Key West beckons....let the fantasy begin

It was time for another haircut for the Admiral, so we took the motor home to Key West last week to attend Fantasy Fest. William and Judy (S/V Optimystique), our dock neighbors and long-time friends, went with us to share the fun. We spent the first night in Marathon, and revisited some of our old haunts from this past winter/spring. We then headed for Sugarloaf Key, where we stayed at Lazy Lakes during Fantasy Fest. This was the first time for all four of us, and we could barely wait to see the festivities.

We walked 1/4-mile to the bus stop on Friday, ready for the ride to Key West (the bus itself is an adventure, with lots of colorful characters).


Our marina manager, Mike, asked us to take some photos with the Twin Dolphin burgee so he could post them on the marina web site. We took LOTS of pix, but for some reason he only used one (and it didn't even have a Fantasy Fest character in it!!). You'll spot the burgee in a few shots, though.



We first visited Schooner Wharf, our favorite place in Key West, and were rewarded with Michael McCloud (Jay and William are total groupies) singing so well even the dogs slow danced. After liquid refreshment and some McCloud tunes, we headed to Duvall Street to see what all the fuss was about.

















We'd heard lots about this event, and have a friend who used to attend regularly. We'd seen his photo album. But you really do have to be there. All sizes and shapes, all ages, all persuasions.....costumes and lack of costumes and paint and two weeks of partying....it was a hoot for these 4 hillbillies! It was also obvious that some of the participants planned their outfit (or lack of) long in advance.





















































Just for kicks -- did you see the USMC hat? Me either.