This Week on the Island 06/17/2007

'This week on the Island' is written by Doug Bennett and is an update to friends about happenings in Key West last week. Everything is true except for those parts that are lies.
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The picture this week is an old picture of Key West. At the top of the picture is US#1 leaving Stock Island and dividing into North Roosevelt (US#1) and South Roosevelt (A1A). You will note the roads were built off shore with water on both sides of the roads. This was later filled and used for development. This entire area is now heavily populated with business's.

Happy Father's Day.

No book this week.

The Weather: It is that time of the year. The weather for the next 5 months will be hot and humid with a chance for rain.

It is summer and not a lot of visitors this time of the year.

Why don't you take a bike ride with me. I like to go about 2 or 3 in the afternoon when it is HOT. No hat and no shirt.

We check the tire pressure on the bike's tires and go out the front gate and take a right on Caroline St. We pass Scrubs, B.O.'s, Pepe's, and Harpoon Harry's and take a left on Margaret over to Half Shell, Turtle Kraals, and the original Margarittaville building. (We are at Lands End and on the NORTH side of the island.) Next we go down Lazy Lane to Schooner Wharf and past the Key West Bight and Shrimp Boat Sounds (Jimmy Buffett's recording Studio). We head on down Green Street past old City Hall and Sloppy Joe's; cross Duval and pass Captain Tony's and on to Whitehead Street. Let's take a right and go to Mallory Square. No ships in the harbor and nothing happening. ( We are on the WEST side of the island) Now we head up Whitehead and past Kelly's and the Post Office. A few people are having their picture taken at the 'End of US #1' sign, we peddle on past the Green Parrot and on to Hemingway's house and the Light House. We stay on Whitehead until we reach the Southernmost Point in the continental USA (We are on the SOUTH end of the island) and take a left on South Street. We peddle one block to Duval and take a right to South Beach. There are very few tourist out so we go back to South Street and take a right and head to Vernon where we take a right and go to Dog Beach and Louie's Back Yard. Here we take a left on Waddell,, a right on Alberta, and a left on Seminole and ride past the Casa Marina (lots of construction happening). We take a right on Reynolds and go to the Atlantic Ocean and take a left on Atlantic Ave and past Higgs Beach, the White Street Pier and Rest Beach.

Now it is a straight shot for about 1 mile until we get to Bertha. We take a left and go past Shanna Key (Irish Pub) to Flagler. A right on Flagler and we are in the middle of the island heading east. We go past the high school and take a right on a road called Government Road. We peddle a few miles down this road and we are back in the salt ponds behind the airport runway. This is where Bravo Battery was located during the Cuban Missile Crisis of the 1960's. Pictures at http://www.missilesofkeywest.com/bravo.htm . End of the road so time to head back.

After wiping off some of the sweat, we head down Government Road back to Flagler. We take a left on Flagler and go to Macmillan, take a right and go across the island to the Gulf side and US#1. Take a left on Roosevelt (US#1) and go past Garrison Bight to Palm Ave. Take a right on Palm and get ready for the tuff part of the ride. We now must peddle up the overpass over Garrison Bight (it always kicks my butt). At the top of the overpass we can start coasting down Palm Ave to Eaton Street. We take a right on Grinnell and go past Finnegan's Wake (Irish Pub) and the city parking garage to Caroline. We take a left and go past Dante's and Flagler Station and back home. I'm a little tired, how about you. We got a good workout, got some sun, lost some weight, exercised that knee replacement, and improved out lungs. Total time: 2 hours.

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Flagler used to be the main road into Key West as it is down the middle of the island. The Government built North Roosevelt (US#1) and South Roosevelt (A1A) offshore on both sides of the island. Both of these roads were built with fill dirt and had water on both sides of the roads. It was all later filled in on the side toward the island and built upon.

Flagler is the guy that built the 'Railroad that went to Sea' from Miami to Key West.

Key West, You have got to love it

'Meet me at the end of the road' - Conky Tonkin'- Jimmy Buffett

Doug Bennett

Lat 24.5597N, Long 81.8016W

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