MerryPoppins
<font color=coral>I posted around Woo Hooty time<b
- Joined
- Sep 2, 2000
- Messages
- 16,323
Its day 3 of my spring break trip report. Hang on tight for a whirlwind tour of Key West from March 14.
We started out the day with champagne breakfast in bed. Well actually, that is how we were supposed to start the day. We got the champagne breakfast as part of our Romance at Sea package, with the instructions that we could use it any morning we chose. So we filled out the card and put it out the evening before, asking for the breakfast to arrive between 7:30 & 8:00. This was one of the offered times on the card. We got a call at in the morning. It was the kitchen telling us wed have to wait until between 8:00 & 8:30, because the room service wasnt delivering that early that day. I said that would be okay, but it was actually 9:00 before the breakfast arrived. That was a little irritating. I think they need to be clearer about which days and times this special breakfast is available. Having said that, the breakfast was good and we had ordered enough that we shared with the kids.
The late breakfast threw off our plans. No one had wanted to shower and get dressed when room service was expected, so after breakfast there was a mad dash for the bathroom. We got our act together and went to Parrot Cay for a light lunch. I knew that David didnt have a huge breakfast, and I didnt want to spend the whole day feeding him in Key West!
We got off the ship right after lunch with a list of things we wanted to try to do. Key West is an island two miles long and four miles wide. The population of the unconventional island includes about 2000 free-range chickens, descendants of those brought by Cuban settlers in the 1800s. Half of the residents of Key West consider the chickens a nuisance, but the other half fiercely defend this quaint bit of island culture. Many of the Conchs (as residents of Key West are called) feel the chickens are a part of the citys individuality. In the past few years some of the chickens have been exiled to the mainland to the chagrin of their defenders. We saw many of the crowing fowl on our afternoon on the island. Amy still claims that one cocky rooster mooned her. I thought of my friend Yepod.
First stop was for a tour of The Little White House. The building was built in 1890 as duplex officers quarters for the naval station. Thomas Edison lived in the duplex during WWI while doing work for the navy. In 1946, President Harry Truman came to Key West for rest and relaxation. He stayed in the same officers quarters. He liked it so well that he returned for 175 days during his presidency. Its now a state historic site. I couldnt pass this one up since Harry Truman is my distant cousin. I think David got a kick out of seeing photos of his presidential cousin in floral Hawaiian shirts. David lives in Hawaiian shirts in the summer and contemplates moving to the tropics so he can wear them all the time. Our guide told us lots of stories. One was that Harry came down at 7:00 every morning for a shot of bourbon and an orange juice chaser. We got to see the poker table made just for his use. It made me think of my grandmother (his cousin) who loved playing poker. It was a fun tour and very meaningful to my family.
From The Little White House we walked several blocks to the Lighthouse and Keepers Quarters Museum. A lighthouse was originally built on this spot in 1847. The tower was originally 46 feet high and powered by 15 oil lamps with 15-inch reflectors. After the hurricane of 1846 destroyed the original tower, the current lighthouse was built. It was extended to 86 feet. It is the 15th oldest surviving lighthouse in the country. Inside visitors now climb 88 iron steps to the observation deck that affords spectacular views. The kids didnt want to do another museum, so I contented myself with a few photos. Across the street is Hemingways home. A high wall surrounds it, so I couldnt get a good photo. Again, the kids grumbled about how they didnt want to do any museums, so we went on. I couldn't complain since they hadn't complained about my first choice.
We stopped for an afternoon snack in Jimmy Buffets Margaritaville. We decided that a couple of cheeseburgers in paradise to share & margaritas were mandatory. It was fun.
We made a quick stop at the Hard Rock Café gift shop to pick up a hat for Allens friend. Then we headed on to St. Pauls Episcopal Church. The current church was built in 1912 and it was high on Davids list of must-see items. We went in and took some beautiful photos of the stained glass windows. They were getting ready to have a free concert, but we had no time to spare, so we moved on.
