In an earlier post I described a sudden trip I had to take to measure a large custom furniture job. This project was recently completed and delivered to a luxury residence in the Trump Hollywood condominium tower.
Here's the truck stacked with blankets - ready to load.
Here's Kevin loading the truck. He's got a huge smile on his face because he loves road trips.
Extra help was needed on this delivery, so we decided to bring Heath along as well.
With the truck quickly filling with furniture it was necessary to measure to ensure everything would fit.
Arriving at the Trump Hollywood - ready to deliver the furniture.
The lobby and reception area was designed by interior design firm Yabu Pushelberg.
Kevin and Heath standing alongside the stainless steel sculptures in the lobby.
This dining room wall unit was one of the custom furniture pieces we delivered. The wood was Koto finished in a satin lacquer and the recessed finger pulls were hand finished in antiqued bronze. The back panels in the open display areas will soon be clad in bronze mirror by others.
Kevin and Heath finishing off the right side of the wall unit. These guys work well together as a team.
There were a number of trades working simultaneously on this project including plumbers, electricians, finish carpenters, HVAC technicians, paint and paper guys, interior designers, audio/video installers, flooring guys etc. Miraculously everything was well choreographed in a manner than ran rather well. Despite the stress of the tight timeline there were some lighter moments to be had, including the audio/video guys getting "punked" with this shipping crate being sent in place of an actually 55" flat screen.
Upon completion of this project it was time for some R&R, so I took the guys down to South Beach to check out some classic examples of Art Deco, Moderne and Streamline design.
While in South Beach it's always a treat to catch a meal at the News Cafe.
South Beach also has a vibrant night life, and there's never a shortage of beautiful women to be seen walking around. Let's just say that one of the guys I was with (who shall remain nameless to protect the guilty) developed a bad habit of tripping over chairs and walking into umbrella stands as a result of the eye candy.
Following our visit to South Beach we headed for the Florida Keys. Along the way we stopped in at a place called Midway Cafe for breakfast. All I can say is: Best. Diner. Breakfast. Ever. The orange juice tasted like it was squeezed straight from the tree. I'm a coffee guy, and their coffee ranks with the best I've ever had. Add an amazing omelette plus Key Lime pie for dessert, and I was set for the day.
This place is definitely worth a visit. It's located at mile 80.5 in Islamorada, Florida.
These are the 3 gals who run the show at the Midway Cafe.
After breakfast we continued our drive to Key West.
This stretch of Hwy. 1 is truly scenic.
Although I'm not usually one to do the "touristy" things when travelling I did relent to go visit the marker at the southernmost point of continental U.S.A.
Mile 0 is also a famous spot located nearby. Here's Kevin and Heath, with Heath doing his best Incredible Hulk imitation.
There was no shortage of these guys running around town.
Why did the chicken cross the road? Oh, never mind - this guy has no clue either.
Key West is a wonderful place to chill out because it's very laid back. Kevin and Heath were quite happy to simply hang out and watch Tarpon swimming by.
Key West has tremendous history, including this bar which was Ernest Hemingway's favorite watering hole back in the 1930s. Known as Captain Tony's Saloon it's located just off the main tourist track along Duval Street. This slightly offbeat location means that few tourists stop by to visit - which makes me love the place all the more.
The decor at Captain Tony's is probably the unchanged in over 50+ years. There's even an indoor tree, which is probably due more to circumstance than design. Tens of thousands of business cards adorn the walls, and mine is now added to the mix.
This was my moment of Zen: sitting on Walter Cronkite's bar stool, sipping a cold beer (with lime), while puffing an Arturo Fuente Hemingway in Hemingway's favorite bar.
Captain Tony's is also the place where Jimmy Buffett got his start as a musician in the 1970s. This sign scrawled over the urinal apparently inspired Buffett's song "Last Mango in Paris":
I ate the last mango in Paris;
took the last plane out of Saigon;
took the first fast boat to China;
and Jimmy there's still so much to be done.
There's a real Bohemian feel to Key West, with an abundance of artists and street performers to be found everywhere. Every evening there's a gathering of performers at Mallory Square Dock to celebrate the sunset.
Sunset at Key West.