Finally! I’m recapping our Key West trip and all of the fun things that we were able to do. This post is a little bit overdue, as we took our vacation to Key West about three months ago. So, that puts us back to the week of September 3rd, yes the very same week hurricane Irma decided to hit Florida. Needless to say we were chased out by the Hurricane on our first full day there. It’s quite a story actually.. after flying into Florida and staying with Mike’s sister we left on Monday en route of Key West, (you can read all about our epic road trip adventure here).
So, we got to Key West a little late and decided to take it easy the first night and hangout by the pool. The next day we woke up early and headed to the beach for the afternoon. After spending a few blissful hours swimming and relaxing we went back to the hotel to shower and get ready for a fun night out, only to come back to a note from the cleaning staff that there was a mandatory evacuation the next day at 8AM for all visitors. Initially we started freaking out and were so upset that our vacation was ruined, but then we decided to make the best of it and see as much of the island as we can see and check off as many things as we could from our to-do list. Without further ado, I give you the best of Key West in less than 24 hours!
With only a few hours left to explore we chose our top must see’s/do’s off the list, rented some bikes from our hotel and were off! Bikes are the best was to get around Key West, as everything is relatively close and there is limited parking. P.S you may see a lot of roosters, lizards, and cats roaming around the island!
Smathers Beach
Up first on the agenda for our perfect day in Key West was the one and only Smather’s beach! It’s a public man made beach that is so beautiful and relaxing. It wasn’t over packed either like some public beaches are. It was super clean and the water was warm, what else could you ask for? Besides maybe some fresh coconut water straight from a coconut 😉
Half Shell Raw Bar
The Half Shell Raw Bar was high on the list of restaurants we wanted to try. They had a lot of fresh seafood choices, including their well known conch fritters .. which Mike actually got me to try, and I have to say they actually were pretty good. (Trying new things, especially seafood, is way out of my comfort zone – but I am glad I did!) The conch fritters are a must try when in Key West!! The restaurant itself is in a great area with pretty scenery and a harbor walk.
Cuban Coffee Queen
Not too far from the Half Shell Raw Bar you’ll find the Cuban Coffee Queen which is an adorable little coffee hut that serves up some delicious coffee blends and sandwiches! Even if you just visit it for the iconic touristy picture below its worth a stop!
Southern Most Point
Of course, when in Key West, you have to check out all the most touristy spots. Two big must see landmarks in Key West are Mile marker 0 and The Southern Most Point. The buoy is an anchored concrete buoy in Key West, marking the southernmost point in the continental United States, the lowest latitude land of contiguous North American States. Pretty cool, right?
Mallory Square
Mallory square is a must must must! It’s a waterfront square full of shops, restaurant, and all types of performers!! There are nightly gatherings here to watch the sunset and it’s so much fun!
Duval Street + Viva Saloon
Duval street is the famous downtown area of Key West that has so much to explore! There is a whole bunch of shops, restaurants, and bars. I think a majority of the most popular restaurants and places you see in Key West can be found on this street. For dinner we decided to stop by Viva Salon and it was great. It has such a funky and laid back vibe to it and it also had the best tacos ever!! They have a full menu of yummy things, but it just so happened there was a taco special the night we visited and we cannot say no to tacos.
Key West Key Lime Pie Co
We ended our night with some famous Key Lime Pie from the Key West Key Lime Pie Co and it was absolutely delicious! I didn’t think I would be a huge fan of this just because lime pie didn’t sound all that appealing at first, but it was the most delicious pie I’ve ever had!! One cannot simply go to Key West without trying some fresh Key Lime pie. We almost didn’t make it in time but the worker was kind enough to welcome us in and give us some pie 🙂
There are soo many things to do and see that we didn’t get to accomplish all of them, but I’m saving them on my list of things to do the next go ’round:
– Fury Adventures This is one that we were most upset about missing because we had a full day adventure planned (reef snorkeling, parasailing, jet skiing, & water park) with fury but unfortunately is was canceled. If we get to go back this is first on my list!!
– Blue Heaven A really casual restaurant that makes the best brunch on the island! They have an awesome outdoor seating area with roosters just roaming around.
– The Smallest Bar in the World This is located on Duval street and is said to have some of the best and inexpensive drinks on the island.
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