Florida Oldscool Campers rents out vintage VW Buses. We are headed to Key West before our summer season starts. Join us as we blog our amazing trip! Checkout our website to book your very own VW Road-trip! www.floridavwrentals.com
Thursday, June 6, 2013
Gypsy Chickens in Key West
at the pedestrian walk. She had just enough time to cross before the light turned. It was to funny, like she was abiding the law!
I never thought to ask why they were protected, as my mind could only conger up joyful memories of the rooster call. Then again this is Key West, a completely unique place like no where else in the states. Growing up on what some would refer to as a petting zoo, my father loved all animals. Everything that came to our house ended up a pet. I can remember waking up to the sound of roosters and I always found it to be soothing. While others I'm sure do not feel the same way.
So, now I ask the question. How in the world were these chickens & roosters allowed to roam free and become protected? Well, It seems you can trace the answer back to the Cubans migrating to Key West.
During the mid-1800's, chickens were big business in Cuba. Breeders purchased varieties of Filipino Fowl from Spain. They created their own breed called 'Cubalaya'. The size and aggressiveness made them perfect for cock fighting... :(
By 1860, Cubans began to move to Key West during the Ten Years' War and unfortunately brought their love for cock fighting with them. A large amount of Cubans followed, drawn by the cigar industry, bringing their chickens with them. By 1890, more than half of Key West's population was of Cuban origin.
Luckily, the southernmost city outlawed cockfighting in 1970's, putting the Cubalaya chickens out of business, and out on the streets of Key West. Domestic chickens on the island were losing their homes at the same time when their owners moved away. Now the roosters & chickens were left to roam free, and nature took its course. So, some forty years later, we now have what we call 'Gypsy Chickens'. Like in the 1970's, they are still protected, and make Key West the truly unique place that it is!
It seems there is a 'chicken war' going on in Key West. It is split down the middle if they should stay or go. I think it adds to the uniqueness of the keys. Now, why I do not live there I have stayed over in Key West 50-60 times. I have no problem with the sounds. It seems to me these high priced resorts, and expensive homes have many other islands they could have choosen to call home. I say these 'Gypsy Chickens' are part of the heritage of Key West, and they were there first. Did these people not know they exsisted before they relocated to such a open minded city? I say if anything, they should start neutering them to cut down on the population as they do with feral cats. But remove them....NEVER! If you have that big of a problem with the 'Gypsy chickens.......MOVE!
Key West history on Gypsy Chicken
Key West history on Gypsy Chicken
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Florida Oldscool Campers, saving one VW Bus at a time...
Dixie & Mike
Wednesday, June 5, 2013
Cuban Coffee Queen
Florida Oldscool Campers loves Cuban Coffee Queen!!!
What a great find in Key West,
right on the harbor
in the mix of everything.
Inexpensive, laid back atmosphere,
and great friendly employees who
obviously enjoy their jobs.
Perfect for us casual travelers at
Cuban Coffee Queen lets the product speak
for itself and it screams in satisfaction!
I did not see the coffee cup until after I uploaded the pictures to my computer. Just a charming place, offer yummy, quick food that is very inexpensively priced, right by the harbor. What else could one want in Key West?
People are surprised to see chickens & roosters wondering around Key West, but they are everywhere, and I love them all! They are protected here, so show them some respect, snap a photo, and enjoy the unique side of Key West!
~ LOCALS ONLY ~ LOVE THIS ~
Not everyone in Key West is on vacation. When you have a lunch hour, you don't have time to wait. It is great to see that Cuban Coffee Queen shows love to their locals.
My 'Cuban Queen Mix'
I could not finish it!
Here is a pic showing the yummy inside!
The great view as you dine on their outdoor bench,
or take it over to the harbor to enjoy the view.
Personally, I sat back and enjoyed people watching.
You never know what you will see in Key West!
TIP: DON'T MISS THIS SPOT....
This is Letty Nowak, she is touching up this lovely picture that is on the side of Cuban Coffee Queen. Great photo op! The city of Key West loved it so much, they used it too!
No line like the Southern Most Buoy!
Yummy! Pork over black beans & rice. All for $7...
284 Margaret Street, Key West FL 33040
305-294-7787
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Thanks for reading our blog!
Dixie & Mike
Florida Oldscool Camper Rentals
WWW.FLORIDAVWRENTALS.COM
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Dixie & Mike
Florida Oldscool Camper Rentals
WWW.FLORIDAVWRENTALS.COM
Check out our Youtube video!!
Follow us on Facebook!
Turtle Hospital in Marathon
Florida Oldscool Campers loves the Turtle Hospital!!!
During our recent trip to the keys tropical rain was all over the keys. It gave us a new meaning to island hopping, trying to find the sunny one. If left us some free time to check out some museums. This is perfect for a rainy day (part of tour outside) or when you have had enough sun.
Out of all the museums you pass in the keys, I highly recommend
a stop here, especially if you have kids. I was really impressed, and definitely felt it was worth the $15.
