We went to Key West a few weeks ago in June and we had a great time! We did a red eye from San Francisco to Miami, and from there we drove down the narrow highway to Key West, the last portion of the Florida Keys. Here are my top 5 favorite things I did in Key West:
1. Snorkeling and kayaking the waters of Key West.
We did a cruise tour with Danger Charters that started in the afternoon and ended with a beautiful sunset on the water. The trip included a stop to snorkel in the reefs just off the coast of Key West, where we used our GoPro for the first time! Saw so many beautiful fish and corals. We got back on the boat and then headed to a mangrove where we kayaked around and through the mangroves, seeing the creatures that lived among the branches and leaves.
2. Eating key lime pie.
I don’t think I’ve ever had key lime pie and now I have realized that I have missed out on it my WHOLE life. We had our first one the night we got there (a VERY hot day) and it was such a refreshing and delicious dessert. It was a good mix of tart and creamy. This is how we ended up getting at least 7 different slices while we were there…
3. Wandering along Duval Street (and around town)
Duval Street is the main street in town and I just love busy streets with shops, bars, and restaurants. There was a good mix of seafood shacks, and stores selling everything from Key West souvenirs, to cigars, to clothing. Off that street, we wandered around the surrounding streets and passed by so many colorful and quaint buildings and homes. I think I found a few homes, I wouldn’t mind calling my own!
4. Ernest Hemingway’s Home
Ernest Hemingway spent about 9 years of his life in Key West while he was in his thirties. There’s an entrance fee ($14), and then once you’re in you can join a tour of the house. We opted for this and got a nice intro to the various rooms in the house and an insider look into his life (and family) while he lived there. There are a lot of cats on the premises and since they are all descendants of the cats that were there when Hemingway was there, more than half (33 of 54) of the cats had 6 toes like the ones there back during his time.
5. Visiting (and taking photos at) the Southernmost point in the Continental US
I know, this is one of those touristy things that people stand in long to take a picture of, but I still thought it was a cool concept. It was sweltering hot, but we still stood in line for about 10 minutes. Once we got to the front, we had the group behind us take a photo of us by the buoy, marking the southernmost spot in the continental US. At that point, we could say that WE were the southernmost people in the continental US.
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