We passed by Sloppy Joes, the home of (you guessed it) the sloppy joe. I contemplated another snack, but figured that was going a bit too far, so we turned off on a side street and headed to the Kinos sandal store. Kinos are made on Key West. You can buy them on their web site, but they are much cheaper if you buy directly from the factory store. We went nuts in there! Allen and I got two pairs each. I think Amy and David each bought one pair and I got a pair for my mother. Note if you want to buy a pair: the sandals run smallish!
Leaving the Kinos store, Allen spotted a guy who did tattoos. He announced that he was going to go get one and why didnt I get one too? I said I would if the guy did Mickey Mouse. Guess what? Not a problem. I guess the angel, wild child syndrome rubbed off on me. So Allen got a gecko on his arm and I got Mickey on my ankle. I have the pictures to prove it. Oh, did I mention that it was only a henna tattoo? Mickey is fading away, but he was fun while he lasted. I think Disney is missing out on a good money making venture there. Ill have to send in a suggestion. Bet all the kids on the cruise would love to be sporting a henna Mickey for the week!
We were told not to touch our tattoos for an hour and not to wash for about 3 hours, so we were being very careful. When we got pretty close to the pier, we finally found Del Sol. Amy wanted to buy UV sensitive t-shirts and nail polish. We discovered Del Sol in 2001 on our previous Disney cruise, and the kids really wanted to shop there again. Their shirts from that trip had been real novelties back home. All their merchandise changes colors in the sun. After much deliberation over what to buy we finally headed for the ship and it began to rain. All Allen and I could think of was keeping our tattoos dry and protected, so we were hurrying the kids. Amy got in the middle of a street and slipped on wet bricks. She did the first nose dive of the trip, skinning up her arm and getting all wet and dirty. Luckily, she wasnt hurt too bad, so we bustled onto the ship to change for dinner. The tattoos survived the rain, by the way.
Key West reminds me a lot of New Orleans. Its full of funny, laid-back people who arent afraid to be different. I loved it. I wouldnt want to live there, but Id love to visit again someday. I had every intention of going on deck at dusk to take photos of the crowd in Mallory Square and salute the Key West sunset, but since it was raining I left that for the next trip. My favorite sighting of the day was a fellow sprawled in a doorway with the following sign: I need a beer bad. Please give me money! I thought his approach was refreshingly honest, but I passed him by.
Our dinner tonight was in Animators Palate. They do the show in Animators Palate once a week for each dining rotation. Its one of my favorites. The walls begin the meal in black and white and at the end of the meal they are in living color. Its really not to be missed. I ate baked stuffed tomato, pan-fried veal chop with potato skins, risotto and asparagus, and New York style cheesecake.
After dinner we went to Who Wants to be a Mouseketeer? Our family wasnt chosen. Where are my lucky friends from the angel thread when I need them? It was fun anyway and we quietly answered most of the questions correctly. No one won the free 7-day cruise, but several got some nice ship board credit.
Allen and I went on to the adult cabaret with Rich Purpura. Hes the guy from yesterdays variety show that does magic and comedy. It was a funny show and we laughed ourselves silly. Hes great!
After the cabaret, Allen and I went to Sessions, a quiet bar on the ship where we could relax and visit. A guy named Kenne was playing the piano and singing. He was good.
We then went to a game called Match Your Mate. We were hoping to be chosen to play. Its pretty much like the Newlywed Game. They chose a honeymoon couple, a couple married about 15 years and a couple married for 54 years. The show was very funny and the older couple was so cute! We got a kick out of it. When I heard some of the questions I was sort of glad that they didnt pick us, although it would have been fun to be in the show.
The kids checked out Walk the Plank, a family game show. David thought it was pretty funny to watch the little kids give wrong answers and make the parents walk the plank. I think Amy and David both went to the sail-away party around 9:45 and then they did teen karaoke after that. David also attended the late teen dance. These dances last until about 2:00 each morning, and hes not usually allowed to stay out that late, so he stayed out late every night!
