Posted on 05/31/2014 6:01:24 PM PDT by AbolishCSEU
Wondering if any Freepers have any advice for touring Key West.
I will second the Conch Republic Seafood, Inc...I had the Hog Fish dish..and it was timely and excellent!!!
I recently went to Key West on a mini-vacation (December ‘13). The only gays I ran into drove the cabs. They seemed nice enough, well anyways they go me to my destinations. Key West is great for chilling with a drink and enjoying doing nothing. I went offshore fishing one day and backcountry fishing the next. Both experiences were great. Black tuna and dolphin one day and snappers and sharks the next. I stayed in a townhome some friends of mine rented for the week in the Truman Annex. Right next to the Truman Southern Whitehouse. Rent a bike. I wish I did. Conch Republic is a fun bar. Hog’s Breath. Just about anywhere close to the water. I seemed to avoid most of the touristy places and had fun anyways.
My family has been down to the Keys and Key West a couple of times. While Key West has a reputation as a drinking destination, neither my husband nor I drink and we’ve had fun down there with our very young son. We’ve done combined trips with Disney World and the Keys (may as well go all the way to the end if we’re in Florida anyway), so when we go to Key West it’s a great time to relax and enjoy not having to wait in theme park lines.
With that said, one of my favorite things we’ve done down there was spend a day at Fort Zachary Taylor State Park. It’s very cheap to get in. Take a cooler with drinks and food, get there early, pick out a picnic table under a palm or pine tree and just enjoy doing nothing for the entire day. The water is beautiful, but be prepared for the jagged rocks that you have to walk over to get into the water. The rocks are brutal on your feet, but the water is also warm and calm (not like a regular ocean) once you get past the rocks. We bought snorkel sets at the Walgreens on Duval St. and LOVED snorkeling around the rocks at the state park. There were tons of fish. While there weren’t beautiful reefs or anything like that, we still did this for hours and had the sunburn to prove it. It’s relaxing swimming with fish in their natural habitat.
Also, while we were there we saw what looked like possibly Navy Seals doing training. A boat was in the water in the distance and there were dive flags out. The boat had been out there for a while when we finally saw the guys rising from the water and coming ashore in full gear and arms. That caught everyone’s attention and was really interesting!
Everyone says Mallory Square is the place to see a Key West sunset, but I don’t think it’s the best. The street performers there in the evening are cool, but walk around until you find a place to see the sun where small islands aren’t blocking the sun setting on the ocean.
Our favorite restaurant down there is the Conch Republic Seafood Co. My husband is partial to their Cuban Sandwich. He craves it still! It’s also neat to eat at the original Margaritaville that Jimmy Buffett opened if you happen to be a Parrothead.
One thing to definitely consider doing is a sailboat ride. We did a sunset sail with this company (http://www.sail-keywest.com/) and it was like heaven on earth. There are many companies that offer sunset cruises and things like that in Key West, but this one is great if you aren’t wanting the “party atmosphere”. There are many catamarans and boats that blare music and have rowdy people on it, but this one is different. You get out there on the water to enjoy the OCEAN and only the sound of the waves and flapping sails. They offer sodas, water, beer and light snacks (cheese, crackers, shrimp cocktail). The sunset was beautiful and it was fun seeing the crew raising the sails. Some of the best money we’ve spent on any of our many vacations!! Absolutely AWESOME and the crew was as friendly as could be!
Oh, also check out the huge Banyan tree at the Banyan Hotel. If you’re just out walking and exploring it’s a cool thing to see.
Honestly, the thing I like most about the Keys though is the drive down. Seeing the blue and turquoise waters on each side of the highway is surreal and beautiful. You can’t see that anywhere else.
My advice is to just go down there and enjoy relaxing. Don’t feel like you have to plan a bunch of touristy things to do. Walk around and enjoy the island life. Just enjoy the laid back atmosphere and let your worries go. :) Enjoy your trip!
P.S.- DO NOT go to Smathers Beach. It is smelly and covered with seaweed and questionable people. Absolutely disgusting. If you want to go to a beach, just go to Fort Z. Taylor State Park.
