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Post by microworm on Jan 24, 2024 11:06:11 GMT -6
My girlfriend and I are planning a long weekend trip (Thurs to Mon type thing) and she threw out Key West since we want to go somewhere warm. So I'm looking for recommendations on hotels, restaurants, beaches, sightseeing, etc.
- Timing: mid to end March
- Plan to fly in to Key West and we prefer not to rent a car
- We will share a hotel room but prefer 2 beds
- Hotel must have a pool
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STP
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Post by STP on Jan 24, 2024 11:18:05 GMT -6
You don't need a car, it's a walkable place and ride share is easy otherwise.
El Siboney Restaurant for authentic Cuban food and good margaritas. Get the hot sauce.
Blue Heaven for breakfast, great bloody marys if you're in to that and incredible Key Lime Pie (I think it's the best on the island, personally). It's touristy but worth it. And honestly, everything is pretty touristy there, which is part of the fun.
Go see a drag show, they're top notch.
Kermit's for more key lime pie (they have a frozen one that is so great, I don't like the chocolate dipped one but a lot of people do).
If you want something to kill time that's more "educational," Hemmingway's house is a quick tour that is really neat and the winter white house is kind of fun (ish). They have an incredible exhibit of Mario Sanchez art at the winter white house, which I think is the most interesting thing to see.
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STP
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Post by STP on Jan 24, 2024 11:19:22 GMT -6
Also, unless the pool is heated, it will be too cold to swim in March.
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Post by Wtfshouldmynamebe on Jan 24, 2024 12:08:54 GMT -6
Kermits for the frozen key lime.
You will love the Hemmingway house - but they don't let you take the cats home. (disclaimer- I spent most of my time hanging with the cats)
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Post by microworm on Jan 24, 2024 12:27:11 GMT -6
Kermits for the frozen key lime. You will love the Hemmingway house - but they don't let you take the cats home. (disclaimer- I spent most of my time hanging with the cats) Oh my friend and I are both crazy cat ladies so this will be a must see. I've been there with my parents many years ago and I loved it. |
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Bookshelves
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Post by Bookshelves on Jan 24, 2024 12:48:25 GMT -6
I loved the Hemingway House and also enjoyed the day trip to Dry Tortugas. Snorkeling there was very fun. Those ferries book up early, so if you are interested in that, book it ahead of time.
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Bookshelves
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Post by Bookshelves on Jan 24, 2024 12:50:10 GMT -6
Stayed here a few years ago; very walkable to everything, lovely little pool area and patio. I had a lot of street noise in my cottage and ended up getting earplugs after the first night, but slept like a baby after that.
Kimpton Ella's Cottages
811 Simonton Street
Key West, FL 33040 US
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Post by bubblehape on Jan 24, 2024 12:54:47 GMT -6
Day trip to Dry Tortugas is great. There aren't really beaches on key west so set expectations low there. It's definitely doable without a car. The crepes at Banana Cafe are delicious. I second Blue Heaven for key lime pie. I've only been during Fantasy Fest but night life just walking up and down Duval is fun and checking out all the different bars.
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byjove
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Post by byjove on Jan 24, 2024 13:06:29 GMT -6
Depending on budget, Casa Marina and The Reach (sister property) do have beach access, but they are a little further away from the main Duval drag. The pool area at the Casa Marina is gorgeous. Bikes are popular, and most hotels have shuttles.
For the most amazing beignets and pastries, Croissants de France is a must. For more health food options, Date and Thyme is a favorite. It's a little touristy, but I really like the ambiance and location of Mason de Pepe. It may be too far out of your way, but my favorite Thai is Thai Island. Riveria Cafe for cuban coffee if you find yourself near there.
Even just wandering around and looking at the architecture, people, and chickens is fun.
Get on a boat to somewhere (even if a sunset cruise) if you can.
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Post by kittyriot on Jan 24, 2024 13:07:20 GMT -6
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soiree
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Post by soiree on Jan 24, 2024 13:11:50 GMT -6
Well now I want to go to Key West!
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Bookshelves
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Post by Bookshelves on Jan 24, 2024 13:14:59 GMT -6
I am trying to remember which beach we spent the afternoon at. I think maybe it was Fort Zachary Taylor. While it wasn’t pristine like some I’ve been to in other parts of FL, I’m from the Midwest, so I loved all of it. Any beach is a good beach to me!
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Bookshelves
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Post by Bookshelves on Jan 24, 2024 13:15:10 GMT -6
Well now I want to go to Key West! Let’s all go. |
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Bookshelves
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Post by Bookshelves on Jan 24, 2024 13:15:23 GMT -6
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Post by microworm on Jan 24, 2024 13:29:09 GMT -6
It IS a girls trip so come on down |
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Post by icedcoffee on Jan 24, 2024 13:30:02 GMT -6
I'm so jealous! I went on a girls trip to Key West last year over St Patrick's Day. It was so much fun! We walked most of the time, just got an Uber from our place and dropped off somewhere and walked the rest of the evening. We made friends with our condo neighbors who had rented a golf cart so sometimes we'd catch a ride with them.
I cant remember the name of where we stayed. I will have to ask my BFF. There were 4 of us in a 2 bedroom one bath and it also had an outside pool.
