Unabashed Frivolity On Duval Street... Key West, Florida.

PROCEED WITH CAUTION... ADULT CONTENT AHEAD!

If I had to use but one word to describe Key West it would be frivolity.

Frivolity as in zealously chasing a good time while throwing three sheets to the wind and not giving a rat's ass as to the consequences while imbibing copious amounts of liquid courage.

And Duval Street is the place to be if one just wants to let it all hang out, pun intended, wink, wink, for it is but one long, continuous strip of bars, night clubs, and tourist shops.

Nevertheless, the unabashed revelry of that scene can get old pretty quickly after but a time or two of strolling along that street. Before long one is sure to be seeking out a quiet sports bar somewhere off the beaten path and away from all the tourists.

In any event I happened to be strolling along Duval the other morning in search of a coffee shop when I happened to come upon the "Bull & Whistle", an open aired bar not unlike the many others along Duval.

But what caught my attention about that place was of the sign posted alongside the entry way to the upstairs portion of that bar. That stairwell led to "The Garden of Eden" and posted on that sign was "Clothing Optional".

All of which had me thinking back to the time when I had first purchased my boat and had it tied up alongside the City of Fort Myers Marina seawall and alongside a wide pedestrian walkway.

Well after working on my boat all day and later sipping on a few cold beers in the late afternoon, I'd pointedly sit up on deck and wave hi to one and all as they strolled on past the boat.

For you see, Fort Myers can be a bit boring at times and I had little else to do but amuse myself by goofing with those who might perhaps pause a moment and exchange a few pleasantries.

And of course I'd always say hi to all the hot chicks wearing their tight fitting athletic attire as they jogged on past whether or not they waved back.

But the black chicks that would stroll on by were often times, for whatever reason, only too happy to put up with my goofing and without exception would always dish it right back at me but in much larger doses.

On one occasion I happened to be jovially chatting it up with two plus-sized sistas one afternoon when one of the two young ladies asked where I might be sailing off to in the near future.

I quickly responded, "Key West... Would you like to come along with me? I ain't got a girlfriend", all the while smiling real big.

And after laughing for but a very brief moment and without even bothering to dismiss my invitation, she sets upon telling me all about her recent weekend excursion out to Key West.

She proceeds to describe in some detail the boisterous decadence along Duval Street without hardly pausing a moment to take in a breath.

She then goes on to describe the scene in what surely had to be "The Garden of Eden" and of its clothing optional policy and of all the nudity going on up there and of a group of white dudes throwing down shots and of her being the center of attention.

And with her eyes bulging out as far as they could possibly go and with both hands squarely placed upon her wide hips, she emphatically leaned forward and punctuated her animated description of that bar scene by loudly exclaiming, "DEM White BOYS Wanted To EATTT MEEE"! before striding off all the while outrageously laughing and with her over-sized booty in tow.

Oh gawd.... it seems like I might have gotten more than I had bargained for. I can't seem to remember ever laughing so damned hard.

And as my lady-friend from up on Marco Island is prone to say, "Youth Is Wasted On The Young".

Boy ain't that the truth.