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Key West tips
Old 02-26-2010, 12:36 PM   #1
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Key West tips

Heading to Key West for a week on Sunday. We have been there on a cruise stop and seen the ho-hum t-shirt/margarita sites, Hemingway's home, etc.

Seeking suggestions for restaurants and other not-too-touristy places to enjoy. Plan mostly on relaxing on the beach, biking, walking and touring.

Because we're celebrating a few special occasions, we decided to take the RV to a luxury resort -- we're splurging to be in a waterfront site near town.

Favorites?
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Old 02-26-2010, 01:29 PM   #2
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Super touristy, but surprisingly interesting and (IMHO) well done is the Mel Fisher Maritime Museum. It is devoted to his real-life (and successful) treasure hunt.
Mel Fisher Maritime Museum and Mel Fisher Maritime Heritage Society in Key West, Florida

For groceries, try the Waterfront Market
http://www.naturalretail.com/locatio...s/keywest.aspx
fun and funky, kind of like Whole Foods used to be.

We also enjoyed a walking tour. We just picked up a flier from a tourist office.
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Old 02-26-2010, 02:23 PM   #3
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Yes, it's ridiculously touristy, but I promise that a frozen-chocolate-covered-key-lime-on-a-stick is really really good. We had it at the Blond Giraffe. Yum.
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Old 02-26-2010, 02:35 PM   #4
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Don't miss the sunset ceremony ! It's a carnival show and yes Key West is touristy but in a fun ,funky way .
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Old 02-26-2010, 02:56 PM   #5
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I very much enjoyed touring the Harry Truman winter White House on Front St. Also the Key West Historical museum nearby. Might also be something related to Audubon in town.
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Old 02-26-2010, 03:43 PM   #6
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We are also working on a KeyWest trip (1st time.)

The website below gives you some things to see/do along the way.
FOXNews.com - Florida Keys in 5...
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Old 02-26-2010, 04:42 PM   #7
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Louie's Back Yard for dinner. The food is great and the location is fantastic. Find out when sunset will be and time your reservation so you can watch it while you dine on the deck.

http://www.louiesbackyard.com/
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Old 02-26-2010, 05:06 PM   #8
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Don't miss the sunset ceremony ! It's a carnival show and yes Key West is touristy but in a fun ,funky way .
Yeah, Mallory Square....we were there a few years ago, grabbed a couple of cold adult beverages, and a ringside seat to watch all of the colorful characters, and then enjoyed watching a beautiful sunset from that same spot!

Quite touristy...but had a lot of fun....and met some, shall we say, unique characters!
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Old 02-26-2010, 06:50 PM   #9
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At the end of April last year, we were in Shreveport on our way to visit friends in Mountain Home, Arkansas. As we went to bed that night, I said, "We are awfully close to Key West. It would be a shame if we didn't slip down there for a couple days?"

The next morning, we were headed for Key West. On the way, we made reservations at Boyd's Key West Campground (no relation -- his first name, our last) -- primarily because it was the "southern most camp ground" in the US. It was a fairly nice park and I would stay there again. The best part is that it was within walking distance of Key West itself. (The campground is, actually, on the island directly north of Key West.)

Once on Key West, we bought a ticket on the train-like tour bus that runs around the island. The cost was $52.20 for the two of us but we were able to get on an off as many times as we liked all day. The company that runs the "train," Trusted Tours, also has a number of guided tours but we decided to just explore on our own. (We also used this company in St. Augustine on the way down.)

Okay, having said all that, you need to understand that Key West is a destination designed solely for tourists. There are really no "not-too-touristy" places. On the other hand, it is not like the usual tourist traps -- everything is worth seeing -- including the Hemingway house and Truman's Winter White House.

Our notch on the Brag Stick from this trip is that we have now been to both places that claim to be the "Southern-most tip of the United States" -- in Key West and on the Big Island of Hawaii.

We, too, had been to Key West twice before compliments of a cruise line. This exploration on our own was so much more enjoyable. We were only there for a single day (two nights at the campground) and it should have been extended a couple more.

