Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail

Looking at the thermometer on my phone I was quite surprised to see it was supposed to be a modest 83  degrees. Faced with a  six mile ride home I wondered if it might not actually be closer to a windless 95  degrees.

I was as far south as I could conveniently go on Old Stat Road 939A on Sugarloaf Key, at the spot where the old road used to cross a tidal creek in he mangroves:

Just last week i was here on my boat checking out Tarpon Creek where the boat seen below was turning.

Only when I was here I drifted through the channel feeling far from civilization. This boater was playing a loud stereo that blasted 1980s dance music across the tops of the bushes making it seem like he was whistling to keep his spirits up as I watched the white canvas square twist and turn along the channel.

This is a popular spot for picnics and for ...trash:

Even though the last two miles of dirt track are now closed to motor vehicles.

Once upon a  time internal combustion could get you this far as I wrote  in 2007 :

Starting back in the mid afternoon heat I paused in a shady spot for a moment to take a picture that looked like this:

...but felt like this: 

I really prefer walking to cycling but Cheyenne has been reluctant to come out on this trail in recent years, even in the cool of winter so as an exercise in getting some exercise this seemed a good destination for my bicycle. I did walk a bit just to enjoy the peace and quiet of not being in control of a vehicle for a short while.

A friend sent me a few texts and I marveled at how connected we are, not a stunning revelation I know, but still the ability to be connected all the time in this age of electronic wizardry still catches me by surprise sometimes.

Here i was walking past a huge water filled hole in the track, surrounded by sodden discarded trash miles from any apparent neighbors and yet in my pocket not only did I have a phone, and several books but also a flashlight and a camera, a pocket calculator and an internet portal as well.

Humans have had bicycles - velocipedes - for more than a hundred and twenty years, two hundred if you don't need pedals and tires to count them as proper bicycles, yet I was born decades before a portable phone was even a possibility. I still marvel when I use it in any of its guises, from book buying to seeing my way in the dark, never mind taking and publishing these pictures.

Trash is a constant companion, here a pile of apparently household items including a coffee maker and a purse rotting under the rain and sun.

After getting off the dirt and back onto Highway One at Mangrove Mama's I turned east and crossed the bridge to Cudjoe and found myself on the newly  built section of the Overseas Heritage Trail. 

 Overseas Heritage Bicycle Trail is the page with all the information about the trail that will one day connect Key West to Key Largo, all 106 miles of it. And at least on Cudjoe Key they've done a really nice job converting the old Highway One roadbed into a partially shaded path separated from the modern roadway by a tall thick hedge.

The views are quite spectacular.

And where the trail crosses a street its separated from motor traffic. It crosses Highway One at open crosswalks which in winter require a fair bit of patience as traffic is heavy. 

Across the highway from Pirates Wellness Center (closing this month for ever unfortunately) the bike path is separated from the local access road by a  stout cement median, no expense spared:

The trail is a mish mash of solutions, and not all islands have this level of separate facilities. Not all the old Flagler bridges have been turned into bike paths unfortunately so sometimes bicycles have to ride on the shoulder of the Highway. 

However around here this new trail makes riding quite a pleasure.

And by the time I got home I was ready for a shower and a nap. My dog, abandoned for two hours had other ideas so after I parked the Trek I had to load up the Labrador for a walk. At least she enjoyed it.

And then it was all too soon time to go to work. I am lucky I love night shift as I can still take full advantage of daylight the nights I work.

Scotland And Independence

From the archives, a reprint to mark Scotland's historic vote tomorrow:

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Yes Scotland And One Human Family

So the question is: what do a passel of no account little lumps of subtropical rock and mangrove stalks have in common with the bleak peat bogs of frigid rainy Scotland? Not much on the face of it but there is the little matter of independence that is coming over the horizon. 31 years ago the Florida Keys asserted their right to independence and now, trailing along behind the Fabulous Florida Keys by a matter of decades, the residents of Scotland, be they English, Scottish or citizens of the European Union actually in Scotland get to vote tomorrow on whether or not they want to secede from the overbearing English.

Every nation state has its own flag and Conch Claude Valdez came up with the design seen above. The Scottish flag, a banner associated with a nation but not with a state since 1707, is the cross of St Andrew shown below. But we are getting ahead of ourselves.

