Trips and Events
Here are some places that we’ve been to.
These entries, reflect my present recollections of experiences over time. Some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed to protect the privacy of individuals.
The Shore – Lavalette, NJ, Sept 2026
You don’t need to say the “Jersey” Shore. There’s only one. The Shore is 127 miles of Atlantic Ocean ocean-front. It ranges from The North Shore includes Long Branch and Asbury Park of Springsteen fame, through the Central Shore home of Lavalette, Ortley Beach and Seaside Heights, to Long Beach Island where you can find Barnegat Light and Beach Haven. Then on to the Southern Shore which is most famous for Atlantic City and finally you get to the Southernmost Shore where you can visit Ocean City and Cape May.
Being extraordinarily fortunate having been invited as guests of my sister-in-law and brother-in-law, their three adult children and two toddler grandkids, it was a wonderful five-day visit. We were staying at an ocean-front beach house in Lavalette. It was my first time going down the shore. And it was much more than the beach vacation that I imagined it might be. It’s a culture. It’s a generational way of life. My brother-in-law has been doing this since he was a little kid and continues the tradition today. I had a long chat with a local as we were sitting on a bench near the top of a dune on the path down to the beach. She talked about coming here with her grandparents, then as an adult with her husband and kids, but always living full time elsewhere. And now, in her retirement, moving back full time. She has returned to what had always been her real home even though it was just a short seasonal stay throughout her life.
Here are some thoughts, images and remembrances from our visit.
Barnacle Bills Putt Putt Golf – Giant 20-foot Muffler Man holding a putter that is proportionately far too big to the man holding it. The putter is as big as the Muffler Man’s head. The holes have names like The Whale, Straight Shooter, Lookin Up, Dol-phun, Down by the River, Lucky #13 and Ole Barney. One stroke final score win (or defeat if you’re me) thanks to a hole-in-one on the #17 Nice n’ Easy hole.
Benjamin Franklin – An attraction unto itself. Beach toys, chairs and umbrellas. Bright fluorescent lighting. Bungee cords. Ortley Beach and Lavalette T-shirts and hats, beach house décor, hardware, tools. Everything and anything that you need.
Coffee – Just when you thought you had great early morning cup of coffee with your Green Mountain, Dark Magic Kuerig K-Cups, my nephew brings whole bean Peruvian coffee into the house. Back in my carefree youth in the seventies when we talked about Peruvian or Columbian, it wasn’t about coffee. But now, with coffee, there is still the same whispered reverence, ritual and subsequent first sip bliss. He even brought his own travel, hand powered coffee bean grinder. Great to get freshly ground coffee early in the morning without waking everyone up with one of those electric, high-whine machines. Sure, whole bean Peruvian, hand crank ground coffee could be considered a bit pretentious by some, but it’s more than worth it. I don’t mind being pretentious sometimes.
Music Man Singing Ice Cream Shoppe – Not one hundred percent sure what goes on “inside”, but people seemed really excited about going in. Only did the take-out window. Graham Central and Jersey Shore were favorite flavors.
Acme – I love grocery shopping at a store like Acme. Big, sprawling. Seemingly chaotic. There was even a six foot tall by six foot wide display stack of Mallomars in the middle of the floor near the produce section. Mallomars are a bit smaller than they used to be. And the inner packaging is different. But there’s nothing like that crisp pop when you first bite into a fresh one. Kinda like a Sabrett. Got a request from the house to pick up “ice cream”. No specifics. Last minute dash to the freezer section. Running to the checkout counter with one gallon each of Acme store brand, Signature Select, vanilla and chocolate fudge. I passed a guy digging through the frozen vegetables section. He looks up at me and sniggers, “Going generic huh?!” Mocking my selection?! Turned out to be extremely good ice cream and only $3.99 per 1.5 quart container. You can keep your $5-$7 Haagen-Dazs, Edy’s and Bryers. Give me Signature Select all day long!
Boardwalk – Early morning to late afternoon runners, walkers, strollers a few feet from the house. Seaside Heights Boardwalk. Pizza, beers, margaritas, carnival rides, arcade, Midway Steak House. This is the boardwalk of my dreams.
The Beach – The sky. The clouds. The beautiful rolling dunes protecting us from the mighty Atlantic. The Beach Badge Checkers. Enormous seagulls. The occasional swarms of flies. Dolphin and whale sightings. I did not personally see them, but people around me seemed pretty excited and kept pointing in the distance, “See them?! See them?!” I didn’t. Boats in the distance traveling north and south brought to mind several boat deliveries that I did to and from Marco Island, FL and Chatham, MA. We must have passed and gazed upon this very beach many years ago. Our lives being guarded from 9:00 am to 3:30 pm by tanned and fit young people. Red flags. Yellow Flags. Blue Flags. Checkered Flags. Swimmers, waders, surfers, kayakers. The bracing and chilly ocean. Being jostled and caressed at the same time by the relentless waves breaking at thirty yards out. Crashing; “BOOM, BOOM!”. Foaming, receding; “HISSSSS. SHHHHH”. “BOOM, BOOM!” “HISSSSS. SHHHHH.” They kept coming to the shore in waves.
Family Dinners – Lasagna, grilled chicken, burgers and dogs, Salmon with orzo, sweet potatoes with balsamic and feta, picadillo with avocado salad and sangria. Everyone took turns cooking dinner for everyone else. What could be just food and just dinner to some, is transformed into a higher plane of social and spiritual connection with the caring and sharing put into the provisioning, prepping, cooking and serving of a large family meal . The last night’s dinner was take-out pizza from Maruca’s on the Seaside Heights Boardwalk. Three large pies; Cheese, Pepperoni and what was supposed to be mushroom, turned out to be sausage. All very good. However, having had a slice earlier in the week at Little Mia’s, I think that they give Maruca’s a run. Little Mia’s where, if you are diligent and resourceful you can sleuth out an 18” tall wooden Egyptian Anubis statue wearing a Mexican hat standing in between a Lucky Bamboo plant and a blue candle. Some would debate a choice between Big Ed’s Produce or Jerry’s Farm Market (no size indicated). Jerry’s is definitely the place to go for produce if you’re not making the short drive to Acme.
Guitar playing – In the presence of a truly amazing talent (my gifted nephew). Open tuning, evades me. Just like electricity and air conditioning/refrigeration. I sort of understand it at the basic level. Like don’t touch the black wire and any other wire at the same time when the circuit breaker is on. Refrigerant (whatever that is) is compressed through narrow tubing and heat is removed from ambient temperature from the outside air and magically turned into cold air. After that, the details soon soar way beyond my comprehension. Makes my appreciation and awe of a master of the six string guitar all the greater. In the meantime, I’ll just plug in my amp and crank down the air, strum along and sing a happy tune. Makes me I wish I had a 00-18 Martin guitar in the back seat of my car.
Kids – Honored and amazed to witness some incredible parenting and grand-parenting with a couple of very cute, well behaved and engaging toddlers. Old school. No electronic toys or helicopters in sight. Things that I heard; “Poppa”, “potato”, “Uh, oh”, “Mamma” and “Dadda”. From the kids (and occasionally from the adults). These two kids are at the core of all happiness here.
Beach boroughs, communities, townships – Are they all friendly and cooperative, showing symbiotic solidarity, integral parts of a broader “Jersey Shore” collective? Together figuring out how to deal with hurricanes (there is still talk of Sandy fourteen years later) and the Bennies and Shoobies. Can’t live with ‘em… Or could there be an under-the-surface sort of simmering rivalry between, for example, Ortley Beach and Lavalette? Like The Sharks and The Jets, The Montagues and Capulets, Hatfields and McCoys? Jerry and Newman? It was a subject of much discourse throughout the week in the house. I was the only one who seemed to have more of an affinity to Ortley Beach. I even bought the Ortley Beach t-shirt at Ben Franklin’s. Wear your colors proudly my fellow Ortlians! Later in the week someone in the house says, “I love this running Ortley v. Lavalette gag you’ve got going this week.” “What gag?” came the reply.
Overall, here’s how I feel about my first time at The Shore. I have a friend who is a consummate Texan; cowboy hat, boots, big belt buckle and twang. When I first met him, I was absolutely certain that he was a native Texan. I asked where in Texas was he born. “Oh. I wasn’t born in Texas. But I got here as fast as I could and I never left.”
Key West, Old Town – September 2026
We’ve been coming to Key West for many years. My maternal great-grandmother was born in Key West. My maternal great-grandfather was born in Cuba. In Key West they worked in cigar factories. My grandfather was born in Key West in 1915. He, and my great-grandparents moved to Ybor City, following the expanding cigar industry, in 1931. Hemingway was in Key West from 1928 to 1939. My grandfather was born in 1925. So, while he was growing up, he might have been aware of Hemingway in Key West. My grandfather was a fighter, a lover, a dancer, a drinker, played jai-alai, a smoker of cigars… he was a truly Hemingwayesque figure and I don’t think that he knew it. As an adult, after I had been to Key West many times, I asked my grand father if he or my great-grandparents ever owned, or might still own property there. Anything. A garage. An alley way. Unfortunately, his answer was “We always rented.” I also asked him if he would like to go back. I let him know that I’d be more than happy to go back with him for a visit. He said that he would never go back. When I asked why, he said “It’s changed. It will never be the same. I only want to remember it like it was when I lived there as a boy.” Since I first started going to Key West in the eighties, many things have changed a lot. Still, if I bike the back roads or go to the cemetery or even go to some of my favorite places, they have not changed that much. Other places, most specifically Mallory Square and the Sunset Celebration and the view of Tank Island have change too much. I sometimes understand how my grandfather felt about going back. I sometimes feel that I won’t go back again because things have changed too much. But I will keep coming back as long as I can still find those places that are pretty much how I remember them. Those places that still bring back those feelings of when I experienced them almost forty years ago. After this year’s visit, I’m pretty sure I’ll come back, maybe just one more time.
Sunday, 9/20 – Monday 9/21 – Schooner Wharf to La Trattoria
Schooner Wharf Bar – Spent Friday and Saturday at a friend’s house in Miami. Arrived Key West around 1530. Went directly to Schooner Wharf Bar for our traditional immediate first drink upon arrival Schoonerita, their top-shelf margarita. Small in ounces, but pretty good alcohol content. Very tasty margarita. Ordered a Fish Dip app platter. Included very tasty and juicy tomato slices, pickled jalapeno (not hot at all), red onion, romaine, celery. Fish spread was mild and not smoke flavored at all. It was a great mix-n-match of spread and condiments with and without crackers. Solo Irish guitar guy, Mylo O’Maolain was pretty good. The perennial performer Michael McCloud was the main acoustic performer at the Schooner Wharf Bar for over 30 years is no longer there. Retired and moved away in 2023. There are two main areas here. One with tables and umbrellas which seem to be where mostly tourists sit. The other, at the bar, under a roof of sorts, which seems to be where mostly locals sit. Darker and cooler at the bar. There was the usual collection of under-the-radar locals and higher vis tourists. Like the shirtless, sunburned guy wearing shorts was below is expansive beer belly. I guess he can say that he still wears a size 28. They’re just about fourteen inches lower than his actual waste line. Several others who were a little too enthusiastically dancing to “The Brick Layer” song. Of course, the typical island dogs just chilling at the feet of their owners.
Left Schooner Wharf long before we got sunburned, shirtless and wasted and checked into our Vrbo at 715 Whitmarsh Lane.
Stopped at Fausto’s on the way to dinner. Got a bag of ground coffee from Cuban Coffee Queen. A medium roast called Si Mi Amor. It says that it’s supposed to be an espresso coffee, but we used it in the Black and Decker drip coffee maker. Six cups water, three and a half helping table spoons of coffee made a medium taste coffee. Pretty good.
Half Shell Raw Bar – Although this is definitely a tourist place, I still find a feeling of nostalgic serenity being here, especially sitting at a water front table. As with any nostalgia, being here now, calls to mind the first time we came here many years ago and were enchanted by the decor, the walls of license plate, nautical tchotchkes and hand painted menu signs hanging from the ceiling. Still, pretty good service and food.
Our server, Aida (like the opera) was very nice and competent. We were initially sat at an inside table, but a waterfront table opened up within a minute and Aida asked if we would like to move there. Absolutely. St. Michelle Sauvignon Blanc for me, Painkiller for K. The wine was good and the Painkiller better. Good competition to a #3 in BVI. Got the Sampler app; Small shrimp, calamari rings, conch fritters, crab balls. All breaded and fried. Conch fritter had very little, barely discernable conch. The crab balls were very good with a nice amount of shredded crab. Calamari and shrimp cooked nicely, not rubbery at all. Three sauces served. Standard cocktail, pretty tasty marinara and a mustard/mayo/lime sauce which was ‘bland’ per K, but ‘subtle’ per me. One person’s bland is another person’s subtle, I guess.
I think that the best way to do Half Shell is to come a little earlier for Happy Hour for $2 oysters and 50% off apps and other reductions on cocktails.
We didn’t want to overdo so we called it and did not have dessert. Walked back to 715 Whitmarsh via Duval. Stopped at Kilwins and after numerous fudge tastings settled on a Key Lime fudge. Nice subtle (not bland) lime flavor.
Monday, 9/21 Day 2 – 5 Bros. to La Trattoria
5 Brothers Grocery and Sandwich Shop – Cafe con leches, Cuban Toast and an Egg Sandwich. The guy that we’ve seen behind the counter for 40 years was not there. Replaced by a young woman. Turns out to be his daughter. He retired in 2023. Cafe con leches with sugar were absolutely correct. Cuban toast heavily buttered. Bread was warmed, toasted but not pressed just the way that we like it. Traditionally we sit out front; red bench and plastic chairs. A man and a woman were already sitting in the two chairs closest to the door. It’s always a crap shoot as to who you are going to encounter out front. Sometimes a sullen local. Sometimes a tourist. Today, the guy was a non-stop talker. The woman sitting next to him barely got a word in. He’s a highway patrolman in Pennsylvania. He’s also a musician. Just cut an album in Philly and is down here in Key West to do final mixing. His dog, an English Bull Terrrier like the one Gen. George Patton famously had, recently died. As a surprise, his daughter bought him another one. She lives in NYC. He was (or is?) in the Coast Guard as well. His wife couldn’t come with him because she had to stay home and take care of the dog and grandkid. And on an on.
End of US 1, Mile Marker 0 – Happened to pass by US 1’s Mile Marker 0 on Whitehead. Had to stop and take the obligatory tourist photo under the “End” sign. Although it’s right across the street, we have never taken a photo at the “Start” of US 1 Mile Marker 0 sign.
Mel Fisher Maritime Museum – Strolled around Mallory Square and decided to go to Mel Fisher’s Museum. Short video on his story. Very nice presentations on Spanish treasure ships, Spanish politics at the time, hurricanes, treasure, gold, silver, copper, emerald. The Spanish flagship, Nuestra Señora de Atocha sank in a hurricane in 1622. The estimated value of the find in 1985 was around $450 million. About $1.3 billion in 2026 dollars. A major portion of the treasure is still missing. They used to have a silver bar her at the museum that was part of Fisher’s haul. It was in a thick plexiglass case. It had two holes big enough to put your hands through and pick up the bar. Based on the size and location of the holes and the size and weight on the bar, it seemed impossible that you would be able to get the bar out of the case. Until 2003 when someone did. Right in broad daylight when the museum was open. It took several years, but they finally caught the perpetrators. By that time however, only a small portion of the bar was left as they had been hacking off and selling it off piecemeal. They never replaced the case with the bar in it.