Now, don't get me started on Lion Counry Safari where we stayed the first night on the way back to Shreveport.
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Old 02-26-2010, 07:05 PM   #10
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At the end of April last year, we were in Shreveport on our way to visit friends in Mountain Home, Arkansas. As we went to bed that night, I said, "We are awfully close to Key West..."
Yep, only 1,339 road miles away.
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Old 02-26-2010, 07:27 PM   #11
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We went to Key West a few years ago and stayed at the Cypress House . It 's a B&B right off duval street .Great breakfast , nice rooms , a block to all the fun and the Free Happy Hour started whenever the owners thought it was time . They had all kinds of drinks and snacks and blenders going for hours . We also had a great time just exploring and going with the flow . It's a real fun place so just enjoy !
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Old 02-26-2010, 08:42 PM   #12
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Originally Posted by Rich_in_Tampa View Post
Heading to Key West for a week on Sunday. We have been there on a cruise stop and seen the ho-hum t-shirt/margarita sites, Hemingway's home, etc.

Seeking suggestions for restaurants and other not-too-touristy places to enjoy. Plan mostly on relaxing on the beach, biking, walking and touring.

Because we're celebrating a few special occasions, we decided to take the RV to a luxury resort -- we're splurging to be in a waterfront site near town.

Favorites?
I have not been to KW since the mid 80's but there was a restaurant off of Duval (I think) that had a pier with tables out into the Gulf where you can order a bucket of shrimp and a bucket of beer and watch the sunset. The snorkel trips can be fun also. The best beach used to be the one opposite the Sheraton suites. Of course you want conch chowder and key lime pie.
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Old 02-26-2010, 08:55 PM   #13
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We liked key west restaurants - Blue Heaven Restaurant (home)
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Old 02-26-2010, 09:34 PM   #14
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I remember doing some kayaking around the mangroves a few years ago--really fun.
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Old 02-27-2010, 05:44 AM   #15
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I just got back from Key West. DW and I love it. In addition to Blue Heaven for breakfast (mentioned above) you should definitely try 7 Fish. It is a little gem on the corner of Olivia and Elizabeth - get reservations several days in advance. If you want to try something different go to Nancy Forrester's Secret Garden. It is a beautiful retreat with a bunch of parrots - the white one will dance if you sing to it, particularly Sinatra tunes. It is a little hard to find. It is on a little alley called Free School Lane that you access off the north side of Simonton between Fleming and Southard.


Edit: I forgot the most important thing if not mentioned above. Rent a beach cruiser bike for the week and use that to tour around the island. You can get to a nice spot on the beach from anywhere on the island. It is the best way to wander around the quaint streets in old town and there is a nice bike path along the ocean on the Atlantic side and continuing around the east end and back to White street on the gulf side. No helmets needed in Key West.
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Old 02-27-2010, 06:29 AM   #16
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Didn't realize you were heading all the way down there, Don.

Thanks for the tips.
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Old 02-27-2010, 07:22 AM   #17
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Didn't realize you were heading all the way down there, Don.

Thanks for the tips.
We were not originally planning to but it was too cold further north so we went down there for a week. Still not exactly hot, but warm enough for biking and a few afternoons on the beach.
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Old 02-27-2010, 12:33 PM   #18
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I was there the 24th - an unexpected stop on my cruise. I was very surprised how touristy it was and how many people were there. Of course that was due to two cruise ships in port that day. Walked from Front Street up Duval trying to find Hemmingway's house. I found it, took some pictures for a souvenir then walked back to Front Street. Best exercise I've had a quite some time.

Since we weren't supposed to stop at Key West, I had no idea what to expect. The only thing I could think of was Key Lime pie...so I had a piece. Didn't have enough time to really see anything. I really would like to visit inside Hemmingway's house and the Truman White House. Maybe next year...going back again.
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Old 02-27-2010, 02:41 PM   #19
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Butterfly

I'm not sure if a Butterfly Conservatory is "touristy"
or not, but the Mrs. and I were pleasantly surprised by
how interesting this place was. Well worth a visit.

-LB

The Key West Butterfly & Nature Conservatory
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Old 02-27-2010, 07:42 PM   #20
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I know its a tourist trap, but I just adore the physical space of Kelly's patio.

Don't miss stopping at Bahia Honda park beach on the way down.

There are a number of swimming with Dolphins operations on the way down as well.
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