Author: reweidman50

Kayaking to Indian Key

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We always make at least one stop at bustling Robbie’s Marina in Islamorada (Mile Marker 77) on the way to or from Key West. We usually grab a bite to eat at the Hungry Tarpon Restaurant, feed the giant tarpon from the dock and wander around the quaint, open-air shops. However, last year we decided to rent kayaks from the Kayak Shack at Robbie’s Marina and take a kayaking adventure to Indian Key Historic State Park. After renting kayaks (we went solo, but the Kayak Shack also offers guided tours), we headed away from Robbie’s and under the Overseas Highway to open waters. Indian Key is only about a mile or so away, so it wasn’t too strenuous at all. Once we docked our kayaks, we wandered around the trails, checked out the historic ruins and climbed the wooden tower for a nice panoramic view of the surrounding area (we had the whole island to ourselves!). Indian Key has a fascinating and tragic history. In the 1830s, the island was the site of a burgeoning settlement established by a somewhat “ruthless” and “unscrupulous” wrecker named Captain John Jacob Housman (1799-1841). During the Second Seminole War in 1841, Housman and some other inhabitants of Indian Key were killed by Calusa Indians during a raid on the island (reportedly they had been tipped off about Housman’s offer to the federal government that he was willing to capture and/or kill all of the Indians in the area for $200 each). Housman’s grave is located on Indian Key and features the following inscription: “Here lieth the body of Capt. Jacob Housman, formerly of Staten Island, State of New York, Proprietor of this island, who died by accident May 1st, 1841, aged 41 years 11 months. To his friends he was sincere, to his enemies he was kind, to all men faithful. This monument is erected by his most disconsolate though affectionate wife, Elizabeth Ann Housman. Sic Transit Gloria Mundi.” Our kayaking trip to Indian Key turned out to be one of the most memorable outdoor excursions we have taken in the Florida Keys. Next time, we will set our sights on kayaking to nearby Lignumvitae Key Botanical State Park.

Carolinian Hotel, Nags Head

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By Rich Weidman

An Outer Banks landmark, the Carolinian Hotel first opened in the summer of 1947 between Mile Post 10 and 11 in Nags Head, North Carolina. Carl Goerch praised the hotel’s onsite eatery in his 1949 book, Pitchin’ Tar: A Compilation of Facts Concerning Various Things You Will Find in North Carolina: “We recommend the Carolinian Hotel. It is open year ’round. Crab royal is their specialty. Ask for it.” In an October 6, 1958, Sports Illustrated article, “Down the Banks to Ocracoke,” Virginia Kraft wrote, “At Nags Head the CAROLINIAN HOTEL ($10 and up per day, American plan) remains open all year, and this is the local headquarters for sportsmen. Inside, a fire is usually burning in the wood paneled ANCHOR CLUB where, at the end of the day, guests shelter against the evening’s chill. At this time of year the talk is always of sport – deer hunting, surf fishing, fox chasing – but mainly of geese and ducks.” The Carolinian Hotel became the headquarters of our family summer vacation for many years during the 1970s. Not only would we enjoy the beach and surf, but also visit local attractions such as Jockey’s Ridge State Park, the Wright Brothers National Memorial and Lost Colony outdoor drama, as well as take daytrips to Cape Hatteras Lighthouse or the ferry to Ocracoke Island. For a great bite to eat, nothing could beat the Jockey’s Ridge Restaurant or Owens’ Restaurant, among others. Last but not least, for souvenirs we traipsed across the street to Gray’s Department Store or down to Newman’s Shell Shop. In an August 26, 1988, Washington Post article, “Newer, But Still Outer,” Larry Fox wrote, “The only place we found that served up serious music was the Carolinian Hotel, a funky oceanfront establishment with a panelled second-floor lobby complete with parrot. The Carolinian nightclub serves up comedy or music by name bands. What’s the room like? Dunno: The only people jam we encountered was here, and we couldn’t get in. In short, enjoy the sun and surf and go to bed early. Or get to the Carolinian early.” Sadly, the Carolinian Hotel was demolished in 2001 to make way for several luxury beachfront residences. We made one last trip to the venerable institution during the summer of 2000. Floors were getting torn up and windows were getting punched out. We managed to buy a few signs from the owner, including one that announced “Calico Jack’s” deck bar, which currently hangs on my back porch. All that’s left of the Carolinian Hotel now are these few relics and plenty of special memories of a brief moment in time.

