Stranded Harley

Meet Aaron from Colorado. He's been living in the islands a few months and decided riding a motorcycle was the way to go in the sunny Florida Keys. Two weeks ago he got his first bike, and Friday morning while riding to his work at Sloppy Joe's the Harley went dead on him.


Electrical problem he thought as we pushed the dead 1997 Sportster to the parking lot of the porn shop on Boca Chica Key. I offered him a ride to town, he accepted gratefully and ended up ten minutes late for work.


The porn shop was a clean well lighted place packed floor to ceiling with DVDs, which surprised me, and the clerks cheerfully acknowledged Aaron's predicament promising to keep an eye on the dead Harley. Aaron was super embarrassed about riding bitch on my Bonneville but I assured him he was lucky I wasn't wearing my pink Crocs which fact didn't seem to cheer him up. He did notice how smooth the Bonneville was compared to his Harley. Good lad.


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Old Stores

Los Cubanitos, the Cuban dudes, is a marine hardware store known to locals as Cuban Joe's and despite the arrival across the street, a good few years ago, of the predatory West Marine chain, these guys are still here.



They've been here a while and they aren't going it seems, and if you don't believe me check out their signs, worn by the passage of a lot of time.



The child seat in the electric car surprised me for some reason. Very modern I'm sure.



That's West Marine on the edge of the picture, but I was actually noticing the Fast Buck Freddie's sign, the annex of the main store on Duval Street.



I used to work here years ago shipping and receiving in the warehouse. I spent hours sitting sweating in the shade watching the Conch Trains go by and smelling the fried fish from BO's Fish wagon across the street.



Kermit's Key Lime shop has made headlines over the years as the quintessential Key West shoppe. I caught Kermit in a pensive moment behind his store. I wonder if he gets sick of green and yellow all the damned time.



The other weird food place, the Peanut Butter restaurant on Duval Street closed after a few months, which couldn't be a surprise as they never seemed to charge much for their weird food offerings. Then there is Schooner Wharf, known erroneously to enthusiastic visitors as Schooner's Wharf. It's been here forever and seems likely to stay, as do many of their patrons.



And why wouldn't they, to stay and watch the charming wild chickens of Key West.



A last little piece of Old Key West they say. Maybe, but its not the only one.


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Fizzy Water Wars

I saw this sign at my local gas station.


I am a Coke guy, I prefer my cola mixed with vanilla essence, while the newer generation seems to like lemon essence. But still, a tiny bottle shaped for our "convenience" at an absurd price? Really? I hate advertising.



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Key West Wanderers

It was really me who was the wanderer. After my breakfast on Caroline Street I took a walk around Key West Bight, camera in hand.


The way people shop is a trait I see in myself when I'm on the road, looking for a small memory of a happy place to take home.


Some visitors anticipate their time on the water by displaying their buttocks shoreside. It's an odd social permission that is given in seaside towns, tom pretend you are swimming while actually walking.


They come some of them, covered up. Sunglasses and all.


They march along two by two, looking for that Key West moment.


A bicycle in Key West is as natural as a giant SUV at home.


Some visitors ride mopeds. This dude looks too hard core to be a visitor.


Map in hand.


Laid back Key West where we chat to pass the time of day.


Come to Key West, wander the waters, the coral reef, the sunset.


So, is Key West, notorious party town good for families? They seem to think so.


The Key West wanderers, looking for I'm not sure what.


Coming and going.


Going fishing? No, once they pulled away this couple was, I saw, on a parasail boat flying above the water at speed under a parachute.


Key West Bight early in the day is quite the place to walk and wander and see what's what.


And at dusk a fancy dinner at the Commodore or Berlin's or raucous seafood at Alonzo's. Same place different light.

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Breakfast On Caroline

Caroline Street, the seven hundred block, in the morning, looking North.


And there it is on the right side looking pink as it has for as long as I can remember, Harpoon Harry's, offering breakfast lunch and dinner. I used to eat here quite frequently when I came ashore from my home anchored the harbor.


Since I started working nights a good few years ago breakfast became a noon time meal, at home, after I got up. So it was a rare treat to be in town around breakfast time, hungry and ready to scarf a jalapeño and cream cheese omelette. The spooky thing was Ron, the owner, remembered me from my past life. Restaurateurs really are a different breed of social animal, they forget no one.


Ron has been meeting and greeting customers, clearing tables and backing up his loyal staff for years. He still does it with every appearance of enthusiasm. I ducked my head and read the review of the Triumph Explorer in the latest Cycle World.


Outside those poor sods who took their dogs to breakfast (I was riding the Bonneville) sat on the convenient sidewalk which I suppose keeps the place dog friendly.


For those that prefer a different style of breakfast there is Pepe's Cafe down the street, the place that is always at the top of every visitor list of places to eat.


They have a shady leafy terrace to keep diners cheerful and waitresses with particular headgear.


Some people prefer to eat breakfast on the go and they might stop by the Cuban Coffee Queen hut which has almost no accommodation, forcing customers to sit elsewhere. The black banded coffee cups are distinctive, and the hut sells excellent food.


Further up Caroline is the more formal Coffee Plantation, with all the coffees, newspapers and comfortable seating.


It struck me there were quite a few breakfast options in such a small section of one single street in Key West.





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Simonton Beach

Strolling up to the end of Simonton Street I spotted one of Key West's finest keeping an eye on tourists enjoying the sliver of downtown beach.


"Like day shift, do you?" I asked my colleague. He grinned. We are sharply divided between those that love days and those like me that love nights.
The restroom hut that had been a haven for scruffy residentially challenged oiks is soon to be transformed they say.


The city has approved a plan to create a concession stand here, a plan I heartily endorse. The sooner the better.


I'm sure these visitors might have been tempted to buy a coffee or a soda or perhaps rent a kayak or something.


Simonton Beach is fifty feet wide, the size of a large city lot and it's a window on the city's harbor.


Across the way you can see Wisteria Key (Christmas Tree Island to locals) whose ownership is under review by the Federal government who recently found out to their surprise, that they may own the spoil island, just in time to save it from development by the rapacious Bernstein family. They wanted to build 75 homes on the island which is zoned for just two. That plan got them a lot of attention as they maneuvered to outwit the county and a local activist discovered an anomaly which indicates the US government never released it's interest in the island. Had they had the wit to build two very expensive homes no one would have been any the wiser. Ah, delicious irony.


Commercial fishing boat, pleasure boat, and parasailer all in one spot. Key West harbor is a busy place and fun to watch from Simonton Beach.


The beach is also a relief for city dogs on leashes.


It's a pretty spot, seen here looking north.


Guests at the big hotel next door get their own private dock.


There they go, past the window on the harbor that is the little beach.


Big floating homes at anchor.


Center cockpit Island Packet under some sail.


The dog too was done and off we all walked back into the mêlée that is downtown.


I saw one scruffy oik and he wandered off when he saw the cop. Simonton Beach is open for visitors once again. And soon perhaps the new concession stand will be open too.



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