The Drive to Key West

The weather has turned very warm and we had a very good day. We really did not do too much in Ft. Lauderdale. (Hey, speaking of Ft. Lauderdale... why do they abbreviate the word "Fort" (4 letters) and spell-out "Lauderdale" (10 letters)? From now on I am typing "Fort Ldle".) We slept, read, walked on the beach, ate a lot and sat by the pool... a very relaxing time with Lisa.

This morning we checked-out of the Marriott Harbor Beach Hotel and drove south on A1A to North Miami and had breakfast at a local favorite. Lisa's sorority sisters grew up on the food from Wolfie Cohen's Rascal House. It is famous for its pastries and old-fashioned Jewish cooking. We had huge breakfasts and picked out a few pastries to take with us for our old friends who are now living in South Miami. (NOTE: Wolfie Cohen's Rascal House has now closed. So sad.)

Wolfie Cohen's Rascal House Restaurant

We had a good, though too short, visit with the J.O. and Wormy. DT and Dave worked together for years and years and... so on. Their daughter is already a freshman in high school! They have a great place and great life in Florida.

J.O., Sheila and Dave

After we left the our friends, we continued south on Route 1. We drove along the Keys and did not stop until the road ended - conveniently enough in front of our hotel in Key West - at the tip of the Key, at the southern-most point of the continental United States. The drive was very interesting, sometimes scenic, but often kinda crummy - with tacky shops and run-down buildings. But most of the drive was very pretty - driving over small keys, covered with mangroves - over a long bridge to the next key. We saw so many birds and so many boats. It is warm, sultry and very exciting here in Key West - I can't wait to get out and explore.

The view from Room 212 - sunset Sunday

We are staying at the Hilton Key West (NOTE: This property has now changed owners.) While Lisa took a long bath, Dave and I walked along the waterfront and stumbled into a local watering hole, the Hog's Breath Saloon. At the Hog's Breath you can get a local brew (brewed in Pennsylvania - I didn't even ask) with the motto "Hog's Breath is better than no breath at all". Dave said it was pretty good. I knew I was going to like the crusty joint immensely when we walked in: they served BudLight and the local entertainment was singing (his version of) a Jimmy Buffett song.

After rescuing the newly-preened Princess from her room, we-three walked one block to Duval Street - the main tourist drag in Key West - to look at restaurant menus and see the sights. The tourist "season" starts in Key West on December 26, but it seemed pretty quiet - even for a Sunday night. It was easy to get a table at Papa's (217 Duval) where we dined on pizza and salads - our Sunday night ritual. Our waiter was a Duck. At midnight, a 60-plus-foot yacht tied-up below our balcony. I know nothing about yachts or sailboats... but I know there is plenty of hardware in Key West!