One thing we learned too late is to go first to the Truman White House if you want to tour both it and the Hemingway house — There is a combo ticket ($3 less than individual tix and you can buy it with a credit card. ) We started at the Hemingway House and had to pay cash and there was no combo ticket. oh well, both were interesting, probably Truman more than Hemingway although the Hemingway house architecture was more interesting.

The weather was in the low 80’s and gorgeous again (especially given that Iowa is now cold and snowy) so we did more of what we did yesterday – rode bikes all over (this time to Smathers Beach which wasn’t as lovely as Fort Taylor State Park but still nice —- big on water sports rentals and no fee but located on a big road and less secluded than Fort Taylor, which only costs $2.50 if you enter by bike). We stopped at the Coffee Plantation for coffee con leche but preferred yesterday’s Cuban Coffee Queen by the marina.   We also had lunch overlooking fish swimming in the green water of the marina at the Half Shell Raw Bar. Great rustic local ambiance and crab balls but I didn’t like my Hogfish (or some such) sandwich much. I preferred Pepe’s food but it could be that I have had my fill of seafood…although I had more for dinner at Blue Heaven because that’s what they’ve got. We didn’t eat until 9:30 p.m. because the very popular Blue Heaven (where you eat outside in what feels like a stage set, with dramatically lit rustic wood shack walls, old trees and a tiki bar in an outdoor courtyard) only takes reservations before 6 or after 9. I feel like we have done Key West. Glad we came. Although the people and room at The Speakeasy Inn were great, I wouldn’t stay there again – the location is just too noisy, especially during spring break.

“I told you I was sick.”

The music is back at The salty angler but much mellower, for now, so I am hopeful. We had a really fun day riding rental bikes all over town, along the beach, in and out of various neighborhoods, past beautiful cottages and southern porches and shady tropical palms, bourganvia, hibiscus. Great way to see everything. We stopped at the cemetery, checked out the Jewish section, which my aunt Janet had told us a large monument would make us chuckle. We looked at various Jewish gravestone inscriptions figuring the jokester would turn up but turned out to be a gentile grave nearby with the inscription “I told you I was sick.”

We rode over to the touristy harbor and walked our bikes along a narrow wood deck winding past the glistening water and fancy white boats, stopped at a window for Cuban coffee, had a late lunch at Pepe’s (excellent oysters ,cooked 3 ways, famous keys pink shrimp, superb blackened yellowish sandwich and delicious coconut cream pie.  Pepe’s claim to fame  is as the oldest restaurant here. We enjoyed sitting on the shady brick patio.

Oysters at Pepe’s

In the afternoon, we peddled through the classy Truman Annex neighborhood to Fort Zachary Taylor State Park, which has one of the most gorgeous beaches I’ve been on  – small, sandy coves with dark blue water and birds perched atop rock outcroppings, a soft sandy pristine beach lined with shady pine trees, cool but not cold water, calm water with no real waves, a small crowd.

For dinner, we at beachside at Salute, sitting on the open air back patio under a full moon, in a festive casual open air space, with neighborhood kids occasionally walking their bikes by on the dark trail through the sand, past a volleyball net.

More delicious seafood plucked from the ocean nearby cold stone crab claws, grilled yellowtail snapper atop spinach with a light lemon cream sauce, grilled grouper with a light red pepper sauce, key lime pie topped by several inches of airy merengue. Riding back through town on our bikes (small bike lights flashing) was such a treat, breezing along quiet residential streets and much rowdier com

commercial drags, a slight wind at our backs, soaking it all in.

At the marina

Back at The Speakeasy Inn, we tried some complimentary rum and fruit juice drinks. Not my thing ( I have stuck primarily to lemonade and limeade here, unlike most visitors, many of whom appeared drunk or buzzed as they walked by as as we sat on the front porch in white wicker chairs. EXcellent people watching, as promised.

It didn’t take me long to confirm that it was a mistake to book this room atop an old bar on the southern end of Duval Street in Key West. I knew it would be noisy and I came with earplugs but they were no match for The Salty Angler, a bar across the street that blared loud live music from early afternoon until 11:30 pm (I know it’s 11:30 pm because I was counting the minutes.) Then there are the spring break and other partiers hooting it up and motorcycles buzzing by. I spent part of the night trying to find other places to stay but had an even harder time doing that than I did several months ago when the most affordable options ($250 range so not cheap) were gone except for this.

Lunch at Louie’s Backyard

It’s a shame because when it’s quiet, like this morning at 7:30 am , sitting in an upholstered white wicker chair on our spacious second floor balcony with white columns, shaded by palms, is a lovely place to be. Note to self: never again book a place right in town, especially during spring break. (P.s. It got better….)

Beyond that, the drive here was interesting– Never seen water these colors, from pale yellow-green to turquoise. We stopped at Mangrove Mike’s, a local hangout in Islamorada for breakfast and got kicked off the near perfect private beach (pix above) at The Moorings (note to self: stay there next time, if it doesn’t cost a fortune, which it probably does… latest claim to fame– it was where the nexflix show Bloodlines was filmed.) Islamorada in general is a good alternative to Key West, much mellower and quieter (I am now craving quiet). We liked the tiny funky “arts district” that includes a ceremic shop and brew pub.

In Key West, we did have a lovely late lunch at Louie’s Backyard,  sitting at the bar on the deck by the shimmering ocean on a very sunny afternoon – conch chowder (our young server played football for “the fighting conchs,” the name of the high school team here) and a snapper sandwich and key lime pie. We watched the bartender make many a pina colada. dogs and people frolicked on the nearby beach. Our place is an easy walk to South Beach which is tiny and was packed but we had a brief dip in surprisingly warm water with perfect sandy bottom. I was briefly comforted when we walked to the north end of Duval Street to see that our end is indeed “the quieter end” — not my scene up there. Way too many people, college age and middle aged, drinking and being rowdy, lots of bad art and tshirt shops. But we found quieter lovelier spots too (especially along Petronia street, Hemingway’s house and toward the state park so will seek those out on our bikes today. THe staff here also promised to chat with the folks at the bar across the street. Apparently last night was the first time they blared live loud music, maybe to try to lure spring breakers to this side of Duval. NO thanks.

We had an okay dinner at Banana Cafe last night, chosen only for its proximity to our inn. between there and hear is also a house where several young women sit on the porch basically offering their services (there is a whole list of kinky things they can do posted on the walll. No takes yet and not that racy a scene although we did see some primo drag queens a little further north on Duval.