Hemingway Cat
Florida Keys
A Little Reckless
“The Keys are relaxed, a little reckless. The Keys are water and sky, horizon, daybreak, spectacular sunsets, the cup of night. The least interesting thing about them is the road, but the road, as is its nature, allows entrance. The road is the beginning … The best way to enjoy the Keys is still to seek out their simplicity and their eccentricity.” – Joy Williams, The Florida Keys: A History & Guide, 1988
What I’m Reading …
“Beginning in the summer of 1935, Arthur Rothstein, a twenty year old photojournalist, was sent on dozens of photography assignments by the federal government’s Resettlement Administration … The appointment allowed him to travel to the Florida Keys in 1938 to document the effects of the Depression. Rothstein’s remarkable and humbling photographs of spongers, cigar makers, barbers, fishermen, residents and architecture demonstrated the frailty and the resilience of communities along the island chain.”
Blue Heaven
A Key West landmark, Blue Heaven is our favorite breakfast spot on the island. I had the lobster and cheddar omelette, which was outstanding! Another one of my recommendations is the lobster BLT benny. Don’t leave without sampling the incredible banana bread. Blue Heaven is located just 2 blocks off Duval at the corner or Petronia and Thomas streets.
Geiger Key Marina
A hidden gem (we drove right past the exit and kept cruising down the Overseas Highway the first time we tried to find it!), the Geiger Key Marina, RV Park & Fish Camp lives up to its reputation as “the way the Keys used to be.” We stopped here for lunch on our way to Key West. Great waterfront view, good drink selection and outstanding food (I highly recommend the Seared Tuna Nachos). Oh yeah, we bought some cool T-shirts as well. In fact, this place was one of the highlights of our Keys trip!
Boat Drinks – St. Augustine
During last Saturday’s torrential storm in St. Augustine, we ducked into a funky, Florida Keys-type eatery in the heart of St. George Street called Boat Drinks, which lives up to its billing as “a nautical tropical bar with frozen cocktails, a rum selection that would sink most ships and a bounty of fresh seafood.” Since it was early and we weren’t prepared for a full-blown meal, we opted to sample a couple of appetizers, including the Crispy Fish Bites (very good) and Plantain Chips ‘n Dips (outstanding). As you might expect, Boat Drinks specializes in an amazing selection of frozen drinks and rum punches, as well as rotating Florida craft beers. We had a great time at Boat Drinks and will definitely return soon! Oh yeah, we also hit one of our all-time favorite St. Augustine spots, Milltop Tavern. All in all, a very rewarding barhop in the “Ancient City” despite the awful weather.
Make Voyages
“Make voyages!—Attempt them!—there’s nothing else!” – Tennessee Williams
Tennessee Williams in Key West
“I went down to Key West because I love swimming . . . It was January, and I had to go someplace where I could swim in the winter so I came down here because it was the southernmost point, and I was immediately enchanted by the place. It was so much more primitive in those early days.” – Tennessee Williams (1911-83), quoted in Pop Culture Florida (2000) by James P. Goss
“Williams chose Key West as the first place to settle down after his newfound fame. A visitor to the island in 1941, he moved there after Glass debuted on Broadway and lived briefly at the La Concha Hotel, where he is thought to have finished the first draft of another highly personal play, A Streetcar Named Desire, set in New Orleans. In 1949, he bought a home at 1431 Duncan Street, the only residence he would ever own outright.” – Florida Artists Hall of Fame Bio
“Tennessee Williams visited and lived in Key West from 1941 until his death in 1983. It is believed that he wrote the final draft of Street Car Named Desire while staying at the La Concha Hotel in Key West in 1947. He established residence here in 1949 and in 1950 bought the house at 1431 Duncan Street that was his home for 34 years. He was part of the literary movement that resulted in Key West and the Florida Keys being recognized as the cultural and historical location it is today.” – Tennessee Williams Museum Bio
Lorelei Restaurant & Cabana Bar
We make it a point to stop by the laid-back Lorelei Restaurant & Cabana Bar (AKA “The Pulse of Islamorada”) on the way to or from Key West and enjoy a nice lunch outdoors amid the scenic tropical atmosphere. I recommend the Sunset Conch Fritters, Key’s Conch Chowder and the Tuna Nachos, although I have yet to try Lorelei’s World Famous Fish Sandwich. By the way, Lorelei also offers a vegan dish: Lorelei’s Vegan Sautee. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily, Lorelei also features Daily Happy Hour Specials from 4 PM to 6 PM and a daily sunset party with live music. It is located at 81924 Overseas Highway in Islamorada (Mile Marker 82). Check it out!
Bahia Honda Rail Bridge
Completed in 1912, the Overseas Railroad (aka “Flagler’s Folly” and the “Eighth Wonder of the World”) was partially destroyed by the tragic Labor Day Hurricane in 1935. Today, visitors to the Florida Keys heading down the Overseas Highway toward Key West can view the only remaining segment of the railroad, the Bahia Honda Rail Bridge, between Bahia Honda Key (home to Bahia Honda State Park) and Scout Key (formerly known as West Summerland Key). We pulled off at Scout Key and took a short stroll along a sandy path to an overlook where the road ends abruptly (be careful since there is quite a drop-off and no barriers of any kind). The reward is a great view of the Bahia Honda Rail Bridge itself. On the way back to the car, we noticed a creepy, rusted-out scooter (see image above). For more information about the fascinating history of the Overseas Railroad, I recommend Last Train to Paradise: Henry Flagler and the Spectacular Rise and Fall of the Railroad that Crossed an Ocean (2003) by Lee Standiford.
Wandering Florida 