The view from Sunset Pier in Key West.
I did not see any crocodiles.
Ended the day at Biscayne National Park. Sleeping in Homestead tonight.
Raw materials.
I met a roadside carver while in Islamorada. He was very nice and patiently showed me around and answered my questions. He told me that he had recently acquired two very large mahogany trees. One was 1500 pounds and the other was 1800 pounds. He said getting the permits took over two years. He has cut huge slabs from the trees and makes tables from them.
Judging based on this picture that shows the aftermath of six hours at Billy Beez it must have been fun.
After the festivities were done at the convention center, Rum Renaissance for 2015 was over, I headed out to South Beach to see some sights and catch a little dinner. South Beach, also nicknamed SoBe, is is a neighborhood in the city of Miami Beach, Florida, located due east of Miami city proper between Biscayne Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The area encompasses all of the barrier islands of Miami Beach south of Indian Creek. I went to an area in SoBe that I think is called Lincoln mall. The area is filled with shops and restaurants and all kinds of outside vendors. The restaurants all have small inside dining rooms and then larger seating areas outside under canvas. As you walk past the restaurants each one seems to have a pretty hostess chasing you down and trying to get you to have dinner where she works. I had planned on eating at Havana 1957 Cuban Cuisine and that's what I did.
2015/04/19 23:30 Today was the last day of festivities at the Miami Rum Renaissance. I had a great time. One thing I did miss was Alice's fourth birthday. Karen and Robert sent me pictures. She got a Doc McStuffin medical set. She helped make her own birthday cake with strawberries. Karen and Robert took her and Tristan to Billy Beez to celebrate.
My vintage Miami travel guide. Hopefully there is some info in here I can use.
2015/04/16 08:00 Yesterday was tax day. I have had my taxes done for weeks now. I owed a horrifying amount. Truly terrifying. So, since I had to pay this crushing amount, I decided to wait until the last moment to e-file. I went to bed last night about eleven thirty or so and was just drifting off to sleep when I remembered I hadn't filed. Jumped out of bed and logged on to the computer and said goodbye to some hard earned money. Of course April 15 is not just tax day. It is also sweet little Alice's birthday. She is four years old. Her birthday will be celebrated this weekend but I won't be here. Later today I leave for Florida and the start of Khan Tiki Mon's most excellent April adventure. I fly to Miami by way of Chicago. I will be in Miami tonight. Picked up a vintage travel guide for Miami.
2015/04/16 21:30 I learned something new on this trip already. Based on the signs it's okay to play soccer in the access structures leading to the planes. No one on my flight seemed interested in getting a game together but that's probably because no one brought a ball.
2015/04/16 14:30 They have Middle Ages on tap at the Syracuse airport. One Wailing Wench and I am ready for takeoff. And so Khan Tiki Mon's most excellent April adventure begins.
2015/04/14 09:00 I got my very first smart phone. I am now the proud owner of a Samsung Galaxy S6. Now I just need to figure out how to use it.
Thrifty shopping.
2015/04/10 23:30 Tristan and Alice both had zoo camp today. The camp for Alice was a half day and Robert stayed with her. Tristan’s camp was all day and he was on his own. Alice made a friend, Julia, at the camp.
2015/04/10 09:00 The middle of the night last night I was awakened by the most horrible screaming. My wife was having a nightmare. Her screams were those of someone in complete and total terror. I carefully woke her up and the screaming stopped. This morning she couldn’t remember what the dream was about.
On the bridge at Destiny.
Fun at Dave and Buster's.
Big brother little sister.
Riding the carousel.
Playing with Winnie.
2015/04/09 23:00 I picked the kids up at noon today. We went to Adison’s condo and let Winnie out of her crate. We took her out to go do her business and then we played with her for a while. Normally I would have brought Winnie back to my house to play with Brego but the back yard has been too muddy. After we left Adison’s we went to Destiny and ate in the food court. We rode on the carousel and then played some games in Dave and Buster’s.
2015/04/08 11:00 I had a strange dream last night. In the dream I was being given a tour of an art gallery. It was a pretentious art gallery. I had a little girl with me. I am guessing that the little girl was Alice but in the dream it wasn’t specific. The owner of the gallery gave the little girl a jar of bright yellow paint with no lid and a brush. I was a little upset because I thought now I have to watch her and make sure she doesn’t spill the paint. The jar was filled right to the brim and it didn’t take her long to spill some on the floor. People stepped in the paint and started tracking it through the gallery. The owner got very excited and he exclaimed, “Now this place is filled with art!”
Tristan is sometimes known as "Big Money".
2015/04/05 13:00 The kids got their Easter baskets today. Tristan got some new Big Money glasses.
Easter egg fun.
Easter cookie.
Bagging up all of the Easter candy.
Ready , set, go ...
In the lobby heading outside.
Little girl patiently waiting for Easter egg hunt to commence.
