Page 26 - Fall/Winter Taste Magazine

GoLoing Places:
Like so many with travel affected by the virus, we too had our plans to be in Europe and England thwarted this summer. Hunkering down and keeping busy with all sorts of projects, we prepared for the long haul, so when the invitation of a weekend in Key West came up from good friends ~ flying us in their own plane we jumped at it. We were encouraged about TV ads which assured that mask wearing was mandatory, even outdoors in Key West, and they were doing their best to keep people safe.
Our long time friend Jack and his girlfriend Carol, own a love- ly historic house, the Key West Bahama House, comprising five reno- vated and remodelled apartments. It’s gorgeous and the walled pool area is stunning. Set on quiet Bahama Street, but close to all the action on famous Duval Street one block away, and a good food store, Fausto's Food Palace, for food and supplies a short walk close by. It is the perfect place for a vacation and in a unique world of its own. The Key West Bahama House is located in Historic Old Town and was built in 1862.
Our apartment, the Nassau Suite, one of the largest suites in the Bahama House was upstairs, comprising 2 bedrooms, 2 bath- rooms and an eat-in kitchen adjoining a very nice spacious living room, felt very private. All the apartments are tastefully decorated with bright fun colours, all fresh and clean with laundries in each as well!
Dade County Pine clad walls are featured in the Grand Bahama Suite, a 3 bedroom, 2 bath suite which has plenty of room for a large gathering or a group of friends. The Paradise Island Style suite with its attractive front porch and bright cheerful Adirondack chairs, great for sitting back and relaxing with your first coffee, a cocktail later or cup of tea! Completely updated, this 2 bedroom, 1 bath with its high ceilings, tall windows, full kitchen with separate dining room and plenty of space, makes for a memorable Key West vacation.
The Bimini is a fun 2/2 suite, and closest to the pool at the rear of the building. Adjoining this suite is the Freeport one bedroom suite, which can be included with the Bimini. All suites are designed with a comfortable, casual beach theme with a fun feel. It’s true ‘Island Time’ here!
After a fun first evening with our hosts expertly cooking burg- ers on the grill by the pool, followed by a good rest we were ready for updating our knowledge of Key West the next day. Having been here a couple of times, but years ago, we very much enjoyed the Old Town hop-on-hop-off Trolley Tour and all it had to offer. Always great for an easy overview of any city, guided tours are relaxing and fun. The drivers
were very interesting, informative characters, like most locals in Key West! They were careful to block every other seat on the trolleys and of course we were shaded from the hot sun, with a breeze as we motored along thankfully. It was certainly still very hot and humid in our mid- September visit. We were happy to find that the cruise ships had not yet resumed visiting and so we were here at a relatively quiet time. However the bars were just being allowed to open up again, even at less occupancy.
The Island of Key West is only about 4 miles long and 1 mile wide. It
lies at the southernmost end of famous U.S. Route 1, the longest north–south road in the USA. It’s about 95 miles north of Cuba at their
closest points. One of the most fun and popular attractions on the island is a concrete replica of a buoy at the corner of South and Whitehead Streets that claims to be the Southernmost Point in the contiguous United States. The monument was repainted after damage by Hurricane Irma in 2017 and it's the most often photographed spot in theOKeys.
ld Town has the earliest settled Key West neighborhoods, on the western part of the island. This area is full of character with very pretty, attractive houses surrounded by gorgeous, lush tropical flora and fauna. Many of the building characteristics dating from 1886 to about 1912 have peaked metal roofs, horizontal wood siding, ginger- bread trim, are painted in pastel shades with louvered shutters and cov- ered porches or balconies. Here are the most visited tourist destinations including Mallory Square, Duval Street, the Truman Annex and Fort Zachary Taylor. Bahama Village, southwest of Whitehead Street, fea- tures houses, churches, and sites related to its Afro-Bahamian history. The Meadows, lying northeast of the White Street Gallery District, is exclusively residential. Another landmark to see is the Key West Lighthouse, now a museum.
Two of the most famous buildings in Old Town, are the Ernest Hemingway House, where the writer lived from 1931 to 1939, and the Harry S. Truman Little White House, where that President spent 175 days of his time in office.
The first of which we very much enjoyed spending time exploring once again. The Hemingway House, built in 1851 in the Spanish Colonial style, is constructed of native rock from the grounds. The home was in disrepair when the Hemingways took ownership, but both Ernest and Pauline could see beyond the dilapidation and appre- ciated the grand architecture and stateliness of the home. The massive restoration and remodeling they undertook in the early 1930s, turned
Key West
Vanessa Shaw-Finelli
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Taste Dining & Travel • Fall/Winter • More online at www.tasteweb.net