THE PUB AND THE PEOPLE

NANTWICH PUB CRAWL…AGAIN

I have to admit I enjoy the pub culture in England. It’s relaxed and friendly and often the pubs are old and picturesque. Many feature outdoor gardens, some with playgrounds, some with animals. Going to a pub in England doesn’t have to be a drunken soiree. It’s usually a gathering of friends and family.

The pub culture is a major thread of life in England. Going to a favorite pub is more than getting a pint. It’s a community center. It’s a place for games like dominoes and darts are played. It’s a place to watch a televised football match. It’s a place where dogs sit patiently as their humans banter about everything. Pubs are where new parents go to “wet their baby’s head” to introduce them to the world. It’s a culture that dates 2,000 years ago when tabernae, basically wine bars, were quickly set up along roads catering to the invading Roman armies and which eventually evolved into the pubs of today. And, every time Team VFH heads to England to visit, it is to the pubs where we meet up with the in-laws and catch up on things.

 

The Black Lion Nantwich

Stools are rarities at the pubs. No one comes in to hunch over their pint with their back turned to the room. It’s a convivial atmosphere and people mill about with pints in hand or sit at tables. Oh, there’s a lot to like about going to the pubs of England, except for this humble imbiber, their beer, but only because it is consumed in vast quantities.

POOFTA

Yes, the English like their beer and they like to drink a lot of it. I’ve been told going out on a typical night is to drink 6 to 8 pints. Catering to this lifestyle the beer is weaker, typically around 3.5% alcohol content whether it’s a bitter or a colder lager. I’ve been told that you don’t want a stronger beer if you’re out with friends because you’ll not be able to drink that much. For the English the purpose of going to the pubs is not to get drunk, but to live.

Personally, I can’t keep up with our hosts, so I don’t even try. Sheer volume, despite the lower alcohol content has me bloated quickly. Of course, I could sneak in half-pint pours; a woman’s drink; but being labeled a poofta is a serious consequence. I try to pass on rounds as much as possible, that’s why I like buying the first one, for I enjoy the camaraderie of going out to the pubs when visiting England, I just can’t drink that much.

MY GOODNESS MY GUINNESS

This past trip I started drinking Guinness Stout. Having slurped my way through a myriad of bitters and lagers, some with less than enjoyable results I took Janet’s advice and went with this famous stout. It’s served in every pub.

It is said that Guinness doesn’t travel well. I once had it while on a brewery tour at St. James Gate in Dublin and then a week later in New York I had a Guinness that was unpalatable. England is close enough to Dublin and it has become my beer of choice. I’ll toss in an occasional bitter and my hosts are none the wiser.

Now, there is a thriving craft beer culture in England. IPAs and stronger brews are being concocted, but in Nantwich they are only available in specialty shops, like the Beer Dock.This micro pub, sells mainly craft beers for on and off premises consumption, sells pints and fills growlers from 10 rotating taps and has roughly 600 beers offered for sale. There's lots of foreign beers on their shelves. This is very unique though and far different than most of the other pubs in town.  The place is tiny with picnic tables filling the center and taps on the far end. The only other place I know that has "other" beers is the Crown Hotel bar. They offer a Leffe Blonde and a couple of German beers along with the typical cask conditioned beers found in the pubs. 

THE BEER DOCK

THE BEER DOCK NANTWICH

The Beer Dock doesn't have the atmosphere of the pub. It's all industrial and it's like sitting in the middle of a store. You can spend a lot of time ogling all the beers available. Quite different from the regular pubs, which are often "tied-houses", meaning they are owned by a particular brewery and serve mainly their beer. For example at the Red Cow it's Robinson's. Hydes is at the Vine and Marstons at the Talbot. 

PUB ETIQUETTE

Another part of the pub culture is buying rounds. Because of my lack of ability to keep up, I use this to my advantage and try to buy the first round. Later, when asked I can skip a pint and pace myself. 

 

THE RIFLEMAN NANTWICH

THIS WILL DRIVE YOU TO DRINK

If may seem to the casual reader that this whole pub business is a chore, but I have come to really enjoy the times spent in the pubs with family. We’ve been here so many times I recognize people and say hello and look forward to familiar pubs and new pubs. In Nantwich there are quite a number of choices, and we usually get dragged off to the pubs that are currently favored by our in-laws. An early destination in our travels to Nantwich was the Rifleman, affectionately known as “the Gun.” When we first started coming to Nantwich the Rifleman, also a “tied-hiouse” meaning it was owned by Robinson’s Brewery, was run by family members of the in-laws and so was the place to go. Since then though someone else runs the place and it’s fallen off our radar.

