Miami …the last hoorah! (March 2009)

The Last Hoorah! Before we were leaving, we wanted to do one last thing… another air-boat ride into the everglades. We had done one in the beginning of our visit 3 months earlier up on the north end by Shark Valley… a bit pricey for what you got and a bit hokkie at times… but the “nature”part was truly enjoyable. This time we planned to go the southern end by Everglades National Park… a place called “Alligator Park”. Recommended to be better at the campground. The newer airboats up by Shark Valley had raised “stadium type seats” and quieter engines… Alligator Park had the older type flat boats and much, much, noisier engines… but the ride was nicer and the park was bigger. In the park preserve area we got to see alligators, crocodiles, some birds, and some other animals… only a few small gators actually on the airboat ride. They had 2 shows, as they call them… lets just say… demonstrations. Alligator handling… not really what you might expect from the title… “alligator wrestling” and alligator feeding. Like with most attractions here in south Florida… the word “Attractions” and “Shows” are used rather loosely and conjure up images and expectations that rarely are met by what you actually get… hence the label… “Tourist Trap”… which rather applies to most “Attractions”… and the word “Show” could be more accurately described as a “Carnie Act”… perhaps then your expectations would not exceed the actual presentation. Aside from that… it is what it is… and it was worth doing one time to have the experience. Maybe I’m getting older and expect a little more bang for my buck… especially in these economically depressed times where almost everything is being offered as a better bargain for the customer… but some hold onto the bigger profit margins because they have a captive audience? But you can draw your own conclusions. A good experience, a fun time, but a bit overpriced for what you get. Perhaps all the attractions that I am use to seeing (Disney, Seaworld etc), perpetuate an air of disappointment upon other so called attractions when you get less for your money. Less quality (presentation not as good), less quantity

( much less to see and do ), and shorter time for the experience ( it’s all over in about an hour). But as mentioned before… just consider that it is what it is! I’d still say if you have not done it before… do it once! The “nature part” of things is great! Don’t forget the ear plugs! … and hold into your hat!

Key West …. final thoughts (March 2009)

There are a couple of little beach’s in Key West… both are on the south side of the island… I liked the one in the state park by the Truman Annex… a nice beach and when it’s time… you simply walk over to the west end to watch the sunset with the peace and tranquility away from the big crowd at Mallory Square. Costs a few bucks to get in by bike… a few more by vehicle… but it’s well worth the visit. One of the other places we visited was the Butterfly Conservatory towards the south end of the island. You will see thousands of butterflies in a wonderful garden setting… tropical plants and trees, hundreds of flowers… it’s all both beautiful and informative it makes for a nice diversion from the fast paced that abounds all over the island. There are many such oasis of quiet tranquility scattered over Key West… you only need to look for what suits you best. Perhaps the Hemmingway house or a quiet out of the way restaurant where you can sit and watch the ocean. All in all… something for everyone, and everyone’s mood at the time. Hope you get to enjoy a visit to Key West… either for the first time or a well deserved return to enjoy it all again.

Key West … around the town (March 2009)

There’s lots of things to do during the daytime while you are waiting for the evening sunset. Lots of old historical buildings and homes, attractions and museums, shops and stores, and street vendors. Foods, drinks, island nick-nacks, everything and anything… everywhere. The best way to get around is by scooter or bicycle…. parking is at a premium and not always where you want to be. Simply ride your bike (or rented one) everywhere you want to go… and to stop at unexpected places along the way (you will do this a lot)… lock your bike to anything that doesn’t move and that isn’t already taken… a fence, street sign, pole, bench, and the occasional … empty bike rack… oh my god… an empty spot. Lock your bike and go off on foot… just remember where you left it. Just get a map or follow the signs…

well, forget the signs, they might not really help… get a map. Just go into any of the visitor welcome centers and get a map that shows you all the things on the island and where they are… than petal off… you are on your way! This guy didn’t bother to get a visitor map… thought he’d just bring his own… and he forgot where he locked up his bike…you see how that worked out for him.

