Afternoon View - Key West Detritus

Just the stuff that made it to the coffee table of my hotel room.

Morning View - Tough Guy

He still has the attitude that probably cost him that chunk of his ear.

Morning View - Truman Adult Video

A rolling billboard for one of the local dirty bookstores.

Afternoon View - Conch Republic Passports

Morning View - Key West Walgreens

I found this description of the funky building now housing Walgreens on Duval Street:

The Strand Theater in Key West opened in the mid-1920s as a single screen movie house that sat 800 around people. The theater closed sometime in the early 1980s and reopened as a nightclub. It remained open as a few other nightclubs until it became a Ripley's Believe It Or Not museum in 1993. The theater was sold in December 2001 and closed in April 2002. It has since become another location of Walgreens drug store. Based on research, over the past 20 years the marquee had become damaged with parts even missing. Walgreens restored the marquee to its original status, with the exception of adding their own advertising. All of the interior has been removed and/or covered over with the exception of the balcony.

Morning View - Southernmost Point

I went whizzing all over the island on my little scooter this morning.

RECAP: Key West Pride, Day One

Yesterday Father Tony and I arrived in the mid-afternoon and were whisked to our Cypress House accommodations with instructions to quickly prepare for the Key West Pride kickoff party at Island House. After a few hours of poolside menz and frozen drinkies, we were hustled off to dinner at The Flaming Buoy (heh) where the co-owner related how a recent positive mention from the New York Times nearly sank the joint with business it wasn't yet ready to handle. Fantastic char-grilled scallops, by the way. After dinner, the irrepressible Father Tony continued onward to some of the bars on Duval Street, but I was zonked on the bed by 10:30pm. I am the party animal.

DISCLOSURE: As I mentioned when I first posted about this trip, our entire Key West shebang is being funded by the Key West Business Guild - airfare, hotel, meals, nightclubbing, hookers...everything. (OK, maybe not hookers.) As always for these things, press junketeers are not "required" to review or even mention any of the places we visit. If we do, hey, that's nice of us. If we don't, oh well. I usually only mention the joints that I liked. Just so you know.

Morning View - Cypress House

Father Tony and I are staying at the fabulous Cypress House, where we have adjoining apartments. I'll post a slideshow recap of yesterday's goings-on shortly.

Evening View - Key West International

I love everything about Key West's airport, like the one luggage carousel. (Where's my bag? Oh. Carousel one.) But especially the super creepy multi-culti statue family on the roof.

Afternoon View - MIA To EYW

Father Tony and I are about to board our little prop plane for the hop from Miami to Key West, where we'll be celebrating Gay Pride Week. Nonstop.

Showercaps And Soap Only

In order to reduce pilfering, some hotels have begun attaching RFID chips to their towels and linens.

The radio-frequency identification chips designed by Linen Technology Tracking can be put in towels, sheets and bathrobes to keep track of stock and, more importantly, to ensure their return when light-fingered guests forget their manners. The market for such items sounds well developed. CNN quoted William Serbin of Linen Technology Tracking saying, "Any given month, [hotels] can lose 5 to 20 percent of towels, sheets and robes." And the economies to be made from the tags, which will work through 300 washes, also sound rather impressive.

Passport Ownership By State

(Via - Andrew Sullivan)

Morning View - Fort Lauderdale Beach

The "no swimming" red flags are out due to the high winds. I'm told the other flag means "dangerous marine life." Jellyfish, I presume, because the sharks are always there.

The Angry Traveler's Guide

I'm not getting Greece.

(Source)

Afternoon View - Lake Eola

The fountain in downtown Orlando's Lake Eola is sort of the city's symbol and its silhouette is found on many of the town's non-Disney souvenirs. Obvs, I'm now in Orlando.

Morning View - Fort Lauderdale Beach

Afternoon View - Porky's Bayside

Father Tony and I just crossed the Seven Mile Bridge and have stopped on Marathon for conch fritters and pulled pork at the way-funky Porky's Bayside Shack. Where they have free wifi. Go figure!

Afternoon View - Key West Lighthouse

The Key West Lighthouse is only 86 feet tall, but feels much higher when you are climbing its rickety circular metal staircase. Ow, my nuts.

Morning View - Island House Pool

At this early hour, there are only a few guys having breakfast in the restaurant adjacent to the Island House pool. But it'll be a mob scene very shortly.

Afternoon View - Key West Cemetery

Traditional below-ground burials are impossible in Key West due to the high water table, so the island's cemetery consists of above-ground crypts. Family members are often stacked atop each other, as seen here.