Just packing to leave tomorrow morning - but we have one last night out. If you've not been here before there are lots of bars and music but not too much else. The Hogs Breath is a good bar earlier in the evening and for the end of the night the Green Parrot is a must, when they have a live band. They've both got web sites with web cams. There is a karaoke bar which has a Happy Hour from 4 - 7 on all drinks and appetisers and is good value - called Two Friends, I think it's on Front St - not far from Duval and the Hogs. Karaoke doesn't start till 8 so you can eat and get out before it starts. They even did free food the other night, just after we'd paid for ours!! Cowboy Bill's was a lively night on Wednesday, the girls were doing the mechanical bull thing and some of their tops "fell off".
We're staying in a B&B on William St which runs parallel to Duval, and is walking distance to the main hotspots. I can't recommend any culture here as I haven't done any in the 4 years I've been coming. Hemingway's House is near the southernmost point of the US. There are countless fishing and sailing trips, and the Dry Tortugas is supposed to be a good day out.
It's a long drive from Miami but absolutely worth it. Car not necessary when you're here, but you can hire a bike for a week for not too much.
They make quite a big deal of the sunset. You can go on the roof of the Crown Plaza (La Concha) to see it set, there is a big crowd there most nights. (We had two free nights there, on Holiday Inn points, and they upgraded us to the Hemingway Suite!) Go down to Mallory Square (the waterfront) - there is nightly street entertainment which starts around 6, along with stalls and all sorts - and lots of people!
Moved over from our area for a more general conversation
Last edited by: Pugugly on Tue 30 Mar 10 at 09:07
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Thanks Smokie - what are prices like there this year ? Last in the US in 2008
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"Gas" in Florida is between $2.70 - $2.90 (just over $3 in Key West). 12oz drafts are available for $2 in quite a few bars (YeungLing and Amber Bock are miles better than Michelobs and Buds). We had a couple of nights here www.keywestbandb.com/ where I've stayed a few times. It's 5 mins walk from Duval and maybe 10 from Mallory Sq. Great location, and the staff are fantastic. If you need somewhere to stay, I'd highly recommend it - mention me to Jodie or Liz... :-) The hot tub in the garden is superb, and there are verandahs front and back to get the best of the weather.
We ate the only "proper" meal of the trip last night - a plate of scallops with black bean and rice, and chips, and a side salad, all for about $15. Not sure if you've been to Key West before, but it's all very informal - there are one or two posher places but mostly it's just a very laid back experience.
We left this morning at 09:00 to drive the 380 miles back to Orlando We paid the extra for the SunPass for the toll roads so that you coast through rather than waiting in line to pay - it was $2.50 a day, or $10 for the week, plus the toll cost. I reckon it saved us over 40 minutes on today's journey. My buddy dropped me at the airport at just before 16:00, and that was with a 30 min lunch break - a great journey. I'm flying Virgin at 20:50, so was well early enough, but the flight is delayed so I now have ages hanging round the airport...
If you're only going to Key West, flying to Miami makes much more sense, but when I was booking at was quite a bit more expensive for the same dates, and the car hire had an offsite supplement as well, so it ended up well over £100 more expensive - and we've been around quite a bit of Florida (Sebring, Fort Myers, Port St Lucie then the Keys, so Orlando made sense
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We're going to St Pete's as well so flying into Orlando - direct flight with Virgin - plenty of driving but I love that. Sounds cheap enough it was $4 a gallon in 08 - not been to Key West before really looking forward now. Thanks
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If you are driving from St Pete's down to Key West then use the road south of Alligator Alley ((Tamiami Trail, 41 - not 75) to cross the Everglades as it is less of a highway. There are some good centres to stop at, in particular one on the left (poss Oasis Visitor Centre on this page www.nps.gov/PWR/customcf/apps/maps/showmap.cfm?alphacode=ever&parkname=Everglades%20National%20Park) where we saw upwards of 15 adult 'gators.
Make sure you gas up as there is hardly any petrol for around 80 miles of that road. But, as Florida scenery goes, it's scenic. We didn't have time, but there are some good aerial walkways.
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Got a Chrysler Serbing convertible !
Thanks BTW
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We had a Sebring convertible for Key West to Orlando. Nice car but not much boot space due to all the roof gubbins that folds back into the boot - hope there is no more than two of you! I managed some cheap one way hires - e.g. one day of a Chrysler 300C for £37 including full tank and any drivers and one-way cost. Was going to use it to do KW to MCO (380 miles) which would have been about the gas cost, so a free hire. But my buddy had a compact booked to collect from KW (Alamo) and they gave him the Sebring, and he is there for another week so I cancelled the Chrysler.
