Conch Republic Bed Races

May 1, 2008

Lazy Dogs



Conch Republic Bed Races

Shanna Key

Living in Key West for 17 years, you might think that between Kathy & me we would have seen most everything. It’s pretty close to true, but every now and again, we take a look at an event or activity which has somehow eluded us. The Conch Republic Bed Races is one of those events. We’ve done most of the assorted other Conch Republic Independence celebration events, including the Sea Battle, the Parade and Conch Cruiser car show, but this year was our first experiences with the bed races.





We headed downtown early to take a look around the street fair and have lunch at the Lazy Gecko. Thankfully the Gecko was convenient to the parade, because the food and (especially) the service were so horrific that it deserves mention. I try not to post negative things about places we go, especially popular local establishments, but we had a truly horrible experience at the Lazy Gecko that it deserves special mention. I could almost expect the food to be not so great, but the surly bartender that served us was rude and that’s when we could actually get her attention. We won’t be returning.





Thankfully, the bed races more than made up for the poor lunch experience. We walked down to the pits at the Hogs Breath and took a look at all the competitors, including many of our friends such as the Shanna Key & Lazy Dog entries, before finding a spot among the huge crowd lining Duval Street to watch the races.
I have no idea who won, nor do I much care. It was a spectacle of the kind you can only find in Key West with drag queens, pirates, tattoo covered contestants and scantily clad women all pushing homemade beds at breakneck speeds to the cheers of the assembled throngs. The summer-like heat was the only negative, but we managed to find a shady spot and enjoy the day.

Team Lazy Dogs








Conch Republic