I figure the story of the creation of the Conch Republic is pretty well known but it has given rise to a mythology and an industry including passports and identity cards, bumper stickers and the notion that the Conch (pronounced konk please) Republic is a "state of mind" all in great good humor. But it wasn't always so, the good humor.

April 23rd 1982 the Prime Minister of the Conch Republic, promoted for the day from his day job of Mayor of Key West, having argued for the removal of a Border Patrol checkpoint at the Last Chance Saloon in Florida City, came out of court and spontaneously announced that if the United States, in an effort to stop illegal immigration, wanted to treat the Keys as a foreign nation with an ID check on Highway One, then so be it. And Dennis Wardlow announced the Free Florida Keys were seceding from the US.

The crowd gathered at Mallory Square to hear the announcement and the Prime Minister attacked the United States by breaking a loaf of Cuban bread over the head of a representative of the US Navy. The mouse that roared promptly surrendered and demanded a billion dollars in foreign aid from the US to compensate for the interruption to the tourist trade caused by the Overseas Highway roadblock. The money never came but notoriety did.

So now every Spring for a week there is a rather cheerful celebration of Conch Republic Days in Key West when drinks are drunk and they race transvestities down Duval Street and the whole thing wraps up with a sea battle between the Conch Republic Navy and the US Navy in which Cuban bread is still the ammunition of choice. The US always loses and everyone drinks their sorrows or their joys away.

Personally I have a different vision for an independent Conch Republic. I'd like to see a place like Andorra or Monaco in the Keys, a city state with no army and only enough navy to protect its fisheries, an economy based on all those items one sees banned in the US, so busy morality posturing, that could be had openly and cheerfully and guilt free in the shining new capital of unbridled capitalism that would be my Conch Republic. How much would you pay to sit on a beach in the Conch Republic smoking legal genuine Cuban cigars, drinking Cuban rum with a new and expensive friend then gambling in one of our world class casinos? Banking secrecy laws would be paramount, every law firm in the city would be the international low-tax headquarters of some corporation or another and every citizen of the Conch Republic would grow fat and content earning ridiculous tax free wages pandering to every American desire impermissible at home. "One (Stinking Rich) Human Family" indeed, my Conch Republic would have the motto of rectitude for citizens, lassitude for visitors, with health care, marriage, and the rule of law for all. I have a dream...of the gates to Paradise built as a frontier post in the middle of the Seven Mile Bridge. But let's be practical...

The US would never let it happen - and see Boca Chica Naval Air Station converted to civilian use, for a foreign country at that? Never! Besides I have a feeling a real Conch Republic would pretty soon descend into an extended impotent lament in the anonymous Citizen's Voice column in the newspaper followed by fratricidal urges and riots at Little League International games against the Americans from Marathon as parents take on the battles only hinted at by their sporting offspring. True independence would never work. Too bad as I could use a substantial raise, and though I do not smoke I have heard Havana Club is a decent rum. For Scotland though it's another matter, far more serious than stale Cuban ammunition bread and illegal rum toddys...

700 Years ago near the city of Stirling, Scottish soldiers handed an invading English army their lunch on a platter at the battle of Bannockburn in June 1314. The Scottish Parliament at Holyrood in Edinburgh has called a vote by all residents 16 years and older on the very simple question: Should Scotland be an independent country? Scotland's First Minister in the semi autonomous Scottish Parliament Alex Salmond (shown below just to prove that telegenic politicians are a US obsession) is leading the Yes Scotland campaign on a leftist plank of affordable housing and jobs though how Yes Scotland will follow through on those promises in these arduous economic times... A group of right wingers has come out with a libertarian position supporting independence called Wealthy Nation, so everyone is climbing aboard the change bandwagon it would seem at first sight in Scotland.

Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, shown above, whose name keeps up the fishy link in Scotland's march to freedom, is also promoting the Scottish National Party's "National Conversation" about independence. However as you might imagine not everyone is delighted about this separatist path. Lately the European Union has said it's not clear Scotland would gain admission to the EU, and suggestions that an independent Scotland might continue to use the English pound have been rejected by ministers in London. The message seems clear: if Scotland decides to set a bad example to independence minded Catalonia and Corsica they will get no help from the Big Boys in Europe. This sort of bullying seems to be having an effect, even as England plans to offer increased autonomy to the Scottish parliament if the people vote No. It's all carrot and stick...

