Ports of call on the Flower Power Cruise 2016 included a stop in Key West, a small city in Florida, which is walkable at only four miles long, so we set out on a self-guided tour of the area. Our time was limited, but we did manage to see a lot in the few hours we were there before returning back to the ship. Because it was the first week of March, the weather hovered at a comfortable 73 degrees.
One of the first buildings we passed was the Key West Art & Historical Society Custom House. The landmark is an award-winning museum and home to the Key West Historical Society and if we had more time, we would have ventured inside. These cool statues out front caught my eye.
Statues in front of Art & Historical Society Custom House Museum
Our next stop was Mallory Square, which I understand is hopping at night. It was a good place to scout out a few bargains, from jewelry, to clothing and souvenirs. I ended up with a cute pair of sandals that cost a mere $10. The place was rather sedate that particular morning, I suspect because the "Sunset Viewing Party" is the big event of the day. During that time, street performers entertain the crowds who flock there to be amazed and amused. I found this clip of some of the regular performers captured on YouTube. Because we were instructed to be back on board the ship by 4 p.m., we had no choice but to miss the popular event, along with the Shipwreck Museum and the Aquarium also located in the complex.
Sights at Mallory Square
During our stroll around the island, I was impressed with the quiet beauty of the area and snapped a few pictures of the surroundings--including this house, formerly owned by Joseph Yates Porter, the first health officer for the state of Florida. Across the street, a Yuengling truck pulled up to make a delivery to the Whistle Bar, which reminded me of my home in Pennsylvania where it seems like everyone is a Yuengling fan. As we gazed up at the top deck of the Whistle Bar, we noticed a sign that read "clothing optional." My husband said he saw a topless woman through the slats. I noticed he was squinting pretty hard, but I kept it moving, ha.
Beautiful travelers palms, ficus trees and ginger blooms dotted the island. We spotted a few interesting trees as well. Shown below is a Banyon and a Kapok. Kapok trees were known as the sacred tree of the Mayans and used to make caskets and dugout canoes.
Formerly home to Joseph Porter Yates, M.D. and first health official of the state of Florida.
A taste of Pennsylvania in Key West.
Banyon Tree
Hens and roosters are also a common site in Key West and were originally brought to the area by Cuban refugees back in the 1950's. Today, they are considered part of the area's charm.
Roosters are a common sight in Key West.
During our walk, we stumbled upon the "Little White House." The dwelling, constructed in 1890, was home to Navy officers. In 1911, it was converted into a single family residence. Theodore Roosevelt visited in 1917, 1926 and 1939 and Thomas Edison stayed at the house for six months while working on 41 new weapons during World War II. Harry Truman used the house for 175 days during his administration and eventually the dwelling became known as the "Little White House." President Dwight D. Eisenhower conducted meetings there while recovering from a heart attack and Bill and Hillary Clinton used the house as a weekend retreat. The structure is considered the birthplace of the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Air Force. Tours are conducted daily every 20 minutes from 9-4:30.
The "Little White House."
We decided to forego the "Little White House" tour due to the rather long line and because I had my sights set on the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum located about a mile away. When we arrived, we were free to venture inside, at which time I had a few minutes to shoot a picture of the dining room and kitchen before the crowds poured in.
Outside of the Hemingway Home and Museum
Kitchen and dining room of the Hemingway home.
During the tour, we learned all about the Hemingway homestead and a little more about the life of the prolific writer. The house was built in 1851 and Hemingway resided there from 1931 to 1939 with his second wife Pauline. The dwelling was presented to the couple as a wedding gift from Pauline's Uncle Gus, who purchased it for $8,000. The grounds are also home to 54 descendant cats, many of whom are polydactyl and consume about 80 pounds of food a week. We learned that Hemingway was once a boxer, a bit on the clumsy side and suffered from a total of nine concussions, which may have contributed to his sometimes erratic behavior.
This picture was taken just a few weeks before the famous writer committed suicide.
We also viewed his writing quarters which, in the past, were initially accessed via a catwalk from the second floor of the main house. The catwalk no longer exists and visitors climb a set of narrow stairs resembling a fire escape to peek into the room, which is barred off to direct entry. Here the late Nobel prize winner penned works like "For Whom the Bell Tolls," "Death in the Afternoon," and the "Snows of Kilimanjaro."
Hemingway's writing room.
The Hemingway headboard is a gate from a monastery and yes, that's a real cat.
The in-ground pool seen below was a bone of contention between husband and wife. According to the guide, his intention was to build a boxing ring, but when Pauline got wind of one of his affairs, she commissioned a crew to install a pool for $20,000--a mighty sum for the time and understandably so since the labor intensive project was hand dug with pickaxes. To this day, it is the largest residential swimming pool in Key West.
