Two Days in Key West – Day 1

It is our plan to stay in Marathon for at least two weeks. Originally, we had planned to spend a couple of days here at Boot Key, take the boat to Key West, spend a couple of days there and then return to Marathon to continue our travels up the east coast of Florida. However in talking with many other boaters, our plans VERY quickly changed for a multitude of reasons.

1. We would have to travel 40+ nautical miles to Key West and then return back to Marathon in order to enter the Atlantic = 80+ miles @ $4.43 per gallon for diesel fuel = TOO MUCH MONEY!

2. It is still high season in Key West and if we could even get a harbor slip, the cost would be anywhere from $3 to $5 a foot plus an electricity charge per night.

3. If we got a spot in the mooring ball field, the cost would be much more reasonable at $30 per night but this anchorage is quite far from the dinghy dockage area. With the seas being as rough as they have been, we would be soaked by the time we reached shore.

4. We have heard horror stories about dinghies being stolen or slashed and the motors stolen while docked at the dinghy dock area in Key West.

5. It only costs $1 for senior citizens (like us) to ride the bus each way to Key West from Marathon.

SO, we decided that to take the bus and stay in a hotel for two nights would be the prudent thing to do. Bright and early we caught the bus and headed south anxious to finally see and experience the famous Key West. The bus ride was very pleasant and it was great to sit back, relax and enjoy the sights along the way.

We arrived at our hotel and I will confess that I was not happy with our room, its location or the cleanliness of the carpet. I will also confess that I acted like a royal Bitch about it, pouted most of the rest of the day and blamed Captain Mark that we were not able to stay at the Westin. In all fairness to Mark, none of this was his fault, but it did not prevent me from blaming him all the same.

After a drink (or two) and conch fritters at Sloppy Joes, I calmed down to make Mark’s life easier so that we could enjoy the rest of our initial visit to Key West. We were told by several shopkeepers that we were lucky that there was not a cruise ship in the harbor this evening meaning that the streets were not all that crowded with drunks and crazies. HOWEVER, I must say we saw more than enough lewd t-shirts, drunken crazies and nearly naked people to last longer than my lifetime. We made the rounds of all the well known tourist stops and ended the evening at Mallory Square for the sunset experience. We loved the street performers who we both thought were excellent. We totally missed the sunset as we were so enthralled by their performances.

Upon returning to the hotel, having another couple of glasses of wine, soaking in the hot tub and then taking a moonlight swim in the pool, I decided that maybe I could stay in this hotel another day…