England fought Ireland horribly when they wanted independence, and union was forced on Scotland with a brutality that would give modern sensibilities the vapors. Over the past decade the English who constitute about 53 million of the United Kingdom's 63 million people have given autonomy to Wales and Scotland in hopes of fending off this day. North Sea Oil, Scotland's great economic hope is drying up so England's delaying tactics worked on that front, and losing Scotland won't mean the huge cheap energy loss of even a decade ago. But Scotland's five million residents, like the Conch Republic's notional 40,000 in the Lower Keys, have a lot of scenery to sell. We smaller states end up selling ourselves to visitors with our history and pretty views.

There is in me a streak of silly escapism, a desire for change for the sake of change and the chance to see what happens when one leaps where angels fear to tread, which to some extent is what prompts people to move here. I have no idea what's best for Scotland, or the Lower Keys come to that. But I do have a mad desire to see what happens if the Scots do take that leap of faith. Who knows, perhaps they could lead the way to independence for Wales, Catalonia, Corsica and perhaps even these distant lumps of rock where endless debates about abortion and gay rights and evolution and guns all the rest of the mad mainland political posturing mean so little. One Human Family: is that a philosophy strong enough to build real human freedom upon, instead of using it as an excuse for bed races, fake battles and drunken public partying? Would the real Conch Republic, a place of tolerance and belief in the res publica as originally envisioned find space to live and breathe and prosper? Lead the way Scotland and perhaps Sassenachs everywhere can learn from your example.

New Parking Rules In Old Town

It must to obvious to anyone who has paid attention over the decades that parking in Key West is, like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, an issue that will probably not be solved in this coming century. Unless a shortage of cheap oil knocks all internal combustion off the roads Old Town Key West will be plagued with parking problems no matter what scheme the city comes up with. Even before the railroad was converted into a direct road link to the mainland in 1938, cars have been a symbol of individual mobility in Key West, even if the road went no further than No Name Key, and was not an easy drive to boot. Duval Street in the 1930s, courtesy the State Archives:



Next month all parking rules are going to change, and while one hopes that the issues that have been raised most recently, residents having to walk blocks from car to home, will be solved; I doubt it. Currently I believe about one third the spaces in Old Town (more or less west of White Street, north of Truman Avenue) are designated as Residential Parking. This scheme was inaugurated after the city tried to implement a neighborhood permit parking scheme which failed. The signs for "permit parking Only" are still on some streets bizarrely enough but they mean nothing.



The newspaper recently ran a story about Florida car license plates, known as tags in the Sunshine State, which will soon change their format. Apparently Big Brother's enforcement cameras take poor pictures of tags with raised letters so all states are changing format to dark, flat lettering on a light background to make them easier to read. This means the county designation on tags will soon disappear, which is a sentimental shame with practical consequences.

The city will sell ten dollar permits to residents of the city only, who can produce a driver's license, car registration and utility bill. lacking any one of these three items means no permit for you! Well, that's the theory right now but strict implementation of new parking rules in the Southernmost City usually leads to unintended  consequences such that strict implementation usually falls by the wayside. We shall see; all that is the theory so far...

The old blue  parking permits sold I believe for $85 will no longer be valid.

Nor will tags with the word "Monroe" embossed on them be a valid  way to use Residential parking spots anymore. Florida tags have to be replaced automatically every five years if they aren't specialty, fund raising tags, so these types of tags will soon disappear anyway. In the meantime, as of next month the only legal way to use residential parking spots will be with the new green sticker.

 

 

Parking meters are in use between Elizabeth and Whitehead Streets and on-street parking costs $1.50 an hour paid at these machines using a credit card: 

 

One has to wonder how this new program will work precisely. Given the stringent requirements to prove residence there are quite a few people, like me, who are used to using residential parking spots who will now be excluded. In my case I am not affected as there is ample parking at my job and I work at night anyway. My visits to Old Town for recreation usually involve a powered two wheeler which gets free parking anyway...and I have a few spots I know where the new rules won't affect my ability to see a movie or eat out. However the ramifications of this new scheme are of far greater concern I think that just my convenience. Other county residents who work in Old Town will have a much harder time.  

