Cruising the Florida Keys: Part Two

Cigar man at Schooner Wharf Bar in Key West

“We really don’t care what the rest of the world thinks of us.” - according to a local in Key West Florida.

Key West is the southern-most inhabited island of the Florida Keys, the last landfall before Cuba.  

The islanders are a motley collection of interesting and friendly characters that live their lives in keeping with their rules, and to heck with the rest of the world.  

Protected chickens

Key West is a place where six-toed domestic cats are revered and the descendants of the settlers’ household poultry runs free in the streets.  Roosters, hens, and chicks strut and peck their way around the downtown area.  

What would happen if one of the protected cats ate a protected chicken?  

Who would be fined?  Or sued?

On our second evening in Key West we popped into the nearby Schooner Wharf Bar for a sunset beverage.  We landed in the middle of a fund raising event, organized to assist a local woman who had lost everything in a house fire.  Her friends circulated around the bar selling 50/50 raffle tickets, and silent auction items.  

Fund raiser at Schooner Wharf Bar Key West

In the back room casino several Black Jack games were in progress.  The volunteer dealers were a little unclear on the rules of the game, good naturedly allowing the card players to advise them when to take a “hit” or when to “stand pat”.  

The event organizers also had a list of individual items contributors could pay for; items such as a toaster, or a microwave, or a coffee maker, or an item of lingerie.  Since we had never met the recipient, Sheere, we opted to buy her a new coffee maker instead of a new bra.  I’m sure she’d understand.

Conch Tour Train Key West

We also did the usual touristy things in Key West; enjoying the ninety-minute Conch Train tour of the historic downtown, shopping, eating, and drinking.  Everywhere we went people were very friendly.  For us, staying three nights in Key West was just about the perfect amount of time.

Turning north again, back in the direction of Miami, our next stop was at Sombrero Marina in Marathon.  

Marathon harbour - sunken and live aboard boats

The entrance to the harbour at Marathon is a little unsettling.  We motored past hundreds of anchored boats, in various states of disrepair, being used as live-aboards by retired or in some cases working people who cannot afford to purchase or rent in the Keys.  

The cost of living in the Florida Keys seems to be a common complaint.  Real estate values are astronomical, and wages about average.  

Local man and his dog heading home to a boat

We were also told by various business owners that finding employees was extremely difficult.  Workers could make considerably more money as a server in a bar or restaurant, as opposed to hourly wages in a store or a bank.  

The locals like to mention that the Florida Keys have more bars per capita than any other part of Florida.  I can’t confirm that – but judging by the number of highly visible drinking establishments it‘s probably true.  

For our final two nights cruising the Keys, we stayed at the Postcard Inn Beach Resort and Marina on Isla Morada; home of the world-famous Tiki Bar and creators of the original Rum Runner drink.  The entrance to the marina is clearly marked by buoys guiding boats through a shallow sandy area.  

It’s a bit disconcerting to look a few feet to the starboard side (right side for you landlubbers) and see people standing in waist-deep water sipping a weekend libation or two.  

On the port side of the boat (left) were numerous kite-surfers and para-gliders sliding across the shallows, enjoying the sunny weather.  Inattention to charts and depth sounders in this area can get a skipper into a fine mess.  

Fortunately we were paying attention and arrived unscathed at the docks, then went searching for the world-famous Rum Runner drinks.

On Sunday afternoon, sitting outside on the patio at Shula’s Restaurant and basking in eighty-five degrees (30 in Celsius) weather we watched a Seattle Seahawks football game.  

In the meantime, in Canada and the continental USA, our friends and family were shivering in minus something-or-other weather.  

With every news update as to flight delays, weather warnings, and traffic reports we would smile smugly – perhaps a little too smugly.   

The next day we arrived back in Miami at the home berth for the boat.  We celebrated the end to a fabulous experience; our family cruise through paradise.  And then it was time for everyone to head back to their respective homes; unfortunately for some that meant heading north to Canada to celebrate the Christmas season with other family members.

A seven-hour flight delay, bad weather, a non-functioning house furnace, and heaps of snow caught up with them!  It was the weather gods’ pay-back for our smug smiles.  It’s a lesson.  Never, ever, tempt the weather gods.  Not even in paradise.

