Work ends at 6:00 and I'm homeward bound for a quick change of clothes and it's into the dinghy and off to the Hurricane Hole for Happy Hour or what is left of it. This is a routine that has been become a tradition that had it's roots up on Lake Norman 6 or 7 years ago. Tuesday night was the "Guys Night Out" up there and would all congregate at several docks and wait for me to come and pick everyone up in my boat and go bar hopping. There were several bars that we would make appearances at the around midnight it was back home we would go.
These day things are very similar, but a little different, in that we just hop into the dinghy and head to Hole. The Hurricane Hole is a great little restaurant, marina and bar located on the water on Stock Island just over the bridge from Key West. It is a place to meet friends, locals, and tourists as everyone congregates to share the news of the day and have a few cocktails and beers. There are several fishing charter boats based in the marina so the "fish tails" are a big part of the conversations as the captains and their angles stop in to have a cocktail and share all of the experiences and tales of the one that got away with the rest of us.
The staff is a great bunch of people that make you feel right at home when you arrive. The menu and the cocktail list is impressive and always served with a smile, unless you make someone mad (Not a Smart Thing to Do). The nautical atmosphere combined with the great staff is the main reason that this has become my kickback place to escape the craziness of Duval Street.
The rest of the fun is all about being able to boat to and from the Hurricane Hole, making the evening a relaxing journey before supper. If you make it down to Key West, don't forget to stop in in the early evening and say Hey to all my friends, and very likely you can say hey to me as well. ;o)
