THE STREETS AND ROADS

Key West

The old Key West Cemetery at Margaret and Angela Street was one place we missed in 2007. It is located on Solares Hill (a real misnomer as there is no hill that we could see) supposedly the highest ground in the city.

Dating from 1847 it is renowned for a number of reasons and perhaps the most for some of the tombstone inscriptions such as “I TOLD YOU I WAS SICK”, “I’M JUST RESTING MY EYES”, “GOD WAS GOOD TO ME”, “HER LIFE WAS A BEAUTIFUL MORNING”, and “DEVOTED FAN OF JULIO IGLESIAS”. There is also the Maine Memorial dedicated to those sailors who lost their lives in the 1898 sinking of the battleship Maine in Havana Harbor. Two British airmen who died in an automobile accident in the Keys are also buried in this memorial at their family’s request.

Also of interest: General Abraham Lincoln Sawyer (1862-1939), Key West’s famous 40 inch tall midget who requested to be buried in a man-size tomb; the resting place of William Curry, Florida’s first millionaire; the grave of Sloppy Joe Russell, friend of Ernest Hemingway and owner of the original Sloppy Joe’s Bar; Wilhelmina Harvey with her fictitious title inscribed as “ADMIRAL, CONCH REPUBLIC NAVY”; Carline Lowe who continued to fly the Confederate flag even as Union troops marched below her balcony; and the site of Thomas Osgood Otto who has three Yorkshire terriers and a domesticated key deer buried with him.

We spent more than an hour wandering the streets in the cemetery along with the ever present feral chickens. Many of the gravesites and tombstones are in states of disrepair, but with the extreme weather it is understandable that over the years there would be deterioration. Some 75,000 people are believed to be interred here. Be sure to pick-up the free guide Historic Key West Cemetery at the front gate.

Sunset at Mallory Square is one of the biggest attractions in Key West. Tourists gather to watch the sunset over the distant Gulf horizon and be entertained by a host of circus acts, mimes, jugglers, musicians, and who knows what else. There are a wide assortment of crafts ranging from paintings, custom T-shirts, decorated sea shells, and our favorite, the wire art man. We have purchased a number of his pieces including several dragons.

There are also food vendors and bars. This year we met Key West’s renowned Mr. Mohito and ordered two of his specialties. This traditional Cuban drink is made of white rum, sugar cane juice, lime, carbonated water and bruised (not shredded) mint leaves. Nancy could hardly finish hers which filled two large glasses. I normally don’t care for mixed drinks, but I ordered one too and enjoyed the mint salad concoction. Mr. Mohitio could really shake it up!

Just a short walk from the Square are a multitude of bars, restaurants and specialty shops. After sunset they begin to fill with tourists.

The streets of Key West are of interest in themselves. Just turn down any one of them and you’ll find what we now call Key West weathered architecture. Most of the buildings are old, and if not, they at least look the part.

There are quaint hotels, guest houses, and local groceries and shops scattered all around the island.  Be sure to dodge the feral roosters and hens. They are protected by law just like the famed Key deer. And the chickens are everywhere. For some reason it seems the roosters outnumber the hens about four to one.

You’ll also have to dodge the many scoots, bicycles, bicycle carts, Conch trains, motorcycles, tour buses, tourist pedestrians, fallen coconuts and even an occasional car or truck. At 20 mph speeds of Key West streets we discarded the helmets and leathers that we normally wear religiously and opted for cap, T-shirt, jeans and running shoes.

You’ll hear many languages here. And hopefully the Disney Magic isn’t docked at Mallory like when we were there. The street tourists consisted of parents pushing strollers with three or four raving kids in tow.

Roaming the streets we found a great motorcycle shop in the Bahama section. The brightly colored fence attracted our attention and then we rounded the corner and saw the shop.

The Lower Keys

We took a day exploring the back roads of the Lower Keys (south of the Seven Mile Bridge). There is much more to the Keys than what one typically sees when travelling along US 1.

Bahia Honda Key looks like a great place to camp in the Bahia Honda State Park which occupies most of the island. We didn’t go in, but you can get a good view of the campsites and small marina from the US 1 bridge. The Bahia Honda Bridge, the only simple truss bridge in the Keys, is no longer in use for vehicular traffic. Part of the bridge has become a fishing pier for the State Park. Like all of the old bridges in the Keys it was once used as a railroad bridge by Henry Flagler’s overseas railroad. The railroad was destroyed in the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935. In the late 1930s the bridges were converted to automobile traffic. New bridges have been constructed since the 1970s, but the older bridges have been left in place. Many are used as fishing piers.

We explored out Long Beach Drive on Big Pine Key and saw some interesting residences located right on the Atlantic beach. The lots were expansive and mostly hidden from the roadway; looked like a place we might want to live if we were in the Keys.

