Old Island Art Festival in Key West, Florida (part one— trip to Key West)

Art Festival story Travel

Old Island Art Festival in Key West, Florida (part one— trip to Key West)

I drive to Key West to participate the Old Island Art Festival in February every other year. I have been there  more than a dozen times, and every time I have discovered something new and fun.  First of all, I have to declare that it is not a vacation, it is a business trip. Otherwise I will get troubles when I come back home. So I decided to write it down this year to prove I worked.

 

Leisurely, free-spirited, artistic, quirky, fresh and delicious seafood and unique scenery, Key West is one of the most unique tourist attractions in the United States.  With a happily living and hospitable attitude, tropical climate and seemingly continuous happy hours, this tiny Florida Keys Island has welcomed tourists seeking vacation for two centuries.  Since its inception, people have liked to come here to fish, dive, write, have fun and listen to live music.  At Key West you can be yourself, discover yourself, or reshape your body in different way.  Hemingway’s former residence is a famous local attraction.

 

 Before entering the island, my Ford van’s  break red lights on, making me little scare.  If I accidentally drive into the sea without a break, the sharks will have free lunch.  I immediately Google for a Ford Dealer near me and I found one luckily. I waited ten hours from morning to night and finally they got it done. The price tag was $950 and it was hurt that liked someone stealing one of my original works and I have say thank you.

 

As soon as I entered the tip of the  island and saw the sign said "The Road ahead is clear and no traffic." This is a one-line road. If you drive behind an aged person, like me, you have to accept it, slow down and patient.  Maybe you have more opportunities to observe the surrounding scenery.

 

Florida Keys is divided into five parts.  Key Largo, Islamorada, Marathon, Lower Keys and Key. Each part contains multiple Key Islands.  Key comes from Spanishcayo, which means "island".  The islands are connected by highways like beads in necklaces.   Many island names are very poetic, such as: Ragged Key, Knockdown Key, Saddlebunch Key, Fat Deer Key, Tea Table Key, Indian Key, Sugarloaf Key.

 

Driving on the narrow one line highway or the never-ending bridges above the vibrant blue-green ocean is a sensory excitement.  There are a total of forty-two bridges.  I'm like sliding on the sea.  The sun on the left is shining on the sea, with golden light, it is the Atlantic Ocean.  On the right, light pink emerald green or mint green, that is the Gulf of Mexico.  I immediately imagined raiding with  a blonde on my left, and a green-eyed girl on right in the open sports car.  Don't blame me, this is a long-distance journey, you can always have some fantasy excitement.  Otherwise, the  more than a hundred miles driving will suffocate you.

 

I stopped at Tea Table Key in Islamorada.  Like other tourists, go to the gift shop, fruit bar, beach, craft and art galleries.  There was a slogan "why pay key west price" hang in front of the door.  You can imagine the taste of going to Key West.  I bought a big bag of fresh fruit plus a book and a few postcards and found a seaside restaurant named Morado Bay.  I ordered a fried fish steak with salad.  I spent hours alone in the warm sunshine, but unfortunately there are not many dazzling beauties today, except for those big-mouthed pelicans, so I can write calmly and uninterruptly. After lunch, I went to the beach beginning to work, photographing and paint.


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