After being diverted from their planned Jacksonville stay by Hurricane Dora, The Beatles had an unscheduled rest at the Key Wester Motel on September 9-11, 1964. An aerial view of the motel can be seen here. It can be seen that the motel was sandwiched between the airport and the ocean, which is becalmed by the protection of a coral reef. The perimeter road is South Roosevelt Boulevard. The motel had been built in 1951 by Charles Helberg and Benjamin Kilpatrick. Helberg died on January 30, 1967, in the motel.
Larry Kane states that, "Not a creature was stirring at 4 a.m. when the plane touched down, other than a few police officers, a representative from the hotel and a handful of fans, who kept their distance."(1) This was due to Kane agreeing with Brian Epstein to delay telling WFUN about the diversion until 9am. However, the Miami News stated that the arrival time was 3.30am and that 500 fans were in attendance (2):
On Thursday September 10, The Beatles' clothing went to the laundry and "John Ringo" bought a shirt (3):
Fans had gathered in large numbers by Thursday (4):
However, The Beatles were able to take a drive up the Keys, with John getting all the way to Key Largo, a trip of over 90 miles (5).
(1) Kane, Larry. A Ticket to Ride: Inside the Beatles' 1964 Tour That Changed the World (Kindle Locations 1851-1853). Dynamic Images, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
(2) Miami News, 9.9.64, p.5
(3) Palm Beach Post, 11.9.64, p.48.
(4) Miami Herald, 11.9.64, p.8-B
(5) Miami Herald, 12.9.64, p.1-B
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