Blogs from Key West, Keys, Florida, United States, North America - page 17

My friend, Jo, told me I'd cry a lot on this journey. Having travelled alone for six months at nineteen (!), she said there would be these emotional times. "Crying" she wrote in her mail. "Thank God for crying." As usual, she took me by surprise. Although I'm a Buddhist and know life is suffering, know I should sit with my feelings in order to transform them, tears have been too much a part of my life over the past year or so for me to embrace them - I mean, no sane person wants pain, right? Even if denying it has left me depressed and energetically suppressed. But, hey, you guessed the punchline - the crying has started. I was up half the night worrying about money - that is hopefuly going to be resolved ... read more

We love Key West, from the moment we pulled into the Conch Harbor Marina and stepped off the boat and into the party. It certainly is a wild and crazy town. And we stayed at a great marina, with a big swimming pool and Monty’s bar and restaurant. Across the street was Pepe’s, one of the oldest and best restaurants in town with amazing food (which we enjoyed on many occasions). And it was a short walk along the docks, thru the historic seaport village, to get to the heart of town- Duval Street. Duval Street is amazing, what a concept. It is a mile long stretch with bars and restaurants and galleries and shops- and did I mention- bars. There is over 100 bars located on Duval, some as tiny as an alleyway and others ... read more

It's Christmas time here in Key West- like none other.... read more

I think any high school student who had the privilege of taking the tour through Hemingway’s home and museum in Key West would surely take their studies of Hemingway’s literature more seriously. Here, through an outstanding guide, Hemingway comes alive. Here you hear the stories and see the articles of Hemingway’s life that inspired the stories he wrote. The house itself is an interesting story. Built in 1851 by Asa Tift, a marine architect and salvage wrecker. Tift found out what is true throughout Florida. When the topsoil is removed you hit shale or limestone. Tift also found out the lot was sixteen feet above sea level. So he quarried the stone for the house right from the sight. He not only got the stone for the house but also ended with the only basement ... read more

Key West Florida is the Southernmost City in the Continental United States. In this little tropical paradise a common man, tourist, can walk in the footsteps of some of most celebrated of celebrities this country has ever produced This little place was one of the favorite haunts of Ernest Hemingway, Tennessee Williams, Robert Frost and President Harry Truman. More about these celebrities in a later blog. It was also the hometown of George Mira, the great All American quarterback for the Miami University Hurricanes. Key West is closer to Havana Cuba than Miami. It is about a three-hour drive from Miami. It is 160 miles over one bridge after another. Havana Cuba is only 90 miles. It many Cuba historic connections. Many Cubans moved to Key West during Cuba’s unsuccessful war for independence from Spain in ... read more