to unsuspecting customers. This joint has a long history, beginning with a busy, jumpin’ local hangout bar that was known for its dirty floors with ice melting haphazardly anytime you might wander in. But it was a favorite of Earnest Hemingway in the 1930’s, and after a couple of name changes, Hemingway himself was the one to suggest the name “Sloppy Joe’s” to his good friend Joe Russell. Visit there today and you can become an instant celebrity too. On their website, you can be in the spotlight on Sloppy Joe’s webcam. Just belly up to the stage, and get in on the action, then call a friend from home to “look you up on the web.”

So let’s get back to the Key Lime Pies! You can find them at almost any restaurant in the Keys, but if you want the best, do it right. The Blond Giraffe opened their first store on Duvall Street in 1999. Known as the best Key Lime Pie in the Keys, their claim to fame is a result of their pie winning the very first Key Lime Pie contest in the Florida Keys. At any one of their seven locations you can get a great piece of pie, pie on a stick, or many other key lime derivatives. You can even take home a key lime pie-in-a-box, a mix so you can create your very own key lime pie at home. How cool is that?

Speaking of Duvall Street, here’s where the best of the best happens in Key West. From mouth-watering restaurants, to rowdy bars and great shopping, you can find it all in and around the famous Duvall Street and at Mallory Square. Sundown is the time to be there; it’s an impromptu carnival every night of the week.

Now, we couldn’t leave Key West without a little gawking and tourist-style snooping, so next morning we loaded the truck and went for a leisurely drive around the streets of Key West. Tiny lanes edged with cottages and Bed and Breakfast inns, wharfside marinas bobbing with sailboats, and shops full of hand-printed fabrics and eclectic artwork was the name of the game.

There on the map was a mark stating it was the “Southernmost point in the Continental United States.” We took that as a dare, and ended up at a cute beach at the end of Duvall Street. There, on the dock, we waved off into the distance where Cuba is hovering less than a hundred miles over the horizon. Here, at the end of Duvall Street, you’ll find the Southernmost House. This gingerbread style Victorian house is a quaint honeymoon spot, or just a great spot to spend a day or two in the Keys.

Then, after a delightful morning, we turned the truck toward the North and began our trip back to Pompano Beach. To say we had fun in the Keys was perhaps an understatement. Matter of fact, you might just wonder how we managed to have so much fun in such a short amount of time. We’re just skilled, I guess. Some people have fun in small doses, we overdose! But you can do it too, just do like I told you and visit the Keys. Go for a day, a week, or stay the winter, but GO SEE THE FLORIDA KEYS! I’m telling you, you’re gonna have fun!

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