So whatever fits your fancy…

you’ll probably find it somewhere here… no doubt easier with a map. Oh look… there’s a place that has those pineapple-coconut-rum-frozen drinks… you need to know where these places are so you don’t get dehydrated. The sun is very hot… and yes, don’t forget the hat & sunscreen… unless you need a new $25 hat or $15 sunscreen. Follow that rooster… he knows where the good places are. It’s rumored that certain saloons, as they are called here, have specially trained roosters that will lead you to the best known saloons. It’s also rumored that the more drinks you have… the more stuff you buy. Just remember… you are on a bike… just how much stuff can you carry? A good rule of thumb… if it can’t fit into your pocket or camera bag (with the camera) … it’s too big to bike back with… of course unless you can wear it. You also have to remember… despite the pineapple-coconut-rum-frozen-drink … that you need to have a plan for where whatever you buy can go in the Rv. My plan is to take pictures of it … I can see it anytime I want… have easy storage… and it saves me lots of money that can be use for burgers, fries, wings, ribs, crab legs, mahi-mahi, and more pineapple-coconut-rum-frozen-drinks… the ones with the big chunk of fresh pineapple attached to the rim. No thanks… I don’t need the collectors glass or want to try the conch fritters. You can also rent an electric car if you feel that age is a safety factor for riding your bike in the traffic… but than you need to find someplace to park it… but you can carry more stuff that you bought… after you had too much to drink… so choose wisely. Of course if you are planning to visit Key West and buy us gifts… by all means… have lots of the pineapple-coconut-rum-frozen-drinks and rent the electric car for the added space! Have fun and see you soon!

Key West…Mallory Square (March 2009)

Key West … what can I say…. you can be inspired, excited, and delighted by the busy crowd induced feverish atmosphere or you can simply slow down and relax at the waters edge or a quite little nook secluded from all the hustle bustle…. that’s just around the corner. There’s always something that compliments whatever mood your in. One minute you are all wrapped up in the excitement of everything with sensory overload… the next quietly relaxing… without a care in the world. Ohhhh… that pineapple-coconut-rum-tropical-frozen drink looks especially nice… I think I’ll have one… but I’ll pass on the conch fritter thing. Food, drink, street performers, shops, stores, vendors, the cruise ships… the smells, the sounds, the whole package combines to make Key West special and Mallory Square is one of the focal points… especially near sunset. Normally a sunset is a sunset is a sunset…. but not here… it’s always something special… just because you are here. All the varied groups of people come together to enjoy the atmosphere… and no one is ever disappointed. The excitement builds as sunset draws near… you never know what you might see or hear. On the land… on the water… everyone gathers to enjoy the special moment and all the festivities that lead up to… the sunset! It’s like no one has ever seen a sunset before… and when it’s slipped below the ocean blue…

there’s the huge crowd response… cheers and claps… hooping and hollering, and than the party moves to Duval Street and swings into full gear. I think I’ll have another pineapple-coconut-rum-frozen drink with a big chunk of pineapple on the top of the glass… ahhhhh ! Now where’s that quite little out of the way nook. So… now I can cross off another item on my own “bucket list”… hey… you have to plan ahead before you time slips away… none of us are getting any younger. Enjoy! We did! You may even get the chance to be surprised and see things that you didn’t expect to find. Little treasures can be found everywhere… just keep your eyes open and take it all in. Just watch out off those crazy roosters… they are everywhere… and they come in all colors… sometimes all at once. Don’t forget all your favorite spots to eat and enjoy a little music… you never know who you might see… one can only hope!

But a word to the wise…. if you are from the Chesapeake Bay area… just say “no” to the crab cakes… it’s never the same… ever. Well… I’ve reached my limit both on the blog and the pineapple-coconut-rum-frozen-tropical drinks… but I will have another piece of pineapple… and “no”… I do not want to try another conch fritter. Thanks anyway.

The Jungle Queen (part 2)

The Famous Jungle Queen Riverboat in Fort Lauderdale Florida… the one that takes you on the river tour to see all the homes & estates of the rich and famous. In part one you saw pics of the homes along the river… here’s a few shots of the boat itself and the island adventure. Above is a shot of the Jungle Queen from the bridge as we drove over to Fort Lauderdale. We got to sit front row center on the upper deck… 2 seats by themselves… a great view of everything. The Jungle Queen looks like a old timey riverboat from a less extravagant era where all expenses were spared… but it does have a certain charm about it…. and it didn’t sink… that’s always a plus. The open friendly atmosphere of the boat and the cruise guides jovial banter and sharing of interesting little facts and quotes, made the trip more interesting and enjoyable. The jungle part of the trip… well… maybe it was 60 years ago… there’s no jungle or natural habitat now… except for the little island… which really isn’t an island… that has some natural plants and trees along with some birds and animal enclosures. Some parrots, monkeys, and an alligator pit where they did the alligator shows. Once you have seen your first alligator show the excitement of it fades away fast and any show after that initial thrill… well… it’s gets to be kinda carnie and hokey real quick. Thus all alligator shows are carnie and hokey…. but to each has own.

