Finally Florida!

November 23
Monday

Continuing on South in Florida, I

stayed at the best little privately owned RV Park near Palm Beach where there was a Bocce court, the first I've seen.
Didn't play tho as you had to have your own balls and I didn't bring any.

The weather is very much like Hawaii. You know when you step off the plane and that warm air surrounds you and you just relax...

The weather is changeable tho.  This was yesterday.

                                                                Today.

                          

On to Miami for Thanksgiving.

I had always wanted to help serve Thanksgiving to needy people instead of having our traditional dinner where we all pig out. 

So made a few calls and helped Jimmy, Diane and Larry to serve at Douglas Gardens in Miami Beach.

They were fun to work with serving the meal to 38 residents of this facility who had formerly been homeless.

Their 1938 building is in the midst of other Art Deco style buildings that have been renovated and are now high end hotels.  

The city bought this one in the early 1980s when it was affordable and made it part of a program to get homeless people off the street. The residents are now working and paying a sliding scale rent in this great old building.

When we finished serving and cleaning up, I walked the two blocks to Miami Beach and did some people watching. 

Couldn't help thinking how lucky those 38 residents are to live in such a place as this.

Did dip my toes in the Atlantic and found the water to be warmer than the Pacific around San Francisco.

Walking back to the open lot where I had stashed the Doodle, there were other not so lucky homeless sleeping under the roof of this 

building.

Starting down the Keys

John Pennekamp 

Coral Reef State Park

The aquarium at the park

Key Largo sunset

Now, THAT'S  a lobster!

Islamorada Key

The Iguana Tiki Bar at

Knights Key RV Park waiting for the sunset.

Went to view the sunset with Mary who is also traveling solo and has a small RV like the Doodle and the best chocolate Lab.

The Seven Mile Bridge 

where the water is three incredible shades of blue.

I'm driving across on top of the water!

The Keys are 113  miles long.and connected by 42 bridges. Speed limit: 45 mph

Key West has always had this mystique for me of what I don't know, but I was here to find out.

Former Willow Glen neighbor and now Keys resident, Bob, was my tour guide for the first day.

He drove me thru the  town pointing out what he thought was worth seeing and a few things that might not be worth a visit. It's good to get the local point of view.

The rest I'll find out for myself. Or not.

Took in the wonderful sand carvings on

 the Casa Marina Hotel beach front.

I think this one of Jimmy Hendrix won first place.

Am I the only one to notice Bob is a Jimmy Buffett look alike?

 I thought I was with another celebrity.

The Casa Marina is the original hotel Henry Flagler built in 1925 to house his wealthy friends when he was developing Florida. The beachfront area is gorgeous.

We did some of this at
Turtle Kraals

Have you ever seen a Christmas tree

made out of lobster traps?

And some of this.
A Key Lime Margarita.  I had to try it.
There is no bad Margarita.

A big hug from the giant Sponge Man

The next day, touring Key West on my own, my first stop was the Hemingway House.

It was built in the 1850s on an acre in the middle of Key West.
Ernest and his second wife, Pauline, were given the home as a wedding present by her rich uncle since Ernest was broke at the time.
He always managed to marry well.

They lived here from 1931-41, ten years during which Ernest wrote 70% of his best known works including For Whom the Bell Tolls and The Old Man and the Sea.

You know, that one you pretended to read in high school with all the symbolism.

They raised their two boys here, but when Ernest met reporter Martha Gellhorn at Sloppy Joe's, the local bar, and began an affair, Pauline had enough.
She threw him out and filed for divorce but continued to live here until the home was sold to a local woman whose family now runs tours for the public.

As much as the house and history, I was there to see those polydactyl
(six and seven toed) cats.

They are descendants of the original family pet, Snow White, who was a gift to Ernest from a sea captain.
All of the cats are named after movie stars or fantasy figures.

Betty Davis shows off her many toes.
We were allowed to pet but not pick up.
I miss Bogey and Princess so did a lot of petting to get my fur fix.

There are 43 cats on the property and they are everywhere, even on Ernest and Pauline's original bed.

This is Jane Russell's favorite place to nap.

Gary Cooper is asleep on the buffet in the dining room.

There are also two litters of kittens currently.  All the cats are spayed or neutered with just a select few allowed to have a litter to replace those that die.
It had been possible in the past to adopt a Hemingway cat but no more.

They have their own Cat  Cemetery and their own veterinarian, a full time job with 43 cats.

And also their own cat house which is a replica of the Hemingway House.  This came about after a tourist lodged a complaint that the cats weren't being properly cared for with no shelter.
How much shelter does a cat need in Florida?
The cat house even has a cooling fan.



The Hemingway House itself only got air conditioning a few months ago.

So I drink a toast to one of my favorite macho men who also happens to be a great writer.
Here's to you, Ernest!