Touring Key West: The Conch Republic

Bahia Honda is at MP 37 on the overseas highway. That means that we are 37 miles from the southern terminus of US 1 at Old Key West and MP 0. We are certainly not close to Key West, but it's not too far for a few day trips. We made three trips to Key West.

The name Key West is derived from the Spanish "Cayo Hueso", literally "Bone Island". Key West has a population of about 25,000, about the same as it had in the 1890's. At that time Key West was the most populous and wealthiest city in Florida. The wealth came from the shipwrecks off the island and the booty salvaged by the citizens. Legend says that islanders often moved the channel markers so more ships would run aground. It is said that every house in Key West once had a grand piano, shortly after a ship transporting pianos wrecked on the reef. The land area of the island has doubled during the last hundred years due to construction and the use of fill material to build new island. Key West is the southernmost city and the only "frost free" city in the contiguous US.

Old Key West is a very interesting, historic and scenic town. Our first visit was on Groundhog Day. Considering the recent weather in the southeast, the groundhog certainly saw his shadow. I think it scared him so bad, he went so deep back in his burrow, that there will be at least six more months of winter! We first went to Higgs Beach on the Atlantic side of the island, because we knew there was a good dog park there. Matilda got to run for a good while before we went to town. We knew parking would be difficult closer to town, so we left the car here and walked. What we didn't realize was exactly how far it was to town. We ended up walking over 5 miles round trip. Matilda was pooped! Bikes and scooters are very popular on the island. The streets are very narrow and congested in the center of town. Dorcas was intimidated by the narrow streets and the traffic, so we never took our bikes to town. Next time I think I can get her out. Bikes would be particularly nice seeing the old homes and the outlying historic landmarks. We might have to leave Matilda at camp though.

One place I really wanted to visit was Jimmy Buffett's Original Margaritaville Cafe on Duval Street. When we arrived they gave Matilda a biscuit and oogled over her a bit. We ate lunch and, of course, I had the "Cheeseburger in Paradise". It is said that Buffett still has a home on the island, and when he is here he always eats lunch at his cafe. I guess he wasn't in town this week, because we never saw him. Buffett came to the island about 1970 after some hard times and rejection in Nashville. He found himself here and the island and its people has been a great influence on his music and his life. We have been listening to a lot of Buffett music lately (channel 31 "Radio Margaritaville" on Sirus/XM), and I have been reading Buffett's autobiography "A Pirate Looks at Fifty".

There are many other bars on Duval Street and we visited a couple. The most famous are Sloppy Joe's Bar and Captain Tony's Saloon. Sloppy Joe's was a favorite of Ernest Hemingway. It is said that the landlord announced a rent increase from $3 to $4 per week. This so infuriated Joe Russell that he and all the patrons in the bar (including Hemingway) immediately moved all the contents of the bar: liquor, bar stools, tables, cash register and the drinks in their hand, to a vacant building on Duval Street, where the establishment currently resides. Sloppy Joe's sponsors an annual Hemingway look-alike contest, which seems to be a pretty big deal down here. As we have traveled, many folks have told me that I look a lot like Hemingway and should enter the contest. After looking at the photos of past winners I wonder if I might have a shot. However, after hanging around for a while in Sloppy Joe's nobody made any encouraging comments. Who wants to come back down to Key West in late July anyway?

We visited the monument marking the southernmost point in the contiguous US. Actually the monument is not even near the southernmost point. The southernmost point is actually on military property and not accessible to the public. The monument is not even on the southernmost point accessible to the public. I think they just put the marker where it was convenient and easy to find. There used to be just a sign but it kept getting stolen, so they put up the current iron monument. There are many other "southernmost" landmarks: the southernmost hotel, the southernmost restaurant, the southernmost house, the southernmost southernmost house (apparently this owner thought his house was south of the first southernmost house) ad nauseum. One street performer had a sign claiming to be the southernmost bagpipe player.

We also did a few other touristy things. We road the Conch Tour Train, which is a narrated trolley ride which lasts almost 2 hours and goes down practically every single street in town. We also visited the Shipwreck Museum which features live actors and artifacts illustrating Key West's salvage history. It also had a 65' wooden tower we climbed with excellent views of the town and the harbor.

It was fun to watch the feral roosters that roam and roost on the island. It is said that they are descended from fighting cocks brought over from Cuba. They seem to be everywhere you look: rooftops, porches, yards and in the street. It is illegal to feed or care for them, but I suspect some folks do. We were told that hawks snatch many of the chicks, which helps keep the population in check. Unfortunately, we didn't witness this balance of nature in action.

A very popular activity is to view the sunset from the waterfront at Mallory Square. There are also dozens of street performers at Mallory Square and they are pretty pushy if you don't give them money. Several hours before sunset folks were jockeying for a good viewing position. So we decided not to stay and fight the crowds. We just went back to camp to enjoy our own private sunset over Bahia Honda Channel.