If you know Shannon, you know a.) that he likes to throw himself a birthday party every year, preferably in the form of a trip and b.) he has been a big fan of Jimmy Buffett for many, many years, attending at least 8 concerts, the final one being on our trip to Orange Beach in 2022. Jimmy Buffett unfortunately passed away on Labor Day weekend of 2023. Due to his long standing relationship with Key West, the town wanted to honor Mr. Buffett with a second line parade . If you aren’t familiar with a second line parade- I’ve linked it there. From the site:

“A brass band blares. A hand-decorated parasol twirls. A ragtag group behind the band waves handkerchiefs to the beat of the drum, while a grand marshal in a snazzy suit and jaunty hat leads the way – out-dancing, out buck-jumping them all as he waves his feathered fan. Lucky you. You’ve just stumbled across a New Orleans second line. Everyone is welcome to join in and many do. This is the “joie de vivre” everyone talks about in New Orleans. This feeling of pure happiness that swells up in your chest“.

As Jimmy Buffett has many ties to the city of New Orleans as well as Key West, this event seemed like the perfect choice for honoring this music legend. It also happened to correspond with Shannon’s actual birthday.

I’ve mentioned our friends, Tom and Krista, in an earlier post, but as a reminder, they are lifelong friends of Shannon’s. They were therefore the perfect friends to come with us for this event!

The parade started on Duval street, right in front of sloppy Joes Bar ( which was a favorite of both Jimmy Buffett and Ernest Hemingway). Sloppy Joes has a live-feed YouTube channel and we sent it to our families. Shannon’s sisters watched us wave and took the screenshots of us below, which was great fun. Having the shark was the key to success here.

Here’s a hint:

Needless to say, the four of us had an absolute blast participating in Jimmy Buffett’s second line parade. If you believe as I do, that there is life after death, then you must believe me when I tell you that Jimmy Buffett was surely smiling down at this wonderful salute to his life. His second line parade was a heartfelt tribute, celebrating him, the lives he touched, and the music he made. His music had a way of connecting people, and this event was evidence of that. As most of the attendees were ahem….. more mature, the crowd was pretty well behaved aside from the references to drugs, booze, and partying, but even those were all in good fun. It was a great time!

Shannon and I do a lot of camping on most of our trips, so it was a huge treat to stay in a nice hotel this trip! We loved our stay at the Duval House for many reasons, including its central location on Duval Street.

We stayed in the Conch Cottage at the Duval House, which was a 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom cottage with a living room, fridge, microwave, and a nice outdoor fenced in patio. The patio had a table and chairs and was covered by an umbrella and shady palms. There was a nice breakfast included each morning, served in the courtyard, and a small, shaded pool. We were offered complimentary beverages on arrival, and the staff were anxious to help. We were able to rent bicycles from the Duval House for $15/day the first day and $10/day each additional day. Bicycles are the best way to get around in Key West. It’s almost completely flat, it’s much easier to find bicycle parking than car parking, and everything can be accessed by bicycle in 10-15 min from anywhere. We noticed a lot of folks renting golf carts, and there’s a prolific cart-rental business in town. Bikes and carts seem to be easy to grab without reservations.

*side note- We had some patio visitors. In addition to the wild chickens that are everywhere ducking under the fence, we had a bunch of various sizes and types of lizards, including a rather large iguana that Shannon tried to “ catch”. Here’s that story in pictures. See if you can find the iguana in these:

We visited the Hemingway house this time and it was gorgeous, and also fascinating! We rode bikes from our hotel, and had a great time exploring, and walking the grounds. Ernest Hemingway is another interesting guy. Shannon and I watched a (6 part!) documentary about his life on Amazon Prime before we went, which enriched the experience- having given us more knowledge of his life in general and his time spent in Key West.

We were very interested in seeing the famous six-toed cats, and we weren’t disappointed. They were all over the place. They are clearly well cared for, and are a much bigger deal than i realized. From the link:

” Ernest Hemingway was known for many things, including his love for cats and writing. At his home in Key West, he kept a colony of cats, many of which were polydactyl, meaning they had extra toes. These cats, known as Hemingway’s six-toed cats, have become a beloved attraction at the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum. Visitors to the museum can see the cats up close and learn about their history. During his time in Key West, Hemingway wrote several of his most famous books, including “A Farewell to Arms,” “To Have and Have Not,” and “The Snows of Kilimanjaro.” He wrote in a small studio on the property, surrounded by the cats he loved. Visitors can see the studio and learn about the writing process of one of America’s most celebrated authors.”

As i mentioned, Bicycles are the best way to get around Key West. * Pro tip – It is sweltering hot most of the time, and hydration is essential. Also, not a lot of shade- so hats are a good idea.

We rode to the southern most point in the US, where just like our previous visit, there was a long line around the block to stand by the marker. None of ( the four of) us wanted to stand in the heat and wait for our turn – so we improvised.

We ate at some great restaurants this time! I’m going to list them and link them all right here;

Blackfin bistro – An outstanding salad with chunks of lobster and an outstanding sparkling Rose , Moondog Cafe was delicious and the best desserts of the whole trip!, Viva – I had shrimp tacos, Shannon had steak tacos, and Krista had vegan tacos, and they were absolutely delicious. Nineonefive – just superb. As a vegetarian, Krista really appreciated the General Tso’s Cauliflower! I loved my She Crab Ravioli, Tom had a great steak, and Shannon had Ceviche. At Asianbistro (listed on their website as “Bangkok Happy Bowl Asian Paradise” but that’s not what the sign said) we had sushi and wontons and whatnot, but Tom’s dish lit him on fire for the rest of the night. Our Waitress at Moondog Cafe, recommended 2 places that we didn’t try, but i’m passing them along; El Meson de pepe and General Horseplay, both of which she claims to have the best, craft cocktails in the whole town. We also made a couple of trips to Fausto’s food palace on Fleming Street, because Jimmy Buffett mentions it in his 1976 song “My Head hurts, My Feet stink, and I don’t love Jesus“

I’m goin’ down to Fausto’s get some chocolate milk
Can’t spend my life in yer sheets of silk
I’ve got to find my way
Crawl out and greet the day

But now my head hurts, my feet stink, and I don’t love Jesus
(oh my lordy it’s that…)
It’s that kinda mornin’
Really was that kinda night
Tryin’ to tell myself that my condition is improvin’
And if I don’t die by Thursday I’ll be roarin’ Friday night

We had some games going on in relation to the food and drinks. Tom wanted to sample all of the Mojito’s in Key West and find the best one. Shannon wanted to try all of the Ceviche in Key West and declare a winner. After having made multiple attempts in both areas, and in an un-related, un-biased final reveal, they both actually chose Viva! (Viva Argentinian steakhouse) as the winners in each of their categories!

We were in Key West for 5 nights this trip and we had an absolute blast the entire time. There’s more to tell, and the best is yet to come…….