By Joyce Hadley Copeland
Tim and Rosie Dore have had a long-term love affair with Key West. Tim, who fell under its spell on a month-long fishing trip with a buddy, brought Rosie down a few years later. She was smitten, too. They decided to take their "relationship" with Key West to the next level, buying a home in New Town. Soon after Tim retired, he and Rosie became residents of Key West, returning to Ohio for the summer.
While they decided to sell their home, nothing could keep the Dores away from Key West. This year they returned as first-time renters. "There's something about the place that just draws people back," Tim says. "We call it living the dream."
Their three-month stay at
Luxurious Manor gave them an opportunity to experience Key West from a different vantage point. Located in the White Street Gallery District of Old Town, they were steps from restaurants, shops, art galleries, and the beach. "We walked or bicycled to everything," Rosie says. "The car stayed parked, unless we needed it for a trip to the grocery store."
The joy of staying in
Their beautifully restored "eyebrow house" a classic Key West architectural style featuring cooling second-story windows tucked under overhanging porches gave the couple a lot of reasons to stay in. The owner hired a builder who specializes in authentic Key West renovations to install French doors across the back of the great room and kitchen, opening the interior to the spacious deck with a swimming pool and waterfall.
"We found ourselves spending a lot of time at the pool," Rosie says. "Just sitting outside enjoying the weather and the sound of the waterfall." Tim happily puttered in the yard. "Since we were at a vacation rental, we spent more time actually on the property just enjoying ourselves, relaxing, than we ever had before," he adds.
The Dores brewed their own Cuban coffee each morning ("We've been hooked on that since the 80s," Rosie laughs) and made mango margaritas and fresh-caught seafood for friends in the chef's kitchen. "We pan-friend yellowtail and did grouper and dolphin on the grill," says Rosie, adding "We have our own stone crab traps, so we put on a meal of stone crabs."
Dining with a legend
But with so many restaurants within easy reach, the Dores made sure to step outside their white-picket fence and walk to dinner in town or on the beach. "You could eat at a different restaurant every night and, if you were there for a month, probably not hit the same one twice," Rosie says.
They still remember dining a favorite, Blue Heaven, with one of the Key West's favorite sons, Kermit Forbes better known as "Shine" for his infectious grin. "He used to box with Hemingway!" Tim says. (Until his death in 2000, Shine sometimes sparred with annual Papa Hemingway Look-Alike contenders.) "It was like talking to a history book. He showed us the boxing ring on the grounds. It was one of our favorite Key West moments."
Two more visits coming up
There are more Key West moments to come. "We already have a place scheduled later this year and for April and May of next year," Rosie says. For their next visit, they've selected a smaller rental (Luxurious Manor sleeps up to 7 people). But they'll stay with the same agency.
"We're learning the rental market, because we never had to rent," Tim says. "We have to say that the people of VHKW have been very nice. We're going to continue dealing with them because we're happy with their service."
Favorite Things
Local Character
"One of our friends dresses up as St. Patrick for the St. Patrick's Day bar crawl from one end of Duval St. to the other. He carries a staff with a serpent twisted around. If you're lucky, St Patrick will bless you with a shot of Jameson whiskey out of the tongue of the serpent."
Sunday Thing to Do
"One of our favorite places is a little spot called Snipes, a sand key you have to get to by boat. You sink your anchor and spend the day playing in the waist-deep water. It's absolutely gorgeous. Sunday is Snipes Day."
Splurge
"Probably one of the best restaurants in town is A&B Lobster House. It's a little more high-end. We don't go there often, but we sure enjoy it when we do go!"
Joyce Hadley Copeland is a travel writer and yoga practitioner, whose passion for authentic experiences and unique accommodations has led her all over the world, reviewing hundreds vacation rental homes, boutique hotels, and resorts. She enjoys interviewing guests who have stayed with VHKW, and notes that every time she shares the stories of Key West vacationers she has vivid dreams of conch fritters and Cuban coffee.
