Celebration

October 23, 2012

Erin & Chris

Lisa & Elena





Celebration


The end of October is like nothing else in Key West. The biggest series of parties and celebrations and the real start of the tourist season make the island one of the most fun places in the world during this time and this year is no different with the exception that the party got going just a bit earlier this year as there were a couple of really fun and awesome events that happened even before the traditional Goombay weekend that kicks off the party in Key West.

Howard & Aaron



This year there were a few celebrations the week prior that helped get me in the mood for Fantasy Fest just a little bit early. Kathy was gone out of town for a few days, visiting a friend in New Jersey, so I was solo for these parties, but thankfully each was packed with friends and I had a spectacular time.

Jay, Lynne, Jed & Brewster





The first two involved The Studios of Key West, which hosted a celebration as part of a Walk on White on Thursday night to celebrate the release of their 2012-2013 catalog. The party was great and the catalog, which was largely produced by my friend Elena, is truly incredible. I am not sure which is more impressive, the staggering number of events and activities that The Studios of Key West packs in to a season, or the amazing catalog that is so much more than a listing of those events. It is a piece of art all its own and if you have the opportunity, you should stop by the Studios and pick one up.



Bria

The next night, The Studios were the beneficiary of the weekly non-profit happy hour at the Bottlecap Lounge and once again, the familiar Studios crowd showed up to drink and help support the Studios which took advantage of the fun happy hour and made a few bucks. Artists painted paintings on the spot which were auctioned off and a variety of other fundraising efforts were also under way.



Nick, Michael & Chris





The bestest party of the week was easily the birthday celebration of our friend Erin. Organized by her wonderful boyfriend Chris and held at Bobby’s Monkey Bar, which I have never seen better decorated, the party was a massive success and hugely popular- mostly because to know Erin is to love her and obviously a large number of people think she is the cat’s meow.



Leanne & Tony



Erika & Chad

She is one of the coolest, nicest, most fun and funniest people on the island. A super talented member of Key West Burlesque (Cheeky Derriere), as well as a fantastic and funny actress and all around great person, Erin is one of the people who make living on this island so great.





Michael & Liz

Elaney & Jevne



The party was jam packed with friends and well-wishers and if there is one thing Chris knows how to do, it is throw a party. He has hosted some of the best parties I have ever been to on this island including the amazing Fantasy Fest Tutu parties and a host of parties at his bar, The Porch. This one was no exception and everyone (with maybe one exception not worth mentioning) had a fantastic time. I was so happy to be included and had an amazing time myself.







Wendy & Scott

Wendy, Erin & Otten

Listening to my friends singing karaoke of my favorite Concrete Blonde song “Joey” was a highlight as was a stirring duet by my friends Dan & Greg. It was a great time and totally put me in to the Fantasy Fest spirit.

Haunted Cavern

October 22, 2012









Haunted Cavern

One of the attractions that we wanted to make sure not to miss was the Haunted Caverns at Ruby Falls. This haunted house attraction is consistently ranked among the scariest Halloween attractions in the United States and is held deep underground in the caverns that make up the famous Ruby Falls. This year the Haunted Cavern was ranked 12^th scariest in the nation, down from their number 3 ranking from last year, but considering the thousands of such haunted house attractions it is still a pretty good ranking and we wanted to check out and see what all the fuss was about.





The Haunted Cavern has to its advantage, the fact that it is held mostly in a completely dark and narrow series of passages and caverns that are located 26 stories underground. After waiting in line, being checked to make sure that you are over 18- no kids allowed in this haunted attraction and loaded in to the cramped and dark elevator, we were taken down in a group totaling six people.







As a group we emerged in a dimly lit staging area where the group was given a single small glow stick as our only source of light and sent down a narrow, cramped and totally black passage way. When I say totally black, there is absolutely no light other than what you bring in 26 stories underground and that in and of itself was scary enough for most people. People with claustrophobia need not try this one.





Just about as you get settled in to the cool, dark passage, the scary stuff started and man was it scary. Not just the traditional, people in costume jumping out and startling you, this experience brought together all the psychological and graphic elements of the most current Hollywood scare fest and the costuming and acting skills of the cast were spectacular. They remained in creepy character and were literally scary as hell at times.





Kathy

The attraction took about 45 bone chilling minutes to complete, half of it in the cavern complex underground and half at a large above ground complex designed just for the haunted experience – which may have been even more frightening than the cavern experience, it was certainly much more gruesome and you could actually see much of the horrific display. It was a fun and frightening night.

Mushroom Rock





Our final day in Chattanooga, Kathy & I decided to head outside and take advantage of a fun hiking event that was being held at Shackleford Ridge County Park on Signal Mountain called Hiketoberfest. We had learned about it the previous day at the RiverRocks Festival, and it looked like a fun outdoorsy thing to do, especially if the weather was good, which it just so happened to be.







The event was sponsored by The Friends of the Cumberland Trail, a local non-profit and offered a wide range of hikes, guided nature walks, music, food and ecological displays and presentations. Kathy & I decided to hike on our own down the Cumberland Trail to Mushroom Rock, a cool natural rock formation shaped as the name suggests as a mushroom.







The hike was beautiful through a gentle deciduous forest that was still in the early stages of the fall foliage color change. It was fantastic, beautiful and just about a perfect day of hiking. The weather was great and it was sunny and just slightly cool, a perfect fall day of the kind we just do not get in Key West. It put us so much in the fall spirit that after leaving we stopped at a beautiful roadside market that was selling pumpkins, flowers and seasonal vegetables that really offered us a peek into the autumn season.





We had a wonderful fall getaway in Chattanooga, turned out to be the perfect way to celebrate our ninth anniversary. I have a strong feeling that we may return to Chattanooga soon, and perhaps often if Kathy has anything to say on the matter.

http://www.hauntedcavern.com/