Key West
- Jenny Fogus
- May 9, 2018
- 4 min read
My husband and I took a trip to paradise in March AKA Key West Florida. I'm about to try and tackle the KEY places to visit while in Key West. This was my first time going somewhere where there are crystal clear waters and lush landscapes of ever blooming flowers... Literally everywhere. We road tripped from VA to FL and it was awesome. Now for some people that may not be practical so flying maybe the best option. No matter how you get there just go!
The Must Do's
1) The Hemingway house - My hubby is little bookworm and Hemingway has been one of his favorite authors his whole life, so this was a must. Even if you have not read his books (like me) go anyways because the entire property is gorgeous and full of cats.... really really cute cats. It's really cool because some of the cats that now live on the property are decedents of Hemingway's six-toed cat, Snow White. We spent a good amount of time walking the gardens, loving on the cats and reading about all the history there.
2) KEY LIME PIE EVERYTHING - You won't have a hard time finding key lime pie since it originated in Key West. We went to the Original Key Lime Bakery. It was sooo good and the service was on point. I have to say, as a key lime pie lover this was the best key lime pie I've ever had. As me and my hubby walked the streets we kept seeing people with key lime pie on a stick dipped in chocolate, so naturally we had to try it. We popped into a little shop one night and picked one up. It sounds kind of odd... pie on a stick... haha BUT It was awesome! One the first first day we popped into the Waterfront Brewery desperate for a cold drink. They have Key Lime Beer.. The Key Lime Witness Belgian Wit. It was the most refreshing thing I had this entire trip. If you like beer it's must try. The brewery is right on the water to, so it offers gorgeous views. Basically try EVERY Key lime thing you can while you're there.
3) The Beach - While our main purpose for this trip was to hit up the three national parks in Flordia (for a later post) we didn't get much beach time. The first day we got to the Keys and went straight to the beach. We went to Fort Zachery State Park which offers one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever been to. We literally lied under a palm tree right by the water.. it was like a dream. They also have a really good food stand, bathrooms and rentals to make your beach day perfect. They also offer camping if you're not wanting to leave.. like me.
4) Two words Cuban Coffee - If you love coffee this is a absolute must for you. One morning we had to walk and make a ferry at 7:00 AM. You can only imagine our desperate need for caffeine. We went to the Cuban Coffee Queen, and got our fix. I had the vanilla latte and it was literally life changing. The taste is so much richer and stronger.. This is just something you have to try.
5) The Southern Most point & end of Route 1- This maybe the most "touristy" thing you'll do while you're there but you came all this way so you really should go. These are two places that later on it's just cool to be like "oh I've been there ". The end of route 1 was pretty cool for us because we road tripped to Maine for our honeymoon and then we went to Key west this year, so we have almost been from the top to the bottom of Route 1. Go get your photos and make those memories. You'll regret it if you don't.
6) The Sunset Festival - If you didn't think Key West could get anymore magical then prepare yourself. This gorgeous town gets together EVERY SINGLE NIGHT rain or shine for the sunset festival. Everyone gathers in Mallory Square and waits for the sun to set. This festival offers awesome food, drinks, music, street performers and local vendors. You'll know when the sun is close to setting because everyone gathers, with phones out take pictures of the beautiful setting sun over the water. When the sun sets everyone cheers and claps. It's kind of a like being at a concert. all different kinds of people coming together for one beautiful thing and it's really amazing. We went every single night.
7) Garbo's Grill - Tacos Galore! This was my absolute FAVORITE place we ate in Key west. We like chill and low key places so this was perfect. Me and my hubby are taco lovers and they had some of the best tacos we've ever had. I had the Cayo fish tacos and he had the Korean BBQ. He said that was the best taco he has ever had and if you know my husband he doesn't just say that about just anything. They offer TONS of outdoor seating nestled in the palm trees that are draped in string lights. They have live music, a quaint indoor bar and the tacos are served out of a rad renovated air stream camper.
The best time to go to Key West is the "winter" which is sadly their on season. The reason for this is the temperatures is more bearable and the bugs are almost non existent in some spots that can be reallllly bad in the summer months. The only down side of this is prices are $$$. You'll find out very quickly everything is pretty pricey in Key West, especially accommodations.
We ended up staying at the Best Western Hibiscus Motel. this was the best bang for our buck and we could walk EVERYWHERE, we didn't drive once. Plus it was super clean and great customer service.
Key West is a dream... We walked and explored the entire island probably 5 times. We did so much yet I feel like we just scratched the surface. I can't wait to go back.. I completely feel in love. I feel like everyone needs to go experience it at least once in their life, but you'll want to go back, I can promise you that.
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