One week ago today, we sailed into Key West’s City Marina at Garrison Bight and docked. After cleaning the Heritage, we were “sailors in a port town” for the day. Since co-shipmate Brad and I had both been to Key West before and had already seen most of the tourist things – and because of the Tom Corcoran books I’d read – I was more interested in wandering through the “real” Key West, away from the tourists, to get a feel for the place and of course some photos.
There are lots of… interesting people to see in and around Key West. Here are a few…
click for larger image
Near the corner of Duval and Front streets is a cigar shop, where this gentleman sits in his storefront rolling cigars for all to see. I’m not a cigar smoker, but he’s fascinating to watch. Quick, smooth and effecient.
click for larger image
Here are a few of Key West’s finest standing in the middle of Angela Street, a few blocks east of Duval. They’ve got someone locked up in the back seat of the squad car and it looked like they were trying to reconcile everyone’s stories.
click for larger image
I saw this guy several times throughout the day, just riding around… barefoot, with his U.S. flag flying behind him and a bird on his head. It never looked like he was going anyplace in particular, just riding around. Maybe the city pays him to do so, just to add a little more “local color.”
click for larger image
Key West is full of entertainers, and not all are on “real” stages in bars or at Mallory Square. There are plenty of street corners with musicians, artists, etc. Each has their own show, their own hook that they hope will get people to stop and part with their money. This guy wasn’t playing when I came by, and it looked as though his dog – wearing pirate hat, beads and sunglasses – was getting more money in his bowl than the man was in his guitar case.
click for larger image
Brad and I stopped at Crossroads Internet, just off the intersection of Duval St. and Truman Ave. Brad wanted to use the computer to check his email. I was happy to be completely off-net for the week, so I just sat at the counter for a slice of Key Lime pie, a cup of tea and some conversation with Adrian. Part barrista, part computer maintenance guy, Adrian’s been in Key West for a couple of years and is working more hours than most of us out here in the real world (and at the same time working on learning the Russian language), yet he’s he’s all smile and positive attitude.
Of that good attitude, Adrian says “once you find it, don’t ever loose it – it’s just harder to find it again.”
That sounds like good advise to me, not matter where you are.
btw, more pictures from this year’s trip can be found on my MiltonSport Photo site.