Word has it that when Hemingway learned of the cost, he tossed a penny on the ground and said, "Well, you might as well have my last cent." She memorialized the moment and visitors can view the penny embedded in the cement.
Hemingway's "last cent."
The urinal he dragged back from Sloppy Joe's (his favorite bar) during a renovation is now a water source for the cats that roam the grounds.
One of the 54 happy cats who lay claim to the Hemingway home and grounds.
When the couple parted ways and Hemingway set off for Cuba, Pauline resided in the home until her death in 1951, after which the family decided to sell it to Bernice Dixon, who now runs the museum. Thirty-minute tours are conducted 365 days a year from 9 to 5 p.m. Tickets (cash only) can be purchased at the door. Prices can be seen here.
As we walked down the street a few blocks from the Hemingway House, we spotted this structure with an interesting plaque out front. I researched the house a bit and didn't learn much, other than the realtor said it was built in 1928, so someone is likely pulling our legs. Last I heard, the house was for sale.
On the way back to the ship, we peeked in a few shops and I snapped a picture of the infamous "Sloppy Joes," which friends tells me is huge now, compared to 20 years ago. Here's a link to the history and a few pictures of how it looked back "in the day."
We shopped a bit on Duval Street and enjoyed lunch in the courtyard of a lovely restaurant called Bagatelle, before returning to the ship.
Uncharacteristically quiet moment on Duval Street
A unique truck we spotted parked on the walk to the Hemingway House.
We chose Bagatelle as our lunch destination.
To learn more about travel in the Florida Keys and Key West, visit their website by clicking here.
About a year ago, I was watching a program on an "off" channel that might have been skewed to my husband's demographic. I have no idea what it was at this point in time--perhaps Destination America since one of my guilty pleasures is ghost shows. (We once lived in a house that was haunted, but more on that later...maybe...)
The commercial which flashed across the screen promised a great time on the Celebrity Constellation with a lineup of musical acts from the "Flower Power" era, with stops in Key West and Cozumel.
I reminded my husband that my birthday would be occurring around the time of the voyage, so he purchased tickets almost a year in advance, which was a good thing because the five-day cruise sold out quickly.
We set sail on February 29 with about 2,000 fun loving music fans and a jam-packed schedule of events, which sometimes overlapped, forcing us to miss a few we may have otherwise enjoyed.
Headliners included Peter Noone from Herman's Hermits, Peter Asher, Blood, Sweat & Tears, featuring Bo Bice, Felix Cavaliere from the Rascals, Micky Dolenz of the Monkees, The Grass Roots, the Guess Who, Jefferson Starship, Mark Lindsay of Paul Revere and the Raiders, Gary Puckett and The Union Gap, the Buckinghams and The Family Stone.
After the drudgery was out of the way, like the mandatory safety briefing and the finger-wagging lecture from a fresh face for having the temerity to pack a fifth of light mango sorbet vodka, we were off. (They confiscated the booze and returned it to me on Friday afternoon, so I was forced to pay between $11 and $13 a drink up until then. If I wanted my favorite Moscow Mule, then the heist increased substantially to $19 and change, according to the bartender. Such irony--busted as a liquor mule under Soviet-esque rules.)
The weather was glorious the entire time and the pool area was packed with revelers during the "Sail Away Party," many of whom may have done a better job smuggling booze than I did because some seemed pretty looped. Spotting a t-shirt that read, "Growing old disgracefully," gave me a laugh.
After the kickoff party and dinner, we arrived on time for a Peter Noone concert and were forced to sit in what may have been the worst seat in the house, so we quickly learned to show up a half hour early for events. The British singer was big on audience participation and people were up on their feet joining him in rousing renditions of songs like "Henry the 8th." Noone looks great for his age and at one point a lady in the audience shouted out that she wanted to see him in the hot tub later. He garnered a lot of laughs with his reply: "In my country, they call that 'fat boy soup.'"
Noone is a good sport. A few years ago I was assigned to interview him over the phone for an upcoming appearance at the Luhr's Center in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, a faulty cell phone connection made things difficult and the line went dead several times, causing me to almost blow a gasket and utter words I don't care to repeat here. Thankfully, he continued to patiently answer the phone each time I called him back.
Each morning on the long walk to breakfast, (our room seemed to be in the hinterlands), '60s-era music softly resonated down the long halls. I find it humorous when I recall the names of bands like the "The Electric Prunes," ("I had too much to dream last night,") and "Strawberry Alarm Clock," which provided us with soothing muzak as we marched towards the coffee bar.