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You might enjoy the Fox News video – Watter’s World Key West segment.  http://video.foxnews.com/v/2916591454001/

As mentioned in the video, we also didn’t see any police presence in our three day visit to Key West.  However, further north at Hawks Cay Resort we did see the Sherriff’s car parked outside every morning while the driver popped in for a fresh Starbucks coffee.  Pretty laid back lifestyle.

Hasta Luego

Lynda & Lawrie

Cruising the Florida Keys: Part One

Lawrie and Richard Grierson - set to cast off in Miami

Yes, I know, we usually write about living on Isla Mujeres in Mexico. 

However, right now we are aboard a 56-foot Carver yacht, slowly cruising through the Florida Keys with family members.  It’s another type of paradise.

A few years ago on our first, and very short visit, to the Keys we drove from Fort Lauderdale south to Key West.  It was an interesting but extremely long day driving to Key West and back again to our hotel in Fort Lauderdale, returning around eleven at night.  At first impression the Florida Keys from the highway route appears to be a long line of restaurants, gift stores, strip malls and forty-two bridges connecting the forty-three inhabited islands.  

Linda Grierson and Lynda in Key Largo

Our second time around, cruising in a yacht, we were able to enjoy more of the 1700 verdant islands that compose the Florida Keys archipelago.

Our first port of call, quirky Key Largo, was the background location for the 1948 movie starring Humphrey Bogart, Lauren Bacall, and Edward G. Robinson. (At this point of few of our readers will say: Who?  No worries. The movie was before your time!)  

The town of Key Largo originally had the rather unimaginative name of Rock Harbor.  In 1952 after the film's success, pressure from local businesses resulted in a name change to Key Largo. 

Pilot House Marina in Key Largo

Threading our way through narrow waterways we slowly eased into our berth at the Pilot House Marina.  

It was a fun placed to tie-up for two nights with the nearby Tiki Bar Restaurant a good place to enjoy dinner and live music.  

Walking up and down the streets that dead-end at the navigation canals gave us a good overview for this fishing-based community.  Many homes have work boats docked in front of the house.  

Lobster traps (pots) and buoys

There were several areas – yards - stacked high with heavy wooden lobster traps, a few nets, colourful buoys, and anchor odds and ends.  Each fishing company has their own colour of buoys to identify their traps. 

In the shallow waters between the reef and the mainland are thousands of buoys, marking the locations of the lobster traps.  

All those lobsters …. waiting to be eaten!

Entrance to Hawks Cay Marina & Resort

Our next stop was Hawks Cay Marina on Duck Cay.  It’s a beautiful location with one major drawback.  The entrance!  The channel is narrow, with a swift current, and features a jagged pile of rocks at the confluence of two waterways.  A sharp turn to starboard is required to enter the passage that leads to Hawks Cay Marina.  

Cruising along the front of the resort - past swimming pools, restaurants and bars - we finally reached the berth designated for our boat.  At this point the water was very shallow even at high tide, with our props kicking up sand and weeds as we docked the boat.

   

Lawrie cruising around Hawks Cay

Hawks Cay is beautiful, if somewhat constricted between the highway and the ocean.  We arrived at the beginning of the Thanksgiving weekend and the resort hummed with families; children everywhere.  The employees do a great job entertaining the young ones with cardboard boat races, crafts, and games.

Early one morning at Hawks Cay I walked up to Highway #1 and chatted with a couple who were fishing off one of the many highway bridges. 

Locals fishing off the bridge at Hawks Cay

“How far to Marathon?”  I inquired, thinking I might walk south to the next community on the map.  

The man looked at my sandals and said: “An hour, or two, in those shoes.  Or if you were had real shoes it would be an hour.”  

Okay, then.  Guess I’ll go back to the boat instead.

Coming into the harbour at Key West 

The next morning we headed out to Key West, planning to spend at least three nights at the Galleon Marina.  As we slowly cruised into the harbour at Key West we encountered a cruise ship, several working boats, sailing boats, plus dozens of tour boats.  Lit by Christmas decorations the harbour is active and interesting with marine traffic coming and going all day and into the early evening.  We enjoy people watching in an active location; there is always so much to look at.

One of the grand old houses in Key West

Our first week in the paradise of the Florida Keys is done.  We are looking forward to the second week of adventures!

Hasta Luego

Lynda & Lawrie