Pepe’s Cafe – Went to Pepe’s Cafe for lunch. At 806 Caroline St. Established 1909 claiming to be the oldest eating house in the Florida Keys. Not to be confused with El Meson de Pepe at Mallory Square. Definitely go to Pepe’s Café instead. Inside and outside dining available. Inside seemed a little crowded, so we got an outside table. With a bunch of fans all over the place, it wasn’t hot at all. The main reason that I like coming here is for the black bean soup. It’s got to be in the top three black bean soups that I’ve ever had (or personally made). Plenty of thick cut onions and green peppers and some smaller bits of ham. Served with saltine crackers. I got a cup, but a bowl would definitely do me well for a full lunch. I got the Pepe steak sandwich. Also got the burger, hold the bun, with onion, tomato, lettuce and a side of coleslaw. Burger came out medium as ordered. There is a small bar outside towards the back. It was packed with some very happy patrons. Rustic outside. Inside decor includes a giant original nude of woman with an apple, numerous photos of locals and luminaries alike. While no specific traditional Cuban fare, there is a wide range of delicious sounding meals makes me want to come back often and try everything.
Click here PEPE’S CAFE to see full review on Restaurant Review page.
La Trattoria – Showered, dressed for 7pm reservation at La Trattoria on Duval. Started with Lumache della Nonna. Escargot sauteed with mushrooms, brand, garlic and cream. Very nice balance of flavors.
For dinner, lasagna and chicken saltimbocca. Lasagna was in a rich sauce that you could tell had been simmering for a while. I’ve never had a saltimbocca served with arugula on top of the meat. When I took a bite of the chicken, cheese, prosciutto and the arugula and red onion, it became an elevated saltimbocca like I’ve never had.
Dessert was tiramisu made on site. Mascarpone was very creamy. An after-dinner Americano coffee and a single espresso was great. And a final Banfi grappa topped it all off.
Decor of prints, sketches and photographs seemed to be curated with thought.
Click here LA TRATTORIA to see full review on Restaurant Review page.
715 Whitmarsh Lane – Checked into our Vrbo. Upstairs apartment U. Light, bright clean apartment. King bed, very comfy. Small but well-appointed kitchen. Dinner ware, glasses, pots, pans, utensils, Black and Decker coffee maker. Only herbs/spices was a small set of salt and pepper.
Kino Sandals and Rodriguez Cigar. Side by side. Sandals are made right here in the back of the store. I got a pair, having lost my last pair many years ago at a marina swimming pool somewhere in the Carolinas on a boat delivery. Their sizes are very small and narrow so I needed to go with 13’s. I’ve always got the basic brown sandal. Vinyl instead of leather. No arch support. Just the slightest of heels. Piece of thick white cord to separate the big toe from the rest. Sure they can get pretty uncomfortable with extended wear. But when I wear them at home, I can’t help but feel like I’m back in Key West. I got three cigars from Rodriguez. Robusto’s, medium tobacco flavor, inner filling DR, wrapper Ecuador.
Key West Marine Hardware – Had to stop. Just a few doors down from Pepe’s Cafe. It is a marine hardware store. They’ve got everything that you might need if you have a boat. Trailer parts, fiber glass, epoxy, hose clamps, boat hooks, PFD’s, electric parts, electronics, charts… Knowledgeable counter staff are eager to help. We’ve come here over the years when in need of specific components for our boats. No longer boat owners, walking down aisles and remembering needing, and getting, certain repair parts brought back fond memories of visiting Key West by boat. Made us kind of feel a slight tugging towards the great times we had on our boats, but also reminding us of how much it takes to keep a boat going.
This time, we only needed a couple of those temporary plastic hooks for the Vrbo for K’s hat and purse. Also picked up a can of spray lithium grease for the bathroom door in the bedroom. The top hinge had a very loud and ear-piercing squeak when opening or closing the door, which during the day was fine, but excruciating at night during 2 am bathroom visits.
We love wandering around a good old hardware store wherever and whenever we can and Key West Marine Hardware does not disappoint
End of Day 1 – 2
Tuesday, 9/22 Day 3 – Cuban Coffee Queen to Mallory Square
Southernmost Point. They’ve moved the large cement buoy a couple of blocks away from the original location while they do repairs on the seawall. The temporary location is at Duval Pocket Park (1400 Duval Street). There’s usually a long line to take a photo in front of the buoy. Early in the morning, not too much of a wait or jockeying for a shot without someone else in the photo. I like to go around back and take a selfie there. No writing or indication of what it is, but there’s no line and you know what it is. Also, added bonus if you get the long line of people waiting to take a photo in front of the buoy as part of your selfie. The original location of the buoy is at 24° 32.805′ N, 81° 47.765′ W at the intersection of Whitehead and South Street. For those more left-brained people, the actual southern most point of the continental United States is actually 10 miles away on Ballast Key (24° 31’15.9” N, 81° 57’49.5” W) an island a little to the southwest. On the island of Key West, there is a point that a little further south than the famous buoy, but it on Navy property at Truman Annex and not generally accessible to the public. But, to heck with all of the left brainers. Nothing beats having a couple of beers at the Green Parrot and then riding your bike down to the big cement buoy and dream-gaze across The Straights and imagining that your next drink, a Papa Doble at El Floridita in Havana.
The Laundromat Cafecito – This is my favorite place to get a cafecito early in the morning next to a laundromat. It’s at 1222 White St. The official name of the place is The Best Coffee in Town. But there’s really no signage here. While Sandy’s Café, a little after north on White, is also next to a laundromat, I’m partial to walking up to the little window at the corner of Unite and White. I first found this place many years ago by accident. It was early in the morning, probably just dawn. Everyone else was still asleep. I decided to go out for a bike ride. Streets were deserted. Peaceful time just wandering around. Then I just happened on to this place. Been coming back for years.
We had two cordatitos and a couple of guava pastries. Excellent! Back to 751 to beat the downpour. Had a lunch of leftovers from last night’s dinner at La Tratorria.
Green Parrot – We tried the Chart Room. It was 4:30 and they said that they would not open until 5 pm. Did not want to wait, so on we went to the Green Parrot. Did not disappoint. Good as ever. New, 5-year-old parachute above the bar. My traditional shot of Jameson and beer for me. Miller Light draft for K. Great time! The Green Parrot is a great live music venue. There is always a mix of locals and tourists there but the vibe is absolutely “Key West”.
Cuban Coffee Queen – Started the day at Cuban Coffee Queen. I got a cafecito and we both got Cafe con leches and split Cuban toast with guava and cream cheese. Cafecito was very good. Strong. Cafe con leches a little too light, especially after the strong cafecito. The guava on the toast was more like a guava cream cheese. I was expecting cascos de guava. We took our coffees down to a bench at the end of Grinnell St. next to the ferry terminal. Nice place to have your coffee and Cuban Toast especially early in the morning.
Captain Tony’s – This has been a tentative “must return to” list item for years. Will definitely take it off my list for good this year . While the drinks have always been a little light and the live music not so good, the draws for me have always been 1) It used to be the original Sloppy Joe’s. Legend has it that Hemingway helped relocate the bar from the Capt. Tony’s location to it’s current location just around the corner on Duval. But the dates are a little off. The bar might have moved a few weeks before Hemingway returned to New York from Spain. 2) The bar’s charismatic and one time mayor of Key West name sake owner, Captain Tony Tarracino 3) You can smoke at the bar, 4) There are decades worth of things hanging from the ceiling (i.e. prosthetic leg, hundreds of bras and bikini tops, license plates, tens of thousands of one dollar bills, and more). 5) You’ve also got “The Hanging Tree” in the bar. A holdover from when the property was supposedly used for public hangings and a morgue. And 6) the barstools have names of famous people painted on them indicating which stool was sat upon by said famous person. I liked to always track down Walter Cronkite’s stool, but it was taken this time. Al Pacino was open.
However, this visit, the drinks seemed even lighter and the live music even worse. I got a traditional rum and coke which tasted like a coke. We got a Painkiller which tasted like fruit juice. Captain Tony’s has lost it’s charm for me. If you go, please track down the prosthetic leg.
