Watching the sunset at Mallory Square, Key West |
Hubby and I traveled for two weeks this month in a group of age-peers, Road Scholars, sponsored by the Elderhostel travel organization. The trip
was varied and interesting with varied exposure to sights and insights. In addition to
the usual scenic and civic highlights, we had opportunity to hear special presentations on Truman’s ‘Little
Whitehouse’ in Key West, Flagler’s railroad to the Keys, South Beach’s hosting
of troop training for WWII, 400 years of Cuban history, as well as a talk by two
veterans from the Bay of Pigs. We enjoyed architectural tours, visits to animal
rescue and research centers, botanical gardens, state parks, scenic boat rides
. . . the list goes on—rich and varied. One of the most interesting, to me, was a tour of America's Orchestral Academy, "New World Symphony," housed in a gorgeous building designed by Frank Gehry.
South Beach, South Miami |
What wasn’t in the published trip-description, however, was interaction
with thousands of college-age ‘kids,’ who’d come to the same places we were
visiting. We came to learn and relax; they came to party and relax. In South
Beach the streets were swarming with the "Breakers," sometimes to the point of
barely being able to share the sidewalks. The South Beach walking path along
the ocean was jammed with rented bikes weaving through walkers, runners,
lovers, and rowdy goof-offs. The line at Walgreen's Collins Avenue store extended out the door in early evening with Breakers buying snacks, rude tee-shirts, sunscreen, and booze.
Initially Hubby and I were off put by the presence of so
many high-energy young people, but not until we arrived in Key West did sharing
the time and place become intimate and challenging. Many in our group were awakened the first
night by loud crowds of Breakers returning to the hotel at 3:00 a.m. Much breakfast table conversation ensued that first morning in Key West. “How dare Elderhostel plan a visit for our
demographic during Spring Break!” was the prevailing opinion. As we gathered to
meet the guide for our first walking tour of Key West, we watched carloads of
arriving Breakers as they unpacked their cars in front of the hotel—bottles of
orange juice and Margarita mix rolling around in cargo space, as towels, pillows,
and backpacks were offloaded. Beautiful young bodies scantily clad in
hot-weather beachwear, giggling, high-fiving, hugging and yelling out, Dude!” More
harrumphing ensued.
Versace's former house brings gawkers by the hundreds in South Beach |
But something wonderful happened during the course of the
five days in Key West. As we interacted with the Breakers, especially while
sharing hotel elevators, Hubby and I began to appreciate their energy, their zest for
life, their healthy release from stressful studies, their high hopes. We realized that it was good for them, too, to share their hotel with people who’d
lived on Planet Earth five or six decades longer than they. Our mutual
presence benefited each other and brought a ring of sensibility to our
respective vacations. Together we represented the cycle of adult life.
By the end of our visit, we were genuinely glad
that we’d been in south Florida during Spring Break, but we may have been in the
minority. All the individuals in our group were—it’s safe to say—past our prime,
and some were still angry about having to share our time in Key West with “those
kids.” But for me, sharing the space with people yet to reach their prime
served only to enhance our trip.
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