We did not go to any beaches (as in to swim/lay out) but we did go to the southernmost point which had a beach. There was a cute little brunch place there right on the beach that was really good. I can't remember the name of that either 😬
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byjove
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Post by byjove on Jan 24, 2024 13:57:00 GMT -6
I am trying to remember which beach we spent the afternoon at. I think maybe it was Fort Zachary Taylor. While it wasn’t pristine like some I’ve been to in other parts of FL, I’m from the Midwest, so I loved all of it. Any beach is a good beach to me! Ft Taylor is a nice, quieter spot, but a little harder to get to on foot. Obviously you can uber. And sometimes there are navy ships docked to peak at! |
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Bookshelves
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Post by Bookshelves on Jan 24, 2024 14:01:05 GMT -6
I am trying to remember which beach we spent the afternoon at. I think maybe it was Fort Zachary Taylor. While it wasn’t pristine like some I’ve been to in other parts of FL, I’m from the Midwest, so I loved all of it. Any beach is a good beach to me! Ft Taylor is a nice, quieter spot, but a little harder to get to on foot. Obviously you can uber. And sometimes there are navy ships docked to peak at! Yes, I recall that we Ubered there. My friend has some foot issues so we used Uber more than would have been my usual, but we never had trouble finding one, which was great. |
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sudsy
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Post by sudsy on Jan 24, 2024 14:30:08 GMT -6
Kermits for the frozen key lime. You will love the Hemmingway house - but they don't let you take the cats home. (disclaimer- I spent most of my time hanging with the cats) Oh my friend and I are both crazy cat ladies so this will be a must see. I've been there with my parents many years ago and I loved it. Take lots of pics! I’ve always wanted to go there! |
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Bookshelves
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Post by Bookshelves on Jan 24, 2024 14:39:05 GMT -6
Oh, I totally forgot, we did a tasting here. It was really fun. Strong stuff, day-drunk situation! www.keywestlegalrum.com/ |
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Bookshelves
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Post by Bookshelves on Jan 24, 2024 14:41:18 GMT -6
We went to Mallory Square to watch sunset. In retrospect, I wish we would’ve splurged for a sunset cruise. The Mallory Square atmosphere was fun and festive, but very crowded to see the sunset.
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Post by gymngemini on Jan 24, 2024 15:24:01 GMT -6
Ohh I'm following along because my H is in a wedding in Key West in June and it's looking like I'm going to have to keep myself occupied for some chunks of time (which is fine with me - I don't mind dining or doing activities alone). We are also planning flying directly into Key West. I did not know they didn't have a lot of access so that's helpful to know.
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agm04
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Post by agm04 on Jan 25, 2024 11:44:36 GMT -6
I'm just here remembering my girls' trip to KW in my mid 20s. We were on a tight budget (understatement), so we landed in Miami at like midnight, rented a car and drove to Key West, then just parked on the side of the highway and slept for a couple of hours so we wouldn't need a hotel room.
It's a true miracle that I survived my 20s. Also, you don't want any recs from that trip. Lol.
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Post by spicysalmonroll on Jan 26, 2024 15:11:35 GMT -6
Am I allowed to piggyback on this?
We just booked family trip flying into key west and out of Fort Lauderdale so we will have a rental car. Since it doesn’t seem like all that much for kids in KW, do you guys think we should just land, see some stuff from noon-5 then book it out to a different key to stay? Thinking Duck or Marathon. Or is it worth it to spend our first night in KW?
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STP
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Post by STP on Jan 26, 2024 15:48:39 GMT -6
spicysalmonroll, depends on if your hotel has a pool. But I think there's plenty for kids to do. There's the aquarium, the shipwreck museum, trolly, butterfly gardens, conch train. And there's beaches, they just aren't Ft. Lauderdale level.
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byjove
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Post by byjove on Jan 26, 2024 15:57:55 GMT -6
spicysalmonroll , depends on if your hotel has a pool. But I think there's plenty for kids to do. There's the aquarium, the shipwreck museum, trolly, butterfly gardens, conch train. And there's beaches, they just aren't Ft. Lauderdale level. And the chickens! It's a really neat place to walk around, and Mallory Square at sunset usually has performers. I agree that it's kid friendly. |
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Post by spicysalmonroll on Jan 26, 2024 16:43:36 GMT -6
spicysalmonroll , depends on if your hotel has a pool. But I think there's plenty for kids to do. There's the aquarium, the shipwreck museum, trolly, butterfly gardens, conch train. And there's beaches, they just aren't Ft. Lauderdale level. And the chickens! It's a really neat place to walk around, and Mallory Square at sunset usually has performers. I agree that it's kid friendly. ok thanks, we’ll stay a night then before we move on! |
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Post by unicornofthesea on Jan 26, 2024 20:46:11 GMT -6
I haven’t been in like 7 years but all the art galleries down there were my favorite. Don’t skip those.
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roselab
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Post by roselab on Jan 27, 2024 7:19:38 GMT -6
Am I allowed to piggyback on this? We just booked family trip flying into key west and out of Fort Lauderdale so we will have a rental car. Since it doesn’t seem like all that much for kids in KW, do you guys think we should just land, see some stuff from noon-5 then book it out to a different key to stay? Thinking Duck or Marathon. Or is it worth it to spend our first night in KW? We are going to Key Largo for spring break. We are at a vrbo in a gated community of condos that has a pool, a playground, sports stuff, and a decent beach. I had never been to the keys, but a friend recommended this location and it seems great for kids. We will be doing at least one day trip to Key West (also renting a car) because there is stuff we want to see there, but my dh had been there before and didn't want to stay there the whole time. |
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Leaf 🌱
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Post by Leaf 🌱 on Jan 27, 2024 18:04:58 GMT -6
Bahia Honda (state park with i think three natural beaches) is gorgeous and worth a stop/drive - it’s at mile marker 36. Most beaches in the keys are man made and low-key gross. If you can charter a small boat out to some of the sandbars and smaller islands, you won’t regret it.
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