Wasting Away in Key Wet Day 25 July 21, 2009

 

July 21, 2009

Today I headed down the Florida Keys. I had two things I wanted to accomplish: 1) Take my Spyder to the most southern spot in the Continental US. and 2) I wanted to get to the original Margaritaville.

I have always been intrigued by Florida for no reason that I can come up with. Part of what I wanted to do on this trip was to try to figure out the attraction. I guess the love affair is over though. It just rains too darn much here. I think to really appreciate the Keys one would have to get out in the water and fish or dive.

But I wandered down the keys and they truly are remarkable to see. The ocean is beautiful. The landscape is too flat to ever get really good vistas and I am not very good at taking landscapes anyway. The only place you get a good view is from a high bridge and you cannot stop and take pictures from there.

And then there is that rain. It was raining so hard when I got to Key West it was a mess. One lane of the road was closed because of flooding and the traffic was in a snarl. I hung in as long as I could but had to bail out and get a room because it was just too dangerous to continue. A beer or two and a BBQ brisket sandwich at Bone Daddy’s and I was feeling much better.

So I made my way to Jimmy Buffet’s original Margaritaville. I took a cab since the traffic and parking was so bad. I had an $11.50 margarita and then wandered the streets a bit. There seem to be a lot of bars here where the clientele are gender confused, if you get my drift. Not to worry though. I did not get roped into any games of Gayopoly. (That is a whole ‘nother story.)

The mecca

So I had my requisite cheeseburger in paradise and called it a night. Key West is a great strolling town. Not a bad place to spend some time but I am afraid Margaritaville has long since vanished.

Beautiful street in Key Wet

I am 3,220 miles from home and I have run out of land. It may be time to turn around. Actually I don’t have much choice but to turn around or take a boat to Cuba. So its California here I come.

I don’t know why he is crossing the road.