New Friends, living history, and typical Key West

The other Mary and John from Mackinaw City, also known as the Slow Mary and John (for the speed of their boat-as our sometime monicker the Fast Mary and John refers only to the speed of our boat!) arrived in Key West Wednesday, 1/18.  The title of this post, new friends, refers to the fact that even though we have kept our boats in Mackinaw City for many years, were on the same dock, and had basically the same style/size/make of boat, we didn't know each other before we began this trip.  We have enjoyed getting to know them and each time we end up in the same place, it feels like a little bit of home.

Thursday we drove into town and we all had lunch together at Sloppy Joe's, then we gave them a driving tour of the area.  We had suggested they take the Conch Train to get a feel for the history of Key West and to decide what they wanted to explore, but they told us they didn't need a Conch Train tour after we showed them around.  We are either really good or we bored them so much that they didn't feel they could take any more!  We showed them some of the components of Naval Air Station Key West and yes, of course, we went to see the goats and lizards.  There was a man inside the fence feeding them and he told us they receive only organic fruits and vegetables, although they also enjoy the cardboard boxes the food comes in.  Seemed a little ironic that they eat the vegetation from a contaminated area but get organic food.  The lizards also like the fresh produce.

We went to Boca Chica to show them where we are staying, then they bought a round of drinks at the little bar and grill here at the marina and we visited and watched F-18's and F-16's practice touch-and-goes.   We took them back to town and enjoyed a drink and more good company aboard their boat Passport.  Friday we invited them to join us for a barbecue dinner special here at Boca Chica and they turned the tables by buying our dinners.

Saturday Mary and John moved on and we drove to Bahia Honda State Park to attend a play the rangers there present about the coming of Henry Flagler's Overseas Railroad and what it meant to the Keys.  As this year is the hundredth anniversary of the first train, there have been lots of special events and exhibits.  Here are Henry and his third wife, Mary Lily:

This young reporter is Ernest Hemingway, interviewing the engineer of the unsuccessful rescue train after the Labor Day hurricane of 1935:

Sunday we went into Key West and enjoyed the 100th anniversary parade.  Monday we went to the Key West Public Library to hear Katharine Wright speak about her famous brothers, Orville and Wilber.  The presenter stayed in character and was entertaining and informative.  That evening we attended a presentation by a Florida and railroad historian and author.

There are some amazing sand sculptures here.  In February we watched a sand artist over a series of days as he created a sculpture of Harry Truman, complete with eyeglasses.  This one was commissioned by Lands End to grace the cover of their new children's catalog:

There are MANY boats here, both tied up to docks and anchored. Some of the anchored boats are abandoned or in such bad shape that they should be and most never leave their anchorages-thus the county's recent efforts to force them to maintain at least enough to pass a Coast Guard Auxiliary inspection each year and prove that they are pumping out their holding tanks in an approved manner (either going to a dock with facilities or hiring a pump-out boat to come to their location) rather than pumping raw waste overboard. The harbor is so busy that it seems impossible that so many boats come and go safely all day every day.  We were watching this vessel come in, threading through other boats to its dock, when the captain made a small error-notice the information box is being tipped over:

Tuesday we rode our bikes 16 miles, adding to our usual route by taking a side trip to find the old roundhouse where trains were supposedly turned around for the trip back north. Information we had received at Bahia Honda State Park mistakenly states it is at the Casa Marina, the grand hotel Flagler built here.  We were advised at the Casa Marina that the tracks ended on Trumbo Point, which is now part of the Navy and Coast Guard Base.  This made more sense to us, as we knew this was where ships traveling to Cuba and beyond docked at the end of the train line.  The sailors and coasties we asked knew nothing about any tracks and we rode around much of the base, trying to remember old pictures we had seen and decide a likely location.  We located a fenced field that we thought would have been a logical place, but there were no tracks.  We rode off base and back to town.  While Mary was enjoying that delicious Cuban coffee, John asked a man stationed at an information booth outside the Flagler Museum about it.  He told John that there was a "Y" to turn the trains around, not a roundhouse, and that the last buildings and tracks from the railroad were removed by the navy after being damaged by Hurricane Wilma in 2005.

