Diana Nyad - Cuba to Key West

Today, Diana Nyad became the first person to swim from Cuba to Key West, without assistance or the use of a shark cage.  An amazing feat and Mark and I were very excited to be there when she staggered out of the surf here in Key West.  

Diana left Hemingway Marina in Havana, Cuba on Saturday and reached Smathers Beach in Key West today at around 2pm.  She spent 52 hours, 54 minutes and 18.6 seconds in the water and covered 110 actual miles.  Can you image swimming that far? Incredible.  This was her fifth attempt since 1978. Jelly fish stings, rough seas and shoulder pain thwarted her until today.  

Mark and I had been watching her progress since she jumped in the water in Havana. For some reason, we had a really good feeling about this attempt.  

This morning, when we got up at 5am, she was 13 miles from shore.  We got in a quick run and a nap, and then biked down to Smather's Beach to cheer on her arrival.  

The early crowd was small which was good for us, we were able to get a great position right behind the barriers and the EMT's who were waiting for her. We would have a fantastic view as she came to shore.  As more people arrived, we became packed in against the wooden barriers. I'm very claustrophobic, so I made sure not to look behind me. 




Diana is somewhere in the middle of the boats that are headed to shore. She's probably a mile out at this point. She had ten boats and kayaks around her, watching out for jelly fish and keeping boaters from running her over. At one point, in the middle of the night, a cruise ship diverted it's course to steer clear! Mark and I were concerned, at one point, by 5 or 6 jet skis that blew threw an area near where she was swimming.

Unfortunately for us, after pausing just off shore, Diana opted to swim towards a different section of the beach than the area set up for her.  Once people realized she wasn't going to come to the reception site, the crowd just dissolved into chaos as everyone ran down to be near the landing.

Mark and I were quickly separated and neither of us ended up with a clear view of her arrival. I got some shaky video holding my phone over my head, along with a couple hundred other people, and then gave up and headed towards the sidewalk. Somehow, I ended up being in the path the EMT's took, taking Diana to the ambulance, so I got a shot of her face as they wheeled her by. 

It was an amazing experience to watch this lady complete such a phenomenal athletic feat.  We were really pleased to see the size and enthusiasm of the crowd and felt quite privileged to be a part of it.

Here's a link to the best video of her coming ashore. 

Chuckie Lives!

Well...sort of...
I'm sure most of you are familiar with the movies about Chucky the Haunted Doll.  They were inspired by a true story from right here in Key West. Why don't you lean back for a minute and let ole Mark tell you about it.

Robert Eugene "Gene" Otto was the son of a wealthy family on the island in the early days of the 20th century.  They lived in a gorgeous house near Duval Street. (Now knwn as "The Artist's House," it's part of the various Ghost of Key West Tours.)

The family wasn't always kind to it's servants, including a lady of Bahamian descent who was rumored to have background in voodoo.  Robert didn't have a lot of friends so the maid crafted a 3-foot doll to keep him company.  Gene named him Robert, after himself, and they were immediately inseparable.  Gene carried Robert everywhere. They could be seen throughout town dressed in matching sailors suits.

After an episode where Robert's mother, reportedly, locked her in her room for three days, the maid quit - cursing the family as she huffed off.  Go figure! The early 1900s were a time when superstition was common and the neighbors and family took due notice of this unfortunate circumstance.  Soon after, people began claiming to see the doll moving around through the windows or watching the kids play in the street.

Eventually, the youngster realized that it was quite convenient to blame Robert whenever he got into trouble.  His parents and the neighbors would casually accept that explanation but insist that he make Robert behave better. The idea of Robert as a living being got so far advanced that Robert even had a chair at the dinner table. Even after he got into his late teens and early 20's Gene carried Robert with him around town and continued to use him as a scapegoat.  (I guess the town just rolled with it.)
Eventually, his family thought it wise to send him to Europe for awhile to develop his artistic skills.  When he returned with a fiancee, Anne, they were thrilled.  Clearly Gene was growing up. The couple was soon married and the family gave them the house as a wedding gift. In short order, Anne and Gene announced they would be parents.  Certainly fatherhood would push Eugene to become a fully mature man.

Soon, he was disappearing into the upper floors of the house with wood and tools and he could be distinctly heard building furniture.  Anne waited anxiously for Eugene to ask her upstairs to unveil his surprise nursery.  When she finally couldn't stand the suspense, she snuck upstairs for a peak.  Shockingly, Gene wasn't in the baby's room - but she could still hear hammering.  She followed the noise into the attic and found her husband feverishly building a room for the doll, instead - complete with miniature furniture.

When Robert Eugene Otto, died in 1974, the doll was left in the house until it was purchased by a new family with a 10-year old girl.  She began to wake up screaming in the night claiming the doll was attacking her.  The donated the doll to the Key West Art and Historical Society and Robert now resides at East Martello Museum, near the airport.  It's said that, if you take his picture without asking permission first, bad things will happen.  Robert is forgiving, though.  You can always write a letter ans ask him to lift the hex.  They say it works.

Here is a picture of Robert today.  His life is a lot more casual now but he's about 100 years old so that was to be expected. These days he just sits in his chair and poses for tourists.