Back to 715 for dinner. Picked up some Yellow Tail Snapper at Eaton Fish Market. Baked. Reheated the leftover green beans and potatoes from last night’s dinner at La Tratorria. Paired with Francois Montand blanc de blanc sparkling brut from France. Excellent much needed light dinner. Then on to…
Mallory Square Sunset Celebration – After dinner, made it to Mallory Square right before sunset. One of my favorite movie depictions is in Running Scared with Billy Crystal and Gregory Hines. Today was a big difference from the scene in Running Scared or when we first started coming to sunset celebrations on Mallory Square. Whether it was due to the season or the fact that we were there on a weekday, hardly anyone or any performers were there. We did see the retired Cat Man, Dominque, just wandering around. No cats.
The way that it used to be… Reminisced back when we first started coming to Key West and Mallory Square docks were still asphalt/concrete. The Cookie Lady rode her bike weaving through the shoulder-to-shoulder crowds selling her home made cookie, sing-songing as she slowly pedaled by “If you’re going home in a car, a chocolate cookie will go far” and “If you’re going home on a bike, a fudge bar is what you’d like”. Of course, Dominque and His Flying House Cats. An exact replica of a circus lion and tiger show, but with house cats. Dominique encouraging his cats in his falsetto voice, “Jockee, Pigee!” and managing the large crowd, “Behind the line behind the line behind the line! Stopppp!” The various low-wire balancing acts, juggler, escape artists, sword swallowers, 12-year-old violin prodigy and many other musicians.
But, the absolute top attraction for me was Franco the Strong Man. He started his act by balancing stuff off on his chin and forehead; a coke bottle, a coke bottle on a straw, a bicycle, a car tire. The finale was him loading up a shopping cart with a car tire and bicycle and absolutely lifting the loaded cart and balancing it with the front axle on his chin.
Of course, at actual sunset, everything would stop and all would look across at Tank Island (now Sunset Key. High end residential) and beyond to see and celebrate the sun setting, making the end of another glorious day and the start of another adventurous wild night to come.
End of Day 3
Wednesday, 9/23 Day 4 – Chart Room Day
Woke up to heavy rain. Drove car to Fausto’s for dinner provisions. Scary driving the car in Key West. Normally, if we do drive here, we park it and either walk or get around by biker. Lots of one-way streets. Not a big deal if walking or even biking, but it is a big deal in a car.
Made breakfast of scrambled eggs with leftover steak from Pepe’s steak sandwich. Also used the raw onion from K’s Pepe burger. Toasted half of the hoagy roll from the steak sandwich. Sauteed the onion with the sliced-thin steak, added to the eggs. Delicious breakfast.
Still raining, although lightening up a little. K suggested to get ahead of things and go ahead and make dinner. Did. Picadillo and black beans. Picked up frozen Goya platanos maduro as well. Also, made sangria early to let steep in the orange, lemon, lime, cinnamon, simple syrup and maraschino cherries.
Stopped raining around 1230. Biked over to Conch Republic Seafood Company. Very tasty starter of Baked Oysters Callaloo. Like Oysters Rockefeller but with callaloo instead of spinach. Drizzle of mayo dressing. Got the Island Salad with greens, mango, pineapple, tomato, cucumber and plantain chips. Added grilled mahi. Homemade vinaigrette dressing. Also got the crab cakes. Also with the same mayo drizzle as the oysters. Both dishes were good. We came here years ago with our grandson, Aiden and got a trio of pretty creative seafood dishes for dinner. Previously noted tourist place. Pretty good service. Harbor views. But, just serviceable. Would definitely come back if we had a large group to feed, but it’s certainly not worthy of a “must do list”.
Kermits – Strolled around a bit and wound up at Kermit’s Key Lime Shoppe. Excellent Key Lime pie. Very good piece of frozen pie on a stick dipped in dark chocolate. A ton of very good cookies (tasting encouraged).
Back home to cool off and rest. Heated up dinner around 6pm. Very good! I’ll come back to this place any time! Picadillo, black beans, platanos and delicious sangria!
However, every time that we’ve visited Key West since then, it’s been a stop. This place is a small bar. A real bar bar. Photos and stickers everywhere. Burgees and charts on the ceiling. Nothing fancy here. Beer, rum, whiskey, vodka, gin drinks. No foo-foo drinks although I was able to snag an Espresso Martini for K. For me, two fingers of Mount Gay and a back of club soda with a lime wedge.
Amazingly, you can still have a hot dog, popcorn and peanuts in the shell included in the price of your beverages! This is a place to share stories of the day or from thirty-years-ago. Boat deliveries, midnight pickups past the twelve-mile mark. Planning the next big adventure or celebrating having made it back to The Chart Room from the last one. Just like a couple of sailors did many years ago when they safely delivered a boat from St. Pete to Stock Island and recounted their adventurous boat delivery beating all odds against them.
The Chart Room – After dinner we went to The Chart Room Bar at the Pier House Resort and Spa. Bike parking way in the back. Follow the signs to The Chart Room Bar. Opens from 5pm until midnight. This place has a storied past, including the likes of many noted locals as well as Jimmy Buffet.
We first heard about it many years ago when we were hired by a couple to move their recently purchased sailboat from St. Pete to Stock Island. It was a pretty grueling trip with storms, engine going out at 2am and had to replace the fuel filter in high, full on-the-bow seas. When we finally got the boat into the slip, they told us about The Chart Room. I was unaware of its storied past until many years later.
Chart Room stays on the “Key West Must Do” list with a bunch of exclamation points!!!
Back home for dessert of mango sorbet and dark chocolate Milanos. Great way to end such a great day!
End of Day 4
Thursday, 9/24 Day 5 – Ft. Zachary Taylor Park Beach
Harpoon Harry’s – No rain forecast for the whole day. Went to Harpoon Harry’s for breakfast. Had the 2-2-2. Actually, the 2-3. Two pancakes and three strips of bacon. Pretty good, but no Blue Heaven. Also had the Banana Waffle. Good waffle, banana slices on top, not baked into the batter. Again… Coffee was okay. Nice diner vibe. Very good server.
Ft. Zachary Taylor State Park – Fort and Beach. We went to the beach. Taking a tour of the fort is a very nice experience. Guided tour at 1100. We’ve been before, but decided to pass on the fort this time. While buying tickets ($2.00 per person walking or biking) the park ranger said that it was a beautiful day today at the beach. Green Flag! “They said that if they had two green flags they would but them both out!” She wasn’t kidding. It was a spectacular day at the beach. We got a picnic table right at the edge of the beach but still under the pine trees. Had to walk across ten feet or so of rocks right before you got to the water. Luckily, I had my Kinos. However, remember to bring beach shoes next time because there were still rocks for about ten feet once you got into the water. The water was nice. Cool but not cold. Gets deep pretty quick and we were soon over our heads. Just dove under. Swam a little. Floated and looked up at the circling frigatebirds. Back to the picnic table. Read a little. Got hungry. Left in search of food.
Old Town Tavern – For lunch, we went to the Old Town Tavern on Olivia and Duval. We’ve been here a couple of times before. All visits here found great service, good creative food, excellent drinks and, even in spite of the large screen sports tv’s, a very nice vibe. Absolutely will add to the “must return to” list. Rueben egg rolls; thin sliced corn beef, cabbage in just crisped egg rolls served with thousand island dipping sauce. A little of a kick. Not sure from what. Blasphemous discussion of possibly serving these for next St. Paddy’s Day.
I had the Blackened Cauliflower Wrap. Blackened cauliflower florets, black bean hummus, red cabbage, tomatores, spouts, peppers and a citrus vinaigrette for dipping. Nice big tasty wrap. Excellent taste combo.
Moscow Mule and Kir Van Blanc as paired beverages. While waiting for the food we found some Bloody Mary menus and pencils on the table. Had to try. House vodka, Zing Zang mix, pickle spear, olives and sausage. Pretty tasty.