Besides the performing cats, here are some typical Mallory Square Sunset Celebration performers:

When we were in the local Ace Hardware store, we saw spray bottles of iguana repellant.  The non-native lizards thrive here and like to munch on gardens and lawns.  The paper also has an ad for pest control that features a picture of a iguana-not a problem we have in Shepherd!

When Mike and Lynn were leaving base, they took a wrong turn and discovered that what we had thought was an osprey nest is actually housing a pair of eagles.  We now check frequently.  Thanks for calling to let us know.

Old Friends-sorry, nobody's old! We mean long friendships!

Tuesday we met Suki & Hal at 8am for a bike ride.  We stopped for that good Cuban coffee and actually rode 14 miles.  We had lunch at Garbo's Grill, which has become our favorite, then showed them the lizards and goats.  We attended the Sunset Festival,

then decided to try Amigo's for square tacos.  Everything is made on-site and it was very good.  Printed on their shirts and cups is, "Once you've ruined your reputation, you can live quite freely."  We could see both Sloppy Joe's from our seats there:

Captian Tony's used to be Sloppy Joe's but when the rent was raised, patrons moved everything one night to a new location a block away.

We were sharing meals, making it a progressive dinner, but after Amigo's we went to Margaritaville and were too full to go anywhere else.  We lost track of time and were greeted by a $25.00 parking ticket when we returned to the car.

Wednesday Mike & Lynn came to the boat.  John and Mike met in the Michigan National Guard back when John was a captain and Mike was a lieutenant and now they are both brigadier generals.  Lynn and Mary got to know each other through many years of military balls and other military functions.  We went to Sigsbee to purchase discount tickets to tour the Key West Lighthouse, planning to do that after lunch.  They wanted to see the first Margaritaville and, while we were having lunch there,  a thunder storm erupted and the power went out to some of the businesses on Duval Street.  Since it's not a good idea to climb a tower during a thunderstorm, and lightning had struck very close to the tower, we decided to make that visit the next day and showed them the goats and lizards, instead. Yes, we do visit them often, but everyone seems to love them!  There is also an almost-submersible (only about 3 feet of the boat was out of the water when it was underway) drug boat  on this base.  It was captured by the coast guard in 2006 with over 4 tons of cocaine on board.

The sunset celebration was windy, but did not disappoint.

They then took us out for a very nice dinner at Hot Tin Roof and we all headed back to the boat for the night.  Thursday morning we toured the lighthouse.  As Lynn, Mike, John, and Mary were walking around the platform at the top of the lighthouse tower, we looked down and spotted Hal, standing outside the Hemingway House:

Before long, Suki joined us at the top of the light tower.  All 6 of us went to Sloppy Joe's for lunch:

Mike and Lynn left

and we went to Suki and Hal's townhouse to watch a new PBS documentary about Flagler and his train.  We went to Bagatelle for dinner, as our kids had eaten there and liked it.  We called Matthew for recommendations and he told us what they had especially enjoyed.  We said our good-byes, as they were leaving Friday morning, and we returned to Mary Frances.

Happy New Year

We loved having our kids here for the holidays.  We miss them when they return to their real lives (without us!) and we look forward to our next time together.

The real NCIS:

After John took Benj and Sarah to the airport Monday, we straightened the boat and washed sheets and towels to be ready for company again.  Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday we rode our bikes 10 miles along the ocean, read, enjoyed the sunshine, visited with other boaters, marveled at the sunsets and the daytime moon, commented on the weather back home, enjoyed the blue skies, and spent time being glad we are able to be here and to enjoy it.  Friday we drove up to Marathon to look at the Coast Guard cottages that are available for rent (maybe next year?), drove around the bat tower at Sugarland Key-a man in the 1930's thought the answer to the mosquito problem in the Keys was bats, so built a 70 foot bathouse to attract them.  Unfortunately, as far as anyone can figure, no bat ever came close. 

The old and the new 7 mile bridges:

We finally found the Key Deer Visitor Center tucked into a corner of a mall.  It was closed, but a sign informed us where to drive to the Key Deer Refuge.  Tourist info informs that these deer are the size of a large dog, but don't picture great danes or mastiffs-they are more golden retriever-size:

No, that's not snow, just sand.