I had a Mitsubishi Eclipse convertible for the first week of the holiday. Looked smaller than the Sebring but boot was bigger but back seats area smaller.
Not sure who you booked through but they book different levels of deal. HolidayAutos book just about the basic, and you will be asked if you want extra insurance (e.g. roadside) which I declined. And I also had to pay the tank of gas (even though the receipt shows it as Optional) and their gas is about 20c more per gallon (not a lot, I know) than in the street. With carhire3000 or Netflights it's usually been a Dollar hire and everything was included. That's obviously why Holidayautos were cheaper this year.
The further you get along the Keys the more pricey petrol gets - again, only by 30 - 40c a gallon - but worth filling up near the start so you can get to Key West and back on a tank - pays for a beer or two!
Last edited by: smokie on Mon 29 Mar 10 at 12:00
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There is only the two of us - so hopefully OK ! Booked through Dollar as I have a Dollar Express card to save queuing with the hoards....!
OK to move this part to Discussion ?
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Of course...move as much as you like. :-)
I got the Dollar, Alamo and Thrifty cards but with Alamo I couldn't do the queue jump because the booking wasn't with them, and credit card wasn't known to them etc. Had a seat near the door on the flight though, which meant I was one of the first off and through immigration... :-)
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btw PU - you may not be aware that Key West has the highest number of resident gays (c 30% IIRC) anywhere in the US. Unless that is the reason you are going, there are one or two places which you might be better not to enter!! There are some great sights to be seen though - we saw a fairly swarthy middle eastern type guy with designer beard in a pink frock and all he trimmings on night, heading towards the gay bar. It is so laid back there that no-one bats an eye lid.
Catch up on your Jimmy Buffet Margueritaville music as that is thought to catch the mood of Key West quite well.
And avoid going there during FantasyFest (November) unless you enjoy walking round adorned in just body paint (even though some are extremely well done).
nkphotography.smugmug.com/Events/Fantasy-Festival-Key-West/7515823_nhR2k#485331302_tzYo6 NB SITE CONTAINS FULL FRONTAL NUDITY.
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May as well announce it here than any where...........drum roll..............................drum roll.........
I'm getting married tomorrow in a traditional chapel service and heading to Florida for our honeymoon.
I was aware of the gay thing - but the reason I'm going there as it has the best sunsets in the world and I like to hang around bars looking cool,urbane and ever so slightly disinterested and chucking jelly babies at Alligators so Key West it is.
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>> I'm getting married tomorrow
Congratulations. You kept that quiet, unless you're a day out and think April the 1st is today?
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Great News PU, many congrats.
And Key West is just that kind of place...
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Our congratulations to you both as well!
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Way Hey ! congratubloominglations ! ( some folk'll do anything to get unlimited use of an MX5 )
All the very best PU.
:-)
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Congrats from you me too PU!
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Congrats!
I just wish my better half would say yes to me!
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Let me have a word Tone. I'll put her straight. :-)
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Congratulations PU.
Really pleased that you have found happiness. Have a great time in Florida. We will miss you...
.. I assume you will have other things on your mind instead of moderating and maybe you will be putting your mod's magic wand down for a while. ;-)
Wishing you well from all here at Car4play!
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Delighted to hear that, PU. A Welsh chapel? - if so you should have a great sing tomorrow - Cwm Rhondda perhaps? And have a wonderful honeymoon.
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Blaenwern and Hyfrydol, full pipe organ Avant - Her side of the family are in choirs etc.
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There's lovely - whatever that means.
Hope the new SWMBO is Car4play trained.
Moving to Wales for love is one thing, but there are some things a man shouldn't have to give up.
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I hope Ivor the Engine is playing with the Merioneth and Llantisilly church choir?
By the way, you didnt need to get married just because you were going to a gay area of the states.
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It seemed the right time :-0 !
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Shouldn't you be on the night train to Edinburgh by now PU ? Drunk, naked, penniless and padlocked to your seat ?
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"There's lovely - whatever that means."
Just so that everyone can think of PU et al singing their hearts out tomorrow, Blaenwern and Hyfrydol (and Cwm Rhondda) are some of the best and most singable hymn tunes ever written. You'd know them if you heard them - Blaenwern is most often sung to Love Divine.