They provide a short Powerpoint slideshow in the beginning,
talking about their health problems.
You get to go behind the scenes to help keep it running.
our biologist, was extremely knowledgable, nice, and enthusiastic
explaining how things work in the operating room.
The tour was extremely informative and of course,
the highlight was seeing the turtles at the end.
This is a great place to learn something where they do not exploit or
endanger the animals for the sake of entertainment.
The tour runs 1 1/2 hours. If you do not have the time for the tour, at-least
stop in the gift shop. You can leave a donation in the lobby.
Turtle Hospital Web Page:
Guided Educational Experience
Guests are invited to take a guided educational tour of the hospital facilities and the sea turtle rehabilitation area. This educational experience lasts approximately 90 minutes and provides a presentation on sea turtles as well as a behind the scenes look at the hospital facilities and rehabilitation area. At the end of each program guests are invited to feed the permanent residents.
Admission: Adult: $15.00
Children (4-12 years old): $7.50
Children (4-12 years old): $7.50
- Minors under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult
- Reservations are highly recommended as space is limited, please call 305-743-2552
Hours of Operation:
Education Center and Gift Shop is open daily from 9am – 6pm
Educational Programs run daily at 9am, 10am, 11am, 12pm, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm, and 4pm.
**Please note this is a working hospital therefore the guided educational experience is subject to cancellation due to turtle emergencies and/or weather.**
Virtual Tours of the hospital http://www.turtlehospital.org/blog/?page_id=54
Virtual Tours of the Rehab Facility http://www.turtlehospital.org/blog/?page_id=55
Tuesday, June 4, 2013
Kino Sandals... something really made in Key West!
Florida Oldscool Campers loves Kinos Sandals.
~In-fact I have more pair of Kino's than any other shoes in my closet!
Kino Sandals are the best thing to buy while in Key West. While you are on Duval Street shopping through all the crap from other countries, don't waste your time! Go strait to Kino's and buy yourself all all your friends a pair of Kino's Sandals. They will out last anything else you buy, and your friends will thank you years to come!
KINO SANDALS, INC
Made in Key West, Florida
Established in 1966
Located in Kino Plaza at the conner of Greene and Fitzpatrick Street
(305) 294-5044
http://www.kinosandals.com
https://www.facebook.com/pages/KINO-SANDALS/117484568273394
Visit us and watch as our sandals are hand-made.
Monday - Friday 8:30am to 5:30pm
Saturday 9am to 5:30pm
Sunday 10am to 3pm
(seasonal)
Sizes:
Men 7-13
Ladies 4-10
Children 10-1
The "Lili" is my favorite, as I am a basic type girl. See below for many varieties. They have even added one called the "Spider" that looks very interesting.
#1 ~ Lilly- Kino Sandals
A pair of once-wealthy Cuban refugees are operating on elbow grease, freedom, and a shoe string budget to pave the way for a new life in America."The Miami Herald April 27th, 1966
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The story...
These Cuban immigrants were Roberto and Margarita Lopez and the business venture was KINO SANDALS. The company name was Mr. Lopez's childhood nickname when he lived in Cienfuegos, Cuba, about 100 miles from Havana. The founder, Roberto "KINO" Lopez, brought a skill and ambition with him when he fled Cuba one year after Castro's revolution.In cuba, Kino had a shoe factory. When he arrived in Key West he had left shoemaking behind and worked as a handyman for four years. However, he had ambitions and goals. During these four years he saved his money and got a small business loan. He opened the doors of KINO SANDALS in 1966.
The original location was a shop rented at 105 Whitehead Street, where the factory spent it's first 10 years. In 1976 KINO SANDALS moved to its current location at Kino Plaza. This building is reminiscent of the cuban style building Kino knew as a youth in Cuba. The unusually high ceilings let hot air drift outside. While keeping the terra-cotta tiled floors cool. The garden in the atrium offers shoppers a pleasantly shaded area that allows for relaxation in Key West balmy summer breeze. The plaza is located at the corner of Greene Street and Fitzpatrick Street.
All of the sandals are handmade using natural leather straps and natural rubber soles. They are assembled and glued in our traditional sandal factory where the "sandaleros", the old-world sandals maker, works diligently at his station. In the aisles around the sandaleros you will see the boxes of unfinished sandals as they move through the different stages of manufacture. The smell of leather permeates the room wither you may select from a wide variety of sandals with your particular size and color range.
The popular and durable sandals are all designed by Kino. They are all versatile and inexpensive. They have been widely imitated, but they have never been duplicated. The fundamental difference is taht Kino uses the traditional hand made techniques to assemble his sandals. The talent of the craftsmen can not be replaced by a machine. It is this uncommon effort that distinguishes this product.
We wish to express our sincere appreciation for your patronage. We hope that you will visit us again in the future so that we may serve you again.