Key Deer generously share their habitat with other wildlife:

Saturday we rode all the way around the island of Key West, a little over 12 miles, mostly on bike paths and almost all along the ocean or the gulf.  We walked for 30 minutes on Truman Annex, admiring the afore-mentioned goats and lizards.  In the evening, we had dinner at Foster's before attending "Forbidden Broadway" at the Red Barn Theater.  What a fun spoof of the Broadway musicals and stars we know and love.  Sunday we reversed our bike route so we'd be through town before traffic picked up but agreed we both like the other direction better, as we're on the right side to watch the water.  Another walk, then back to the boat to check the oil and the sea strainers and start the engines, since we haven't run them since moving to this slip on 12/15.

Monday back to the clockwise 12 mile bike route, but with a diversion that may become a necessary daily stop-a Cuban coffee shop on the old waterfront.  Another walk on Truman Annex, again past the goats and lizards, then back to Boca Chica to wash the boat and sort the mail Jo sent.  Can anyone explain why some of our mail is still not being forwarded?!  Thanks, Jo, for checking and sending it.

We have added more planes to our list, a C-5 was here for a couple of days, John hadn't seen one of those since Vietnam.  It is the largest plane in the military inventory-it is HUGE.  We also saw an Army National Guard Sherpa and it looks like its nickname: flying Winnebago.


We faxed a reservation request for the week of the 4th of July to Liberty Landing State Park in New Jersey-wouldn't it be wonderful to watch the New York City fireworks?!  When Suki and Hal called, we met them at the front gate and accompanied them to Trumbo Point (one of the bases that make up Naval Air Station Key West) to check them into the townhouse they will occupy during their visit.  We all went down to Hard Rock Cafe on Duval Street then made plans to meet in the morning for a bike ride. After taking them back, we returned to the boat, happily carrying the bottle of Michigan cherry wine they brought for us.

Christmas is for Children

Christmas Eve we visited the Custom House Museum and the Little White House, where President Truman spent time when he was in office.  The kids took the Conch Train ride to get an overview of the city and its history, then we had a Christmas Eve dinner buffet at Casa Marina, a Flagler hotel built when he was developing the overseas railroad and the Florida tourism industry.  Even though we were stuffed, we took a ghost tour then moved back to base to get to sleep before Santa came.

Christmas morning our 4 sweeties came to the boat to see if Santa had visited.  Since all of us were darn near perfect this year, there was no coal in any stocking.  We had funfetti pancakes (Christine loves funfetti cake and frosting, so we couldn't resist when we found funfetti pancake mix) and eggs cooked to order by John while Matthew grilled sausage.  The babies got John 2 shirts and 2 hats embroidered with the tank battalion he was in for 17 years and commanded for 6 years and which no longer exists:

The kids visited and snorkeled at Fort Zachary Taylor State Park then came back to snorkel on base  while we joined a potluck Christmas dinner at the marina.  On the 26th we all went to the East Martello Museum, a pre-Civil War Fort.  While local history and art are featured, we were all curious about Robert, the haunted doll.  We also took pictures for next year's Christmas card:

We took them to the Truman Annex, another part of the Naval Air Station, to see some World War I fortifications.  The ground is so contaminated that people shouldn't be there, so they use "organic lawn care" and the goats and lizards coexist peacefully:

We went back to Boca Chica and the Young'uns tried paddleboarding then decided they like kayaking better:

Later, Mary and Christine read on the beach while John used fabric softener on the lines (ropes) and Matthew, Sarah and Benj snorkeled. We took a picture to send to our friend, Memo, who had his mother bring Hard Rock Cafe Istanbul shirts for our 4:

 On the 27th, we had lunch at the Square Grouper, mile marker 22.5 (you should try it!) then Christine and Matthew headed home while Mary, John, Sarah, and Benj traveled to the Everglades.  We saw lots of alligators before moving to Homestead Air Reserve Base to spend the night:

After Sarah and Mary won a couple of euchre games, we went to bed to be ready for the next day's adventures.  We went to Flamingo Visitor Center to see manatee:

We also saw roseate spoonbills.  As Benj kept proclaiming, "They're so pink!"  Sarah and Benj walked further on a path looking for flamingos and instead saw a diamondback rattler.  After recovering, they snorkeled at John Pennekamp State Park then we had dinner at Smugggler's Cove and headed back to the boat and to bed.