On day one we joined about 300 other cruisers at 9:30 a.m. for a trivia competition where they played YouTube clips of songs from the Flower Power era. I found myself joining in the group singalong to the songs I knew, like Procol Haram, Iron Butterfly and Quicksilver Messenger Service. Although we failed miserably identifying the bands in many of the mostly black-and-white clips, it was a lot of fun. Mike teased me when I informed him that I used to sob when I heard Bobby Goldsboro sing this song so many years later on the radio. Now I find this YouTube clip and there's a cute little white dog in it, which makes matters much worse!
Some people on the ship went all out with the hippy garb, making me wonder where they found it all. I would have liked to have snapped more pictures, but didn't want to be a bother, so I managed to capture a few shots by sneaking around surreptitiously.
Flower Power garb
This happenin' dude wore Lucite platform shoes with fake goldfish embedded in the heel.
While out at sea, performers kept the party going and the "love generation" let down what hair they had left and there were more than a few poolside parties. Here Beatles tribute band belts out tunes like "I Feel Fine" and "Can't Buy Me Love," and on the last day we enjoyed a poolside rendition of "Hot Fun in the Summertime" by the Family Stone.
A Beatles tribute band entertains the crowd
The guy in the background seems to be having the most fun in this picture.
Some of the indoor activities included educational lectures, all of which were not as worthless as the booze lecture. I sat in on several, including one titled, "Three Days of Peace and Music," presented by Wade Lawrence, senior curator of the museum at Bethel Woods. Lawrence's presentation included clips from each day of the iconic event, which was held in the summer of '69, featured 32 bands and cost $8 (for those who paid.) I found it interesting that Hendrix played last when the crowd had dwindled from 400,000 to a mere 50,000.
The room was packed for the "Q&A" featuring Felix Cavaliere, The Grass Roots and members of the "Guess Who," from Canada, whose concert was great, by the way. Sadly, only two original members of the the group remain with us today--drummer Gary Peterson and bass player Jim Kale. Kale revealed a shocking factoid that "American Woman" was written about the Statue of Liberty. Because I was stuck behind a pillar (once again due to not showing up quite early enough) I couldn't see him, nor gauge the audience response all that well. After sharing that with the audience, he quickly added, "We were young, dumb and we shot off our mouths." Kale then went on to tell a less controversial story about "Clap for the Wolfman." The novelty song, was initially deemed,"Clap for Napolean," but one day they happened to be listening to Wolfman Jack on the radio and decided to include him in a recording session. According to Kale, "The Wolfman" brought along his standard cigarette pack full of joints and it morphed into one big party, with the Wolfman's part unscripted. It was then that I realized he really was "rating records high."
I had to pass on a few other lectures due to schedule conflicts. One, in particular, was a seminar on renowned artist Peter Max. Most cruises hold art auctions and Celebrity is no exception. Guests are invited to sip champagne and bid on various pieces. Because of Peter Max's popularity in the flower power era, many of his works were shown in the gallery like these pricey sculptures, with pricetag reaching $30,000.
Peter Max sculptures
Other pieces presented at the auction included this one. Created by Michael Cheval; it was stunning up close. The camera does it little justice and the copper colors "pop."
Painting by Michael Cheval
My husband and I ended up with this work painted by Alexander Chen since we enjoy cityscapes and advertising.
The cruise featured a few "meet and greets," and I hear Gary Puckett was very gracious as was Felix Felix Cavaliere of the Rascals, who put on a great concert and autographed a publication for which I write.
Felix Cavaliere and me
A highlight for Mike was meeting Felix Cavaliere
Other concerts we attended included Jefferson Starship, Blood Sweat & Tears with Bo Bice and The Grass Roots. I learned while in line to meet Felix Cavaliere that Bo Bice somehow managed to offend a few people by complaining about the Beatles in relation to Blood, Sweat and Tears not making the cut for the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Evidently a few walked out during the first show.
The Guess Who concert, started out on a high note with a few of their popular numbers like "No Sugar Tonight" and "American Woman," which really pumped up the crowd.
Sometimes musicians would chat with us in elevators, or we'd be relaxing in the pool with them only to see them on the stage later, which was a bit of a shock. Micky Dolenz from the Monkees was spotted throughout the ship and we sat in on a "Q&A" with him as well.
Micky Dolenz with a fan
Learning so much more about the music of the '60s and experiencing meeting members of various groups who helped shape an entire generation was interesting, to say the least. Even though some have only a few original members left, those "originals" filled in so many backstories in the "Q & A" sessions. An even bigger lineup is scheduled for next year's Flower Power Cruise, including Eric Burdon and the Animals, The Fifth Dimension, The Lovin' Spoonful, Rare Earth, and Three Dog Night, to name a few. Three Dog Night performed in our area not long ago and I had the opportunity to interview lead singer Danny Hutton, which you can read here.
