RUNNING ON KEY WEST
Despite
the incessant revelry that defines Key West running and biking are popular
activities here; walking too, but that usually means just ambling on to the next bar on Duval
Street.
The wide
sidewalks of South and North Roosevelt Boulevard, that circumvents “New” Key
West, are great places to run and ride bikes. For a long while the northern
portion of the boulevard, which is Route 1, is pleasant with palm trees, despite
the busier of the two routes. There’s a lot of commerce on this stretch of the
road, but it overlooks several picturesque marinas. As it nears old Key West and the town center and more businesses pop up the sidewalk narrows.
South
Roosevelt Boulevard is quieter. There are no businesses on this stretch until
the road ends just past Smather’s Beach. As the road curves and heads south you pass
the airport, but traffic is much lighter here. Running on this part of the
Boulevard is nice and Smather’s is a good place to turn back for home.
There are
several races held throughout the year, including a half-marathon and there’s a
running club called the Southernmost Runners, with several races listed on
their calendar.
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| DRINKS AT CASA MARINA |
BIKING
A lot of people bike on Key West and there are plenty of places to rent. We rented
bikes today for $15, the standard price on Key West. The bikes were sturdy with
safety lights and locks and we were able to keep them past the rental place’s
closing time; we just had to lock them up and put the key in a drop box.
We went
the entire length of Roosevelt Boulevard and when we were on the streets, drivers
were generally very nice and patient. Lot's of people ride bikes on Key West. After riding for a bit through town we eventually
stopped for drinks at the fancy, Casa Marina Key West overlooking the Atlantic.
It was a very glamorous location and we just walked through the hotel, past the
pools and grabbed some seats at the beach side bar. Later we ate some
incredible tacos at Salsa Loca, just off Duval Street on Angela Street. There
were tables in a little courtyard, but we sat at the bar. I had Tacos Carnitas
and Janet had Tacos Diablo; Carne Asada and Chorizo. Cheap, but tasty, three
tacos were 14.95 and they brought us chips and salsa and rice and refried beans
along with the tacos.
WALKING
We left
our bikes locked up at Salsa Loca and walked down Duval. Cars were blocked from
entering Duval Street for several blocks to provide a temporary pedestrian
walkway and we made our way to Greene Street. We opted not to go to Sloppy Joe’s,
the bar known for its history with Ernest Hemingway, who lived in Key West for
ten years beginning in the early 1930’s. Our resident guide turned us towards
Captain Tony’s Saloon, evidently the original site of the original Sloppy Joe’s
and Papa’s first true hangout. Whatever, there was music and beer and brassieres
and dollar bills hanging from the walls.
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| CAPTAIN TONY'S |
The last
stop on this hale and hearty pub crawl was in the enchanting but hard to find
Chart Room Bar at 1 Duval Street. The place is nestled in the Pier House Resort
& Spa which was sort of built all around it. Cozy, quiet, the Chart Room
also had free hot dogs and popcorn. What more can anyone ask for!?
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| THE CHART ROOM |
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