Key West, Florida Roadtrip

[talisman]

That's fucking kick ass Eric, again thanks for sharing. Our friend has a Cobra just like that, I didn't know they made more than one POS like that, gay ass stripes and body kit. She thinks hers is a one off made. There still might be some pictures on DM's website with her in the photo shoot.
I plan on making that trip to the Keys too. Two parts of Florida I have not been too, Jacksonville and as far south as Stuart. I would love to go to KSC, especially after going to Houston SC.

I went to the Houston one when I was a kid. Much better as an adult really knowing the impact of everything you're seeing rather than it just being "neat!" lol

That car looked like a wannabe S197 Eleanor clone. Guy was really impressed with it as well.

[Binky]

What was that hotel you stayed at that had the garden and shit? You posted a pic on FB but wouldn't say the name since you woulda prolly gotten 20 pizzas and a male stripper at 2am

Place was pimp!

[Cooter]

What was that hotel you stayed at that had the garden and shit? You posted a pic on FB but wouldn't say the name since you woulda prolly gotten 20 pizzas and a male stripper at 2am

Place was pimp!

I'd eat 20 free pizzas with a free male stripper

[talisman]

What was that hotel you stayed at that had the garden and shit? You posted a pic on FB but wouldn't say the name since you woulda prolly gotten 20 pizzas and a male stripper at 2am

Place was pimp!

Douglas House. It was fucking badass. I'll get the pics up here in a bit. These threads are a huge PITA to build.

[talisman]

Finally get to Key West, and then have to get through it. The Overseas Highway (Highway 1) is under construction so there's a lot of traffic, and oblivious dipshit tourists that have rented bikes and are apparently unaware of what they are doing most of the time. I get to my hotel, Douglas House, which is a couple of old houses all connected with huge private patios, gardens, etc. Probably the coolest hotel I have ever stayed in. The only thing I'm about to post that wasn't part of "my room" is the pool.













Asked the guys at the desk a good place to eat within walking distance, and headed out. There were Roosters all over the island, just hanging out where ever they felt like it.



Ended up at the Southernmost Beach Cafe. Holy God, this was the best burger I've had in my life.

[talisman]

Stroll around a bit.







What's funny is this isn't the Southernmost point. This buoy got stuck after a storm and they built around it and then painted it up rather than move the heavy ass thing. lolz


Get back to the hotel and find they have a book sharing take one or leave one deal. One of my favorite books is The Dice Man, and I never seem to find anyone else who has ever heard of it. Yet, here it is, and in German.



Decide to hang out on the patio and get deeper into the novel Life of Pi. I'm sitting there minding my own business and hear this ungodly wail that makes me come fucking unglued. Sitting on this step, staring straight at me from 10 feet up and away is a goddamn cat.





He hangs out for awhile while I read, the sound of the ocean, the fountains, the rustling tropical plants in the wind, and people walking the streets of the city having a good time, and the smell of paradise all faintly in the background.

Next morning I bail out and hit the street. Found myself a new house. Wonder how much they're asking.



This was just parked in the street in the middle of no where like it was a Camry, not a soul around.

[talisman]

At last, I am at Hemingway House. Hemingway used to keep some polydactyl cats, which have continued to breed through the years and stuck around. Polydactyl cats have a genetic defect that gives them more than the requisite number of toes, making them look like they've got furry little human hands. My sister had one years ago named Seven. They were everywhere. And this house was fucking bad ass. I would love to live in it. I almost knocked down a couple of Germans to get this first shot. Too perfect.









I do what I want!







Going to town on itself on Hemingway's bed. Daaang.

[talisman]

These two were howling and hissing at each other.



Even making themselves at home in the gift shop. lol



There was even a specially built replica Hemingway House just for the cats.



Cool place, a definite must if you're in Key West.



Got back out on the street walking north.