First Flight – Back to 751 Whitmarsh for cooling off and short rest before heading out again. Closed out this Key West trip at First Flight, 301 Whitehead St. It used to be Kelly’s owned by Kelly McGillis of Top Gun fame. Historically, this building used to be the first Pan Am offices (1927). I was looking for a Key Lime Margarita that I had here in years past. I remember it being a creamy drink. I sort of replicated this drink at home by adding some condensed milk to one of my classic margaritas. Today’s Key Lime Margarita was not creamy and actually a little too tart. But I did see a creamy vodka drink further down on the menu which used a vanilla cream as an ingredient. I asked the bar tender about the ingredient. Asked to taste it. Then asked if she could put some in my existing Key Lime Margarita. She did. Worked out well. Sort of what I remember. But my condensed milk margarita at home was more to my liking. We’ve only had happy hour drinks and apps here. The outside bar and dining area has a very nice, plush, shady vibe. Perfect place to wind down the day.
Back to 751 for last dinner. Leftover picadillo, plantains and black beans. Also finished off the sangria. For dessert we finished off the cookies and the rest of the mango sorbet.
And so came to a close our most recent visit to Old Town Key West. So far, it still does not disappoint. Still brings back a flood of memories from previous visits. Still has that Key West Vibe going if you can catch that wave. Until next time!
Paris – An Edible Exploration through Paris, City of Light – Edible Destinations by Epitourean – June 2026
We went to Paris (our first time) through Edible Destinations by Epitourean. The tour included six nights stay at the Hôtel Résidence Henri IV, 50 Rue des Bernardins, in the fifth arrondissement, the Latin Quarter, a tour guide and five scheduled food centered experiences.
The accommodations at the Residence Henri IV, were extremely nice and well appointed. Twenty-four hour service at the front desk was extremely professional, polite and helpful by each person who was at the front desk.
Only once, on the first day, did we take advantage of the continental breakfast that was included with the package. The food was serviceable. The breakfast area was small and felt crowded. The coffee was not good. However, the coffee from the Nespresso machine in the room was pretty good. But the breakfast at the hotel could not complete at all with any of the very nearby boulangeries which we visited daily.
The room was very clean, bed and pillows comfortable. Shower and bathroom clean, great water pressure and fast hot water. Small kitchenette with stove top, microwave, sink and refrigerator was good for storing and reheating leftovers.
Cooking Experiences -There were five planned experiences. All were very good, but a couple (Le Foodist and The Left Bank Walking Tour) were better than the others.
1. French Croissant Class – Maison Fleuret
This was the perfect way to start our cooking tour. Not too long, excellent hands-on experience and incredibly delicious results. Our instructor, Mai, was very good, friendly and extremely knowledgeable about baking. There were only seven of us in the class so it was very nice from a Q&A perspective with Mai.
2. Cooking Class at La Cuisine Paris
This was a very nice experience with high quality food. Phillipe was our chef and our street guide as we went to various nearby shops to get the ingredients for our dinner. Phillipe was extremely personable and knowledgeable. There was quite a bit of hands-on prep work, but Phillipe did most of the actual cooking. The end result dinner of duck breast, Hasselback potatoes, salad and chocolate soufle was delicious. We were provided a pdf with the recipes of all of the things that we had.
Menu included cheese course, Duck Breast in Greenpepper sauce, salad, potatoes Hasselback and souflee! And of course, champagne and wine.
3. Food Market Tour & Cooking Class | Gourmet Lunch & Wine at Le Foodist
If you only had time for one cooking class in Paris, I would highly recommend this place. There was a very good amount of hands-on prep and hands-on cooking with not only very knowledgeable and helpful “how to” but also “why” we were doing things. I took away a lot more practical, general cooking knowledge from the class than I did from the first one we went to.
Our chef and street tour guide was Frederic. He was extremely personable, engaging and was a great instructor. Our proposed menu was a mushroom first plate and a main plate of salmon with a beurre blanc sauce and ratatouille. Before we left to go shopping, Frederic asked if everyone was okay with the menu. A couple of people did not want the salmon nor the mushrooms. For those two or three people, Frederic substituted cod and asparagus. What a great example of his hospitality and flexibility to pivot like that on the fly. Dessert was homemade vanilla ice cream. Unfortunately, we never received the actual recipes for this dinner. I’d still like to get the recipes.
Not a lot was pre done so we felt like we were actually making the stuff right then and there. The oven was right there in the room with us. We put our names on the parchment paper so we got to eat the exact things that we each personally made. Our final products, croissants and pan de chocolate, were excellent. Some of the best that I’ve had (even at a couple of great boulangeries that we went to in Paris).
4. Left Bank Culinary Walking Tour
We walked to several shops for baguettes, cheese, chocolate, fruit and wine. Finally winding up at the Marche Saint-Germain wine shop, Bacchus et Ariane, where we partook of all that we gathered. We had six cheeses and three wines. Romain, who was a cheese monger in a previous time, gave us detailed information on each cheese and wine.
5. Scenic Seine River Dinner Cruise – Bateaux Parisiens
Sharing time with our fellow tour mates and seeing the beautiful sites of the city from the Seine was memorable. The food, not so much. This was our farewell event. A dinner cruise on the Seine. If we were just on a regular “tourist” type of tour, this would have been okay (at best). But this being a “culinary” tour, this dinner cruise just didn’t seem to fit in with the rest of the week. The quality of the food on the boat could not compare at all with the any of the great culinary experiences we had throughout the week (both those provided by Edible Destinations and those that we had on our own time).
From a culinary perspective, this was a bit of a letdown. It was standard fare. The food and service could have been from any touristy-like dinner experience anywhere else in the world. Everyone on the tour had to agree to the same thing (entree, main plate and desert) before we boarded. We went along with the general consensus, but I really would have made different selections. The one glass of champagne and the couple of glasses of wine were okay.
If you only could do one culinary experience in Paris, this would be it. This was by far the absolute best experience provided by Edible Destinations! Our guide Romain, was very charismatic and knowledgeable. He had a great passion for the food and the area that we walked through. He was previously a cheese monger.
I felt that I got a lot of practical knowledge about cheese and wine that I could use when I got back home. And Romain sent a list of everything that we had! It was great that there were only six of us on this walking tour.
My Overview of…
An Edible Exploration through Paris, City of Light
Tour Host – Philippe – Phil was very good. Communication via WhatsApp was excellent. I liked that he took photos at the events and sent them to us. He stuck around at the beginning and end of each event to make sure that we got there and could find our way back. Although he did interact with some of the chefs and Romain, I did not feel that he was intruding on their gigs.
Communication – In general, for the most part, email communication was pretty good from initial booking to end of tour.
Pacing / Free Time – I liked the free day and the free time in general that was built into the tour. I thought that it was a very good mix of scheduled events and free time. I never felt rushed at all.
Value for Dollar Spent – I am a very big believer in “value for dollar spent”. If something costs a lot of money, if I’ve had a good experience, I quickly forget about the cost because the good memories of the experience far outweigh the memories of what it cost.
Even when something doesn’t cost a lot of money, if I don’t have a good experience, I feel bad about having spent even a small amount of money on it.
I think that this tour gave me a good “value for dollar spent”.
Cuba – 2016 – Part 1 – Getting There
A couple of friends of ours were keeping their 2011 Hunter 45 Deck Salon at the Sarasota Yacht Club. The yacht club sponsored a sailing regatta from Sarasota to Havana, Cuba in April of 2016. Our friends invited us to join them. The crew consisted of the two owners of the boat, their adult daughter and the both of us.
It was a different time for Cuba and US relations back then. The US president, at the time, in March, had made the first visit of a sitting US president to Cuba in 88 years. Things seemed to be easing up a little between the two countries.
We were the only ones of the crew who had done the kind of longer distance, overnight sailing trip that this regatta required. We did quite a bit of prep work. We went over shift schedules, provisioning, of course all of the legal requirements required to go to a foreign country, especially one like Cuba and we also did a practice overnighter sailing in the Gulf of Mexico from Sarasota to a point south until after midnight, then turning around and coming back to our berth in Sarasota.
