KEY WEST: DAY ONE

I checked off a major ‘to do’ off of my ever-growing bucket list: KEY WEST!!! I was gonna drink in the Sloppy Joes with Hemingway’s spirit! I was gonna snorkel in crystal green waters with dolphins! I was gonna juggle fiery torches at the Sunset Festival! Whooo Hooo!

It all started a few months back. Shipra mentioned a dermatology conference she was attending for work and we both chuckled when she said it was being held in Key West. Totally appropriate. That most southern of points in the continental United States basking in the glory of the Gulf and an endless Caribbean sun. I quickly invited myself and our mutual friend Kamal—after all only good friends would insist on accompanying another to such a remote place. The lure of free lodging didn’t hurt either. Staying in Key West can be expensive, the closer you are to the water the pricier your hotel will be and the entire island is only 2 miles by 4 miles so do the math. I highly recommend the Blue Marlin Motel. It’s not 5-star but it is clean, quiet and accessible to all things Key West. It is a very easy walking distance to Duval Street and Mallory Square where the famous Sunset Festivals takes place every day at, er, sunset. But be warned; June is the beginning of the hurricane season and while we got good rates at the hotel the weather is sticky and hot making longer walks a bit more treacherous for those who are not in fairly decent shape.

Red eye out of Los Angeles to Miami seemed like a good idea if we had slept on the flight. Nonetheless we jumped into the rental and tore down the archipelagos towards our destination. Rain was predicted for our entire stay but if I could withstand tornado warnings in Louisiana and lighting storms while touring cliff dwellings in Mesa Verde then this was nuthin’! A deluge welcomed us speeding through the Everglades but by the time we reached Key Largo, the sun and sky was postcard intense. The only instructions my abandoned boyfriend gave me was to buy a shirt from Key Largo, an easy task given the large sandal outlet we shopped at.

By the time we reached Key West we were hot and exhausted but not so much that we couldn't venture out onto Duval Street. Duval is the equivalent to Bourbon Street in New Orleans or Front Street in Maui, lots of fun all the time. At 10 p.m. I realized I’d been up for over 36 hours and we returned to the room for the deepest sleep of our lives…only to find that I’d been feasted upon by some insatiable mosquitos…

I couldn't think of a more appropriate welcome to the Keys!
Check out some of the pics from day one!