Conch Republic had this sea salt scrub in the bathroom that I was obsessed with. Every time I walked near that place I went to the bathroom just to scrub my hands. They smelled so good.
I will second going to Fort Z. Taylor State Park. There was a pirate convention when I was there. Pretty cool festival in the actual fort. Just make sure to have water shoes for the rocks on the “beach”.
But the Square Grouper Bar & Grill...in Cudjoe Key was awesome!! As was Mangrove Mama's and The Wharf Bar and Grill....I would send my best friends to those places.
I’ve been once and can’t say that I was too impressed...but I’m often in the minority on such issues.The one thing I recall clearly is the drive from Miami and the night we spent on Marathon Key.The drive was amazing...as was Marathon.
Avoid the pricey hamburgers. There’s a Five Guy just off Duvall at Truman.
All the eateries on Duvall are WAY overpriced.
The Double Tree is my favorite stay. They have a guy who plays steel drum dub step and mumbles the lyrics in the afternoon, by the pool. A pleasant way to sun, drink and read.
Renting a bike is a good way to get around.
I understand it’s a good place for charter fishing.
Try to ignore the faggots.
Ha!!!
1. Botanical Gardens
2. Ernest Hemingway's house
3. Shipwreck Museum
4. Blue Heaven for dinner
5. possibly the Old Town Bakery
6. DJs clam shack and possibly Garbo's Grill
Some people make it seem like the place is one big obscene gay pride parade down there. Other than seeing a few rainbow flags hanging on some buildings, one drag queen telling us hello outside one of the drag nightclubs and two guys kissing near Mallory Square, I don’t recall seeing dozens upon dozens of gay couples like people claimed there would be. I think our waiter at the Denny’s on Duval St. could have been gay, but who knows. Before we went I had heard the stories about the tons of gay people down there. After visiting a couple of times, I still haven’t seen what all these folks encountered. All I mostly see are people in their flip flops and summer clothes enjoying the island lifestyle.
Same here. Never saw any of them. At least the outlandish ones. Beaches weren’t all that great, but fantastic food.
I’m not judging but just so you know you will have a “gay” time in Key West. So prepare yourself.
Hemingway’s house is cool wth the 5 or is it 6 toed cats all over the place. There are a million bars as its a big drinking town and good seafood. Every night people go down to this place on the beach to watch the sunset. Fishing is good. There really isn’t that much to do. But its pretty and that time of year no bugs and not so hot.
I used to spend every weekend in the keys for years but we almost never went to Key West. We spent most of our time in Islamorada or Key Largo out fishing and diving.
Pennecamp Park up by Key Largo has great snorkling if you like that.
THE coolest thing I ever did on a vacation was snorkeling at the John Pennekamp park at Key Largo. You should call a couple days ahead and make reservations (if they still do that - I went in 1990.)
If you need glasses, they had a bunch of goggles with different lenses in them. They just looked at my glasses and gave me several to try. Only cost a few bucks extra, and I could actually see without my glasses!
Take some dry dog food in your pocket for feeding fish, but don't let the nannies see it. It was a lot of fun, and really didn't cost that much to do.
DON’T BEND OVER!
Drink beer
Watch sunset
Repeat
I lived in Key West for three years in the late 70’s. My husband was assigned to an Air Defense Artillery unit; we lived in US Navy housing on the water. It was great...especially for our kids! Haven’t been back since!
Eat at Half Shell Raw Bar - oysters and locals.
Climb to the top of the light house.
Buy some Raku pottery at Whitehead Street Pottery.
Hit some of the old nautical salvage shops and pick up an old porthole or some other antique.
Be touristy and take the Conch Train first to get the lay of the land before renting bikes and exploring.
DO go to Mallory Square at/before sunset to see the buskers and acts. Buy cookies from the Cookie Lady and watch the famous French guy with his trained circus cats that jump through hoops of fire!
Go to Sloppy Joes on Duval Street and have a margarita or a Red Stripe beer.
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