  

When the father-in-law and I go out we often go to the Nantwich Club, a private club right near the medieval era St. Mary’s Church. Beers are very cheap here and he’ll mention it more than once that it’s the cheapest in town (in-between winning hands at the dominoes table). Though it was as much charm as going to the local VFW Hall, we've spent a few New Year's celebrations here.  Although the average age is dead (an old Borscht-belt quip), we actually have had a great time and no one ever broke a hip on the cha cha line. At midnight everyone piles out into the square of St. Mary’s to listen to the bell ringers greet the new year. On a side note the bell ringers practice Thursday evenings from 7 to 9.

 BELL RINGERS PRACTICE IN NANTWICH 

On our recent trip we ended up on a pub crawl with the in-laws that had us going to some standard destinations and a couple of new ones.

 

ODDFELLOWS NANTWICH

THE ODDFELLOWS ARMS

On Welsh Road the place evidently boasts a lovely garden, but we sat at a massive table with a number of other couples. They offer live music here, but we were out too early. It was our first time here. The place first opened in 1767 as the White Lion, but since 1844 it has been called Oddfellows. I had a Guinness.

ODDFELLOWS NANTWICH

THE BLACK LION

THE BLACK LION

Also on Welsh Road, (evidently the border with Wales was once just over there). We had been here before and this especially charming place has a warren of nooks and fireplaces and tables scattered throughout. One of the oldest pubs in Nantwich, the building dates back to 1644.The father of one of our in-laws would sing here on occasion. I had a very nice bitter.

THE BLACK LION NANTWICH 

THE CROWN HOTEL

We try to have a pint at the Crown every time we visit Nantwich. The night of our pub crawl I drank a couple of half pints of a strong Belgian Leffe Blonde (the only way they serve it). No Poofta alert needed.

THE CROWN HOTEL BAR

The earliest records found about the Crown Hotel date from 1572. 

THE VINE

Another regular stop for us is in Nantwich is the Vine on Hospital Street. We’ve been here on New Year’s Eve, before heading to the Nantwich Club. A tied-house to Hydes, I’ve seen this place packed to the gills. There’s an outdoor area in the back beyond the WC but this night was filled with kids. I scurried back to the geriatric table to fetch my Guinness.

 THE VINE NANTWICH

THE VINE

THE BOOT AND SHOE

Our last stop on this pub crawl was also on Hospital Street. More austere than the rest on this particular crawl, the interior of the place was empty although there was a large bunch of kids in the smoking area out back. Although the building was built in 1572, survived the great Nantwich fire of 1583, it was somewhat an anti-climactic end to our 2019 Nantwich pub crawl. I'm glad I stopped in, but it was just okay. 

THE BOOT AND SHOE

We sipped our beers quietly in the threadbare seating area (Guinness for me) before walking through the paths and alleys that brought us home. Everyone walks here. I actually led the way; I know Nantwich that well.

ELSEWHERE IN ENGLAND

LIFE AS A RETIREE

Until recently I was unsure about an “idle” lifestyle. I was worried I about having to plan an entire day’s slate of activities in retirement. It was daunting. I was more comfortable wading through a myriad of work details and tasks. Before, I lived only for a future that would never arrive and which sadly is never guaranteed, and I was obsessed and worried over a past with its inevitable mistakes that are a part of the process of living. The present was completely overlooked.

Well, that all may seem ponderous doesn’t it, but truthfully it took a good while of adjusting and considering being elsewhere and enjoying the day rather than just surviving it. Janet helped immensely with a few well-timed slaps to the head and more than one kick in the pants. She is a deep well of support and tough love. The relaxed nature of our lives now allows us to be elsewhere whenever the mood, or the price, is right. Where once life was guided by stringent rules it now waifs along with serendipity and chance.

                                                                                                          

That’s why we’re currently in England visiting family. A few months back an air fare alert email from JustFly.com came to Janet. Air to Manchester from Philadelphia was $452, which is very cheap. Not having to think about logistics we jumped on the fare and now we’re back in the south Chesire town of Nantwich.

JUSTFLY.COM 

THE BAR AT THE CROWN HOTEL

Readers of this blog know that we have been coming here since her daughter’s marriage in 2011. Their English wedding was held at the Crown Hotel, a place that dates from the 1500’s (or so).  