Whew! That was the end of our day in Key West. Day 4 is coming soon.
Edited to add the link to day 4. http://disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=534761
We started out the day with champagne breakfast in bed. Well actually, that is how we were supposed to start the day. We got the champagne breakfast as part of our Romance at Sea package, with the instructions that we could use it any morning we chose. So we filled out the card and put it out the evening before, asking for the breakfast to arrive between 7:30 & 8:00. This was one of the offered times on the card. We got a call at in the morning. It was the kitchen telling us wed have to wait until between 8:00 & 8:30, because the room service wasnt delivering that early that day. I said that would be okay, but it was actually 9:00 before the breakfast arrived. That was a little irritating. I think they need to be clearer about which days and times this special breakfast is available. Having said that, the breakfast was good and we had ordered enough that we shared with the kids.
The late breakfast threw off our plans. No one had wanted to shower and get dressed when room service was expected, so after breakfast there was a mad dash for the bathroom. We got our act together and went to Parrot Cay for a light lunch. I knew that David didnt have a huge breakfast, and I didnt want to spend the whole day feeding him in Key West!
We got off the ship right after lunch with a list of things we wanted to try to do. Key West is an island two miles long and four miles wide. The population of the unconventional island includes about 2000 free-range chickens, descendants of those brought by Cuban settlers in the 1800s. Half of the residents of Key West consider the chickens a nuisance, but the other half fiercely defend this quaint bit of island culture. Many of the Conchs (as residents of Key West are called) feel the chickens are a part of the citys individuality. In the past few years some of the chickens have been exiled to the mainland to the chagrin of their defenders. We saw many of the crowing fowl on our afternoon on the island. Amy still claims that one cocky rooster mooned her. I thought of my friend Yepod.
First stop was for a tour of The Little White House. The building was built in 1890 as duplex officers quarters for the naval station. Thomas Edison lived in the duplex during WWI while doing work for the navy. In 1946, President Harry Truman came to Key West for rest and relaxation. He stayed in the same officers quarters. He liked it so well that he returned for 175 days during his presidency. Its now a state historic site. I couldnt pass this one up since Harry Truman is my distant cousin. I think David got a kick out of seeing photos of his presidential cousin in floral Hawaiian shirts. David lives in Hawaiian shirts in the summer and contemplates moving to the tropics so he can wear them all the time. Our guide told us lots of stories. One was that Harry came down at 7:00 every morning for a shot of bourbon and an orange juice chaser. We got to see the poker table made just for his use. It made me think of my grandmother (his cousin) who loved playing poker. It was a fun tour and very meaningful to my family.
From The Little White House we walked several blocks to the Lighthouse and Keepers Quarters Museum. A lighthouse was originally built on this spot in 1847. The tower was originally 46 feet high and powered by 15 oil lamps with 15-inch reflectors. After the hurricane of 1846 destroyed the original tower, the current lighthouse was built. It was extended to 86 feet. It is the 15th oldest surviving lighthouse in the country. Inside visitors now climb 88 iron steps to the observation deck that affords spectacular views. The kids didnt want to do another museum, so I contented myself with a few photos. Across the street is Hemingways home. A high wall surrounds it, so I couldnt get a good photo. Again, the kids grumbled about how they didnt want to do any museums, so we went on. I couldn't complain since they hadn't complained about my first choice.
We stopped for an afternoon snack in Jimmy Buffets Margaritaville. We decided that a couple of cheeseburgers in paradise to share & margaritas were mandatory. It was fun.
We made a quick stop at the Hard Rock Café gift shop to pick up a hat for Allens friend. Then we headed on to St. Pauls Episcopal Church. The current church was built in 1912 and it was high on Davids list of must-see items. We went in and took some beautiful photos of the stained glass windows. They were getting ready to have a free concert, but we had no time to spare, so we moved on.