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Apparently Blaenwern makes a rare appearance alongside the words of Calon Lan tomorrow. I always reckon that hymn singing (particularly in the 70s) was a Welsh secret weapon at Rugby Internationals - especially against the English !
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...the MX5 that will be in the family tomorrow...
Nice thought, with all that entails - and I'm being serious for once.
Moved it in here - seemed inappropriate in the other thread
Last edited by: Pugugly on Fri 2 Apr 10 at 23:47
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I was tasked with driving it back to where I'm staying tonight - before it's ribbond up tomorrow, I hadn't driven it for a while and it's loosened up nicely so I gave it some beans - pot hole dodging along the way....
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MX5 - Sounds as if you're marrying a fellow car enthusiast, PU - can only be good.
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Is anyone allowed to chuck things - I mean confetti or rice - at weddings these days?
If you have the lid down, you'll be hoovering bits out of the MX5 for weeks.
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Yes she loves her cars - she had a an A3 Quattro before this one. Weather's marginal tomorrow so it probably will be roof up !
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And all the best to you both from me PU.
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Congratulations PU, what lovely news this early in the morning!
I'm not usually this early but we're booked on Eurotunnel at 6am and have found that the French are on strike again and Operation Stack is in place, so it will be interesting:)
Pat
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>> I was tasked with driving it back to where I'm staying tonight - before it's
>> ribbond up tomorrow
Try and refrain from letting anyone near it with shaving foam to spray "just Married" or other similar words. It eats into the paint apparently.
Did you have a stag do, btw?
Last edited by: VxFan on Sat 3 Apr 10 at 03:11
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>> Did you have a stag do btw?
>>
Its an MX5, didn't you read that bit? ;-)
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I wish it was a Stag - the soon to be Mrs P (although she's keeping her maiden name so it seems) and I have been leering at pictures of Stags but ever practical she says she needs a reliable car for work....
No there was no stag do - through choice.. :-)
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Congratulations and best of luck with the weather.
I can understand why she doesn't want to be called Mrs Pugugly.....
... Mrs Mazda sounds much better.
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Congrats PU, all the best for your future together.
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Knock knock. Yes Sonny. Can Puggy come out to play? NO, not any more now go away. :0)
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Just a brief update here - in the eighties at the moment ! Got upgraded
to a blood red mustang by dollar - good for coolness and straight
lines - back soon !
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Oh my god, that and the jeans -The new Mrs P must think she married Jeremy Clarkson.
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Given that Jeremy C is 6' 5" and built like - well, let's call it a brick privy - I'd have thought she'd know soon enough.....
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balding, dont forget balding.
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Please don't tell me PU is balding.
I have a picture in my mind of a fine upstanding young man, full head of hair and a ZZ Top beard, tall, dashing and ever the gentleman.
Am I wrong?
Pat
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alas yes, no "sharp dressed man" him I am afraid.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lmEDB9qnCQ
Last edited by: Zero on Fri 9 Apr 10 at 19:09
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Mind, if that aint music to play with the top down on a blood red pony car, I dont know what is.
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Full head of hair no beard. Rarely wear jeans....especially on holiday !
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Mustang? Pah! You want one of these like I've got for my 10 day trip this week:
images.passionperformance.ca/photos/1/8/18374_2010_Toyota_Corolla.jpg
Rock on. :-(
Last edited by: Statistical Outlier on Fri 9 Apr 10 at 19:21
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So for you, I would open the window and slip this on the cd player
www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmNSEbgt1Dg&feature=related
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Z. My Parents used to sing this to me when I travelled with them to see an Uncle and Aunt. Late Sixties I guess it was, looking at a bunch of crap houses as we passed by. I remembered part of it, but boy did this bring back such sweet memories. Thanks.
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ZZ Top at 5.15 am, what a brilliant start to the day:)
Woken the whole house up and the neighbours too, but the birds are singing so they appreciated it too.
Now all I need to make my day complete is to find that I CAN still get on the GSX1400 when we take the car for MOT and leave it for a couple of hours, so we can nip to Sunny Hunny for breakfast instead of going home and waiting:)
And it's all your fault, Z!
Pat
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Ignore Hunny, get your bike ass down to brancaster. The beach is bigger and There is a cafe there does does moules and frittes.
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This was the theme music of a rather good sitcom on R4 never knew it was this old. Thanks.
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>> Just a brief update here - ................ - back soon !
>>
Or not, as the case may be!
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Away on holiday tomorrow - R.P.