Sarah had check-out dives the next 2 days.  She took scuba classes in Boston, but was not excited about jumping into 40 degree water to complete her certification so scheduled her final activities here.  Benj accompanied her and she passed easily and they both enjoyed the trips to the reef.

New Year's Eve we had to get up early to catch the ferry to Dry Tortugas National Park.  Mary and Benjer had colds (we love you anyway, Sarah!) so rested on the trip:

Loggerhead Light:

 Fort Jefferson, which never saw battle but served as a military prison during the Civil War, its most well-known resident Dr. Samuel Mudd, who treated John Wilkes Booth's broken leg:

A frigate bird:

 We had a tour of the fort:

Then Benj and Sarah snorkeled while Mary read and enjoyed the sunshine and John further explored the fort:

We had dinner at Jimmy Buffet's first Margaritaville, then saw the new Sherlock Holmes movie, which we all enjoyed.  Walking back to the boat, Benj pointed out this sea creature:

After a long internet search, Benj and Sarah called to us (we'd gone to bed) that it appears to be a Spotted Sea Hare.  It seems too graceful and beautiful to be a sea slug.

Happy New Year!  We went to the house Hemingway lived in during his Key West years.  We think Benj and Sarah may have been more interested in the 6 toed cats, but who are we to question a biostatistician and a laywer?!  This kitty obviousy doesn't care that the sign says "please do not sit on the furniture":

We went to Mallory Square for the sunset ceremony and got to see the performing cats.  This kitty jumped through fire:

Our last evening together:

On Monday, January 2, 2012, John took Benj and Sarah to the airport at 6:30 am for their flight home to Boston.

Our kids are here!

Thursday, 12/22, Benj and Sarah, after arriving late in Atlanta and having to race for their connecting flight, flew into Key West early, calling to announce they'd landed just as we were leaving Boca Chica Key to pick them up.  By the time we parked and they retrieved their luggage, the timing was fine ("Where are you?  We're at the luggage carousel, where are you?  We're outside.  Outside where?")  Good thing it's a small airport-we wanted those greeting hugs!  We took them to Mallory Square for the sunset ceremony.  We arrived too late to see the performing cats, so will have to return another evening:

Benj pulled out his i-phone, said Caroline's sounded good for dinner and off we went.  It was good and we ate then headed for the base and moved Benj and Sarah on the boat for one night.  When all 4 are here, they'll have a room on base, then we'll move Benj and Sarah back to the boat for the rest of their stay.

Friday Sarah and Benj ran while John went into town to get the mail and was told the problem was fixed and after today all of our mail will be sent to the base.  Mary made lunch then Sarah and Benj took the dinghy out.

We went to Trumbo Point, another of the satellite bases to get room keys and check the kids into their room then to Sigsbee to buy discount tickets for some of the sites we want to visit.  We walked around the old harbor again, while keeping tabs on Matthew and Christine's progress via text and phone messages.

Watch out for sponge man!

The lobster/crab pot floats decorating this tree look non-threatening, just try boating through them!

We wandered through the turtle museum and walked the waterfront then moved Benj and Sarah into the room the 4 would share.  When Christine and Matthew arrived, we helped them move their belongings into the room then took the starving travelers to dinner.  Where to eat?  The boys checking "Yelp" on their phones:



They agreed on a seafood place that turned out to be a cart that closed as we arrived. We wandered further and had dinner at Schooner's Wharf on the old waterfront:

Then looked for a place that served key lime pie dipped in chocolate & on a stick. Who knew?!

Back on the base, Mary played a hand of Nacho Loco with Matthew, Benj and Christine while Sarah showered then Sarah finished Mary's game (they won) and Mary and John went to the boat and to bed.