Three Things You See in Key West that You Won't in K.C.
No, one is not sunsets over the ocean.
If you’re travelling in a foreign country, it’s easy to see differences in customs, foods, clothing and the like. But if you’re still in the U.S., especially in Key West, surrounded by old people and partiers (sometimes the same), you may have to look for those dissimilarities.
Here’s what has struck us especially. First, the cemeteries. We’ve only been to one here but for starters, most of the graves are above ground. That’s because in the 1800s, the city flooded and caskets floated down the main street of the town, Duval Street, now home to over 40 bars. So they moved the cemetery and took the extra precaution of burying like they have (always?) done in New Orleans.
Beyond that, what also slapped us is how names, especially women’s, have changed over time. We all know names trend, but seeing them stacked up, as it were, together, brought it home: Elvira, Edna, Fanny, Ethel, Magdalena, Beulah, Laurel, Flossie, Mortilla, Violet, Lydia (very popular), Lavinia, Hilda, Cora and our beloved nanny, Violet. The men? Mostly John and James and William and Thomas. Although most dates were just designated as born and died, a few had sunrises and sunsets, which was nice. (See slides below.)
The second realization: Key lime pie is on EVERY menu in EVERY restaurant, whether wharf or shack or fine dining. (Well, we found one place withoout one; but they had soft shell Carribbean lobster where you eat the entire creature.) Pies are also in the grocery stores (not recommended). Cute can verify this pie plethora as he has devoured a multitude. It’s the state’s official pie even though there has been no commercial Key lime industry in the state since 1926 when a hurricane devastated the crop. Some trees do appear in yards. They are native to tropical Southeast Asia and are now imported from Mexico or Central America. Key limes’ flavor is less acidic than Persian limes (what we’re used to seeing in the store) and more aromatic. (By the way, do not confuse the state pie with the state dessert, which is strawberry shortcake, proclaimed by Gov. Desantis at the Plant City Strawberry festival back in 2022. Impressively, that event serves up over 200,000 of these desserts.)
The best so far: La Te Da's on bottom left; bottom far right is a delish donut riff from Glazed
The third: Mailboxes are more than just a box to hold mail. Some match their homes, some are whimsical, some are painted, some are bronze, but they all are artwork (both good and bad). They are also definitely more entertaining than they are in KC.
I don’t think we need to emulate Key West’s cemetery or folks’ devotion to Key lime pie, but the mailbox decoration, yes. Absolutely.
Well, maybe not the octopus.
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