A Visit to Key West

This is Michael McCloud's set at the Schooner Wharf in Key West. Notice his dog resting in his guitar case. We rented a car for a week and drove there to visit St Paul Episcopal Church where we were married and to see what's new with food and music.

The good news is that talent has returned to the town. For several years after cruise ships started stopping here, the restaurant and bar owners decided that they didn't need to feature good food and music because the cruisers were going to show up regardless of the quality. They were wrong and the young man pictured above is evidence. The young man above, Gerd Rube, plays so many styles of guitar that I lost track. He has a device by his side that will record a few bars as he creates a background sound. When Gerd hits a foot button, the track plays the recording he just created in a loop while he adds more layers of sound with more guitar and voice.

Then there are the Key West sunsets. I took this one from atop the La Concha Hotel. When I first visited the La Concha in 1976, the hotel was a flop house and condemned above the second floor. Rooms are now $300 per night and up.

The foodies have returned to Key West also demanding better treatment. Mandy is awaiting lunch at the Tree-Top Restaurant. They offer creative local dishes as $5.00 lunch specials.

If you have time, on the way back to Marathon, you can stop at the hard-to-find No Name Pub on hard-to-find No Name Key where patrons have been fastening dollar bills on the walls and ceiling for years.

I hope to post a video of Raven Cooper performing at the Schooner Wharf Bar