Fort Lauderdale Tour

A Winter Day Trip was just the ticket… so it’s off to the beach and a boat ride. We parked right by the beach… had a nice walk collecting little treasures along the shore ( a favorite past-time ) and enjoyed the view of the ocean while we waited for the time for the boat trip to begin. This was the famous “Jungle Queen” cruise. A scenic trip up the new river to a private island filled with tropical adventure and animals. Perhaps it should have been more accurately billed as a boat trip to see how the rich and famous live. Maybe 6 months ago this might not have struck a nerve… but with the current state of the economy… seeing how the rich and famous live… well… that’s a mostly bitter and less sweet pill. Anyway here are some pics to of our trip up the river. We did make it to the private island of sorts… and we did get to see birds and other animals on the island. We did have a good time despite the over shadowing feeling that this was yet another tourist trap type thing. A little over priced, a bit over crowded, a bit hooky, a bit carnie, and no thank you… I don’t want to pay you $5 to take a picture… with my own camera… beside the baby alligator. We were on the little island for about an hour (captive audience) but there was plenty of stuff to buy as well as food and drinks…. again a bit pricy… go figure. Don’t get me wrong… we enjoyed the trip… and we did get to sit front row center on the upper deck of the boat and have the grand view of everything… so I do not regret making the trip… just glad I wasn’t one of the other 300 people that was stuck sitting amid the crowd trying to get a good view. The waterfront mansions were what you would expect to see in a Hollywood Movie… and we were told that many have been in movies and TV shows… as were the yachts. The one above even has a helicopter on it’s deck… guess that solves the traffic problems. Not all the mansions have large yachts… some have smaller boats for just cruising around the river and maybe a bit beyond. The tour guide on our scenic cruise on the famous Jungle Queen was a bit corny… but did keep everyone entertained with lots of interesting facts and comments, as well as fun fill comments to make you laugh…. I believe that both the boat and him have been around since the 1940’s. All in all a nice day trip ( can’t let the economy or touristy trap hooky carnie things ruin the day)… glad we went… would not do it again. So if you want to see how the Rich & Famous live… don’t miss this boat ride… but get there early to get the good seats… it was worth the wait.

I always have a good time… so long as I’m enjoying it with Shelly… the joy of my life!

We returned to the beach (without my camera… just wanted to enjoy the sand & water) and collected some shells and walked in the water…. than departed for dinner and the trip back to the resort. Sure would have been nice to use that helicopter to get back home.

( click on pictures to enlarge, than arrow back )

Miami Seaquarium (March 2009)

Another day trip takes us to the Miami Seaquarium. Its was a unusually cool day… quite windy… and waiting for the sun to warm things up was a bit of a challenge. Despite the cool morning, we still enjoyed our outing and had a great time. The killer whales, dolphins, sea-lions, tropical birds and fish’s, gators & crocodiles, and assorted other animals all made for a great experience. They had several shows and quite a few exhibits so the price of admission was well worth the price. I wouldn’t call it a must see, especially if you have already been to Seaworld, but it was a good way to spend a day off… and all days off at the campground are well spent going to nearby attractions. Like most attractions that we have visited while staying in Miami… we were glad to have done it once… and would tell you to do the same… but we probably would not do them again. Now here’s a picture… me in long pants and solid shoes… this only happens about 10 days through out the year! Of course… it’s a Disney shirt! What else would it be? Later.

Key West (part 1)