Setting sail on the inaugural cruise was thrilling, but I'm thinking that next year will be better as they work out the scheduling conflicts and other issues that may have cropped up. If you're considering booking a trip for next year, you can learn more here, just keep in mind, tickets sell out fast.
Up next--our visit to Key West and The Hemingway House.
Well, unless you've been living under a rock, you likely know that Pennsylvania was pummeled by an historic snowfall last week. The unlikely name? Jonas. Where's the gravitas? What I fear most, when the name Jonas is uttered, is being snowbound with nothing to listen to but their music. What's next? Hurricane Fauntleroy?
Regardless, 30.2 inches of the white stuff was dumped on us last week and we're still digging out. Thankfully, my indefatigable husband tackled it almost exclusively. (I did shovel a bit of the deck, but he has a "system," so I got out of his way and retreated to the house. I know, it sounds lame on my part, but you'd have to know him to understand.)
He took it slowly and broached the white stuff every few hours for two days, creating a tunnel from the front porch to the mailbox and removing all traces of snow from the driveway with nary more than a shovel. (Yes, we do have a snowblower, but evidently it's not big enough to tackle more than a foot of snow at a time. That's another story altogether and a rather boring one at that, so suffice it to say that a bargain isn't always a bargain.)
The front of the house after Jonas
A tufted titmouse braves the storm
He walks these streets, a loaded shovel on his back...
Anyway, it's during times like these that I am glad I work from home. I was able to juggle my schedule so that a foray into the frozen tundra was more of a cabin fever reliever than a necessity. On day four I ventured out to the local mini-mart for coffee and quickly discovered it's not just the roads. It's the HUGE snow piles that put drivers' lives in peril. Navigating around them is darn near impossible, so I reluctantly returned home to focus on my work.
Last time I updated this blog, I was concerned about a flagging writing schedule. Thankfully my concerns were (for the moment at least) unfounded and it appears that the lack of work was just the end-of-the-year budget budget blues that most newspapers suffer from I suppose. Every year the money seems to run out sometime in early December. Maybe I should be used to it by now.
I'm happy to be back on a regular schedule and even picked up a weekly health article. Will this make a positive difference in my life health-wise? I'm not really sure what I'll do with all that new-found knowledge, but I know enough about dieting to have earned a Ph.D. and that hasn't resulted in a skinny body. I'll likely just fret about how easy it is to catch, develop, or succumb to something. The more you know...blah, blah, blah. It ain't all it's cracked up to be.
I did manage to get out today to interview a new restaurateur who just three weeks ago opened his doors for business, only to get slammed with this snowstorm, which has not only hobbled travel, but also created a parking nightmare. He's still upbeat, so good for him. That seemed to be the mood of the day. When I stopped at a drug store on the way back home, a random customer happily informed me that the snow has melted to 18 inches. "Oh really, that's great," I responded. I, for one, am glad we only have about two months left of this mess. Here's what the snow looked like today when I pulled away from the house.
Taken from my windshield while leaving the house today
Regardless of what the future holds, I'm dreaming of my upcoming trip to Florida when I'll set sail for Cozumel, along with about 10 bands from the 1960's. Here's the lineup:
Upcoming cruise lineup
I've managed to sell one story in advance, so far, but am sure I'll get a few more out of this one and will certainly blog about it when I return.
The good news is that the threat of another Nor'easter has passed and temperatures will climb into the 40's this weekend, whisking away yet more of this snow, which is good because I have (yet another) day trip to Gettysburg planned. On Sunday, I'll be attending a soup cook off (hey, that's what you do here in this cold neck of the woods). You can read more about it here and keep in mind, it's not too late to attend. On Saturday evening, I am also looking forward to dining at one of the area's oldest restaurants that, not long ago, suffered a severe setback when a fire swept through damaging nearly everything. Vissagios emerged from the ashes bigger and better than ever. That will likely be a story for another day.
As a Pennsylvania resident who enjoys spending weekends exploring various regions, I was surprised when someone suggested a trip to Doylestown. "Doylestown, really?" I asked. I'd driven past it, but never through it, so after some research I packed my bags for a two-day visit. I was so impressed that I ended up pricing real estate in the area.
Located just 27 miles north of Philadelphia, the town rivals nearby destinations like New Hope, but compared to New Hope, it's less "Wavy Gravy" and more "James Michener," one of the many artists and writers who settled in the area.