 

CROWN HOTEL

Every time we arrive the in-laws say we’ll be bored here, but I have yet to tire of Nantwich. Yes, it’s a big world out there and someone has to see it, but Nantwich is a lovely jumping off point for everywhere else. This little town has become a second home for us. When here, the day brims with playtime with the grandchildren, drinks with the in-laws, toddling into town for a coffee and to listen for the bells of St. Mary’s marking the hour, or to market for the day’s supplies. That’s a lot to do! Of course Janet comes here more often. She was just here in January, but our current air fare was too inviting to pass up on a trip less than 4 months later. Since the wedding this is my fifth time here, with two trips here during the Christmas holidays and an extended trip in the summer of 2016.  

ST. MARY;S NANTWICH

Of course we plan little side trips while here, sometimes with the kids, sometimes on our own. Since our first trip we’ve visited Liverpool, traveled to Belgium to drink beer, crossed the Pennines to stay in York and spent a blur of an afternoon in Chester.

This year we’re off for a two-day trip to Lancaster, and Windermere in the Lake District.

LAKE DISTRICT

This will be two weeks of family time, which sadly was an entire lifetime more than I allowed myself when working furiously.

CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL

NEWARK, JUST LIKE I PICTURED IT!

A long long time ago in a galaxy far far away this humble scribe called Newark, NJ home. I am really old school. I was born at St. Michael’s Hospital and was raised in Harrison, NJ, just across the river. In 1981 I moved to the North Ward in Newark, more specifically the “Forest Hill” section and lived there for nearly 6 years just a block away from the beautiful Branch Brook Park and the Althea Gibson Tennis courts.

 

Cathedral Basilica of the
Sacred Heart, Newark

Branch Brook Park is beautiful and as serene as Newark gets. The park serpentines its way from the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, one of the largest cathedrals in the United States, all the way to Belleville. There are winding paths and lakes, but most enchantingly everywhere there are cherry blossom trees. Branch Brook Park, first laid out by the Olmstead Brothers, whose father had designed New York City’s Central Park, has more cherry blossoms planted on its 360 acres than anywhere else in the United States, including Washington, D.C. Every April the canopy of soft pink and white blooms makes Branch Brook Park an especially great place to visit. When I lived there my walks to the little trolley that would ding ding ding me away to the tumult of New York seemed less oppressive.

Well, a lot of people come to visit the park during the blooming of the cherry trees. Today, April 6^th, is the opening of the Cherry Blossom Festival. Thousands of people visit from as far away as Japan to walk the park. The festival which runs until April 14 offers free children’s activities, live music and demonstrations of Japanese culture. Artisans sell their wares and food for purchase is available at a marketplace set up at the Cherry Blossom Welcome Center. There are other activities like a fun run, a 10k race and a bike race.

Even if you can’t make the weekend activities and you’re in the area, take a detour and drive the length of Branch Brook Park to see the beauty.

BRANCH BROOK PARK CHERRY BLOSSOM FESTIVAL

MOVEABLE FEAST

LIVING TO EAT IN THE FLORIDA KEYS

One cannot avoid sea food in the tropical Florida Keys, nor should they. From Conch to snapper to Yellowfin Tuna to Wahoo to Key West Pink Shrimp, just to name a few choices and all readily available, menus display an incredible array of tasty critters that just seem to taste all that much better because of their proximity to the ocean.

Your favorite traveling companions were recently avoiding the awful weather in the Northeast and eating our way down the beautiful string of islands for two weeks in February. We not only ate more conch fritters that any man should readily admit to, but also Grouper and Tuna and Snapper and Wahoo and something never heard of before this trip, Hogfish.

So here’s a quick listing of all the ports of call on our recent trip to the Florida Keys. They are in no particular order of ranking, either for food quality or atmosphere, but I’ll start the list with restaurants and bars on Key West. Mind you, this is a very meager sampling of places to carouse in and dine at on Key West.

THE HOGFISH BAR & GRILL, Stock Island

A Rose By Any Other Name

Because I mentioned Hogfish I’ll start with the Hogfish Bar & Grill on Stock Island, just off Key West. Typical like a lot of Florida, the place is a bit of whimsy, a bit of a dive, but serving some great food. The Hogfish Bar is found in a sketchy area on a working marina and I was hesitant about the whole thing, including the namesake fish. The idea of something called a Hogfish is not very alluring, but then I read that it’s sweeter than Grouper, so we went. The place was popular with locals and tourists. I had conch ceviche for an appetizer and a “House Special” shrimp and grits featuring delectable Key West Pink Shrimp and a piece of blackened Hogfish. It was incredible. Janet had Hogfish fingers and a “Dock-to-Dish” Grouper special that also had a large piece of blackened Hogfish added to it. We ordered far too much food, but we accepted the challenge.

The beer list featured a lot of local beers and the usual suspects. The place was lively and fun. I’d go again.

HOGFISH BAR

BTW: Key West Pink Shrimp are sweet and mildly flavored and great as a peel and eat or used in any recipes. Like regular shrimp the meat is pink and turns opaque when cooked, but the shells are pink when caught, indicating the species as well as the telltale red dot on their shell. They are harvested from the Dry Tortugas north to Tarpon Springs,

SALUTE! ON THE BEACH, Key West

Location, location, location

With tables edging the path at Higgs Beach on Key West and gracing diners at these highly prized seats with a dazzling sun setting behind palms, Salute! is certainly a great casual place to alight. This popular busy Italian restaurant is worth the wait, although knowing people who live in Key West and work in the food industry, we were immediately seated and got a table right on the end so we were readily able to see the sunset while sipping extra large margaritas made with fresh lime juice and served in milk shake sized glasses.

I had their Yellowfin Snapper, a regular entry on their menu and Janet had Grouper off their specials. We shared an obscenely large wedge of key lime pie.

SALUTE!

LITTLE PEARL, Key West

As luck would have it

To get a table here on Valentine’s Day was no small accomplishment, but your humble moochers know how to tap resources. Family members in the food industry living in Key West can be a remarkable aid to getting a seating at this fantastic restaurant in the sedate Old Town section of Key West.

Lovely and romantic our dinner at Little Pearl never felt crowded or rushed in this petite place. We shared appetizers like Bangkok Octopus, and Spicy Tuna Tartare Brulee which I highly recommend if you ever get a reservation. For entrees we had Wahoo and Swordfish both grilled and sauteed Snapper and we all wrestled over the last morsel of Poached Pear that we shared for desert.

GO to Little Pearl!

LITTLE PEARL

TURTLE KRAAL, The Bight, Key West
Shell Game

We went here after our day-long Saturday trip to Dry Tortugas National Park and after catching the sunset at Mallory Square. Turtle Kraal is renowned for their turtle races Monday through Friday at 7 pm.

It’s on the bight where the ferries depart and there can be a homeless presence nearby. Sitting at the bar digging into our massive dinner salad and weighty hamburger we were entertained by a woman who tried to scam the bartender for more change. We never felt threatened with the hullabaloo, but this certainly was a glimpse of the more raucous side of Key West. They advertise live music, but we didn’t hang around long enough to see if a group would start up. It was the end of an extremely long day after all. They offer a nice array of craft and local beers.

BTW: The bight was once the center of many maritime industries in Key West. Hook boats that harvested sponge and shrimpers worked out of this port and before sea turtles were put on the endangered species list thousands were taken from Key West waters. Before they were butchered processed and canned for their meat, their shells used in jewelry and skins tanned for leather, the turtles were kept alive in dockside pens called kraals.

TURTLE KRAALS

CHARLIE MAC'S, Key West
Long and Slow

You will smell the hickory smoke long before you find this BBQ joint a half block off Duval Street and once you get to Charlie Mac’s consider this warning; you will order too much food. Yes, the usual, succulent suspects are here, ribs, brisket, pulled pork, chicken and fish, and you will want to order a little bit of everything, but hold out for the wings. They were perhaps the best we had ever eaten and this is coming from chicken wing lovers. Big and meaty and smoked they are finished on a grill. Don’t let them toss them in a sauce, get them “naked” with the sauces on the side. Enjoy that smoke before you dip. You can thank me later.

They have two dozen beers on tap and several more in bottles/cans.

CHARLIE MAC'S 

SALSA LOCA

Taco Party

Our partners in crime who live in Key West know a lot of little joints to get food and drink and they brought us to this Mexican restaurant in an alleyway off Angela Street just around the corner from Duval. Charming and rustic there are a number of colorful tables in the little court yard and several seats at the bar. We had margaritas (of course) and an array of tasty tacos with carnitas, etc. Inexpensive, fun and we would never have found this place without our guides.

KEY WEST SOIREES

You may not be fortunate to have friends to drag you around to carouse on Key West, but we did and were fortunate enough to be brought to a number of places that would easily have been overlooked had we not been along for the ride. There’s plenty of bars in Key West, probably too many, and most of them are not hard to find, but here’s a couple that we would never have found without our guides. 

Gems Hidden In Plain Sight

The View at the Sun Sun Bar

CASA MARINA

The Casa Marina is an elegant hotel in old Key West, but because it’s opulent doesn’t mean it’s off limits to people of our ilk. The hotel first opened in 1920 and has that older charming feel. Now operated by Waldorf Astoria I expected to be challenged by security when we locked up our bikes and breezed through the foyer and onto the grounds where we had a choice of sitting in the adult pool area, the family pool area or by the ocean’s edge. We took a seat at the Sun Sun Bar. Overlooking the water, we drank tropical adult libations typically priced for Key West. It was a pleasant relaxed setting and an eye-opening experience that we were even allowed on the property. Without our guides we would never have ventured here.

CASA MARINA 

 

THE CHART ROOM KW

CHART ROOM

Answered Prayers

Just at the end of Duval street there is a hotel complex called the Pierhouse, first built in 1967 as a 50-room motel that is popular with celebrities and media personalities. The Chart Room, about the size of a living room with a nautical theme for decoration, this funky little place is hard to find. When the Pierhouse sought to expand and add rooms to the complex it was only with the caveat that the Chart Room would be preserved and so they built around it. Now buried in the complex it’s hard to find and even our intrepid guides had some trouble leading us to this lovely little place that still serves up free hot dogs. Cozy, friendly the Chart Room is a place to visit.

BTW: Turns out that Truman Capote wrote his book, ANSWERED PRAYERS, while staying here and Jimmy Buffett played his first gigs in Key West at the Chart Room.

THE CHART ROOM

THE GREEN PARROT

Party every night (and day)

We caroused at this lively, crowded and convivial joint a few times while in Key West. Generous happy hour prices and bands playing deep into the night. The place should be a stop for you if you are ever on this ribald island. No food, but Charlie Macs is RIGHT NEXT DOOR.

THE GREEN PARROT

MARY ELLEN'S

Good Vibrations

Just off Duval this is another lively place. Decorated with Christmas lights and posters the place hedged on seedy but it was a lot of fun. When we told the bartender we were in for a quick drink before going to the sing-a-long to Little Shop of Horrors at the local bijou he broke into “You’ll be a dentist”, Steve Martin’s song in the movie. While sipping our drinks we were witness to that night’s Vibrator Races. We did not place a bet.

MARY ELLEN'S 

CAPTAIN TONY'S SALOON

A Favorite Watering Hole

I had expressed an interest in going to Sloppy Joe’s, that famous bar that Hemingway supposedly graced nightly with his larger than life personality. Turns out the original location was down the street before it moved over a dispute about the rent in the 1930's. Captain Tony’s had a more down and dirty feel, extremely dark in the deep recesses of the bar that once served as an ice house and appropriately enough the city morgue. Adorned not only with dollar bills waving in the breezes, countless bras hung from the rafters. We got house amber beers in commemorative Captain Tony’s cups that we could take with us. The revelry spilled onto the street; a common occurrence in Key West. Conversely, Sloppy Joe’s had a real touristy feel.

CAPTAIN TONY'S SALOON

 

CAPT TONY'S BRA COLLECTION

DON'S PLACE

A Local's Bar For Tourists

This collection of alcohol joints had a drive up liquor store, an indoor area and an outdoor bar that just felt like someone set it up that night. It looked edgy and on our own we might not have been so adventurous, but it was friendly and fun.

DON'S PLACE 

 

CAPT TONY'S WISDOM

OFF KEY WEST

Believe it or not there’s a number of great places off Key West. You just have to drive a lot to get to them.

NO NAME PUB, Big Pine Key

You found it

I’ve been to the keys a couple of times and the No Name Pub is a must for me. It’s decorated with dollars with different messages written on them the place offers a limited beer list and wine and great pizza. Janet had suspect fish and chips.

NO NAME PUB

THE NO NAME PUB

THE TIKI BAR, Ramrod Key

Taco Tuesdays!

Part of the Looe Key Dive Resort this massive open bar has lots of room. There’s a dance floor and a bandstand a large bar and a large number of tables, all covered by a thatched roof. They offer a number of craft and local beers and a full bar. Very popular with the locals, especially on Taco Tuesday Night! It was convenient for us while we stayed at the dive resort. We enjoyed watching a dog trade sips from his master’s beer while seated at the bar.  

TIKI BAR AT LOOE KEY DIVE RESORT

JIMMY JOHNSON'S BIG CHILL, Key Largo

Brass Balls

I’m not a fan of the Dallas Cowboys but that didn’t enter into our decision to eat at Jimmy Johnson’s Big Chill, on Key Largo. Johnson led the Cowboys to a Super Bowl win (probably another too…but who cares). Anyway, his massive complex was a short walk from Amoray Dive Resort where we stayed our final two days in the Florida Keys. There is nothing low key about this place, with a hotel and a couple or three bars and a huge deck with tables.

Good luck with trying to get one a table on Ladies Night Tuesday, when ladies drink for free. The place was packed, but somehow we were lucky to get a table on the deck (we DO have certain skills) and were able to leisurely watch the sunset as the revelry of the place swirled around and around. Our waitress never complained about the incessant rum drinks Janet ordered. We had decent conch fritters and massive dinner salads. We tipped her well.

BTW: You can see facsimiles of the Lombardi Trophies won during Johnson’s coaching stint with the Cowboys inside a case in one of the bars, and, a set of brass balls with some type of gibberish about how you need them to win big…..(whatever),

Once the “ladies night” hour is over, the place clears out, so if you don’t care about trying to see the sunset go later.

JIMMY JOHNSON'S BIG CHILL

SNAPPER’S OCEANFRONT RESTAURANT

Piglets and cracked conch

Went here for a late lunch and sat outside overlooking the water. This place is casual, but serves great food. Now often in Florida you encounter wacky things, but we managed to ignore the guy who came in after us and sat at another table with a pet piglet on his lap. Instead we busied ourselves with our delicious meal. We started with Blackened Dolphin Bites and Cracked Conch which was quite different than the ubiquitous fritters we were eating throughout the keys. Both were absolutely wonderful. We each had fresh seafood entrees. Snappers offers several variations in preparing. We ordered Hogfish. Mine was “Dove Creek”, which was encrusted with parmesan cheese and topped with a roasted red pepper relish. Janet had her Hogfish “Dakota-style” which was encrusted with almonds and parmesan, baked and finished with a champagne butter sauce. Pig be damned the food was phenomenal at Snappers.

SNAPPERS BAR AND GRILL

MRS. MAC'S KITCHEN Key Lago (Original location)

A great place for breakfast in this funky diner decorated with license plates and a bellowing jovial waiter. We had a card from Amoray that got us a free Key Lime Freeze. Boasting a menu for breakfast lunch and dinner that is as long as Florida itself!

Mrs. Mac’s II down the highway a bit doesn’t open until 11 am!

MRS. MAC'S KITCHEN 

SUNRISE CUBAN RESTAURANT AND MARKET

91885 Overseas Highway, Tavernier, FL 33070

Sunrise may not win an award for a top 10 restaurants for its atmosphere, but it should for its food. It may be a hole in the wall but the Cuban food is dead on excellent served by an effervescent staff who seemed genuinely happy we decided to stop for lunch. Massively sized Cuban sandwiches! Strong enamel darkening coffee! And, cigars! Cheap and filling.  

SUNRISE CUBAN RESTAURANT 

ISLAMORADA BEER COMPANY

Trust Me I'm A local

There are several very nice craft beers to savor in Florida. Cigar City out of Tampa has some very good beers and they were readily available in the Keys. We didn’t get to try anything from the Florida Keys Brewing, but their website shows there’s a fantastic looking beer garden.

I was drinking a lot of Islamorada Brewing while in the Keys and we happened to see their taproom directly on Route 1 and stopped in for a couple and to buy a six pack. The place wasn’t very charming, but it was clean and the beer was good. We bought a mix and match six pack.

ISLAMORADA BEER

CIGAR CITY BREWING

FLORIDA KEYS BREWING

ALABAMA JACK'S TSHIRT

ALABAMA JACK'S, Key Largo

Serendipity and chance

I don’t know how we find these places, but we are adventurous. This place is way off the beaten path. We were driving back to the airport, but decided to take a detour and came across Alabama Jack’s. We sat at the bar near the water and ordered a couple of craft beers. The bartender playfully groused that he had to carry a zillion other beers other than the naturals like Bud and Coors for folks like us. We laughed with him and chatted with a woman who was leaving Islamorada for good because her home was leveled in the last hurricane and her funding from FEMA ran out. She had stopped here for one last beer, or two. Though a sobering tale, that is the Florida Keys. The world may end, but there’s always time for a beer.  

ALABAMA JACK'S

CORAL RESTORATION

LOOK BUT DON’T TOUCH

I will not pretend to know anything about coral reefs, but from everything I’ve read the coral reefs are on the decline globally. The numbers are staggering. Some estimates put the loss of coral reefs upwards to 80%. They are dying off from climate change, disease, ocean acidification due to human effluent runoff, overfishing and other stresses. Though they cover just 1 percent of the world’s ocean coral reefs are home to 25% of her marine life. Home not only to thousands of species of fish, but thousands of invertebrate species, this biodiverse ecosystem is like an underwater rainforest. They also absorb much of an ocean wave’s intensity and protect the coast from erosion normally caused by currents and storms. Coral reefs are integral to our planet, they are the backbone of our existence.

The Great Florida Reef is the only coral reef in the continental United States and it is the third largest in the world. The first is Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and second is off the coast of Belize.

 

LOOE KEY

A PRECIOUS GIFT

Although it may seem I know something about coral reefs, I’m really just a spectator. I certainly can attest to their beauty. When healthy and blooming with life to snorkel or dive amongst these living animals is a precious gift that must be protected.  There is a great fear that coral reefs may not survive to the end of this century, but efforts are underway to help. Over the past several decades a heightened awareness of man’s affect on the ocean and the reefs has been a huge help. Eliminating the use of common sunscreen chemicals like oxybenzone and octinoxate, which cause coral bleaching or whitening of the coral, helps. Many governments now have set aside marine preserves and sanctuaries, like the Looe Key Preservation Sanctuary which are great steps in keeping coral reefs healthy and safe.

 

CORAL POLYP (INSET)

WHEN I GROW UP

But the thing is coral take a long time to grow, even under the best conditions. Coral is made up of countless little critters called polyps and as their lifespan ends other polyps build on top of their exoskeleton and eventually the coral build-up their colonies. Because these polyps are infinitesimal, some measuring just millimeters across, if left to nature alone, the reefs may never regain their resplendent brilliance in our lifetimes.

NATURE NEEDS A HELPING HAND

We were unable to dive on any of the four days we had set aside on our recent visit to the Florida Keys. On the way to Key West we stayed for a few days at the Looe Key Dive Resort, and on our return, we stayed at Amy Slate’s Amoray Dive Resort in Key Largo. All our scheduled dives were cancelled because of a small craft advisory. Disappointed about not diving to see the coral reefs, a divemaster at the Looe Key Dive Resort told us about two independent restoration efforts to replenish the coral reefs.

 LOOE KEY DIVE RESORT

AMORAY DIVE RESORT

CORAL POLYP (INSET)

The Mote Marine Laboratory takes “rescued” fragments of coral and under optimal conditions in their laboratory tanks study and grow the coral until they are able to be “replanted” in the reefs. Mote is on Summerland Key. They only welcome visitors on a strict schedule twice a week for just one hour each of the days. So, if you’re interested in seeing their work at Mote, call ahead to see if your timing is good.

 MOTE MARINE LABORATORY

STAGHORN CORAL "TREE"

The other restoration program is a bit more hands on in their approach and they actively seek out volunteers to help in their efforts to replenish the coral reefs. The not for profit Coral Restoration Foundation facility is more approachable with displays and a gift shop and videos to watch. They are on Islamorada and walk-ins are welcome.

Their restoration program is similar to Mote as they too take rescued fragments of coral to grow. But, at the Coral Restoration Foundation they suspend the coral fragments from underwater “trees”. When large enough, they too are replanted on the reef surface. They seek out volunteers who have at least 30 dives who can come clean the trees of algae and mollusks and when the fragments of coral have grown enough they too are replanted on the reef surface.

CORAL RESTORATION ORGANIZATION 

CLOSE UP OF CORAL

We visited both facilities when our dives were cancelled and were fascinated by the entire process. We had no idea this sort of restoration program was going on. Both are fascinating and informative and best of all, free, although if you do want to dive with the Coral Restoration Foundation they ask for a nominal fee. They will train and provide necessary tools. See their website for scheduled dives to the trees and the replanting sites.