Monday 4/4 – 0735 Lat 25 29.647N 082 40.26 W 90nm due east of Cape Sable. 33nm from Light Tower. COG 190. SOG 5 kph. WNW winds 6. Seas 3-4, occasional 6’s. Rocking and rolling. 1330 at Lighted Tower. Underway from Venice Inlet approximately 24 hours. SOG 5 kph. Winds 6. Seas confused, choppy, 4′ swells, 2 sec intervals. 24 57. 524N 82 44.394W. 1440 Put three 5 gallon Jerry Cans of diesel into tank while underway. 111 nm to go to Marina Hemingway (approximate 22 hours).
Tuesday 4/5 0100-0400 Dodged numerous tankers. A little tense, but with AIS and Watch Crew’s diligence we made it through. AIS mandatory for this crossing. 1045 we arrived at approach buoy to Marina Hemingway channel 23 05.400N 82 30.600 W. Underway from Venice Inlet for 45 hours. 1047 into channel. Entered well marked channel. Large black diamond day mark at end of channel. Went to port and tied up at a very long side-to dock with blue buildings.
Dollar, CUC, CUP – CUC is the Cuban Convertible Peso. One CUC is equivalent to one US dollar. However, there is a hefty exchange and service charge so that we got 87 cents on the dollar. Some places will take US dollars, but primarily, for tourists, you will have to pay in CUCs. Locals primarily use the CUP (Cuban Peso) for their day-to-day purchases. 24 CUPs is equivalent to 1 CUC/1 US Dollar. So, 1 CUP is equal to around 4 cents. Credit cards issued by American banks are not accepted anywhere in Cuba.
Hotel entertainment – On most nights there was some sort of live entertainment at the stage near poolside. One night it was a magician and acrobats. Then there were the scantily clad dancers interspersed with male and female torch singers. Then there was the aqua ballet that took place around and in the pool. All included in the price.
Wednesday 4/5 – Private tour of Havana. My friend in Tarpon Springs, gave me a contact for someone to drive us around in Havana. On the way over, the crew talked about how we would get in touch with a private taxi once we got to Havana. Fortunately, I was able to use a line I’ve wanted to say all my life “Don’t worry. I got a guy in Havana.” At the time he was on of the featured starts on the Discovery Channel program, Cuban Chrome. A series about how Cubans keep their old 50’s classic cars running. Our driver met us at the hotel in his 53 Olds (Korean Kea engine) and took us on a private tour of Havana for an entire day. Because he may not be fully licensed yet to take tourists around, we were told that if we were stopped and questioned by the police, we were to say that my wife and I were the parents of the wife of our driver’s brother’s son who lives in the US. I wish that I had time to put together a more detailed back story, but, he told us this while we were well on our way to Old Havana. And we would need the story soon.
Quinta Avenida – Our route from the marina to Havana took us down Quinta Avenida (5th Avenue). Many large homes are on this path. Many have been converted to embassies for foreign countries. Also on this street is the Cuban equivalent of Big Ben and a Coney Island-like park. This is also known as the Presidential Boulevard in that this is the street that Fidel used to travel from his Revolution Square offices to and from his home. Because of this, for security reasons, there are few, if any, stop lights, police at every intersection and a strictly enforced minimum speed limits (no less than 60K in the right lane and no less than 80K in the left). We were actually pulled over for going too slow (40K). Here’s how we were “pulled over”. As we approached an intersection, a policewoman put out her hand. Our driver immediately pulled over to the center island of the intersection where the policewoman was standing. She asked for paperwork and called someone on here cell phone. I frantically tried to remember who’s parents of which one of the driver’s relatives in the states we were supposed to be. We all stayed silent and looked straight ahead, never making eye contact with the policewoman. She gave our driver his paperwork back and told him to drive faster the rest of the way to Havana.
Almuerzo – For lunch, we went to a paladar (a privately owned restaurant) called the La Taberna de Pescador. It is a small restaurant of about a dozen tables located at Calle San Ignacio, No. 260 e/ Amargura y Lamparilla. We had the octopus and ropa vieja. All of the food was very good and our server, Rolando, was great as well. On average, lunch dishes were around 11 CUCS. Good value for the quality.
WAYPOINT LIST TO MARINA HEMINGWAY
- Venice to Lighted Tower just north of Dry Tortugas 24 56.10N 82 44.57W 126 nm
- Lighted Tower to Dry Tortugas
24 43.51N 82 43.84W 17nm - Dry Tortugas to Rebecca Shoals
24 27.20N 82 46.88W 26nm - Rebecca Shoals to Marina Hemingway Approach buoy
23 05.40N 82 30.60W 65nm
Checking in with Guarda Frontera – 1050 tied up at Custom’s Dock. 48 hours underway from SYC slip to Custom’s Dock. 1110 Dr. Pedro took our temperatures. All within specs. Heard of another boat where one person was running a slight fever and they were told that they would have to stay in quarantine until fever dropped. They decided to head back. 1116 Guarda Frontera, 19-year-old Ernesto asked how many people onboard. Went back to office. Captain went to office with paperwork. Then, each person (two at a time) went into office to have passport stamped and photo taken.
Marina Hemingway – On to slip at Marina Hemingway (about five minutes) Side-tie. Visited by two additional inspectors and we were free to leave the boat. Our slip was about one minute walk to the pool bar of the Hotel Acuario which is right on the property of the Marina Hemingway docks. Music was playing almost non-stop at the pool from afternoon until after dark. If you are staying at the hotel, all food and drink are included in the price. They give you a wrist band to denote that you are staying at the hotel. Initially, we stayed on the boat, we could still get drinks at the pool bar for 1 CUC tips. They did take US dollars before we exchanged our money into CUCs.
Hotel Acuario – We eventually got a room at the Hotel Acuario for a few nights. Captain reserved the rooms and pre-paid with credit card a few weeks prior through a third party reservation company while still in the US. We also stayed at a house on the property for one night as our rooms were not ready. The house we stayed in for one night was luxurious. Pool in the courtyard. Full kitchen. Beautiful! It was like something you would see in a Miami Vice episode. The hotel rooms were adequate and clean. Maid service every day. Air conditioning worked great. In-room mini fridge. TV with local and international channels. Bathrooms were clean. We had a hot water issue in our room (no hot water) that never got fixed. But, the other rooms were fine.
The all-inclusive food was served cafeteria style. There were flies around, so I avoided any of the open served food. There was an omelet station that was good. Service was slow. Things like napkins, cups, plates and some food items were frequently scarce until they were finally replenished. We did have a private lobster dinner one night. The lobster and service were very good. Wine, not so much good.
In general, the service at the hotel was mostly slow, inefficient and inconsistent. It seemed that many of the hotel workers appeared overwhelmed at the demands (that were normal based on US standards) placed on them. Some of the hotel employees spoke some English, but to get anything done a little quicker or more accurately, speaking a little Spanish helped greatly.
We drove along the Malecon to the center of Old Havana. We visited Plaza Vieja, Plaza de la Catredal where we was the Cathedral of Saint Christopher; Plaza del San Francisco, where we saw the Basilica Menor de San Francisco de Asisi, and the famous bronze statue of The Gentleman from Paris, a rather eccentric character who wandered the streets of Havana in the Fifties; and the Plaza del Armas. We wandered the streets and went into some small t-shirt/souvenir shops. Because we were with a Discovery Channel star of Cuban Chrome, we were stopped frequently with people wanting to have their photo taken with him.
La Plaza Vieja – There were street caricature artists who followed us around and did small (5X7) caricature drawings as we walked or sat at a cafe and had coffee. They did these without request and would then just try to hand them to us, or in the case of when we were at the cafe, simply put the drawings on the table. Of course, they were expecting some kind of gratuity. They weren’t bad, but it became a little too much of in-your-face pushiness. A simple “No thank you.” or “Gracias, pero no quiero” seemed to work. Again, don’t make eye contact or they’ll glom onto you. A great cafe that we stopped at after lunch was the Cafe Escorial in La Plaza Vieja. Excellent coffee and pastries!