Our trip to Key West… like most things we have done here in south Florida… Key West was full of surprises. First the narrow streets… well… it’s an old town and that’s what you have in old towns. Most surprising were all the cars, scooters, electric buggies, bicycles, tour busses, tour trains, and the sheer numbers of people walking around… everywhere. The streets are barely wide enough for two cars to pass, throw in bicycles everywhere… riding in the streets… with the cars, scooters etc… well… it seems quite chaotic… but everything moves along like a well orchestrated demolition derby where nobody hits anyone else…. go figure that. Few horns blowing… just everyone scampering about … everywhere. Free parking is a problem… just locate the big parking lots, pay the $16.25 to park all day… and consider yourself lucky. We took the bikes so we could park the truck and get around easy… seems like most people do the same thing. Bikes are everywhere on the streets and chained to almost anything that is stationary when the owners are off sight seeing. There are probably hundreds of bike racks around and they are all filled with locked bikes… so are the light poles, trees, telephone poles, fences, road signs, and most other things that are fastened to the ground… everything has bikes locked to them… everywhere. Most amazing! Vendors stand outside their shops trying to entice you to go into their store. Street vendors are everywhere… as are street performers that put on a little show or play music for donations. What a life… live in Key West, play the guitar, sing a little, have a little show, and have your tin can for donations…. work your own hours… and it’s all tax free. I figure I’m half way there… I can sing a little and I have a tin can…. oh yea… and I can certainly act… at least goofy. This was Shelly’s first trip to Key West, and my second. My first trip was back in 1976… so my memories were somewhat like a 30 year old faded photo… I remembered the water. The water and sky are so blue & so beautiful… It’s almost had to tell where one ends and the other begins. The charm of the buildings in the town, the history, the old timey things everywhere that whisper of a time gone by… the entire town speaks volumes. Fancy iron fences & gates, gingerbread trim on the porches & houses, houses that look older than time that blend together with the new that are made to look like the old. Buildings that have been maybe 20 or more things in the past two hundreds years…. nothing is torn down to build new… they just renovate to accommodate the new owners and business. If only some of these places could talk. If it weren’t for the new cars and modern clothes that people wear… you could almost feel that you have gone back in time… perhaps to a more simpler life, when living , at least to us now, seemed easy & uncomplicated. Many buildings are kept like new, some are showing signs of decades of neglect… but that too is part of the charm of the town. Most places are definitely tourist oriented… others mostly off the beaten path are the domain of the locals… some welcome tourists while others give the cold shoulder treatment… a polite island way to let you know to return to the tourist scene. All in all… the charm of the town and the bustling crowds everywhere combine to give Key West it’s distinctive character. So many places to see and things to do. To add to the festive excitement of the town, 2-3 cruise ships dock everyday and turn loose several thousand more people to join in the daily activities and fun. The old town waterfront, Mallory Square, and the dozens of attractions … well… 2 days wasn’t enough to see it all. We biked across the island several times on our two day stay. We spent our first night watching the sunset from the Fort Zachary Taylor State Park… way less crowded… plus there is a nice beach to enjoy while you wait for that special moment…. the sunset! Now in reality… as sunset is a sunset is a sunset…. but when you get caught up in all the excitement of the “Key West Sunset” … it seems all the more spectacular. The sky and water changing from a brilliant blue mixing with swirls of glistening golden orange…. ever changing minute by minute… until the sun meets the water… and moments later… it’s gone and you hear the cheers and applauds of the onlookers along the waters edge. Even Disney magic would have a hard time doing this! Where do you go from here? Well, a good dinner might be in order. There are lots of favorite places and famous places to enjoy a meal, most again in the main stay and excitement of the crowds. I’m not one generally given to crowds… but the excitement of it all is overwhelming. We checked out Margaretville for dinner and thought how nice it would be to see Jimmy… but he was now where to be found… but we did enjoy a good meal and the festive atmosphere. It was the early beginning of spring break so the kids added to the level of excitement. Groups of girls looking for guys… groups of guys looking for girls… guys finding girls who pretend they aren’t interested… guess some things never change. There are way too many places to enjoy in just a two days, but the Hard Rock Cafe was great for lunch, the red fish-blue fish was good for a quick snack of “Deep Fried Flipper” (dolphin bites) and Key Lime Pie. Lunch was also good at the “Hogs Breath Saloon” and we got the see some famous places like “Sloppy Joes” and “Captain Tony’s”. Other great landmarks and places of interest were everywhere… there’s the Hemmingway House ( too crowded to go in) and the huge concrete marker that marks the southern most point… only 90 miles to Cuba. What you see is what you get… it’s a marker at the end of the street where the water meets the town…. normal houses beside it and nothing else special about it… no other great buildings of monuments… just this marker in the midst's of a normal neighborhood… and there it is. It’s also on the other side of the Key from all the big tourists spots like Mallory Square where all the Cruise Ships dock… so the ship board tourists have to take the Conch Train, tour bus, or rent bikes or scooters to get to this monument … one mile away…. glad we had our own bikes. On our second day in Key West we wanted to see the sunset from Mallory Square and enjoy the thrill of the crowd. Sunset was at 7:33:15… and the crowd starts to gather shortly after 6pm. There’s plenty to do and see… street vendors selling goods and food, street performers singing dancing, throwing fire-torch batons, statue people… just something everywhere. Pick a good spot early or you will be trying to see the sunset with 20 people in front of you… we got front row standing… side by side… together… a midst’s several hundred onlookers all there for the same thing…. the perfect sunset in the perfect place! What a great time! Hundreds of memories… hundreds of pictures. It was truly amazing and enjoyable. All the sights, sounds, smells, and excitement of the crowds… and everyone got along super good. I would have expected to be annoyed by at least a couple of dozen people given the thousands that we ran into in just two days… or at least witness others disagreeing… but everyone got along friendly with a fun loving carefree attitude… one big adventure party for everyone. People even got along better here than they usually do at Disney. The big party crowd stayed in the bars and didn’t bother anyone… and everyone else enjoyed themselves… scampering about… doing their thing… and having fun! A real treat! Well… this is enough on Key West – Part One…. more to follow later! A sunset may be just a sunset in most places… but it is truly something spectacularly special when seen in Key west!… especially with the one you love! Spending the best times of my life with Shelly… what more could I ever want!