After our exciting trip to Key West on Wednesday, we decided to go north toward Key Largo on Thursday to see what was going on. The answer? Nuthin' much. In the town of Islamorada we stopped at Worldwide Sportsman to check out their stuff. This is a part of the Bass Pro Shops network, and has the expected Wow! displays.
A reproduction cast iron elevator was pretty cool to see. It operated as smooth as glass, but looked to be a hundred years old!
This being a huge fishing area, an aquarium is absolutely necessary!
In the center of the store, a sister ship to the Pilar, the boat owned by Ernest Hemingway, takes center stage. This boat was built in 1933 at Weeks Shipyard in Brooklyn a year before Hemingway's boat was built. Legend has it that Hemingway fished from this boat and decided he must have one just like it. Hemingway fished the big game fish of the Caribbean until 1959, when he left his adopted home of Havana, leaving his Pilar in care of long-time friend and captain Gregorio Fuentes. The boat sat idle in Cuba during the '60's until the Cuban government moved her to the the present location at Finca Viga, Hemingway's old homestead on the island.
This Pilar appeared in various movies throughout the '50's, eventually deteriorating at Stock Island until a Hemingway aficionado named Tex Perkins purchased her and restored her with modern electronics and engines. She worked in the charter boat business until Johnny Morris of Bass Pro Shops purchased her in 1994, again having her refurbished, and transported to Islamorada. In 1997 she was christened by Mina Hemingway, Ernest's granddaughter, and she now has a comfortable anchorage, as does her sister ship in Cuba.
Donna couldn't resist sitting in the prime chair, reeling in a Tarpon of record size!
We continued north to Key Largo, trying to find old town, historic town, the harbor, anything....and failed. Probably because we didn't know what we were looking for. One would think that there would be a sign along the main thorofare, US 1, about downtown, but if there is, we missed it both coming and going...
All was not lost, however, because we stopped at the Blonde Giraffe for a Key Lime Pie. Voted the "Best Key Lime Pie in Florida", this small shop has pies, Key Lime Cookies, Key Lime Pie on a stick, Passion Fruit Pies, and a full expresso bar. Can't go wrong here!
On our return to Grassy Key, we were forced to endure another beautiful sunset....
Friday, we couldn't resist the call to return to Key West. This beautiful spot cries for flip flops and short pants! We wanted to explore the harbor area, where a revitalized restaurant row is now a favorite walking area. We parked a block away, in another residential area filled with spectacular homes.
When we got to the harbor, we saw why Key West is THE spot to have a boat.
General Patton's yacht, the When and If, is docked in the harbor, and available for evening sunset tours. Built in 1939 for General Patton to sail around the world "When the war is over, and if I live through it", the yacht is beautifully restored.
Our next stop was Jimmy Buffet's famous Margaritaville, at the corner of Duval and Caroline streets.
The interior, as you might expect is done in Parrothead sheik!
But listening to Jimmy's songs from an upstairs table was pretty cool!
After returning home, it was, once again, a tough decision as to whether to watch the sunset or not. Guess which we did...
Today was a day for laundry and catchup, but we found time to go down the road a mile or so to Sombrero Beach to watch the Dragon Boat Races.
There are several outcroppings of an unusual rock formation along the beach. Coral?
It's looks like mud, but is hard as, well....rock.
The Dragon Boat races were going on, so we walked up and down the beach to get a good view. This shows the finish line. The boats are low in the water, and rowed to the beat of a drum. They travel a measured distance and the winning crew advances to another round until a champion is crowned.
As a tired crew exits the boat, the boats are cleaned, bailed out, and readied for the next race. All four boats are identical to prevent unorthodox modifications!
The next round of crews is waiting to board, and soon they are aboard and pushed off.
The beach was a bit hot for us, so after watching the boat races and the people onshore, we drifted home, with only one stop at Curley's Coffee for an iced coffee. Tasted pretty good on a warm day!
Of course, we had to check out another magnificent sunset.....
Just as the sun set, a distant boat crossed through the glow.
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