For instance will a  vehicle with a handicapped sticker be able to park in residential parking without a green sticker? I guess we will have to wait for a test case. They can park free in metered spots so for tourists that should change nothing, unless they rent a place in Old Town with limited parking....

Given that not everyone wants to ride a bicycle or a scooter, seen below enjoying free parking on Fleming Street kitty corner from the library...a lot of car drivers are going to have figure out their strategy for parking and working and staying close to home.

The city is buy repainting the residential spots so there will hopefully be no confusion this winter, but I wonder what snowbirds will think when they discover their blue annual permits are no longer valid? and lacking even one of the three validating documents they will not get access to the much desired residential spots near their million dollar winter homes? Hmm...I foresee stormy weather ahead.

I think a large part of the problem, beyond the simple shortage of physical space, is that the city is trying to cope with numerous competing needs.  First off many of the off street parking spaces, including driveways and garages have been paved over or turned into living spaces, in a knock on effect caused by small expensive housing and the natural desire to make the most of what you've got. If residents reclaimed their garages half the problem would evaporate.

The consider the needs of permanent year round residents for whom these rules seem to have been enacted...These are the people who live in the city and can't park close to home. Are their needs going to remain paramount in the face of county residents coming to the city and not finding free parking? The snowbirds giving city commissioners earache about their parking woes? Tourists grumbling about expensive tickets?   Parking is a nightmare in winter. Managing it is a heroic task. Then there is the requirement that people parking their vehicles use common sense. In other words just because someone ha sparked in front of a No Parking sign doesn't mean you should too. Locals know what's what, indeed this vehicle might very well be the owner of the "No Parking" sign!

Check for special signs and READ THE INSTRUCTIONS!  

Motorcycle parking is not car parking even if its empty. Conversely bicycle parking isn't scooter parking...even if you think it should be. Don't park on sidewalks and don't whine when you get a ticket. Please don't call 9-1-1 because Parking Enforcement is part of city hall's duties not the police department. We dispatch parking control officers if you see a violator but we don't mediate parking disputes after a ticket is issued, not that anyone cares. People get incandescent with rage when they get a ticket. It's amazing.

Yellow means no parking, red means no parking and get a huge fine or get towed if you do, while white means go ahead and park if you can find space. Big trucks and SUVs make no sense in Key West but entitlement expresses itself in the most mysterious ways.

And on the subject of reading the signs, if it says TOW AWAY you will get towed to a location outside Key West, a long cab ride away in fact and you will get a bill of more than a hundred bucks, sometimes a lot more, to get your car back. The tow trucks patrol their businesses all night and if they see an unauthorized car parked in a business lot they will take it. They check with the police department to make sure it's not stolen and so I know they call in tows at all hours of the night. Pay attention!

 

In point of fact if you use common sense free spaces and city parking lots, and don't mind walking a few blocks now and then parking in Key West is quite bearable. However if you expect ease of use because you have spent a lot of money to either visit or live here you will be disappointed. Just like love, money can't necessarily buy you parking and if you rent or buy a home without off street parking be aware that you will be walking from time to time. But in these Fall months parking is a delight, like this on James Street next to the city public parking garage, known as the Park and Ride as it is on the bus line:



Or, if you can't stand the idea of traveling light load up your lithe motorcycle with a trailer and a bicycle and pretend you are  an SUV and take up a whole space for yourself. This time of year that's feasible even on Fleming Street!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From the city's official website where you can apparently pay parking fines online: Violations must be paid within 10 calendar days or an additional late charge of $5.00 will be assessed. After 20 days, an additional late charge of $5.00 will be assessed - total late fee of $10.00 per ticket. Parking violations will be considered delinquent after 30 days and sent to a collection agency.

OTH Vehicle parked on public right-of-way facing oncoming traffic $35.00 SID Vehicle parked on sidewalk on a public right-of-way $35.00 FIR Vehicle illegally parked near a fire hydrant (within 15 feet) $175.00 DES Failure to park vehicle within authorized parking space $35.00 NPZ Parked in a designated no parking zone $35.00 RV RV/Oversize vehicle parked illegally on a public right-of-way $75.00 HAN Unauthorized use of handicapped parking space $250.00 OTH Other parking violations to wit: $35.00 FLN Parked in designated fire lane $175.00