Harry Truman's Little White House on Key West
Key West, FL–There are lots of tours to take in Key West, like the Conch Train or Mel Fisher Museum. Most people put the Hemingway House at the top of their list. I’m a writer, so I had to visit. And I have to say, I was fascinated with the famous six-toed cats that lounge all over the property. The cats, each a descendant of Snowball, a polydactyl feline given to Hemingway by a captain. According to our tour guide, there are 44 cats on the property, and half of every litter come out six-toed, half like all the other cats of the world. The polydactyl cats look like they’re wearing mittens, their big paws resembling the meaty ones of my English bulldog. The cats can lay anywhere they want–and do–at Hemingway House, on beds, desks, in the sun and under shady trees. They have their own water fountain, made from the urinal removed from Sloppy Joe’s Bar during a renovation. It’s gussied up with an Italian olive jar spilled water into it, and lined up with terra cotta tiles. The cats don’t seem to mind either way.
Even with those crazy cats, Hemingway House didn’t top my list of favorite tours, though. Hands down, the best tour was at Truman’s Little White House. The decor is a step behind the styles of Mad Men, all 40s and 50s rattan furniture on the porch and poker table at the ready. It helps that the Little White House is air-conditioned while the Hemingway House isn’t (though Hemingway’s is more “genuine” as the author’s wife removed all the ceiling fans in favor of more stylish Tiffany chandeliers.) But what really makes it the best tour was Dave, our guide throughout the house. He knew his Truman history, the house history, and spoke with such joy and enthusiasm that it infected our entire group. We learned more about the famous occupants, who came for both rest and reconnaissance. Truman had quite a sense of humor, bantering with the press and teasing them about what was in his private briefcase that he alone carried. (He carried his own case because he didn’t want anyone to break his 78 rpm vinyl records, which provided classical music to while away the humid evenings.) And there’s a replica of his famed “The Buck Stops Here” sign, which the guide will gladly tell you the history behind it. It’s hard to believe the place was about to be razed, was left to decay and ruin for 12 years before it was taken over by the state of Florida and rehabbed.
Check out the poker table and the breakfast bar, where “eye-openers” were served promptly each morning. You won’t get served here, but I imagine there’s a score of places open you can hoist a toast to Harry after your visit.
