Thinking Of Key West

Well, it's snowing again this morning. I guess I don't mind too much. If it's going to be cold out there, it may as well be scenic.

Ironically, when I turned on my computer, Bob Marley was singing "Coming In From The Cold" How appropriate on a day like today. Snowy, windy, blustery......

I just looked up the weather down in Key West to kind of escape from my current reality and it's 72 degrees and cloudy. Not bad.... Not bad at all. I'll take it!! Clouds and all!!

I first visited Key West by accident. My brother and I had booked a week at a hotel in Clearwater, Fla. one February back in I think 1993. Well, when we arrived, ready to hit the beach, it was windy and the high temp was around 50 degrees...... the town was desolate.

We were sitting in a bar around 1:00 pm on our first day there. Our waitress, who was very nice, was wondering why we were stupid enough to visit Clearwater in February. With the winds howling outside like a November gale on the Great Lakes, she was kind enough to tell us to get the heck out of there and go to Key West. Never ones to disobey a direct order, we saluted and said "Yes Ma'am!!" and hit Alligator Alley early the next morning.

When you're looking at a map of Florida, Key West doesn't look all that far away. In reality, it took us 8 hours to get down there. Going right past Miami, which I wouldn't discover for another four years. Who knew?

We rolled into Old Town sometime around 6:00 pm that night after an interesting eye opening drive down that two lane highway through the keys. The sight of the blue water is incredible and makes you wish you were the passenger and not the driver as there is so much to look at.

Heck, we didn't even have a hotel lined up yet. So, we cruised around town, looking at the various hotels. Eventually, deciding that we deserved a week in something more than a spring break dive, we settled on the Southernmost Hotel.

What a great place. Right on the water with a little beach next door. Simple rooms, yet very comfortable. Man, I'd like to be down there right now...... Maybe sitting on my little balcony with a big cup of Joe listening to the day come alive. Listening to the breeze in the palm trees and the tropical birds making their morning calls.

More to come on Key West. But, for now, I'll just leave you thinking about spending a tranquil morning lounging seaside in the tropics, without a care in the world.