Key West was where we went for our honeymoon, 25 years ago. Oddly they started out very similar. Back in 1992 Hurricane Andrew hit Florida and we had to deal with residual damage after the fact. This year Hurricane Irma hit the Keys almost the same dates and again we had to deal with going post hurricane.
This time down would also be a little different, no hotel. This time we stayed on a large cabin cruiser that sat in a Stock Island marina. Last time we drove down, this time we flew to Ft Lauderdale and only driving the remainder of the way down.
Our flight was mid-day, and we stopped about half way down the keys for dinner. While at dinner I got the details on where the boat was, how to get there and a few other pertinent details.
Being late fall, the days were getting shorter. By the time we actually got to the marina it was dark. We found the boat and unpacked. I found some beers in one of the fridges on the boat and we each had one as we relaxed on the deck.
That night we slept oddly. We used the cabin that looked to be the biggest but the shape of the bed proved to be less than ideal. The next night we slept in the other cabin. No matter, the weather was awesome and we went in search of some breakfast.. We were not exactly on the island of Key West we had a 5-minute drive to the island and about 8 minutes to make it to downtown Key West. Of course we found a Starbucks and took care of that needed fix. We really didn’t find much in the area to eat but on the way back we noticed the French bakery tucked away on the side of a larger building. They made fresh croissants. I was in heaven, coffee and croissants? It’s all I need. Tracy didn’t mind too much as they had chocolate ones as well.
The rest of the day we spent in downtown Key West, looking for things to do for the week, eating and of course enjoying a few drinks along the way. We found a great little place, The Rum Bar as one of the first places we stopped. We made some small talk with the bartender, then another younger couple came in. The woman was pretty obnoxious asking all kinds of questions, where to eat where to drink on and on. At first it was alright but she never stopped, continuing with questions that were already answered making silly comments. A few of the locals sat and rolled their eyes and the bartender just kept trying to keep her happy but at the same time realizing this lady was a lost cause. They finally left and we all had a good laugh at their expense. From there on out we made it a point to stop in the Rum Bar on a daily basis (Mojitos were very good) and say hi to our new bartender friend.
The rest of the day we bounced from bar to bar and restaurant to restaurant. Enjoying the weather, the atmosphere and each other’s company.
The rest of the week was a lot of the same, watch the sunrise from the boat, gets some pastries and Decide what we would do that day. One night we saw a very cool two-man band, that traveled very well, so many people said we had to see the Massacoutsics. So we did! And we had a great time.
We did find a favorite place for breakfast that’s for sure. Ricky’s Blue Heaven. The food was incredible, it was worth the wait every time we went. Banana bread so good we bought a loaf on our last day to bring home!
We did all the regular touristy things too, Sloppy Joes Bar, the Hemingway House. We did the light house tour and the Key West Historical Museum. Many of the things we did 25 years ago.
One of the things we noticed were people driving scooters all over. By the third day we decided that we would rent a scooter to get around. Less screwing around with parking. Standing in line for the scooter rental we overheard them talking about lawsuits. Lawsuits? We left the line. Instead we walked about another block and rented cruiser bikes instead! Baskets up front, nice seats, no regard for traffic laws! They rest of the time we spent in downtown we rented bikes. Faster than walking and so much easier than a car, go down a one way the wrong way, no parking hassles. All for $10 a day per bike. With wheels at our disposal we visited Fort Zachary Taylor. Old fort and state park. We self-toured the fort and spent some time at the beach, scoping spots for the powerboat races later in the week.
One of the other, standard tourist things we did (a repeat of last time here) was a sunset cruise. Last time was on a catamaran, this time on a double masted schooner. A few hours of relaxation, no motor noise, drinks and food, the wind and the waves. Watching the sun set in the west.
Not quite done a few more adventures still in the wings. We took a ferry ride to one of the hardest to reach National Parks, the Dry Tortugas. It’s a 2 hour ferry ride one way. The only way to get to this place is by boat or sea plane. It was an incredible day. We were able to tour Fort Jefferson, the largest brick masonry structure in the Unites States. Started in 1824 and never actually finished. Very interesting history and story behind the tiny island. When we were done touring the fort we headed to the beach where we could swim and snorkel as much as we wanted. Tracy loves to snorkel! (not really).
On the boat ride back, we encountered the only rain we saw all week. A quick squall that the boat went around the edge of.
One of the lasts days the boat races were in full swing and we went back to watch for a few hours. These boat races were going on twenty-five years ago and we watched them last time from a catamaran in the middle of the course.
Finally, it was time to leave paradise. We drove back but we had one more night and stayed in a swanky hotel in downtown Miami. Of course, we went out for dinner and then walked the famous south beach at night.
The next day we headed to the airport and our flight home. We need to go back, but I don’t think we should wait another 25 years to do it.
Full Photo Album Here