You gotta be impressed with the workmanship. That maid stitched him by hand.

It's said, that if you take Robert's picture without asking his permission, bad things will happen.  Melissa made me ask.  :)

Take a few minutes and go see him for yourself.  He likes visitors.

The Most Interesting Bar in Key West

Your long distance, but faithful correspondent, Mark is back.  This post is a bit long but I think you'll understand.

With apologies to Sloppy Joe's and every other place near Duval Street, for pure character, I think Capt Tony's is the unquestioned leader of the pack. Where else do you get pirates, hangings, tombstones, Jimmy Buffet and Hemingway on one package?  It bills itself as the "Original Location of Sloppy Joe's" but it's way more than that.

It's easy to find.  It's a big yellow building just a half block west of Sloppy Joe's on Greene Street and barely off Duval.  There is a big ole Goliath Grouper out front as part of it's sign. Definitely hard to miss.  After you've had some Pirate Punch, go outside, stand with your back to the fish and try to throw a coin in it's mouth.

This building truly was the original location for Sloppy Joe's and where Hemingway spent much of his time from 1933-1937. But all good things must get screwed up. In 1937, in a dispute over the rent, Joe Russell moved his place just down the street to it's current location.  In 1958, this old bar was bought by a Key West icon, Tony Tarracino. He was a boat captain, gun runner and former Mayor.  Hence, the current name.  Tony ran for office on the platform that he intended to drink, gamble and chase women until the day he died.  He also declared himself the most honest politician in America.  He was elected.  Classic Key West.

When you first enter the door closest to Duval, you'll immediately notice a large tree growing through the floor.  Back in the day, it was deemed perfect for hanging pirates.

Unfortunately, when they began to construct the building, they found that dead pirates didn't get much of a burial.  They apparently dragged them a short distance away and dropped them in shallow graves.

Today, beneath the pool tables lie the remains of a whole bunch of them.  Don't worry, if you look around the base of the wall, you'll see the bottles of holy water that keep their spirits quiet. Go ahead and enjoy your game.

By now, you have certainly noticed that the ceiling is covered in signed bras, dollar bills and business cards.  If you want to add yours, just ask the bar tender for the staple gun.



 The bar stools are painted with the names of famous people who have sat on them and, in many cases, were frequent patrons.  The biggest names, are actually on stools now hanging from the pool room ceiling.

If you come in the door just a little farther east of Duval, there is, almost always, a singer playing guitar for the folks. On this day, it was a talented fellow named, Gary. That is exactly where Jimmy Buffet got his start.  As a matter of fact, if you go into the Men's Room, you can see where he penned the chorus to "Last Mango in Paris." I wonder what he was doing at the time?

Yes, Ladies, women go in there all the time.  Guys, if it's a late Friday or Saturday, they don't always knock.

If you thought this was enough, you are sooo wrong.  It's time to tell you about the two tombstones you'll find.  Over near the pool tables, there is a tombstone in the floor (hell, it's apart of the floor) that belongs to a girl named Elvira.

She once worked in the kitchen and was married to an older guy who drank wildly and elevated carousing and philandering to new heights, even while she was in back.  One day, she had enough and came out and slit his throat. Although they didn't see any recourse to hanging her (especially after she killed her kids, too), they liked her well enough to keep her close.  I guess, true friends are forever. Today, she haunts the place as "the Lady in Blue."

The second stone is at the base of the tree but no one is buried under it. (Didn't expect that, did you?) The stone belongs to an old girlfriend of Tony's. Supposedly, when she passed away, her husband found old love letters between her and Tony.  He got angry, ripped up the stone, drove it to Key West and threw it down outside the bar. He yelled in the door, "If you want her so bad, you can have her!"  Unfazed, Tony had the stone brought in and protected in case the husband changed his mind but he never came back.

Now, there is no way you will ever go to Key West and not visit Tony's, is there?

“All you need in this life is a tremendous sex drive and a great ego, brains don’t mean a shit,”  Capt Tony.

Little Room Jazz Bar

When sensory overload hits, and you need to decompress, head south to 821 Duval and the smoothest spot on the island -  The Little Room Jazz Bar. A recent discovery for me, and a spot I can't wait to get back to. 

Step inside and take a moment to let your eyes adjust to the dim light. Saxophones, Violins and Mandolins adorn the rich maroon walls. Candles light the dark wood high top tables and a flat screen running footage of sharks and other fishes creates a relaxing backdrop behind a portion of the bar. 

Though performers aren't on an elevated stage, the main seating area offers plenty of room for jazz lovers and two side rooms feature stuffed chairs and a couch for a more comfortable listening experience. 

Live jazz starts at 8pm nightly and the club offers two daily happy hours. 2-8pm and 12:30am to 2:30am. Don't ask for a well drink though. The Little Room's offerings are limited to craft beers and wine. For my party, that worked just fine. My son grabbed a glass of white wine and my friend James and I downed a couple of beers. (James and I are pictured below)

You can check their website, for a list of daily performers, though I'm not sure it's current. We were there this past Tuesday and what we heard didn't sound anything like the Haitian infused Jazz I was expecting. Whomever it was, entertained the crowd with a couple of sets that mellowed us enough to continue our crawl up Duval.


