Being a local in Key West in the winter is tough. The local economy depends on tourist season, and that includes people that come to stay for a few days or months, or sail in for a day via cruise ship. Either way, they are here for the warm weather, the sunshine and to have a good time. And I don’t begrudge that.
That is the price we pay for having beautiful winter weather. Except the weather this year has sucked. Either it was as hot as it is in June, or it rained. We had a few sunny days in the 60s and 70s, but overall, it has not been great. But the tourists are still here, at least for another month. Once the snowbirds begin to fly north again in April, the town will quiet down. As cruise ships leave the Caribbean for Europe and Alaska, fewer of them will call on Key West.
I do enjoy the vast array of goings-on in the winter months. From concerts to craft fairs, it seems that there is always something (too much?) to do. But there is a lot to be said for summer months when only the people that really want to be there are around. Securing a dinner reservation will be easier. I won’t have to think about where to eat a week in advance, and, frankly, that makes me ecstatic.
I know those that work in restaurants or hotels have a love-hate relationship with the tourists and snowbirds, and I get it. On one hand, they make the most money when the town is busy. But on the other hand, it is so peaceful when it is quiet.
I’m sure in a couple of months I will be counting the days until our friends, the snowbirds, head south again. Meanwhile, I will wait patiently for the quiet summer months, when we sweat nonstop and lounge at the pool, without having to turn on the heater. Despite the fact that it hasn’t been cold, the rain has caused the pool to be at an unacceptably low temperature for most of the winter. Hopefully, this summer will bring less rain, too. Hey, a girl can dream, right?
