Key West 2000~ A New Millennium

How many of you remember New Year’s 2000 when the Y2K bug was supposed to bring the modern world as we know it to an end. Computers were supposed to shut down and airplanes would drop out of the sky. In the final months and days of 1999 the hype just continued to grow so I was either very foolish or very brave because I chose to hop on a plane  for New Year’s Eve in Key West.

I have a friend who happened to be living in Key West at that time so I had an invitation and a place to stay. Key West is a party town anyway but this was a new millennium. How could I say no.

Since we’re going back over a decade, I can’t tell you what flights I took but I can tell you I flew into Miami and changed to a little prop plane for the hop, skip and jump to Key West landing at Key West International Airport. I don’t know what the airport is like now, bur I can tell you that back at that time it was a very little “International” Airport.

I can also tell you that I found out what it is to be a fat passenger on a little plane. I had to have a (I am horrified to say this) a seat belt extension! So embarrassing! Other than that little glitch it was an uneventful flight. My friend picked me up and took me back to his apartment to get freshened up before we headed out for dinner and festivities.

I was going to be there for the whole first week in January and there is no better place to be at that time of year. 80 degrees and sunny, every day, always a breeze. Just awesome. Since my friend was working for the trolley company, I was going to be on my own most days. I didn’t rent a car so I walked or took the bus which was called the Bone Island Shuttle. My friend also let me ride the trolley so I got the tour.

Duval Street is the main street in Key West. On New Year’s Eve one end was the “straight end” and the other was “gay“. I hate to say it but the gay end was a lot more fun and outrageous! It was over the top complete with drag queens, Mardi Gras beads ( don’t ask what the looked like!) and floats! The whole street was packed! It was a wild night! My recollections tends to fade at that point J Maybe a good thing!

JR's decked out  for New Years Eve

The next day it was back to life as usual in a tropical paradise. The world didn’t come to an end. Our computers still worked and except for a pounding head ache it was a beautiful day.

I fell into a routine. When I got up Joe had already gone to work so I walked over the bridge to the Waffle House for breakfast. I always stopped on the bridge to look in the water. I wanted to see a manatee but all I ever saw were pipe fish.

After breakfast I would catch the Bone Island Shuttle into Mallory Square. Mallory Square is the center of Key West’s waterfront and is billed as Where the sun sets and the fun begins in Key West. Every afternoon the crowds begin to gather to watch the sunset and the street performers come out. It’s a carnival of music and commotions. Everything from human statues to juggling and acrobats to even a cat act. Yup, one of the performers had house cats trained to jump through hoops, even fiery hoops! That was a pretty amazing show. I would have been afraid the cats would run away.

I did the sightseeing stuff. I went to the Key West Aquarium , a quaint little hands on facility. Very unique. It’s were I met Victor the Pelican and Eddie the Heron.

Fried Conch (pronounced conk) was on sale everywhere but I resisted! Somehow I just couldn’t bring myself to try it. On the trolley tour I saw trees with red peeling bark. I can’t remember what they really were but I do recall the joke was they were called tourists because they were red and peeling.

A great attraction is Hemmingway House where Earnest Hemmingway lived with his polydactyl cats. The decedents of these cats are still cherished residents of Hemingway House, supplied with food, water and vet care by the staff. I saw one cat drinking form a swimming pool that the guide had just told me was a salt water swimming pool. When I asked about it they explained that the pool is salt water but fresh water is not as dense and floats on top of the salt water. When it rains, there is a layer of fresh water and the cats often drink it!

I spent a day a Smathers Beach and Joe took me to the “Southernmost Point of the US” 90 miles from Cuba. That should be changed to Southernmost Point of the Continental US because South Point, Hawaii is really the southernmost point. I also heard about the Flagler railroad and the Flagler hotel.

There were chickens everywhere. They give new meaning to Free Range. I’ve heard that the animal control officers in Key West spend more time chasing chickens than stray dogs.

At the time I was in Key West there was the Mel Fisher museum which showcased the treasures from the many shipwrecks this famous treasure hunter had found and salvaged. I am not sure it’s still there as I heard recently that it was being relocated.

When I took the trolley tour the driver told us about all the presidents that had vacationed in Key West. As I recall there were quite a few. I do remember that President Truman maintained his “little White House” in Key West.

They also told us about the way the graves flood when there’s a hurricane. No one can really be buried in Key West because it’s a coral reef base and too porous.

There was plenty of night life and of course we had to go to Hemingway’s favorite Bar, Sloppy Joe’s. On one of the last nights I was in Key West , Joe said I had to see the Drag Queen Show “Divas”. Let’s just say that I expected to be part of the audience not a participant but somehow I was the audience member they decided to pick on…from sitting on my lap to dragging me onto the stage to dance, I was an active participant. It was FUN! I have the pictures but I am not going to post them J What happens in Key West, Stays in Key West!

With all that going on it sounds like it was a non stop week but there was some down time. I liked going to Mallory Square early , before it got too crazy and just sitting quietly and reading.

Somehow I messed up on my return flights. I’m not sure if they changed the flights or what happened but after Joe dropped me off, I found out I had missed the plane. I was glad then that it was a little airport. The service was mush more personal and the attendants very helpful. Eventually we got the flights rescheduled and I made my way back to the frozen Northeast.

I wonder how Key West has changed in the last decade. If I go back, I would rent a car and drive the Seven Mile Bridge from Key Largo to Key West. I’ll have to save my pennies because to really experience that drive I will want a convertible.

I have to say, I couldn’t think of a better place to usher in a new millennium!