Update:  I should have actually read the white board I wandered past at the front door - a duo called, The French Connection was the featured act that night. 

"Here a cluck, there a cluck everywhere a cluck, cluck"

Mark here. It's time for a chicken post. I had to do it.  It was a gimme.

A quick explanation for those who haven't been here yet,  Key West is loaded with feral chickens. They populate every silly part of this island.  Even after I've told you, you'll still be amazed and amused by them. They're descended from released fighting cocks and escaped domestic birds and now roam freely.

They're beautiful critters and they certainly add charm and color to the town.  No doubt about it.  I am certain tourists take more pictures of chickens than Hemingway's House. On the whole, they are pretty cooperative models and their vibrant colors seem to naturally complement the tropical flowers.

They definitely seem to enjoy the lifestyle.  On any given day, you can find chickens hanging out at the beach...

...or just lounging in the sun.

That's not to say they are all freeloaders.  This fellow seems very good at waiting tables.  That said, I suspect he would have stolen your order when it arrived. Not a good way to keep your job.

Others seem satisfied with simpler jobs like cleaning "floors" at outdoor restaurants.  I guess it's important to find the job that suits you best. It's honest work, after all.


Now for the downside, those devils don't just crow at dawn. I've heard them bellowing at 3am like drunken college kids.  The locals often find them pretty annoying.

I suppose when it comes to Key West's chickens,  the best approach is to just take them for who they are, a charming addition to the landscape.  If Key West stands for anything, it's "live and let live." Then drink a Rum Punch.

Restaurants - Blue Heaven

One of the most popular breakfast options in Key West, you'll find Blue Heaven tucked in Bahama Village, at the corner of Petronia and Thomas, just a short walk from Duval Street. The main seating area is outside under the Spanish Lime trees. Free range, err, roaming chickens and roosters wander through the tables most days, looking for handouts. (just not this day)

The food is excellent but a bit on the expensive side. Mark and I headed here spur of the moment a few days ago in desperate need of breakfast. By the time we got our food, we were so hungry we forgot to take pictures, sorry. You'll have to believe me when I say it was as beautiful as it was tasty. I gorged myself on the airy blueberry pancakes and was squirted in the eye by more than one gigantic blueberry my forked pierced.  Mark had a fluffy ham and cheese omelette and could barely finish it. Their specialties are a variety of Eggs Benedict dishes including a Lobster Benedict, ordered by a guy at the table next to us. I really wanted to ask for a bite.

If you're used to a breakfast that includes the staples - bacon, toast, fruit, you're out of luck. Everything here, is á la cart, so costs add up quickly.  Mark and I stuck with the basics, his omelette, my 2 pancakes, a coke and an ice tea and the bill, with tip, was 27.84. If you're not on a tight budget, I'd say go. Otherwise, you'll get just as good a meal, for a bit less, at Two Friends Patio, and they don't hit you with the á la cart thing. 

If you have to wait on a table, as we did, you can pass the time at the ping pong table. 

This is Jesk, one of the resident cats. On the Blue Heaven website, they were offering her up for adoption in 2007. I guess it didn't take. 

Mark and I killed time at the bar, while we waited for a table. 

Key West Custom House: Art and History Museum

Mark here.  Want to hear about a place we should have checked out a long time ago? The Custom House, on the northwest corner of Key West, near Mallory Square, is definitely one of the most striking buildings on the island.  The 3-story, red brick structure is gorgeous and it's entrance is graced by a 40-foot sculpture of two ballroom dancers. Inside, it houses the Key West Art and History Museum.

Either before or after you go inside, take the time to walk around the outside of the building. The grounds are gleefully populated with a bunch of marvelous sculptures of people enjoying life.  The artist, Seward Johnson did a terrific job of capturing folks enjoying simple pleasures and some more formal or exotic ones, as well.  Many of the statures are positively lifelike. I'm not going to post pictures of the statues. I want you to have the full delight of seeing each one fresh.

The historical exhibits focus on the early days of Key West and the building of the Overseas Railroad. Building that railroad was a fantastic engineering feat and they have several displays that really show just how fantastic. They also have several great displays illustrating what life was like in the Lower Keys during the days of Hemingway and earlier. I think a lot of us are closet history buffs so I think that stuff is cool.

They also have several exhibits of artwork from local artists and, hands down, my favorite exhibits are the bas relief wood sculptures by Mario Sanchez.

He was the son of a cigar maker and a local folk artist who depicted everyday life on the island.  He worked outside under a tree using simple wood chisels and dime store brushes. For me, that adds to it's charm. I love their light-hearted tone and simplicity.

Mario based many of his characters on actual local folks and the museum does a nice job of sharing some of the back stories of the people in the works. If you look carefully, you'll notice many of these people as recurring subjects. You may also notice that the atmosphere of tolerance and acceptance in Key West goes back at least 100 years.  It's evident in many of his pieces.

We waited over a year to visit the Custom House but, once we got there, I was delighted. It's definitely worth the time.