2015/04/05 08:30 It was a very busy day yesterday. In the morning we went to the Nottingham for an Easter egg hunt. Adison works for PACE which is part of Loretto. The Nottingham is also part of Loretto. The Nottingham is a senior living facility. The kids had fun doing the Easter egg hunt. After we were done with the search for Easter eggs and after we had accumulated a fair amount of candy we came home and colored our Easter eggs. I had hard boiled three dozen eggs the day before. I made chicken and biscuits for dinner. We basically celebrated Easter on Saturday instead of Sunday because that’s when we had the kids. Adison and Mark came over for dinner and it was fun.
We went to see the baby River otters but they weren't out. One of the parents was out. Don't know if it was the mom or dad.
New signage at the zoo.
Alice and Tristan taking elephant pictures.
Alice taking pictures of the birds.
2015/04/03 23:00 After I ran an errand this morning I came home to a pair of Cardinals in the garden in front of the house. There was the brightly colored male and right next to him his more plainly colored mate. On the roof of the house there was a pair of Mourning doves. In the evergreen tree by the side of the house there was a Blue jay. I really want to get my birdfeeders going this year. I really enjoy seeing the birds around the house. When I got inside the house Tristan complained of boredom. He suggested going to the zoo. Karen had given Tristan her old iPod and he said he wanted to use it to take some pictures of the animals. Robert gave Alice an old smart phone that she could use to take pictures and we were off to the zoo. There was a brief break in the relentlessly dull and miserable weather we have been having. It wasn’t too bad a day and we weren’t the only ones that thought a trip to the zoo would be a good idea. There were a lot of people enjoying the day at the zoo.
2015/04/01 12:00 Today is the first day of April. The month of March was not a Spring month as it should have been but rather was another Winter month. March betrayed us and so there was much disappointment with the month of March. Today is April Fool’s Day. April Fool’s Day is that day where you can’t believe everything you read on the internet. Oh wait, that’s everyday.
This latest iteration of my rants and rambles will be much like past versions. The key components will be unchanged. I still share too much information and I am still very weird. I am probably still boring.
“In watermelon sugar the deeds were done and done again as my life is done in watermelon sugar. I will tell you about it because I am here and you are distant” …Richard Brautigan
“Mines a tale that can’t be told, my freedom I hold dear.
How years ago in days of old, when magic filled the air.
T’was in the darkest depths of Mordor, I met a girl so fair.
But Gollum, and the evil one crept up and slipped away with her, her, her…” …Led Zeppelin
Read on dear reader but proceed with all due caution. This journey that you have chosen, of your own free will, is fraught with danger and peril at every turn and I can make no guarantees as to your safety.
The rants, rambles, and ravings roll on and on.
khan tiki mon's Rants and rambles v.9.25
2015/04/22 09:00 I was awakened very early this morning by a rooster crowing. It sounded like it was right next to my bed. It was right outside my bedroom window so he might as well have been right next to my bed. Awesome night last night. I did go to the Sunset Pier and then to dinner at the Rum Barrel.
The accommodations provided by Banana Bay Resort are nice. I am settled in and headed back into town. I will be taking a cab into town. It’s easier than parking and I don’t have to worry about how much I might drink. The plan is to hit Sunset Pier for the sunset and then The Rum Barrel for dinner and rum.
As I said, I was parched when I got to Sloppy Joe’s. I downed three ice cold Landsharks in quick succession. I struck up a conversation with two guys from Chicago. Actually they broke the ice by pointing out the smoking hot young girl in the orange dress. I had already noticed her but it was right neighborly of them. You can see her in the picture above and believe me the picture does her no justice. They were from Chicago and I will be in Chicago in a few days. When I left Sloppy Joe’s to head back to Banana Bay Resort and get checked in I took a cab. It is just too damn hot to walk.
On to Banana Bay Resort.
There are a lot of off-beat charms to see in Key West and one of them is the chickens. There are feral chickens that roam all over the place.
Southernmost point in the continental United States. Swizzle stick from Suzanne’s bar in Oakland called Longitude.
2015/04/21 16:00 I am checked into my room at the Banana Bay Resort. I booked the room online. I was looking for a reasonable price and something close to downtown. I was informed at check-in that the Banana Bay Resort is an adult’s only resort and that clothing in the pool area is optional. Welcome to Key West. After I left my car here this morning I walked into town. Only two and a half miles but it was 95 degrees and humid. I stopped first at the marker for the southernmost point in the continental United States. Then I went to the Key West lighthouse and climbed to the top.
2015/04/21 11:00 I woke up early this morning and drove to Key West. I stopped on the way and had breakfast at the Waffle House in Islamorada. The waitress said she had had it with the heat, had given her two weeks’ notice, and she was moving to South Carolina. I thought that was funny. Many times I have heard people in New York say they are done with the cold and they are moving south. I am staying at the Banana Bay Resort tonight but it is too early to check-in. They said I can leave my car here and I am going to walk into town. It is two and a half miles.