Specialty shops line the streets of the historic downtown area, providing an array of items from antiques, to art, clothing, jewelry and accessories.
Located in the heart of the town is the Doylestown Inn, which dates back to 1902. The 11-room boutique hotel is full of charm and character, from the wall of vintage suitcases that captures guests' attention on check in, to the old phone booth located in the lobby. Our comfortable and spacious room, located on the second floor, was equipped with a fireplace and Jacuzzi and personal service is reminiscent more of a bed and breakfast than a traditional hotel.
The outside of the Doylestown Hotel.
Dining in Doylestown
Because we were staying at the Doylestown Inn, we chose to dine at the onsite restaurant, "The Hattery Stove and Still," named for a hat shop, which once operated on the premises. As with the Inn itself, special little details capture the eye like the two-story hat tree, "bowler" hat lights which hang above the bar, gilded mirrors hung on exposed brick walls, bench seating which resembles coffee sacks and a bar crafted from a 1936 Oldsmobile, which is located in the dimly lit "speakeasy" located at the lower-level bar.
Hattery Stove & Still
Fare runs the gamut from burgers to steaks, veal, fish and pasta dishes, served in a creative atmosphere with something to see at every turn.
For a casual lunch, the Hickory Kitchen is within walking distance of the Doylestown Hotel and is a favorite of barbecue lovers near and far. It sets itself apart from the crowd by offering vegan options as well.
Visiting Fonthill Castle If there's one place you must see in Doylestown, it's Fonthill Castle, once home to Henry Chapman Mercer.
Fonthill Castle (Photo: Jeff Fusco)
A Mercer tile
Mercer was an industrious, quirky fellow who was known as a leader in the turn-of-the-century Arts and Crafts Movement. His tiles decorate the floor of the state Capitol in Harrisburg, representing 254 scenes ranging from artifacts, to birds, insects, animals and industries.
Mercer chose concrete to build his castle due to its fireproof nature and alarmed the townsfolk back in the early 1900's by christening it with a rooftop bonfire.
The Bucks County Historical Society now owns the medieval style structure and conducts tours there seven days a week.
The castle contains 44 rooms, 10 bathrooms, five bedrooms and 18 fireplaces. Guests who step outside on the terrace will see the weather vane created in homage to the workhorse named Lucy, who helped build the structure.
During the tour, guides tell the story of the lifelong bachelor, his penchant for entertaining, his boundless energy, prolific creativity and his insatiable curiosity. Mercer's extensive tile collection is on display throughout the castle. Tiles are everywhere, embedded on ceilings, stairs, walls and many places in between.
Reading room at Fonthill
Ceiling tile at Fonthill
Mercer's love of tile inspired him to found the Moravian Pottery and Tile Company in 1912. Located on the same tract of land. It, too, is open to the public seven days a week as a "working history museum."
Inside the Moravian Pottery Works
Those interested in taking the tours should check the websites and call in advance. Prepare to spend about 75 minutes viewing the castle and do wear comfortable shoes to avoid foot fatigue caused by traversing the cold, hard concrete floors.
Also within walking distance from the Doylestown Inn is the Mercer Museum. The six-story high, concrete structure contains more than 50,000 artifacts, telling the story of American progress through tool displays.
Artifacts hang from the Mercer Museum
Mercer, the original "American Picker," started the tool collection by attending auctions, rummaging through barns, attics and yards of junk dealers. Eventually word spread and collectors began contacting him and before long he had established an elaborate collectors' network.
Tools inside the Mercer Museum
Stagecoach inside the Mercer Museum
More than 60 early American trades like blacksmithing, fishing, tanning and butchering are represented and organized in groups in rooms, alcoves and displays throughout the museum. Be sure to look up to see the larger pieces like sleighs and whaling boats that hang from the ceiling and look down to see footprints of Mercer's faithful dog Rollo.
Also ocated near downtown in a 19th-century prison is the James Michener Art Museum named after the prolific Pulitzer prize-winning author. The museum features historic and contemporary American works, with a concentration on Bucks county notables.
Outside of the James Michener Art Museum
To the left of the front entrance is a room dedicated to the late writer and featuring artifacts like his typewriter, manuscripts and ephemera that tell the story of his life.
Michener artifacts
Permanent exhibitions include outdoor art and sculpture, Bucks County landscape paintings, along with modern and contemporary art.
The Wooded Watershed Lunette
Sculpture outside of the James Michener Art Museum
These are just a few of the attractions that left me scratching my head wondering why I hadn't visited Doylestown sooner.
Oh and if you stay at the Doylestown Hotel, be sure to visit the great used book store located directly across the street.
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