Labor Day Weekend in Key West

We took our bikes and the dog and drove down to Key West on Friday afternoon and checked into the Frances Street Bottle Inn for the weekend. We didn't meet Dennis and Mark until Saturday morning at breakfast, and the rest of the weekend found them to be the most delightful of hosts! During a rainstorm on Saturday afternoon, we sat on the porch chatting and getting to know each other a little better. These guys really know how to treat their guests, from beautifully decorated rooms (and, so very clean!) to snacks and refreshments to while away the evenings ... we took our Jack Russell Terrier and Dennis greeted him with treats every morning, making him feel right at home, too! You can take a virtual tour of the house by visiting their web site at www.bottleinn.com! So, if you're headed that way, consider staying there ... I'm sure you'll love it as much as we did!

I lived in Key West from 1975-1982 and Shorty's was a breakfast place a couple of doors down from Sloppy Joe's and just around the corner from the Key West Citizen where I worked. It's not Shorty's today ... but, I'm sure glad they left the sign for us old timers to enjoy!

I love the signage around the Pier House! Great use of color!

I have a thing for fire hydrants and
Key West does them so well, don't they?

This old hydrant is on the Truman Annex.
I've been trying to find out how old it is ...

The southernmost house is now a guest house or B&B or whatever they call them nowadays. You used to could ride your bike right up to the beach, park and watch the Atlantic do its thing, but, no more. 

The artists in and around Key West are abundant, as are the art galleries. The architecture, narrow streets and tropical climate come together to create great subject matter for artists.

Summer Vacation Part 4

This is my second photo collage. They sure do take some time! But, I like it, even though I had no idea what I was going to do when I started. I have so many photos from our vacation on the Outer Banks and I wanted to find some way to post them together. So, here you are!

Click here http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3540/3820554947_0db42d80a7_b.jpg to see the big version on my flickr page!

Summer Vacation Part 3

Off for a visit to Williamsburg, Virginia ...

Waiting for the ferry from Surry to Williamsburg, we daydreamed out loud about what it would be like to live along the James River here. We agreed it's quite beautiful, even on a day as windy as this one was, and, we agreed it would be quite cold come winter!

Seagulls everywhere! They follow the ferrys back and forth across the river.

First look at Jamestown ...

... Jamestown from a different angle.

We don't see robins in Florida, so this little fellow was a sight for sore eyes. And, he had a worm for his lunch!

Love the period clothes!

A plant nursery ...

Magnolias in bloom ... another thing we don't have in Florida.

A grave marker dated 1784.

Shopping!

Williamsburg is where I discovered crewel work when I was 20-something. Don't you just love the colors of these yarns?

Lots of roadside stands ...

A traditional child's "toy" ...

Hats galore, their ribbons blowing in the breeze!

I simply loved the gardens best! They are beautiful to behold!

The architecture of Williamsburg is unique to anywhere else I've ever been ...

The church ... this was a very important part of life to the early settlers of Virginia and to the founders of Williamsburg.

And, of course, no trip to Williamsburg would be complete without a visit to the Governor's Palace!

We walked for nearly three hours, so when I saw this guy, I knew it was nap time!

Summer Vacation Part 2

St. Augustine to Hopewell, Virginia and beyond!


Friday morning, after breakfast in St. Augustine, we hit the road (I-95) and headed north to Virginia.



This was our first stop after leaving St. Augustine! :o) We made it through Georgia and South Carolina in a record 4 hours and 40 minutes! By then we needed a bathroom break ...


and a bite to eat! My darling husband lends some perspective to the "hot dog!"

The railroad tracks that run alongside City Point in Hopewell, Virginia, a crucial location during the Civil War. Welcome to my birthplace!

Hopewell grew up as a mill town during the early twentieth century with chemical plants and paper mills along the James River. Today, in the 21st century, not much has changed ...

Highway 10 runs from Hopewell towards what's known as the Tidewater area (Newport News, Hampton Roads, Norfolk) and we took it to get to Surry to catch the ferry to Williamsburg. Along the way, I captured a few shots of places that look untouched by time. They're pretty much as I remember when I was a kid growing up around here ...

Highway 10 headed east.

A field of flowers along Highway 10. I love the way Queen Ann's Lace grows wild along the roadsides in Virginia!