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Burdines Waterfront Chiki Tiki Bar & Grille, Marathon

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Tucked away from the Overseas Highway (Mile Marker 49.5) on a high deck overlooking the Boot Key Harbor Waterway, Chiki Tiki is an extremely laid-back, open-air bar and grill with a diverse menu that offers something for everyone. Highlights include certified Angus beef burgers (the green chile cheeseburger is a favorite!), shrimp baskets, blackened fish sandwiches, bacon wrapped BBQ shrimp, fresh-cut fries and much more. It’s the perfect place to grab an ice-cold beer or your favorite cocktail and enjoy the ocean breeze. Save room for the delicious key lime pie. Chiki Tiki features live music Wednesday and Friday nights. To reach Chiki Tiki, go East onto 15th Street in Marathon past an old trailer park to 1200 Oceanview Avenue.

Leicester Hemingway

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hemingway

Born on April 1, 1915, in Oak Park, Illinois, Leicester Clarence Hemingway was sixteen years younger than his famous brother, Ernest, and lived in the shadow of the literary legend his entire life. However, by all accounts, Leicester idolized his older brother and eventually became a respected writer in his own right. Ernest nicknamed his little brother, “the Baron.” In 1953, Leicester published his first novel, The Sound of the Trumpet, which was loosely based on his wartime experiences in France and Germany during World War II. In 1962, Leicester published the critically acclaimed biography, My Brother, Ernest Hemingway.

Believe it or not, Leicester founded his own micronation called the “Republic of New Atlantis” (actually an eight-foot-by-30-foot barge located just 12 nautical miles off the coast of Jamaica) in 1965. Stating that “there’s no law that says you can’t start your own country,” Leicester even created a New Atlantis flag, issued New Atlantis postage stamps, and created New Atlantis currency. Unfortunately, New Atlantis was completely destroyed during a tropical storm the following year. An active outdoorsman like his brother, Leicester frequently fished off the coast of Bimini and even published a monthly newsletter, The Bimini Out Islands News. He even appeared on a 1980 episode of In Search of … titled “The Bimini Wall.” Faced with several debilitating health issues, Leicester died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in his Miami Beach home on September 13, 1982, at the age of sixty-seven.

On Ernest’s Life
“Ernest lived as he died—violently. He had a tremendous respect for courage. During his own lifetime he traded in it, developed it, and taught other people a great deal about it. And his own courage never deserted him. What finally failed him was his body. This can happen to anyone.”

On Havana
“Havana is one of the loveliest, wickedest, most mysterious and enchanting cities in the world.”

On Robert Capa
“Robert Capa had come to Spain via central Europe as a photographer. He went where Ernest went, drank where Ernest drank, made jokes that made Ernest laugh, and generally proved himself one hell of a fine fellow.”

On Ernest’s Drinking Prowess
“Ernest was then drinking fifteen to seventeen Scotch-and-sodas over the course of a day. He was holding them remarkably well.”

On Ernest’s Love of Cats
“Much as been written about Ernest’s enormous fondness for cats. He claimed they were superior to people of unknown quality. ‘A cat has absolute emotional honesty, Baron,’ he told me once. ‘Male or female, a cat will show you how it feels about you. People hide their feelings for various reasons, but cats never do.'”

 

Schooner Wharf Bar

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schoonerwharfbar

A legendary Florida Keys singer-songwriter, Michael McCloud has performed at some of the best dives in Key West, Florida. McCloud knows more than 3,000 songs (his all-time favorite is “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”) and his own songs include such classics as “Tourist Town Bar,” “Conch Republic Song” (Key West’s Official “Secession” Anthem!), “The Hurricane Blows,” “Billy’s Bayou Barroom & Backyard BBQ,” “Today is the Day” (a moving tribute to the late, great treasure hunter Mel Fisher), “Peace and Quiet” (one of my favorite songs ever), “Just Another Song,” “Closin’ the Bars,” “Wild-Eyed Willie,” “Memorial,” “Most I Miss the Music,” “She’s Gotta Butt” and “Just Came Down for the Weekend” (which Jimmy Buffett has reportedly bought the rights to), among many others.

We first caught McCloud’s act back in the late 1980s. I believe he was performing at Sloppy Joe’s Bar at the time. I later heard that he had a falling out with Sloppy Joe’s management, which didn’t appreciate him hawking his cassettes. McCloud started referring to Sloppy’s as a “T-shirt shop that sells beer” or something to that effect. Then he moved on to Bull & Whistle, another great dive on Duval Street where he could sell all of his merchandise without any hassle. However, McCloud found his true home at the Schooner Wharf Bar (billed as “A Last Little Piece of Old Key West”), where he currently holds court Thursday through Sunday from noon to five (on Friday, Saturday and Sunday afternoons he is joined by talented musicians Captain Carl “Guitar” Peachey and “Professor” Pete Peterson on keyboards). So, if you’re ever down in Key West, take a little stroll off Duval Street and drop by the Schooner Wharf. Order some Tuna Nachos, which are simply amazing! Prepare to get a good buzz (I recommend the Rum Runner topped with a dark rum float!) and watch all your troubles slowly drift away …