2015/04/20 23:00 I spent today in Key Largo and Islamorada. Key Largo is an island in the upper Florida Keys archipelago and is the largest section of the Keys. Key Largo is 33 miles long. “Key Largo” was a 1948 film directed by John Huston starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall. I have seen the movie more than once but probably not in the last 25 years. I passed a place called The World Famous Caribbean Club that advertised scenes from “Key Largo” had been filmed there. So, I stopped. There were more people inside than the cars out front would have suggested. I figured out that was because most of the people in the bar had come by boat. This was a local watering hole and probably a bit of a ‘dive’ bar. The bartender was sitting on a chair behind the bar with her feet up on a stool. She was friendly and I had an ice cold Corona that was quite refreshing. I started talking to one of the guys at the bar. He runs jet-ski charters. He was saying that that day he had a family with two small boys. He said he has a routine he always does with kids. He asked the boys, “What’s a pirate’s favorite letter?” The older boy responded with, “Aaarrghhh.” He said, “No, ‘tis the ‘sea’.” He said the kid got mad and insisted that he was right. He told the kid that usually he did the jokes but if he thought he could do better he should go ahead. The kid said, “How do you catch a unique rabbit?” “I don’t know.” “You ‘nique up on him.” Then quick as a wink the little brother says, “How do you catch a tame rabbit?” “De tame way.”
2015/04/20 13:30 I checked out of the Runway Inn this morning and I went to the airport to pick up my rental car. There are many different languages spoken in Miami. I asked an American Airlines agent how to get to the rental cars. She said with a smile, "First you take the skell-A-tor". It sounded a little scary but then it dawned on me what she was saying. Too funny.
I am headed down to the Florida Keys. I will spend today in Key Largo and Islamorada. I have a vintage travel guide for the area and hopefully it will come in handy.
I had a shrimp appetizer. Tostones Rellenos Con Camarones; stuffed plantain cups with shrimp enchilada. Then Masa De Puerco Frita; fried cubed pork topped with grilled onions, served with moro rice and boiled yuca with cuban mojo. I was convinced that I was going to hate the yuca. I only had it once many years ago when I was in Costa Rica and I hated it. My waitress said if I hated it then it wasn't prepared properly. She said I was going to like the yuca here and actually I did like it. I think if I had it a couple of more times I could acquire a taste for it. I washed everything down with some ice cold Coronas and the waitstaff made sure there was always fresh ice water on the table. Very enjoyable.
After enjoying my Mojito at the bar I got a seat outside for dinner. There was what I would assume was Cuban music playing and the hostesses, dressed in white, were constantly dancing as they tried to hustle up some dinner business. It was fun to watch.
Selfie taken in the bar mirror at Havana 1957. I am so clever.
Super delicious Mojito at Havana 1957 Cuban Cuisine.
After walking around Lincoln mall in SoBe I arrived at Havana 1957 Cuban Cuisine. I went into the bar first and had a Mojito. The Mojito is a traditional Cuban cocktail. A good Mojito is made using white rum, sugarcane juice, lime juice, sparkling water, and fresh mint. The Mojito here was excellent.
Still more fun at Dave and Buster's
2015/04/11 20:00 For the second time in three days we were at the arcade. We went back to Dave and Buster’s in Destiny. I think I may be a little scared because Alice ran straight to the motorcycle game. She seems to love riding that crotch-rocket. After we used up all the credits for the games we went home and then Karen and I took Tristan and Alice to the Rescue Mission to do some thrifty shopping. Tristan was quite happy to get two pairs of blue jeans and six shirts.
Having fun at Zoo camp.
The view from atop the Key West lighthouse. You can see a cruise ship docked.
After the two and a half mile hike and climbing the 88 stairs in the lighthouse I was parched. On to Sloppy Joe’s for a cold and refreshing libation. Sloppy Joe’s has been at the corner of Duval and Greene since 1937. The bar is famous of course because it was an Ernest Hemingway hangout. The bar moved to its present location in 1937. It was located across the street but when the rent was raised from three dollars a week to four the owner moved. The bar didn’t close; the patrons just carried their drinks and the furnishings across the street.
The Key West lighthouse.
Some strange vehicles spotted on the streets of Key West.
Walking past the harbor on the way into town.
I did enjoy the sunset.
Karen and I just finished watching the Netflix original series “Bloodline” before I left for Florida. We enjoyed it. The series takes place in Islamorada. Islamorada, a "Village of Islands," is located on the islands of Tea Table Key, Lower Matecumbe Key, Upper Matecumbe Key, Windley Key, and Plantation Key in the Florida Keys. The name Islamorada ("purple island") came from early Spanish explorers in the area. Its pronunciation has been Anglicized to aisle-a-more-AH-dah.
Here’s a funny Humphrey Bogart connection. The 1951 film “The African Queen”, which was directed by John Huston same as “Key Largo”, starred Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn. The same as “Key Largo” I have seen “The African Queen” more than once but probably not in the last 25 years. In the movie most of the action takes place aboard a boat – the African Queen of the title. The small steam-boat used in the film to depict the African Queen was built in 1912, in England, for service in Africa. At one time it was owned by actor Fess Parker (Disney’s Davy Crockett). From December 2011 through April of 2012 the boat was restored and is now a tourist attraction in Key Largo.
The restrooms in The World Famous Caribbean Club are labeled 'outboard' and 'inboard'. It took me longer than it should have to figure that out.