Finally ...Key West

Ahh….Key West, vacation paradise in the US. There are 4 of us enjoying this week long vacation. Pam and Tom came in from Philly. They flew into Miami, rented a convertible and drove down. This method of arrival is highly recommended by them both. I flew in from Phoenix via Delta (see my airline adventure in the Delta postings). On Tuesday Kerry flew in from Atlanta – she didn’t have quite the adventure I did! Whew, Kerry will help Pam & Tom drink the rum they bought – I had a handle on the beer ;)

The house we rented, Jasmine House, was incredible. Our rooms are nice, there’s a kitchen, living area and backyard at our disposal. The backyard has a hot tub, comfy chairs and a hammock for relaxing evenings. At the end of a long and fun filled day, we relaxed in the hot tub with our drinks. The place was worth every penny.

My first day, we start at Smathers Beach with blue sky, blue water and white sand. We rent beach chairs and rafts for the day and relax. The water is calm enough today to go out to the pylons and float. We all look at each other and say “This sucks” with big grins. It came to be our phrase for the week. Another beach we checked out was Rock Beach. It’s at the Ft Taylor State Park. Rock Beach is aptly named for the rocks and coral along the beach and the outcroppings creating the inlet. The water here was deeper and the outcroppings offered snorkeling opportunity.

Most nights we would head out to catch the sunset. Off to the pier outside the Hyatt Resort we watch Mother Nature paint the sky. Mallory Square and the Pier are the places to watch the sunset from the island. After the sunset, we wander through Mallory Square to join the festivities – performers, artists, crafts and drink. The Cat Man performs at Mallory Square. Even if you don’t like cats, you have to stop to watch. Dominique is as much if not more of the show as the cats! The guy is whacked (in a good way) and just has fun with life. He’s known for his trained house cats and his sayings such as “Hurry up, take your time!” “Back to your seat, stay where you are!” and “You are right, you are wrong, you are in perfect harmony with yourself!” His laugh is infectious; his love of his cats and his show is evident. Fully worth a stop to watch.