How Do You Like Your Eggs?

In New England, they're hard-boiled with a grey tinged yoke and a bit too much salt.

In Key West, they're sunny-side up with a side of avocado.

Fortunately, I recently had a taste of the sunny side of the world with a quick getaway to Key West, where I didn't see a single snowflake, Windsor chair, or braided oval rug.

Part of a wall mural at the back porch of DJ's Clam Shack.

Ahhh... I feel better.

I did see lots of beautiful colors, including this lovely coral:

Seeing red? Not sure where this was.

And, of course, typical Florida pastels, as seen on this antique car:

There were plenty of examples of Art Deco splendor, similar to Miami, as seen on the Tropic Cinema and the Strand Theater (sadly, now a Walgreen's Pharmacy):

Tropic Cinema. Yes, that's Marilyn at the lower left.

Strand Theater facade.

I also loved the purple signage with architectural cutouts for the Orchid Key Inn on Duval Street:

And this mid-century marvel I spotted on a local side street (I'm wild about the cutouts):

I also liked the funky randomness of island life, as depicted in these snapshots:

Random cleanliness on the streets of Key West.

Fleming Street flora.

Cock lookin' for a fight.

Even though it's a crowded tourist spot, a visit to the Ernest Hemingway mansion on Whitehead Street is a must. The plantation style facade is appealing, and the grounds are especially pleasant.

Hemingway House - back view.

There's even a mini cat version of the mansion on the grounds, where I met a few descendants of Hemingway's cats, including Mrs. Hadley (all-black, with six toes on her paws), Audrey Hepburn (white and caramel patchwork) and Clark Gable (a beautiful, light dusty grey).

Kitty Hemingway House

I also noticed additional indigenous architectural details, such as this front porch with unique archways. I saw these exact style railing cutouts on many houses all over the island:

House on Whitehead Street.

Another common Southern detail is the blue painted ceiling, shown here on the front porch of the Eden House, where I stayed.

This tradition apparently originated out of the fear of "haints," or restless spirits of the dead. Many Southerners believe painting your porch ceiling a light blue will protect your home from evil spirits. I also noticed some "Haint Blue" ceilings last year in New Orleans — definitely no surprise there!


By the time I left Key West, I was a bit "fried" from the flights, but I really enjoyed the getaway and its many fringe benefits: