My Blue Heaven: Four nights in Key West probably deserves its own trip report, but I just don't have the energy at the moment. This being my third (and certainly not final) visit to the Conch Republic, I'm getting close to being knowledgeable enough to do some sort of guide in the future, but for now a few stray observations and pics will have to serve.

My big concern was that it was spring break time. I feared a pack of drunken frat boys may have turned Duvall St. into Bourbon St. Not to worry. Maybe it was because we arrived late Saturday night and so our active time span was Sunday through Tuesday, but for the most part Duvall Street was very subdued. Crowds picked up when the cruise ships were docked, but other than that, it seemed like any other time.

My second concern was getting in and out of Miami International. I had arrived a couple of days earlier and made a quick run across the state to Sarasota for family stuff. My plan was to dash back across Alligator Alley to pick up Miss Kate, HRH Miss Anna, and Anna's beau at MIA around dusk then make a nighttime dash to Key West. I was worried about traffic and construction around the airport. I was worried about maneuvering through the Keys in the dark. I needn't have worried. Everything went smoothly and we arrived a little before midnight.

We stayed at the Santa Maria Suites and I cannot recommend this place highly enough. Nicely styled, a sweet little pool area, nightly turn down service, they leave you with all manner of sweets in the room -- muffins, ice cream treats, a bottle of water or two -- all gratis. Friendly helpful staff. Big screen TVs in every room. Located just a block or so off the southern end of Duvall Street, maybe three or four blocks from the Southernmost Point. The more southerly shops and restaurants are an easy walk, getting all the way down to Mallory Square and back would be a full day's wander.

Sunday was set aside for exploring and getting our bearings; that and a good bit of pool time. By the time the sun started to drop we were on a sunset dinner cruise aboard the gaff-rigged schooner Liberty Clipper. This is a nice gentle little cruise out into the Gulf, and it really does involve actual sailing -- wind permitting. The food and drink was pretty standard, but the crew were very genial and the captain a bit of cut up. The sunset was exquisite. Highly recommended is the Liberty Clipper.

Pics:
A smaller schooner sharing our wind and barreling toward the sun.
Amazing sunsets: 1, 2, 3, 4

The next day was going to be our big time on the water. We booked a day long "Power Adventure" through Sebago -- a major day tour outfitter on the island. The itinerary was to sail out to the coral reef to snorkel around for a while, then have lunch onboard, then sail back into the Gulf and tie up to a platform where we would get our chance at activities such as jet skiing and parasailing.

I'm going to have to label this process a disappointment. You sail out to the reef at which point you are given an area of about 40 square yards in which you are allowed to snorkel. The snorkel gear provided was awful, clearly designed for the bathtub -- you are given full coverage masks and then told not to breathe through your nose or you'll fog up the mask. Anti-fog spray? Sorry not available. I gave up on snorkeling and just swam around in the water for a while. But even just swimming around, they make you wear an annoying floatation vest. I'm lucky they didn't require a permission slip from my Mom. The best part of this segment was feeding a mean-looking three-and-a-half-foot long barracuda off the side of the boat.

My guess is you got about a half hour to forty-five minutes to snorkel and then it's everyone back in the boat to head into the Gulf. With the wind up, the sailing was a blast. The big catamaran sliced through the rollers drenching everyone on deck. I crawled up as close to the bow as possible to get deluged to full effect.

Next we tied up to a platform where there were a couple of jet skis waiting and a trampoline and a banana boat. We were divided into two groups: one starts on the jet skis and one goes parasailing, then we switch half way through. But parasailing got cancelled due to the high winds. And the jet skis -- well, you had a circle of about a hundred yard radius in which you were allowed to stay and your ride needed to be limited to 5 minutes or so. So as it turned out, there was actually very little to do. I was able to get in three separate 5-minute trips on the jet ski, by the last of which I had that 100-yard radius circle pretty well memorized. As a result, in the height of the afternoon everyone was flopped about on the boat getting badly sunburned (especially the fair Miss Anna) and wondering when we were going to head back to port and get on with our lives.

I can't recommend Sebago's Power Adventure. Even if the parasailing had been available, the whole process is too regimented. "Quickly now, have heavily monitored fun so we can rush somewhere else and have a different kind of heavily monitored fun." If you want to snorkel, arrange a leisurely snorkeling trip. If you want to parasail, catch a specialty boat in port for a longer ride. If you want to jet ski, find somewhere to rent jet skis on your own schedule. Give Sebago's Power Adventure a miss.

At least we were back in time to catch the famous sunset at Mallory Square, where the street performers turned out in full. The standout was Dominique and his trained cats. Dominique is a certified eccentric who in any other context would probably be locked in a padded room or living over a heating grate in a refrigerator box, but in Mallory Square he fits right in. His act is difficult to describe, but you can catch video snippets at YouTube and AOL. "Hurry up take your time!" is now a catch phrase among us.

The next day, our last full day, we had discussed going out on the water again, but I was in no condition for another day in the sun. Miss Anna was even worse. I felt bad about it, because I knew I should have tanned up before the trip but I just never got the chance -- lesson re-learned. As a result I had to leave the ferry to the Dry Tortugas on my to do list for the future. Instead, and perhaps to our benefit, Kate and I rented bikes and had our own little island safari.

Key West is not big and there are a variety of options for getting around. A car is bulky and expensive. Most folks opt for scooters or electric carts. But unless you are completely out of shape, I'd recommend a plain old bicycle. It's cheaper, can go anywhere, and you get exercise which means you're allowed an extra boat drink with dinner.

We trolled along the west end of the island, eventually making our way to Ft. Zachary State Park, which has the best beach on the island. Best is relative -- it isn't bad, although it seems like it's a bit on the rocky side. The fact is, there are really no great beaches on Key West. But the park itself is nice and wooded and sparsely decorated with odd sculptures and signs warning you to avoid attack turtles and scooter riding pelicans and so forth. From there we barreled back across town to the heart of residential Key West and rode pleasantly along the narrow, shady streets and through their crypt-laden cemetery.

Pics:
Dog totem at Ft. Zack
Why ask Y?
Manatee mailbox
Sunset Key (a private island just off Key West)
A stately pelican
Key West Gothic
I wonder what goes on in there?

In his song Blue Heaven Rendezvous, Jimmy Buffet sings of Key West: "There's still some magic left in this tourist town." I have been all over Florida, up and down both coasts and all through the Mouse House. I have seen all the various ways in which Florida has imposed an orderly, commercial skin over its swampish innards, from St. Armand's Circle to South Beach. But Key West, while equally commercial, is more genuine and more organic. They put up the tawdry t-shirt shops and the tacky theme restaurants, but they don't bother trying to hide the oddballs and corner dives and local color. Jimmy's right. There's still plenty of magic to go around.