Getting Around

The restaurant hostess at the Conch Republic Seafood Company in Key West shook her head at Brenda.  "We can't allow any dogs that are not service animals to be in the restaurant area.  Is he a service animal?"  Brenda thought a second and replied honestly, "No.  He isn't."  So Brenda and Mike with Deb and John and their little chihuahua pooch named "Cheeto" searched (and found) a table outside in the bar area.  Cheeto (we learned), despite his diminutive presence and impeccable behavior, is used to being a "bar stool" dog!

Today is cloudy with bouts of rain, a good day to slow down and stay close to "home."  Our first week in Key West has been full:  Hemingway's Home, Truman's "Little White House,"  The Butterfly Museum and Conservatory, checking out the local fare, bike rides to and fro, boat projects ("to do's" we want to get done for the next owner), business tasks, and nightly card games.  We wake up and go to bed in comfortably mild temperatures with tropical breezes.  We've no bugs to contend with, in or off the boat.  Best of all, we are enjoying Key West with boating (Loop) friends who, like us, are grateful for what this adventure offers us.

In our thoughts today is Brenda's brother, Craig who had surgery this past Tuesday for injuries resulting from a ATV rollover in the Arizona desert.  Out on a ride with friends last weekend (including my brother Todd), Craig was helping one of the riders get his vehicle through a rough spot when the accident occurred. (Brenda remembers how Craig helped her get her ATV through many spots when she and her 3 brothers, her 80-year-old-mom and older uncles went riding in the desert January of 2019.) While thankful the injuries aren't as bad as they certainly could've been, her heart aches thinking of the pain Craig has endured and the therapy and healing required for a full recovery.

Key West is at the southern-most tip of the United States.

In Key West's downtown on Duval Street is this Walgreens store, formerly a theater.
Our son-in-law, Jared, is a Walgreen Manager in Woodbury, MN.
 Jared, did you know there was a Walgreen Store that looked like this?

Key West is a funky, artsy, hippy town.  This is a vehicle we saw downtown whose exterior paint has been totally transformed with the use of Sharpie markers!

This is the exterior of the home where Ernest Hemingway lived while in Key West.  Its location continues to be one of the largest residential lots in the central area.

This was Hemingway's writing studio, located above the garage.  "Farewell to Arms" and "To Have and Have Not" are at least 2 of the several books Hemingway wrote while in Key West.

There are roughly around 55 cats on the Hemingway property, each names after someone famous.  The "Hemingway Cats" are known for their names (after famous people) and that their six front toes (hmmm...they make it sound special; on the farm, we'd call this the result of in-breeding!).  A cat cemetery is also on the premises.

Hemingway was  married to four women, one of which was Mary Welch from Walker, MN.  Cate Belleveau from Bemidji, MN has written a play about Mary, which is scheduled to go to NYC's Broadway.  It is entitled "Mary 4, Martha 3:  No Footnotes."  Stay tuned!

This is Brenda with friends Steve and Kathy (MV "Red Pearl") as we enjoyed the serenity of the Hemingway house grounds.  We were told many weddings take place on the property.

At the end of our day in Key West, we had dinner at a local favorite, The Hogfish Bar and Grill.  Fresh fish from dock to table!

This past Tuesday, Kathy and Steve and Mike and Brenda rode their bicycle into old town Key West.  Our first stop:  President Truman's "Little White House."  During President Truman's presidency, he spent roughly 175 days (off and on) at this place in Key West.  While there were days of relaxation, he conducted much business on behalf of our country from here.

We learned alot about President Truman on our tour through the Little White House and came away with a heightened appreciation for how he moved our country (and the world) forward after WWII.

Mike, Brenda, Kathy and Steve in the "Little White House" at the presidential podium.

Did you know that the chickens and roosters at Key West are protected?  While lunching in Key West, we saw this hen and chicks outside the restaurant door. 

After the Truman White House, we visited Key West's Butterfly Museum and Conservatory.  It was an Eden!

At the Butterfly Conservatory, butterflies were everywhere!  One landed on Kathy and she gladly reveled in the experience!

This  vehicle was completely and masterfully covered in shells and decorations.
  

Yesterday (Thursday) Mike and Brenda enjoyed Key West with Deb, John (MV "Saltair") and....meet Cheeto.  We first met Deb and John along the East Coast.  They've roots in Ogden, UT, a daughter in Colorado, and for a short while, lived in Minnesota!

At Kermits Key Lime Pie, you can enjoy key lime pie covered in chocolate on a stick!  And so we did!