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Published: April 30th 2006
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k1
Conch Days Bed Race - BROKEBACK BOURBON. Where else can you see a bunch of drag queens racing down the street (in high heels no less) pushing people in beds? Where else can you find a bunch of locals and tourists from around the world aged INFANT to WAY TOO OLD TO BE IN THE SUN THIS LONG...cheer such a parade? Where can you walk by a pirate museum, key lime pie factory, seaplane tour booth, tattoo parlor, theatre, tropical grille, honkey tonk, gay dance club, insurance company, real estate company, and beach bar -- all on the SAME street? Where can you hear LIVE music from 10am-4am 365 days a year? See a dog bark out a tune to an Abba song being played on a flute? Have a kind (albeit drunk) man wrap his arms around you, give you a kiss and hug and not feel threatened (ask Ape)? Where can you go and feel like you are IN the Caribbean without flying? Where can you go and find a beach at almost every corner? More bikes and mopeds than cars. A tropical escape with a Boarders, Home Depot and BigK? Where can you go to celebrate the sunset each night while watching cats jump through
k2
Conch Days Bed Race - PIRATE THEMED BED. hoops and grown men, dressed like pirates, juggle swords? Where else can you find chicken wranglers? KEY WEST of course!!!!!!!!!! The list can go on, but for the sake of everyone reading I will stop...lol. You have to EXPERIENCE Key West. I know deep down in my heart I will live here. Whether it be part time of full time -- this will become my home. I feel like I am HOME when I am here. It's strange when that happens. It's strange when you can be at peace and feel happy doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. That is how I feel when I am here. I think Ape shares this feeling.
As I type this latest blog it is 9:00am, Sunday, April 30th. There is an amazing COOL breeze blowing through our balcony door and the sounds of birds chirping, roosters crowing, dogs barking, a lawn mower and waves crashing. I can smell the restaurant across the way's bacon and coffee. The sun is shining and the sky is blue. Technically I am doing nothing, I mean sure I am typing this blog....but I am "home" doing nothing and I feel HAPPY. That is pretty amazing. I would give anything
k3
Conch Days Bed Race - THE ISLAND HOUSE HOSPITAL THEME. to feel this way in Rhode Island on a "typical day" but I just don't. No, Rhode Island doesn't make me happy deep down inside. In a way I don't think it EVER has. I think we all need to find that PLACE that we want to GROW in and I know for 100% FLORIDA is it -- right here down in the "boondocks" -- Key West. I am closer to Cuba than Miami (90 miles to Cuba 155 to Miami).
Anyway, to catch up on things.....
Yesterday we went to lunch at a new restaurant here in Key West, RUM BARREL. This pirate themed restaurant is not only COOL it is CLASSY and has GREAT food. The ambiance is very sea shanty in a Robinson Caruso sort of way?! Like a Cheesecake Factory with a pirate theme. No, the waiters/waitresses don't walk around with eye patches offering you grog -- it isn't like that -- it is more of an adult pirate restaurant. Very nice. It is attached to the Pirate Soul Museum which has been described as The Smithsonian meets Disney. We really wanted to check it out ($13.95 by the way, but there are $1.00
k4
Conch Days Bed Race - SLOPPY JOES BABY THEME. off coupons everywhere), but wanted to see the CONCH DAYS CELEBRATION ANNUAL BED RACE (more on that later).
Our lunch was very good. I had jerk chicken tenders which were incredible. They were light, white and didn't have that icky fried taste. The fries were good also as was the (virgin) pina colada. April had a portobello sandwich which she said, although good, was kinda bland....so I shared the chix with her! :-D She looooved it!!! Rum Barrel has an upstairs/outdoor court with live music nightly. You definitely should check this place out.
After lunch we decided to head down to Duval Street (a short walk down the street) to see the Annual Conch Days Celebration Bed Race -- yes, a bed race!!! This was SO much fun. Each restaurant/hotel/nightclub designs a bed that they put in a wagon. They decorate it in elaborate decor and race down Duval Street. Some of the floats were CRAZY! The best were the Rocky Horror Picture Show, Island House, Rum Barrel, Sloppy Joe's and Hog's Breath. There were tons of people there and yet it wasn't claustrophobically crowded. Everyone was cheering the drag queens running down the street. It was a
k5
Conch Days Bed Race - SLOPPY JOES BABY THEME. strange, yet wonderful thing to see! LOL! This is what I love about Key West. During this paraded April was approached by a Sammy Hagar look-alike/friendly drunk man and I spilt someone's tall cup of beer on a very petite woman. Yup. April got a hug and kiss from a drunk man and I got a dirty look from a sticky tourist that now stunk of someone else's warm beer. Typical. The drunk man, who works on a boat and has been living in Key West for 5 1/2 years told April she was too white and needed a tan. He said I was better but could be darker too. He also said I should "open a travel agency there" and when April tried to describe her job to him his face got distorted and he did weird things with his fingers and said he didn't understand anything to do with computers. I told him I didn't want to leave and he said, in a drunk tone, "yeah but you have to" -- drunk but smart. Nice. After swaying and looking like he was about to topple poor little April -- he went back to his "girls" up front which
k6
Conch Days Bed Race - ISLAND HOUSE - WOAH! April thinks he was married to (yes, both of them). There was a little girl too. His daughter, maybe? Funny.....two situations with beer. A drunk, affectionate man and a smelly woman that stunk of warm spilt beer from yours truly. Ugh! But in true Keys fashion, the lady was VERY nice and was like..."no, no, no....it didn't get me...it ok" -- Her husband had that -- MY WIFE IS GOING TO SMELL LIKE A CHEAP DRUNK ALL DAY THANKS TO YOU LOOK. I had that SHAMED look. But I laughed it off as I noticed April being smothered by the drunk stranger.
After the parade we went to Walgreens and then took the car to be washed. After a wash that seemed like eternity, the car still has pigeon remains on it. I am not even being funny. It did have pigeon remains on it. Just us. Did I mention our car rental has Texas license plates? Yup. Ugh. They probably think we hunted and shot the pigeon. Not that I hate Texas, I honestly don't. I LOVE Austin (even though I haven't been there yet...lol) and Dallas, Houston and Galveston all sound wonderful. One of my favorite restaurants
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Conch Days Bed Race - parade onlookers. is in Amarillo, The Big Texan, so please local Texans out there, please excuse the remark. I am just not a fan of Bush (shut up!)......but enough about THAT, a' hem!!!!
We were going to hang out at Higgs Beach but it was almost 6pm and we were actually TIRED!!! 29 and 32 year old tired at 6pm?? WHAT THE HECK??? So we went back to the room, rented a couple of movies, ordered pizza and called it a night! :-)
Today we have to leave early to PICK UP THE MAMMAS at Orlando airport! WOO-HOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so excited. Our "next leg" of the trip will be with them. From April 30-May 9th. We are spending the night in Orlando, then 3 nights in Destin, 2 nights driving down Florida and 3 nights in Key West. It should be tons of fun! I can't wait for them to see the AMAZING BEACHES and SAND of DESTIN and the general beauty of Florida and of course my beloved KEY WEST. They have been to Orlando many, many times and my mom has seen Miami and Key West (briefly) before -- but it has been almost 10 years since
k8
Conch Days Bed Race - parade onlookers. that. I am sure we'll have some fun adventures!
Until then...
Happy Travels!
Des
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