KEY WEST -
What a trip Key West is. A shuttle bus will pick you up in Marathon and drive the 40 or so miles to Key West for $4. Such a deal. With the stops the bus makes along the way it takes about two hours to get there.
As we got into Key West the bus driver pulled into the bus terminal and said the bus needed to be checked and we would have to wait around for 20 minutes or so. Instead of waiting many of us walked for about a half-hour to Duval Street in the heart of Key West. Brady and his girlfriend Fallon joined me for a 10 day vacation.
There were many tourists, and many stores selling articles of clothing for $5, a lot of bars and restaurants.
It was lunch time. Fogarty's was the first stop for lunch and a coldie. A walk down to the docks was next . Cruise ships are huge and something to behold if you've never seen one. Many fishing and sailing boats including several older schooners that offer trips to the tourists. One boat is called the Western Union. It was built for the Western Union Company originally.
Among the attractions they include a shipwreck museum, aquarium, art studios, and a lot of places to visit like Harry Truman's Presidential Library, Earnest Hemingway's home and many others. The tour was well worth the money. The 19th century architecture of the homes is beautiful.
There are scores of activities ranging from fishing and sailing, to snorkeling, scuba diving, Para-sailing and many more.
It was dinner time and if you're a Hemingway fan, Sloppy Joe's is the place to be. This bar/restaurant was one of Hemingway's favorite hangouts. The interior is like a museum to the famous author. Dozens of photographs and memorabilia decorate the walls. Lively entertainment seems non-stop as well. A fun and unique place to visit.
The late evening bus ride back to Marathon was ...shall we say interesting...? A bunch of characters get on and off the bus the entire way home. Some are crack-heads, others are working people on their way home, some are drunk, and some are just weird. At one point I felt I was aboard the airplane "Conair" and kept looking for Nicholas Cage.
I can't wait to go back