Club Nautico Internacional Hemingway – Back to the marina. As part of the Sarasota Yacht Club Regatta to Cuba, we were invited to a reception at the Club Nautico Internacional Hemingway. There were apps and drinks and dancing and a rousing, passionate welcome speech by Commodore José Miguel Díaz Escrich. There was also a surprise announcement by Commodore Escrich that there would be an impromptu international regatta made up of Cuban, Spanish and American sailboats on Saturday.
Morro Castle Regatta – The race would start at the mouth of the Rio Almendaras and go the the red channel marker at the entrance of Havana Harbor, just west of El Morro Castle; a single, six-mile course. It was beam reach in 20 knots of wind all the way. We executed a perfect jibe around the red buoy turn at El Morro! It was an exciting race! And of course, there was a post race reception at the Club Nautico Internacional Hemingway that night. Roasted whole pig, lobster, live music, inspiring speeches, presentation of awards; a great night!
End of Part 1
Cuba – 2016 – Part 2 – The Official Tour
- Hotel Ambos Mundos – Heminway stayed here before buying Finca Vigia.
- La Floridita – Hemingway’s favorite bar in Havana. He came here to drink daiquiris. There is a life size bronze statue of Hemingway at the end of the bar where is always sat. His signature drink when he was here was called a Papa Doble which consisted of about four ounces of rum, fresh lime and grapefruit juice in a blender with shaved ice. I had one there. Of course took the obligatory photo with Hemingway’s statue. However, as Yogi Berra said, “Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded.” One obligatory visit is necessary. Might return early in the day or late at night to avoid turistas.
- Sloppy Joes – Beautiful old-school bar. Nothing like, and no connection to the Sloppy Joe’s in Key West. Kind of bar you can stay for awhile. In it’s day, it was frequented by the internationally famous and infamous.
Official Tour – We were toured around for three days with TCG Travel, a professional tour company. Our main tour guide was Alex. We traveled around in a very nice air-conditioned bus. Alex’s presentations were about 50% historic and 50% pro-Revolution. All in all, very nice. At one point, one of our group asked Alex some very pointed political questions which Alex responded to in a fairly honest manner, while not showing any signs of distinct criticism of the government. Here are some tour high lights…
- Christ of Havana statue – 66 foot tall statue of Christ blessing the city. Incredible view of Havana from here. You can also see Che’s house which is on the grounds of La Cabana Fortress.
- La Cabana Fortress – Built in 1744. Third largest in the Americas. Next to Morro Castle
- La Finca Vigia – Hemingway’s home in Cuba from 1939 to 1960. He wrote For Whom the Bell Tolls and The Old Man and the Sea there. Beautiful sprawling property. Things here are pretty much as he left them when he left the island for good in 1960 including his daily recording of his weight written on the wall of his bathroom next to his bathroom scale. His boat, Pilar, is kept here. His posthumously published book, Islands in the Stream, contains vivid descriptions of the house and his life in Cuba.
- Coctel Vigia (Guarapo) – There is a little drink stand near the entrance to Finca Vigia. The drink is called a Guarapo. It is made with juice from freshly pressed sugar cane, lemon, pineapple and Havana Club 7 Year. Very tasty and refreshing.
- Cojimar – The small fishing village where Hemingway kept his boat. This village and his captain was the background and inspiration for The Old Man and the Sea. A monument to Hemingway is here. A bust that was made by the local fisherman by melting down old boat engines when they heard of his death in the US. Nice paladar here. Would love to spend the day, but the tour moved us through pretty quickly.
- Hotel Nacional – The hotel was opened in 1930 and is of grand architecture of that era. In it’s time, it hosted many guest of international renown including actors, sports stars, musicians and organized crime. Even now, many superstar guests have come here. It’s definitely another place that I’d love to spend a day or two. It’s amazing to be in the same place where so many of the famous, and infamous walked the halls, grounds, overlooked the ocean and had mojitos on the veranda.
- La Corona Cigar Factory – Government owned factory rolling cigars for some of the famous Cuban brands. No stranger to cigar factories, there was nothing new for me to see here. However, it was extremely impressive to see so many rollers at one time. Several rollers offered to cell a bundle of cigars on the side for 10 CUC. Great deal, but I was a little concerned about the security cameras all over the place and I didn’t want to end up in a Cuban jail for buying cigars illegally. Unfortunately, photos were not allowed in the factory.
- El Laurel Restaurant – 5ta ave. #26002 e/260 y 262, Santa Fé Playa. A short walk from Marina Hemingway. Excellent food, service and a great view overlooking the water. Up to US standards. Will go back.
- La Fontana Bar and Grill – Ave. 3ra. A & 46, Miramar La Habana. Best food and service we experienced. Live music. Large restaurant. Definitely up to US standards.
- El Biki – Calle San Lazaro, San Lazaro y Infanta, Havana, Cuba – I don’t know if it was because we had a “tour” fixed menu or not, but the food and service was below par. Would not return.
- Fusterlandia – Jose Fuster is a Cuban artist who works primarily in sculptured tile. His house is in Jaimanitas, a middle class seaside town just west of downtown Havana. When he started decorating his home with tile work, his neighbors asked if he would do the same for them. So, most of the neighborhood is decorated in his brightly colored tile work. At first glance, it seems a little hokey. Then you take a closer look. The main work in the pool area is The Caridad de Cobre, the Catholic Marian patroness of Cuba. Some of the hand painted messages on tiles that are part of steps include “Camina Suave” (Walk Softly), “La Alegria de Vivir” (The Joy of Living), “Soy un guajiro de costa” (I am a peasant from the coast), “Barriga llena, corazon contento” (Full belly, content heart). And when you put your hands on some of the millions of pieces of tile that Fuster personally placed to create these images, yeah, it definitely leaves the realm of “hokey” far behind.
- Kcho (Ca-cho) – A Cuban artist who is internationally renowned. He does sculptures with boat and bird themes. His medium seems to be primarily wood and metal., but he did have this one brick thing that was incredible.
Revolution Square – The square that is surrounded by the political machine’s offices. Also, a gigantic monument to Jose Marti. Fidel would stand in front of the Marti statue to give his speeches to the people that would crowd the square. He once gave an eight-hour, non-stop speech here. I’m guessing nobody left until he was done.
End of Part 2
Cuba – 2016 – Part 3 – Going Home
Monday, 4/11 – Waiting on the weather. A good weather window seemed to be opening up on Tuesday, so we got the boat ready, fueled up, figured out what the checkout procedure was at the marina and at Cuban Customs and just hung by the pool and generally relaxed.
Tuesday 4/12 – Time to leave Cuba. Checked out a dockmaster’s office (about a thirty minute walk from our slip). We were at the marina for seven days. Cost: 70 cents per foot, per day for slip fees. $75 per person for departure tax (paid at the dockmaster’s office). $6 for water. $55 for electric. Ten percent gratuity. 1000 departure from slip. Thirty minutes at Customs. Each person had to go into the office and have their paper work reviewed and photo taken. Guarda Frontera checked the boat for possible stow aways. None found (because none were onboard).
When we reached US waters we were buzzed several times by a USCG plane. We heard it hail one of the other boats in our regatta and asked pertinent information about their boat and course.
WAYPOINT LIST FROM MARINA HEMINGWAY TO STOCK ISLAND
- Marina Hemingway Approach Buoy to “KW” MoA – 24 27.4N 81 48.1W 90.52nm
- “KW” MoA to R”8” QR 24°30.979′ N 81°48.242′ W 3.49n
- R”8” QR to R”2” 4S 24°32.480′ N 81°43.926′ W 4 nm
- R”2” 4S to Slip at Stock Island Marina 24 33.9N 81 44.1W 1nm
Light tanker traffic through the night. ENE winds 15-20. Great sailing for the first few hours. Seas 3-5 on our starboard forward quarter most of the trip. A bit rocking and rolling, but overall not too bad.
0230 Reached “KW”
0330 Turned easterly toward Stock Island Marina Channel. All out crew effort with high intensity lights, charts and chart plotter to make our way up the Key West Channel and then down Hawk Channel to Stock Island in the dark.