The Shipwreck Museum. This was AWKWARD. They have this whole show with characters they do that is obviously for the kids. I was the first customer of the day, and no one else was showing up. But they still did all these characters to explain the museum to me. Not really my bag, baby. lol Wasn't as interesting as I thought it would be, but there were some cool artifacts.



They have a tower you can scale that has great views.

[VaderTT]

Ahhhhh, polydactyl cats! My sister has one named Oswald and he's a dick!

[talisman]

Walk back to the hotel to head out. Can someone tell me what kind of tree this is? I'd like to plant one in my back yard.



There is the obliquitous v6 rental Mustang behind me. South of Miami was positively swarming with them.



Fire up the 5.0, and the irony of my immediate playlist after visiting Hemingway house isn't lost on me.



As I leave Key West there is some traffic. Turns out there is a bicycle race going on. Get off the island, and holy shit. Glad I got here on a Friday night. Traffic is at a standstill for MILES heading in, but it's pretty smooth headed north.









Levi needs to get a job here.

[Binky]

Just had an allergy attack looking at the pics of Hemingway House

[Baron Von Crowder]

Stroll around a bit...



This was just parked in the street in the middle of no where like it was a Camry, not a soul around.

Those are VW based kits, and are only a few grand.

[talisman]

Headed through the Northern Everglades and up to Tampa. Sat down to do some logistics. Originally, this trip was going to include Savannah, Georgia, Myrtle Beach, DC, and Tail of the Dragon, but I'm hurting pretty bad, and frankly the scenery in Florida isn't as great as the Western US. It's pretty featureless with just walls of trees on both sides of the freeway, which grows tedious after several days of non-stop driving.

I am really not in the mood to be on the road for at least another week, maybe longer. I thought about things for awhile, and all these trips I'd taken the last few years. I decided that the only person I had anything to prove to was myself, and I had already done it ten fold, seeing more of the United States in the last 3 years than most Americans that aren't OTRT's will in their entire lifetime.

I made an ambitious plan to drive from Tampa to Arlington the next day, knowing I would be in an incredible amount of pain by the time I got home, but that it would be worth it to kick my feet up in my own house with my little buddy Ramona.





I played tag with this guy from Florida to Louisiana. Every time I would stop for gas, an hour later I would pass him again.



7 Mile Bridge near New Orleans.



By the time I got home, it was 1am. I had shattered my previous Iron Man driving record of just over 1000 miles in one day through British Columbia and Yukon by driving over 1200 in one day. I was fucking exhausted.

I hooked a little further south through northern New Orleans but got tired of dicking with this map.



Trip totals. Not my longest by a longshot, but this trip hit me harder physically than the others. Maybe it was standing in line all that time in the cold at Cape Canaveral.



This will likely be the final send off and a fitting end to the "Ultimate Roadtrip" portion of my life and my ownership of the 5.0. My health is declining and meds aren't working. I won't be completely off the road, but I will no longer be doing these huge trips. I will more likely fly somewhere and just stay there for a week going forward, with the exception of New England.

That, however, I will fly into Boston, rent a car for a few days and explore, rather than drive up there. I've seen that highway too many times already and it's a pretty boring drive as well.

Maybe in a few years I'll change my mind, but I don't see it happening any time soon. These were never really vacations. More like travel endurance tests to see how large a swath of the country I could see on one drive. By the time I would get home I would be 100 times more exhausted and tired than before I left. It was always a relief to get home, despite all the awesome and amazing sights my eyes have wandered over. It's always fun watching a movie and being able to say "I've been there." lol Sometimes I look back at these trips and can't even believe I made them.

[talisman]

Just had an allergy attack looking at the pics of Hemingway House

hahaha. There had to be around 30 cats strolling the grounds.

Those are VW based kits, and are only a few grand.

Hrm. Thought it was vintage, but had no idea. Neat little car for sure.

Here's another video of Ramona "discovering" snow back in early December for her fans. Border Collies are so fucking awesome.

[Blue88Coupe]

Bad ass trip!