February, 2010

We are dry camping along with some 700 other RV'ers at the Navy Base here in Key West. Actually, there are two bases within the NAS Key West complex that make up the 700-plus campsites. The two locations are at Sigsby and Trumbo Point. Sigsby is located 3 to 4 miles from "Duval Street" in Key West while Trumbo Point Campground is located 6 to 8 blocks from "Duval Street". We are staying at Trumbo Point, an easy walk to Duval-Street. But remember this is Dry Camping. There is central dump station and fresh water. Generators can run from 6am to 10PM. Life is good.

Commercial Campgrounds in Key West start at $100 a night and are located about 5-miles from Duval Street. Parking in Key West starts at $13 a day and goes up. The $13 parking site is about 6 blocks from Duval Street. The closer you get to Duval Street the more expensive the parking site.

As most of you who follow our travels know we like to join the locals. Here in Key West the locals all recommend and frequent Blue Heaven Restaurant. Blue Heaven is most definitely Key West. Locals rave about breakfast at Blue Heaven but we never get up in time to make it down there for breakfast so we had to do a late lunch. Trust me, the physical structure of Blue Heaven is not impressive as you can see by the entrance in the picture below. What Blue Heaven has is HISTORY. And what a history it has. Through the years the property has hosted cock fighting, gambling and Friday night boxing matches refereed by none other than Ernest Hemingway. The outdoor courtyard, where we ate, is paved with slate pool table tops from days long ago in addition there is a water tower and a rooster cemetery.

Blue Heaven specializes in Caribbean cuisine, sea food and vegetarian dishes for lunch and dinner, but remember the locals rave about breakfast----not lunch and dinner. However, their lunch & dinner cuisine is nothing to sneeze at. Charles Kuralt, the noted journalist, once said Blue Heaven's scallop sauce "would make cardboard taste good."

We split a jerk chicken meal complete with black beans and rice. Thankfully, although we were dining outside, we were under a large umbrella. I say thankfully because it protected us from the falling almonds, Spanish limes and coconuts. The umbrella didn't protect us from the roaming chickens, biddies and roosters though. I am not sure but I think they would have jumped on the table and joined us if not for me being vigilant. I flicked some rice off our dish just to watch the chickens and biddies dine under our feet. What a hoot.

Blue Heaven Restaurant in Key West, Florida

This is the "Entrance" to Blue Heaven in Key West.

While dining at Blue Heaven we learned about Shine Frobes, a local celebrity.

Back in the 1930's Shine was a young black man in his early 20's that was also a pretty good boxer. At that time Shine lived across the street from Blue Heaven. In the 1930's they had regular boxing matches at Blue Heaven.

The story about "Shine" is really interesting, do not skip over it: Shine Frobes.

Now back to the Blue Heaven Restaurant.

Blue Heaven Restaurant in Key West, Florida

This is the building that houses Blue Heaven. The old bordello is upstairs while the current indoor dining is downstairs.

As we have shown you numerous times wild chickens run among streets and gardens all over Key West, but most al fresco restaurants manage to keep them away from dining tables. Note that I said most. At Blue Heaven, I think chickens are welcome. If not welcome I can assure you, they feel right at home. In this overly laid-back restaurant in old Key West, cocks, hens and chicks roam the dirt-floored patio searching for whatever it is that interest them.

Blue Heaven is reputed to be the inspiration for Jimmy Buffett’s song “Blue Heaven Rendezvous.” If Hooters can be described as "Delightfully Tacky" then Blue Heaven could be described as "Delightfully Disheveled". Casual in the extreme even for Key West.

Starting at eight o’clock every morning, when neighborhood roosters are still greeting the sun with gusto, you can dine with the chickens and other early risers. Locals will tell you that one reason they like breakfast at Blue Heaven is that seats are usually available. In the evenings and on weekends, the wait for a table can be maddening. And true to its Key West spirit of taking life easy, Blue Heaven does not take reservations.

Rooster Cemetary at Blue Heaven Restaurant in Key West, Florida

Today Blue Heaven is an incredibly colorful place to eat. But, somewhere in the past it was the home of a cockfighting pit (heroic roosters are buried in a little graveyard behind the dining area).

Rooster Cemetary at Blue Heaven Restaurant in Key West, Florida

Yea, just when you think you have seen it all here is this "Rooster Cemetery."........ No joke. It is right there in the outdoor dining area.

Blind Tiger headstone in Rooster Cemetary at Blue Heaven Restaurant in Key West, Florida

Blind Tiger must have been one bad Cock.

Joyce looking in outdoor shower at Blue Heaven Restaurant Key West, Florida

Some things strike me as funny. Here is an outdoor shower at Blue Heaven. Note the sign ---- Showers $1. To watch $2. Joyce is looking in the shower.

Conch Shop across the street from Blue Heaven in Key West, Florida

Across the street from Blue Heaven is the Conch Shop. This is where locals go for Conch. We had plans to dine there but they were closed the day we stopped by. We will have to wait until next year to try the Conch Shop.