We passed by Sloppy Joes, the home of (you guessed it) the sloppy joe. I contemplated another snack, but figured that was going a bit too far, so we turned off on a side street and headed to the Kinos sandal store. Kinos are made on Key West. You can buy them on their web site, but they are much cheaper if you buy directly from the factory store. We went nuts in there! Allen and I got two pairs each. I think Amy and David each bought one pair and I got a pair for my mother. Note if you want to buy a pair: the sandals run smallish!
Leaving the Kinos store, Allen spotted a guy who did tattoos. He announced that he was going to go get one and why didnt I get one too? I said I would if the guy did Mickey Mouse. Guess what? Not a problem. I guess the angel, wild child syndrome rubbed off on me. So Allen got a gecko on his arm and I got Mickey on my ankle. I have the pictures to prove it. Oh, did I mention that it was only a henna tattoo? Mickey is fading away, but he was fun while he lasted. I think Disney is missing out on a good money making venture there. Ill have to send in a suggestion. Bet all the kids on the cruise would love to be sporting a henna Mickey for the week!
We were told not to touch our tattoos for an hour and not to wash for about 3 hours, so we were being very careful. When we got pretty close to the pier, we finally found Del Sol. Amy wanted to buy UV sensitive t-shirts and nail polish. We discovered Del Sol in 2001 on our previous Disney cruise, and the kids really wanted to shop there again. Their shirts from that trip had been real novelties back home. All their merchandise changes colors in the sun. After much deliberation over what to buy we finally headed for the ship and it began to rain. All Allen and I could think of was keeping our tattoos dry and protected, so we were hurrying the kids. Amy got in the middle of a street and slipped on wet bricks. She did the first nose dive of the trip, skinning up her arm and getting all wet and dirty. Luckily, she wasnt hurt too bad, so we bustled onto the ship to change for dinner. The tattoos survived the rain, by the way.
Key West reminds me a lot of New Orleans. Its full of funny, laid-back people who arent afraid to be different. I loved it. I wouldnt want to live there, but Id love to visit again someday. I had every intention of going on deck at dusk to take photos of the crowd in Mallory Square and salute the Key West sunset, but since it was raining I left that for the next trip. My favorite sighting of the day was a fellow sprawled in a doorway with the following sign: I need a beer bad. Please give me money! I thought his approach was refreshingly honest, but I passed him by.
Our dinner tonight was in Animators Palate. They do the show in Animators Palate once a week for each dining rotation. Its one of my favorites. The walls begin the meal in black and white and at the end of the meal they are in living color. Its really not to be missed. I ate baked stuffed tomato, pan-fried veal chop with potato skins, risotto and asparagus, and New York style cheesecake.
After dinner we went to Who Wants to be a Mouseketeer? Our family wasnt chosen. Where are my lucky friends from the angel thread when I need them? It was fun anyway and we quietly answered most of the questions correctly. No one won the free 7-day cruise, but several got some nice ship board credit.
Allen and I went on to the adult cabaret with Rich Purpura. Hes the guy from yesterdays variety show that does magic and comedy. It was a funny show and we laughed ourselves silly. Hes great!
After the cabaret, Allen and I went to Sessions, a quiet bar on the ship where we could relax and visit. A guy named Kenne was playing the piano and singing. He was good.
We then went to a game called Match Your Mate. We were hoping to be chosen to play. Its pretty much like the Newlywed Game. They chose a honeymoon couple, a couple married about 15 years and a couple married for 54 years. The show was very funny and the older couple was so cute! We got a kick out of it. When I heard some of the questions I was sort of glad that they didnt pick us, although it would have been fun to be in the show.
The kids checked out Walk the Plank, a family game show. David thought it was pretty funny to watch the little kids give wrong answers and make the parents walk the plank. I think Amy and David both went to the sail-away party around 9:45 and then they did teen karaoke after that. David also attended the late teen dance. These dances last until about 2:00 each morning, and hes not usually allowed to stay out that late, so he stayed out late every night!
Whew! That was the end of our day in Key West. Day 4 is coming soon.
Edited to add the link to day 4. http://disboards.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=534761
