One brutal January, a couple years back, I decided that I couldn’t take the cold for one more day. So, I boarded a plane and made my way down to one of the most beautiful places on earth, Key West, FL.
The moment I arrived, I could feel my bones thawing in the constantly shining sun. It was on my first night there that I explored Mallory Square just before sunset to weave my way through the many street vendors, taste foods of all sorts and flavors, and applaud the marvelous street performers. I’ve tried multiple times to recreate that sunset on my canvas at home; I still can’t capture it quite right.
Key West is a truly unique destination. Inhabitants are a colorful blend of eclectic artists, writers and others just escaping from everyday life. Everyone has a story and they’re more than willing to share it with you. No one seems to care about the rest of the world, only about enjoying life every single day. This is Jimmy Buffet’s headquarters and the site of the annual Parrot Head convention. Sunshine, tropical breezes, crystal clear water and a never ending party make this an ideal weekend getaway.
The part I remember most about my trip is getting onto the long flat-bottom boat of a good fisherman friend and slowly moving across the miraculously blue water. It was there that I first experienced bone fishing. There is no motor on the boat (it will scare away the fish), so a long pole is used to push the boat along. The water is very shallow and clear, and though it makes “sneaking up” on the fish difficult, it is amazing for gazing down at the marine life below. Bone fish are extremely fast and difficult to catch, and as you can imagine I didn’t have much luck, but I did catch a cartoon-like blow fish that blew up to balloon size when pulled from the water.
This year, as the cold weather continues to freeze us over, that trip to destination warm-weather is looking better and better by the day. If you end up escaping to Key West, you might just see me there.
Ellen Studer
BestWeekends.com
The moment I arrived, I could feel my bones thawing in the constantly shining sun. It was on my first night there that I explored Mallory Square just before sunset to weave my way through the many street vendors, taste foods of all sorts and flavors, and applaud the marvelous street performers. I’ve tried multiple times to recreate that sunset on my canvas at home; I still can’t capture it quite right.
Key West is a truly unique destination. Inhabitants are a colorful blend of eclectic artists, writers and others just escaping from everyday life. Everyone has a story and they’re more than willing to share it with you. No one seems to care about the rest of the world, only about enjoying life every single day. This is Jimmy Buffet’s headquarters and the site of the annual Parrot Head convention. Sunshine, tropical breezes, crystal clear water and a never ending party make this an ideal weekend getaway.
The part I remember most about my trip is getting onto the long flat-bottom boat of a good fisherman friend and slowly moving across the miraculously blue water. It was there that I first experienced bone fishing. There is no motor on the boat (it will scare away the fish), so a long pole is used to push the boat along. The water is very shallow and clear, and though it makes “sneaking up” on the fish difficult, it is amazing for gazing down at the marine life below. Bone fish are extremely fast and difficult to catch, and as you can imagine I didn’t have much luck, but I did catch a cartoon-like blow fish that blew up to balloon size when pulled from the water.
This year, as the cold weather continues to freeze us over, that trip to destination warm-weather is looking better and better by the day. If you end up escaping to Key West, you might just see me there.
Ellen Studer
BestWeekends.com
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