Summer Vacation, Part 1

From Fort Lauderdale to St. Augustine via I-95, a mere 4 hours and 16 minutes, just like MapQuest said. We stopped north of West Palm Beach at a lovely rest area that provided sheltered picnic tables and had a bite of lunch. We enjoyed watching the birds tending their nests in the eaves of the picnic shelters while we were there.

Upon arriving in St. Augustine, we checked into our Bed & Breakfast, a first-time experience for both of us. Our hostess at the Spanish Street Inn, Linda, greeted us warmly and made sure we were happy with our room before leaving us to our own devices. We were housed on the second floor with easy access to the front porch and everything was decorated in an authentic and comfortable style. The house, built in the 1920s, was remodeled and refurbished and we felt quite "at home" there. The breakfast she provided the next morning was wonderful, with a bowl of fresh fruit and eggs and bacon just like home! The other guests, many of whom had been there for several days, commented on how much they had enjoyed their visit, so we know we're on to something good at the Spanish Street Inn!

Above, charming signage. Below, the house known as The Spanish
Street Inn, located at 44 Spanish Street in beautiful St. Augustine.

The "historic" section of St. Augustine is beautiful and charming, and unlike any other place I've ever visited. We spent a couple of hours walking the narrow streets, many of which are closed to traffic, and we stopped in a a little shop for a coffee and pretzel and a little "people watching." I took a few photos before my camera battery died, so we vowed to get up early the next morning and do some "serious photography" when the streets were likely to be more deserted and the light would certainly be better. We did! And, the light was truly fantastic!

We chose St. Augustine as our one-night stand between Fort Lauderdale and our final destination in Hopewell, Virginia, and we were so infatuated with the place, we've promised to return for a long weekend and more exploration!

Our big meal in St. Augustine was dinner at Harry's Bar & Grille, a New Orleans style resturant along the Intracoastal. Horse & carriages lined up across the road from Harry's and my darling husband promised a carriage ride the next time we come! We waited at the bar with a glass of wine for about 15 minutes before we were seated! Our waitress was very attentive and the food was delicious and beautifully presented. You can be sure we'll be stopping by Harry's again the next time we visit!

http://www.hookedonharrys.com/page/28-4189.htm

Night Riders!

My darling husband and I have been riding our bikes regularly the past few weeks, getting better at navigating those crazy south Florida drivers by sticking to the side and back streets wherever possible. So, last Friday we decided to do a night ride. It was still light when we arrived at Maguires Hill 16 on Andrews Avenue, but we knew it would be dark by the time we departed. For those of you not familiar with Maguires, it's an Irish bar and restaurant and the food is really good! We usually sit at the bar where we are catered to by our favorite bartender, Katie. And, we like the camaraderie of the locals who hang out there, like us.

My husband especially likes the atmosphere of Maguires. He says it reminds him of places he liked to visit in his home country of Germany. That old world charm comes from a lot of wood and a wonderful collection of Tiffany-style lampshades around the building. No two are alike, which lends an air of authenticity to the place.

As we left the place, we encountered a wonderful canine, Roxie. She got down from her spot and came over to sniff me and say "Hello." She even let me take her picture!

I love places that allow dogs. What would the world be like without dogs? Or Irish bars?

Welcome to The Pink Bike!

I got a new bike for Christmas! My darling husband and I decided that we'd rather have new bikes than another new shirt/perfume this year and we're enjoying "learning" to ride again!

I lived in Key West from 1975 to 1982 and for the first four years, I had only a bicycle for transportation. Now, Key West is only five miles at its widest point, so a bike really was the only way to go back then. I was poor back then, too, and couldn't afford a car or insurance, so the bike was my salvation. In 1979 I bought a beautiful white Peugot and was thrilled with how fast and sleek it was. One evening, a few months after I got it, I went to the Waterfront Playhouse on Mallory Square where I was involved with the theatre group, just stopping in to say "Hello" to some of my actor friends and find out what was on the schedule for auditions. I wasn't in the theatre 15 minutes. I had locked by bike to the stair rails in front of the theatre. And, when I came out of the theatre, it was gone. Gone! Gone! Gone! I was heartbroken.

So, now, some 20+ years later, I've got a new pink bike and I'm just tickled pink with it! This new blog will include stories and pictures from adventures with the pink bike along with whatever else I feel like sharing, so stay tuned!