Wednesday 4/13 0530 BACK IN THE US Tied up at fuel dock temporarily. Called USCG to let them know we were back. The person that we talked to didn’t seem interested. He said to go to the Custom House in the morning.
Slept until 0800, checked in to the marina and moved to our assigned slip.
Free marina shuttle to Old Town. Did the Key West thing. Breakfast at Blue Heaven. Schooneritas at Schooner Wharf Bar. Lunch at Hogs Breath. Chill at the Hyatt lobby. Slice at Mr. Z’s. Visit to the Key West Marine Hardware store. Duval stroll. Happy hour at the upper deck of Turtle Kraals with the crew of Serendipity. Great apps; Oysters on the half shell, Bucket of Bones (ribs) and conch fritters. Back to the boat and early to bed.
ROUTE FROM STOCK ISLAND TO MARCO ISLAND
- Hawk Channel to NW Channel
- NW Channel to Marco R2 80nm
- Marco Channel to Marco Island Yacht Club
1400 Left Stock Island Marina
1600 NW Channel G1
Thursday 4/14 – Walked to Dolphin Diner on Stock Island for a great breakfast.
Crossing from Key West to Marco was relatively calm. Low winds and seas all the way.
Friday 4/15 0723 Arrive at entry to Marco Channel
0830 Docked up at Marco Island Yacht Club
Walked to Hoot’s for breakfast 563 E Elkcam Cir, Marco Island, FL. Showers, pool, nap. Went to Colors ceremony and associated happy hour at the Burgee Bar. Wonderful dinner at the yacht club.
ROUTE FROM MARCO ISLAND TO PLACIDA, FL (A little north of Boca Grande)
- Marco Ch. Entry to Sanibel
26 23.3N 82 08.2W 32 nm - Sanibel to Boca Grand Entry
26 40.4N 82 19.1 W 19.55 nm - Boca Grande Ch to ICW Follow Channel for 4 nm
- ICW to Palm Island Marina Follow Channel
Saturday 4/16 – Out of the slip around 0800. Into the Gulf and heading north around 0930
1426 Arrive at Sanibel waypoint
Incredible sail all the way to Boca Grand. No motor assist. Winds out of the NNE in the high teens to low 20’s. Seas around 2 feet. Saw speeds over ground of over 8 kph!
1726 Arrive at Boca Grand Channel entry
Things became much less comfortable at this point. Now heading directly in to 2-3 foot seas and high winds all the way up the channel.
1818 Finally out of the channel and turned the corner heading north. Still slogging as winds and seas screaming down Charlotte Harbor were hitting us directly on our beam.
1730 at Boca Grande Swing Bridge
Cape Haze anchorage was filled up. No room. Kept heading north on the ICW
2000 tried to anchor at Buccaneer Anchorage #1 26°51.106’N 082°17.849’W. Tried twice but could not get anchor to stick. Now past nautical twilight. Called after hours number for Palm Island Marina. Spoke with Tim who said to come in and take any open slip. Another full crew effort to head up the ICW in the dark
2107 Finally got in to Palm Island Marina and tied up at fuel dock. Continued heavy winds made docking a challenge. Another all out effort by captain and crew with some assistance from local captains Chuck and Dave and we were safe and secure for the night. Great dinner of ground beef, spaghetti sauce and a wonderful bottle of wine.
Sunday 4/17 –
ROUTE FROM PALM ISLAND MARINA TO SARASOTA YACHT CLUB
ICW north to SYC
0746 Off the dock, down the channel and onto the ICW
1100 Venice Inlet
1345 Made the turn up SYC channel. Just in time to watch SYC boats head out for the Blessing of the Fleet. Or, they might have come out to greet us on our triumphant return.
1425 Back in home slip 15 days after initial departure
Overall – Great crew, food, beverages. Fun, fun time. Boat sailed and motored extremely well. Minor temporary glitches with auto pilot, fuel gauge and chart plotter. No run agrounds, no hits, no errors! More than tolerable sea conditions. Included some of the best sailing I’ve ever done while actually maintaining the desired course to our next destination. Put in about 664 miles including the Morro Castle Regatta. Fuel burn rate was less than 1 gallon per hour.
End of Part 3
Cuba – 2016 – Part 4 – Rambling Thoughts
Icons – Che. American cars from the Fifties. Hemingway. Jose Marti. Laundry hanging from apartment balconies. These are the images that were most imprinted on my mind during my time in Havana (in that order). Interestingly, I only saw one poster with Fidel on it (at the cigar factory) and only one poster with Raul (the poster was of Raul and Obama when he visited in March). The predominant architectural icons of the Havana skyline are Morro Castle and the Russian Embassy.
Art – There are many small art galleries along the streets of Old Havana. I was surprised to see many pieces that were not traditional, like the painting of the guy asleep in bed with the sheets pulled up to his chin. Except that the sheets and the wall paper of his bedroom had guns on them all pointing to his head. Hmmm? Large contemporary sculptures in the streets. I’d love to spend more time in some of the small galleries and in many of the other galleries to see the contemporary and well as traditional art that resides in Cuba.
Music – All of the music that I heard, and there was music everywhere, had a crystal clarity of tone and timing that I’ve never heard before. Street musicians singing harmonies exceeding any Everly Brothers/Simon and Garfunkel types that we so revere here in the US. Upon our return to the US, our first stop was Key West, where there’s someone playing a guitar and singing songs in every bar you pass. For the most part, these guys were jarring hacks in contrast to the musicians that I heard in Havana. Some of the musicians I heard while walking around Havana included…
- The trio at La Fontana Bar and Grill; singer, piano, flute. They did contemporary songs in an elegant way.
- The string quartet playing classical pieces in the lobby of a hotel
- The two guys in Plaza Vieja; one playing the guitar, the other doing percussion on a jawbone of an ass.
- The trio at the Hemingway statue at Cojimar; two guitars and a guy in a wheelchair playing maracas.
- The lone flautist sitting on the steps of a hotel playing clear and strong and soft.
- Three guys on the street; guitar, bongos, percussion.
- Small orchestra group at Floridita
- Manicero; The woman peanut vendor who sang the traditional manicero song that rose above the general din of the city so that you could hear her from a block away as if she were standing right next to you.
Americans as $$$ – Like any other tourist city, there are people trying to make money in any way that they can. There was the guy that seemed to be dressed as an old-time Cuban with Panama hat, cane and fake cigar that you could take a photo with. The fortune tellers in Plaza Vieja. The roaming caricature artists. The brightly colored ladies in traditional Cuban costume who came up putting arm-in-arm wanted to take a photo with you. The peanut vendors selling peanuts in wrapped, white paper cones. The guy that “gave” me a Cuban and American printing of the latest Granma publication. The woman who appeared to not be able to speak, but through various charade-like gestures, seemed to want to “dance” or “kiss” or “hug” or something. The group of people who were dressed in the finest, most colorful, Mardi-Gras like costumes, marching and playing drums and horns, on stilts. And, like in any other city, there were a couple of people who just outright begged. Of course, all of my street donations went to the incredible musicians.
Like Home – There were many places that I felt very much at ease. Certain places on the streets of Havana seemed familiar to me, as if I belonged there somehow, or I had been there before. I found this one cigar store near the marina, Los Tres Reyes. I visited several times. There I met Niurka. She was managing the place. I would get a hand rolled puro, a Santiago de Cuba rum and a cafecito. I chatted and joked with Niurka and Andrea, the cigar roller, and didn’t feel like I was on vacation, or “visiting”, I felt like I was back home in Ybor City.
Contrasts – Stark contrasts abound…
- Luxury 5-star resorts to small shacks.
- Ornate colonial buildings from the 1800’s to 50’s grand architecture to Sixties square block buildings
- Restored Fifties American Classic Cars to horse drawn carts (Not the “tour Central Park” kind, but the “this is how we get around” kind)
- Che to Hemingway
- Revolution Square to Plaza Vieja
End of Part 4