Big Pine is also the beginning of the National Key Deer Refuge. The Key Deer are a subspecies of the White-tailed deer and are considered an endangered species. Smaller than their relatives, they stand about 26 inches (female) to 30 inches (male) in the shoulders and weight 45 to 75 pounds. The current population is between 300 and 800. These deer have no trouble swimming from one island to the next and evidently do move quite often. Nancy spotted one in the bushes on one of the back roads.

We explored Big Pine Key first by driving out Key Deer Boulevard to the dead end. On the way back we took a quick look at The Blue Hole, a fresh water pond formed from digging fill to build-up the area roads in the 1930s. The fresh water collects from rain and because it is lighter than salt water it actually “floats” over the deeper salt water layer.

We then headed out to No Name Key and found the No Name Pub. The remote location probably limits the clientele to locals and a few explorers like us. It was mid-day so we didn’t stop for a drink. Crossing a bridge we arrived on No Name Key and found only a few residences on this “spooky” island.

Exploring north on Little Torch Key we only found typical Keys residences and a large bird nest atop a 150 tall pole. Bet the Florida scorpions couldn’t even get in this one.

Middle Torch Key was much more interesting. It is a series of some 16 north then west then north then west zigzags leading out to the dead end nearly 8 miles distant on Big Torch Key. The electricity only reaches out 6 miles and there are a couple of houses at the end evidently using generators and solar power.

Cudjoe Key is the home of Fat Albert, the white aerostat radar blimp that operates under the Drug Enforcement Agency for drug interdiction. It is often seen high in the sky held in place by a tether anchored to the ground. Even though the area is clearly designated as restricted airspace, one small plane hit the tether in 2007 and crashed.

On Lower Sugarloaf Key with an elevation above sea level of 3 feet, we found the old Bat Tower. Constructed by Richter Perky in 1929 it was supposed to cure the mosquito problem prevalent in the Florida Keys. Perky owned a luxury fishing village and built the tower on plans drawn by Nobel Prize nominee Dr. Charles Campbell of Texas. The Hygiostatic Bat Roost, as it was technically called, was stocked with bats. They flew out on the first day and never returned, probably eaten by the mosquitoes. The mosquitoes remained a problem for decades until sprays were used to control them. Today Perky is a ghost town, but the bat tower remains a symbol of plans gone awry.

We toured Big Coppitt Key on Boca Chica Road passing through several small communities including single and double wides. The road ends at a Oceanside beach at the southeastern edge of the Key West Naval Air Station. Bet you can get some good photos of the fighters taking off from this point.

We talked with a Monroe County Sheriff’s Deputy parked here. She told us some of the problems with buying or trying to build in the Keys. There is a ROG (Rate of Growth) restriction and very strict building codes such as heights houses must be built on pilings. Even existing buildings can be required to make expensive upgrades. Fairly basic canal houses begin in the $500,000 range. In the southern Keys older trailers with small attached additions go for $150,000.

The Middle Keys

The Middle Keys tend to be long and narrower than those in the Lower Keys. There are not a lot of back roads to explore.

We explored Sombrero Beach which is located 2 miles off US 1 at the end of Sombrero Road on Marathon. This was a great residential area with good beach facilities, but a little too citified for our taste.

We made a quick loop through Fiesta Key which is actually a motel/RV/campground. I used to stay here when I was a West Palm Firefighter. A number of friends and I would come down, camp-out and fish. I recall it was always packed. This time of year there were only half a dozen RVs.

We used to fish Channel 5 just east of Fiesta. We’d net mullet and fish from the old bridges before they built the new ones. It was probably more dangerous than sky diving or mountain climbing as we would stand on a six-inch wide shelf of concrete curb leaning over the crumbling concrete rail with our poles as cars, buses and trucks whisked by inches away at 60 mph. The mirrors on the trucks and buses were the worst. We’d lean out over the railing to keep from getting smacked and the hubs sometimes threw sparks scraping against the narrow curb that we were perched on. That was not too bad …. what was worse was when we were fighting a 150 pound tarpon and trying to maintain balance. Once a hook pulled and the line came flying back over my head and caught a Greyhound booking along at 60 plus. My fishing reel exploded into pieces.

Fishing on the bridge for these huge silver giants was exciting to say the least. We’d dangle a live 16 inch long mullet on the top of the water and watch the huge tarpon roll up from the depths to take a look. Sometimes they’d take the bait in one swallow and head for the bottom. Count to three, put the real with 100 pound test line in gear and then set the hook. Then hang-on.

I fought one fish that was close to 200 pounds for nearly an hour. Every time he’d get near the bridge he’d go completely under. To keep from losing him we’d play “drop the rod”. A friend would go to the other side of the bridge with a bridge gaff (a 50 foot rope with a large treble hook tied to the end). I would put the reel in free spool to keep tension off the line as my friend lowered the bridge gaff and snagged my line. My friend would then pull up the rope, grab the line, and yell for me to drop the rod. I’d put the reel back in gear and toss the rod into the water. My friend would begin pulling up the line as I ran to the other side of the bridge. I’d then grab the rod when it came up. And the fight was on again.

