Key West Memories: Eco-Discovery Center and "I Do, I Do" ~ March 8, 2017

March 8, 2017

Today was our first truly warm day with temperatures in the 80s!  There wasn't as much of a breeze, which made it feel really warm most of the day.  Peter got up early to go for a run, and Jeff decided that he needed to take a walk.  Eventually they ran into each other and ended up being gone for a couple of hours!  Betty Lou and I had a quiet morning together, each doing our own things.  I read for a while and then decided to work on this blog.  Betty Lou enjoyed some laps in the pool, and when the guys came home we all had something for lunch.

Our major excursion for the day was a short walk away at the Eco-Discovery Center.

The center, which is sponsored by the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, NOAA, and both the Everglades and Dry Tortugas National Parks, is dedicated to educating the public about the native plants and animals of the Keys - both on land and underwater.  There is an entire room devoted to a depiction of the ecology of Keys' habitats.  You can view the upland pinelands, a hardwood hammock, and a beach dune.  Another room depicts seagrass flats, hard bottom, coral reef, and deep-shelf communities.  They have a living reef exhibit that includes a 2,500 gallon reef tank with living corals and tropical fish.

I especially enjoyed a 20 minute film called "Reflections of the Florida Keys" that followed a snorkler as she explored the diverse underwater ecosystem.  It was especially poetic and visually spectacular.

We were off to dinner out at the Grand Cafe.

(Photo from their website)

We enjoyed a nice dinner outside under palm trees.  

After dinner we walked across the street and down a short alley to the Red Barn Theater to see the play, "I Do, I Do."

(Photo from website)

According to their website, the Red Barn was built as a carriage house in 1829.  By the 30s and 40s the advent of the automobile made carriage houses somewhat obsolete, so the barn became the home of the Key West Community Players who offered a variety of productions throughout the 40s.  When the Players moved to a new playhouse at Mallory Square, the Red Barn became vacant and remained empty until the 1960s when Ruth and Yehuda Guttman staged puppet shows there.

In 1980 a new theater group was formed.  Peter and Betty Lou remember going there in the late 80s and experiencing a leaky roof as they watched their show!  But in 2002 the Red Barn was refurbished and renovated at a cost of over $650,000.  They added space for rehearsal, a scenery workshop, costume storage, dressing rooms, rest rooms, and a box office.  It's a cozy little theater that probably seats about 100 people at most.  

The production we saw had a wonderful set and two talented actors.  It was written by the same guys who wrote The Fantastiks.

The picture above (from the Red Barn's website) is the opening scene as Michael and Agnes say "I Do" and the one to the left is from a late scene as they reflect on what they might do when the kids are married.

After an enjoyable theater experience we were off for a brisk walk back to the Truman Annex for a good night's sleep!