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Published: February 28th 2011
the USA rod
from the Fort Myers collection(on a Greyhound going N from Ft Meyers to St Petersburg)
Still on a Hound and hopefully this entry will not be as long as the last one. The bus trip from the Keys left Key West at 8.'15am and it’s a 4 hr trip back to Miami. The cash price for this (web is cheaper) is $49 so I think I ill get my money out of the $439 30 day pass. We had some slowish traffic delays on the way back due to single lane highway and Rotary event/fair somewhere along the way and traffic really banked up. The Keys is a pretty scenic drive, mostly when you are crossing the bridges between them on the Overseas Highway – some of these are distinctly not just causeways and are in fact very long over water bridges – the longest would have been close to 2 miles or so and all you can see on either side is vast expanses of blue water and maybe some much smaller cays or islands. Quite an achievement to have the road going all the way down really.
There was a reasonable break of almost an hour and a half in the
Miami at-the-end-of the runway dump which is called their main passenger depot (more people get off at the airport for flights as it stops/picks up there). I went outside in the sun for a bit – and then realised that I had left my rather fine Harrison Ford oilskin hat in the rack of the well gone bus (don’t think I will ever put a single item up there again – this is how my Kathmandu jacket went west in Switzerland as well). The bus had gone to the downtown depot so no chance of getting it back before I left. Hopefully I can pick up another in my brief stop in Akld on way home, as I bought that one in Otorohanga in NZ in January.
Anyway connecting bus to Fort Meyers left at 1.50pm and in there about 5.45pm so starting to be dusk . Apparently some motels on main road closish to town – one of them mentioned in Rough Guide as Seashell Motel – as this was also the name of the one I stayed in Key West a certain symmetry to it. I was amazed as I walked up to First Street that it
suicide doors
now this is really old - c.1930s/40's? was closed off and full of various custom American cars – everything from various generations of Corvettes to heavily modded 60’s items to lovingly restored Chev Belairs etc. And there was recorded music playing and it seems the 4th Saturday of the month was called Music Walk with music all over town etc. Hastened down to the motel – but had to go across the road to another which had wifi – essential to keep the blogging (and more importantly the transport planning) going. By the time I got back it was almost dark but I pushed the low light features of the camera to good effect and got some good shots. There was also a very interesting store with lots of artists displaying their handcrafts, such as glass jewellery etc. I decided that Fort Myers was really quite a nice town and not just full of wrinkly retirees (altho it clearly is that as well).
Found the guidebook recommended The Verandah restaurant which is in 2 old 1900’s houses and rather olde worlde. The greeter blonde lassies at the front all had little black dresses and the waiters were all in bowties and jackets. Although I had changed
a Pontiac (I think)
classic blue and white my shirt I was still in shorts so momentarily felt underdressed (not that I care) – but hey, its Florida and there were some guys in shorts too. It being 8pm and Sat. nite I was never going to get a table due to bookings – and took a seat on a stool with a table top that proved to be that of the piano. This meant I had to sit and listen to some crooner playing and singing some tunes even I am not old enough to know! He had some guest singers come up and sing – never thought I would live to hear Besame Mucho sung this way!
The food was quite expensive with most mains in low 30s but entrees (ours, not theirs) were around $8.50. So I had artichoke fritters (3 deep fried and stuffed with crab meat and with béarnaise on the side). Then a huge chunk of short rib of beef – not as good as the famous Stefan Pyles’ in Dallas (end piece, no bone) but still pretty good. This came with a salad – not sure about the role of a side pile of black beans here and a side
plate of little corn muffins with a bowl of gooey home made red pepper jelly to spread on them (?). A glass of Californian chardonnay – and then one of (red) Zinfandel – I had a great one in Miami I may have mentioned. Wandering back to Main Street after all this (which cost about $65 with tip) I heard some funky blues band coming from a bar called the Longshot Lounge. So popped in for a look and listen and rather liked the general blues rock type sound and decided to take some snaps. Always a challenge to do this in low light but fired off about 25, most of which worked. The bass player was particularly energetic and he asked me at the break if I had got some good ones. I briefly showed him and got an email address from another guy in the band – business name Leather Lid Inserts – they do inserts for Harley saddle bag of course! They said they were trying to set up a web site so decided to send them a whole heap of reduced shots if they want.
Got back to the motel and felt that Ft Myers
had really been my lucky American chance encounter – lots of classic cars, good tucker, good bar band music and some snaps of the above – what more do you want?
Did I tell you that Florida is really rather boringly flat and featureless? – and its so tropical. Almost feel like a return to slightly cooler climates so I can wear some of the warmer clothes making my pack bulge.
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Huddo
non-member comment
Car Heaven.
Hi Mike, Frank Sinatra at the Verandah Restaurant! What a treat to see all those classics. The red 2 door lowered at the back? Glad Florida is flat! Blue Pontiac (57) looked a true classic. Longshot Lounge with your new friends! The solo looked good, hope the photo's help em out. Love Huddo and girls.