We had to drop the rod three times on this one fish. The hook finally pulled and he was once again free. No disappointment – it was a fair fight and we both won.
Sometimes a 5 foot long barracuda would come up to take the mullet. We’d have to break-off some of the crumbling concrete rail and throw chunks to drive them off.

I guess fishing the keys is in my blood. Both my father and grandfather spent much time pursuing their passion from the bridges. They mostly fished from the safer catwalks for snapper and grouper.

The Upper Keys

Islamorada, which composes several keys, is a few miles north of Fiesta Key. It is the beginning of the Upper Keys which includes Key Largo and a number of smaller keys only accessible by boat. There are a number of motels and resorts along this stretch of US 1 on Key Largo. This area in the Keys resembles typical commercial areas back on land. Something for everyone here, but (Hint) don’t eat at the Fish Place.

US 1 to Homestead/Miami turns sharply to the northwest at the northern end of Key Largo. An optional route is to take the Card Sound road CR905 to north Key Largo (nothing here in spite of the name on the map) and then take a left onto CR905A (Card Sound Road). There’s not much to see and don’t bother heading farther north to the Ocean Reef Club … it’s just a gated community keeping biker trash out. The Card Sound route ($1 toll) is 26 miles back to US 1 while the more direct route staying on US 1 is 20 miles. If there is a major problem on US 1 a warning sign will alert you to take the Card Sound detour.

There is one attraction on the Card Sound route. Alabama Jacks is a biker favorite stopping place. Located right on the water it has bar, restaurant and live music. Their specialty is conch fritters which Nancy would not even taste. I thought they were good … tough, chewy, fishy tasting conch chunks in a thick, greasy, deep fried, seasoned dough pancake … yum. She wouldn’t talk to me for an hour.

The Everglades

Nancy wanted to see an alligator. Only one place to go, The Everglades!

We motored to Florida City, then headed west on SR 9336 where we saw an oasis in the distance. Large letters atop an open building saying ROBERT IS HERE portends of something special … and it was. Robert is Here is the name of a fruit stand, but it is not your typical roadside market. Robert had a huge selection of fresh tropical fruit from papayas to guavas, jams and jellies galore, fresh vegetables and salad fixings, and a fruit shake stand. Nancy was in heaven.

Robert’s business is truly an American success story. In 1959 when he was 6 years old Robert was ordered by his father to sell cucumbers at the same corner where his business is today. At the end of the first day he had not sold any. The next day his father added signs saying ROBERT IS HERE and all the cucumbers were sold by noon. From there on all Robert knew was success.

Heading farther south and west we passed miles of vegetable fields, fruit groves, and tree farms. Workers swarmed the fields picking and planting in 75 degree winter heat.

We stopped at the Everglades National Park Welcome Center. As I talked to two other riders with Tail of the Dragon stickers on their bikes in the parking lot, Nancy went inside and got the required souvenir hat pin for our collection. Then off into the wilds.

Entrance fees for motorcyclists are $5 per person and for cars $10 even if you have it packed with people. The road here is straight as an arrow with fairly open glades land on each side. Hammocks (wooded areas) dot the scene here and there. At first there is little water and the landscape somewhat resembles a prairie. The speed limit here is 55, but it is hard to maintain that slow pace with no other traffic and no curves.

Farther south we encountered water on both sides of the road. It is somewhat hidden in the trees, but it was along this section where Nancy got to see her first alligator, up close and personal. We were booking along at 65 or so when I suddenly hit the brakes and did a quick U-turn. Just five feet off the pavement were two gators basking in the warmth of the sun. The little one was at least 6 feet and the big boy more like 12 or bigger. Nancy was snapping picts as I stayed ready with the clutch and throttle. These guys were only a few feet away and any sudden lunge was going to prompt me to do my first burn-out.

Then Nancy started to get off the bike to get even closer photos. Knowing that gators can run faster than race horses in short distances I asked her if she had her life insurance paid-up. She decided to stay in the saddle. Nancy always gets what she wants and I had satisfied her request to see a gator up close.

At the southern end of the Glades directly on Florida Bay is Flamingo. Once a thriving tourist destination with motel, store, marina, welcome center and campground, much was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and Tropical Storm Ernesto in 2006. The large concrete Flamingo Lodge still stands, but the interior is completely gutted. The marina has been repaired. The large camping and RV ($16 a night, no hook-ups) areas are neatly kept and just about empty. There are no hook-ups, but bathhouses are available.

We returned to Captain Pips in the darkness of early evening. The Keys roads can get dark so we recommend getting back to where you are staying in the daylight if possible.

THE BIKE AND FISHING
WHERE TO STAY AND WHERE TO EAT
ROADS, PLACES OF INTEREST