Sincerely,
Kino & Family
ALPALGATA
#9 ~ Ana- Kino Sandals
#20 ~ Spider- Kino Sandals
#11 ~ Australiano- Kino Sandals
Leather Back Packs
#2 ~ Chain - Kino Sandals
#16 ~ Mens Chancleta- Kino Sandals
#5 ~ Chancletica- Kino Sandals
#4 ~ Julia- Kino Sandals
#3 ~ Madeline- Kino Sandals
#13 ~ Margarita- Kino Sandals
#18 ~ Mens Lilly- Kino Sandals
#7 ~ Mercedes without Strap- Kino Sandals
#20 Child's Mercedes Kino Sandals
#10 ~ Prematuro- Kino Sandals
#40 Cuban Conch Cooking Cookbook
#6 ~ Cordones- Kino Sandals
Mallory Square and the 'Sunset Celebration'
Florida Oldscool Campers in Key West
Renting Vintage VW Buses for a groovy road trip to the Keys.
The center of Key West historic waterfront, Mallory Square stages the famous Key West sunset celebration.
Historic Mallory Square, and the city of Key West both had their beginning along this deep harbor waterfront - The wrecking schooners, the frigates and warships of the US Navy, the Cuban cigar makers tobacco warehouse, ship's chandlers and government offices combined to make Key West a bustling seaport out on the frontier of a young American. Today, Mallory Square is a Key West must see. You will find exciting attractions, unparalleled shopping, the Key West historic sculpture garden and of course, every evening, the famous sunset celebration. 
There are all kinds of homemade things to find at Mallory Square. This guy had the great idea to make dog toys out of coconuts. Talk about all natural! It is really a great idea!
All kinds of activities for young or old alike to enjoy!
Some shows are great, some turn your stomach! The guy that stuck swords down his throat bothered my sister, but the guy that dislocated his shoulder to free himself always disturbed me. But not this guy, he's awesome! Look at all the great thing he makes with cans!
As you walk around, watch the ropes. This is each performers area, and they get upset if you start kicking their rope around. I would love to know what goes on in setting up this place. i need to get there early on one of my trips to see. There are always new faces, and always some of the same. They seem to run in cycles.
My favorite...
The French Cat Guy
The best of the best...
The best I have ever seen was the cat guy from France. He made the cats walk on tight ropes, jump through hoops of fire, and all kinds of amazing things!
Other great performers...
You never know what you will find, so don't miss out!
. They also had a golden retriever that walked the tight rope. Also, one that stands out in my mind was the guy that painted his self as a statue, and stood perfectly still during the entire celebration!
I have seen these guys a few times over the past 2 years. They sing, the dog dances, and take tips. Most people are suckers for dogs!
Key West is very expensive, and many people living in the keys live on sailboats anchored of shore.
Just a few of the handcrafted items you can find on Mallory Square
This lady was a palm reader. I wonder how the tripod hanging chair helps...
The Sunset Celebration and the history behind it...
"See you at Sunset" has a special significance in Key West, Florida. It's an invitation to partake in spontaneous celebration as jugglers, tourists, clowns, fisherman, psychics, island musicians, artist, food vendors, and friends gather each night to celebrate the close of another day in paradise.
Mallory Square has a long history as being a center of activity in Key West. Once the chosen anchorage of pirates, it later became the base for anti-pirate campaigns orchestrated by Commodore Porter in the 1800's. Mallory Square has also been the center of wrecking industry and the assembling point of American forces for four wars.
Abdubon wrote glowing of the glorious Key West sunsets while visiting in the early 1800's.
In the late 60's the contemporary of Sunset Celebration took off. Groups of carefree gypsies descended upon Key West and mallory Pier in search of Paradise. The way that the sunset ceremony got started is taht all the "freaks" as sdrup users were called in the sixties, used to go down every evening high on LSD to watch Atlantis arising mythically out of the cloud formations at sunset. There were about 30-40 regulars many of whom lived in Fogarty house which at that time was full of hippies.
The late 1970's and early 1980's were a pivotal time in history of the festival. At that time, vending on the dock was risky as there were signs up saying "no petting on the pier" yet as word got out more and more people starting showing up to set up shop with their wares. It was turning into a flea market type of environment. To make matters worse the dock was being renovated to accommodate cruise ships os the fate of Sunset was hanging in the balance. Merchants adjacent to Mallory Square began complaining about the unsupervised nature of event. The City of Key West had to address the issue. Meanwhile, Sunset participants, realizing the levity of the situation began getting organized to preserve the tradition. Merchants bonded together to participants formed a legal entity known as the Key West Cultural Preservation Society, Inc. in 1984. The organization drafted guidelines fro participation and negotiated a lease with the City of Key West with the understanding that CPS would manage Sunset and endure its artistic integrity . The rest is history, as they say. Sunset and ensure its artistic integrity.
Sunset Celebration continues to be an internationally known attraction that supports a cottage industry in Key West. It has become an incubator for the arts, and a launching point for many visual and performing artists. Sunset can be credited with attracting and inspiring the development of a generation of talent known throughout the world.
Rainbow over Duval Street
This is one of many rainbows you will find on Duval Street
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