Tell me about Key West

[cabletech94]

Sorry in advance if a Q.

Was there 20 years ago for a few hours. Flying in Next Sunday for a couple days. Gonna scuba, gonna eat some key lime pie, gonna get drunk, and not in that exact order. Tell me some things that the internet hasn’t told me.

Taking the wife for our anniversary. It’ll be nice to go out to the world.

[digger]

Enjoy man...

[staylor26]

Born and raised, and still live here, so AMA.

Mattheessens has the best key lime pie IMO.

Good breakfast/brunch spots:

Blue Heaven, Firefly, Harpoon Harry’s

Lunch:

DJ’s Clam Shack, Mr. Z’s, Garbo’s Grill.

Dinner:

Santiago’s, Prime, Nine One Five

[bsp4444]

I’ll be there in a week and a half. Kayaking the mangroves is cool.

[staylor26]

Also, if you’re going to the beach, go to Fort Zachary Taylor.

It costs a few dollars per person, but it’s worth it. Easily the best beach on the island.

[Donger]

Prison Bitch likes it a lot.

[Graystoke]

Hit up my ex wife at Sloppy Joe’s

[FlaChief58]

Watch your anus (unless you're in to that sort of thing, then you'll have a great time).

Seriously though, whenever I go, I'm on island time. Everything slows down and I forget about the real world while I'm there. We stay on Sugarloaf key and drive to key west for the shopping and nightlife.

[Spott]

Was there last week. All kinds of stuff to do there. The kayaking tours are very good. I used Lazy Dog and Key West Eco tours the last couple of times I went and both were great. Lazy Dog was a little closer to Key West but the other one seemed it went through more on the tour. I also did a half day snorkeling trip with a company called Honest Eco tours and they were very good. Definitely plenty of options for water sports there. The beaches were so full of seaweed and moss that they were unusable. I assume it’s seasonal but the coast was stacked full of it. If you like coffee, Cuban Coffee queen is amazing, especially if you like your coffee stronger. Zachary Taylor park is definitely cool, too. Hopefully the beaches are cleared up by the time you get there.

If you are doing an anniversary, there’s a cool couple’s spot called Better Than Sex which has a lot of unique desserts, coffee and alcoholic drinks. You’ll need to make reservations ahead of time on their website, but I would definitely check that out.

[RealSNR]

Wear a fanny pack and get your picture taken next to the marker of the southernmost point of the continental US.

[cabletech94]

Wear a fanny pack and get your picture taken next to the marker of the southernmost point of the continental US.

I’ve got the chiefs “run it back” Fanny pack!!! :D

[RealSNR]

Watch your anus (unless you're in to that sort of thing, then you'll have a great time).

Seriously though, whenever I go, I'm on island time. Everything slows down and I forget about the real world while I'm there. We stay on Sugarloaf key and drive to key west for the shopping and nightlife.

Oh no way? I hear billay has a place on Ramrod Key

[staylor26]

Wear a fanny pack and get your picture taken next to the marker of the southernmost point of the continental US.

LMAO

This guy knows your stereotypical KW tourist!

[FlaChief58]

Wear a fanny pack and get your picture taken next to the marker of the southernmost point of the continental US.

ROFL I didn't have one, but my wife did when we took our pic there

[BigRedChief]

Get you some Conch fritters. The real shit, not the tourist crap.

[staylor26]

Get you some Conch fritters. The real shit, not the tourist crap.

Which is 99% of the places people can go to for conch fritters. It’s very hard to find the good ones because there aren’t many.

DJ’s Clam Shack is my go to for conch fritters.

[Bearcat]

Wear a fanny pack and get your picture taken next to the marker of the southernmost point of the continental US.

And give the Albert Kee statue a high-five.

[bsp4444]

Get you some Conch fritters. The real shit, not the tourist crap.

My son called them conch critters the first time we took him.

[Spott]

The conch are all imported there. You have to go to a place like Turks and Caicos to get them fresh.

[FloridaMan88]

Key Largo and Islamorada are a better experience IMO.

[MIAdragon]

You flying into MIA, then making the drive down?

[MIAdragon]

Key Largo and Islamorada are a better experience IMO.

And is why “locals” avoid KW the plague.

[wheeler08]

Went last year on anniversary for first time. Sat at the hotel beach bar all week with Nick Swardson!
Some of the regulars there told us to go to Prime for dinner. It was amazing. My wife took me to Better Than Sex. It was just ok. Kinda odd a dessert only place.

She also made me go to a drag show. It ended up being a good time. No homo!

Never made it in to Sloppy Joe’s cuz of Covid restrictions back in Feb. No bar really impressed me.

Went charter fishing with the wife for her first time, and we had a blast and caught a ton of different fish!

We stayed at Southern Most Beach Resort. It was nice

[Rain Man]

Wear a fanny pack and get your picture taken next to the marker of the southernmost point of the continental US.

I thought I was the only one who had that idea.

[staylor26]

And is why “locals” avoid KW the plague.

Lol no.

More like us KW locals avoid Marathon and Key Largo like the plague. The only thing the upper keys are good for is fishing. There’s nothing else to do there.

[Coochie liquor]

Start growing out your Key West Butt Tickler, Bud.

[Spott]

Lol no.

More like us KW locals avoid Marathon and Key Largo like the plague. The only thing the upper keys are good for is fishing. There’s nothing else to do there.

Marathon is a dump. It’s like the Wal-Mart of the Keys and I avoid that place like the plague.

[staylor26]

Marathon is a dump. It’s like the Wal-Mart of the Keys and I avoid that place like the plague.

Yea it’s a joke that anybody would suggest that shit hole is better than Key West.

[RealSNR]

I thought I was the only one who had that idea.

There's still the Ernest Hemingway house. I don't think anybody has suggested that yet.

[MeaTy The Pimp]

When my son graduated hoghschool, I booked us a KW trip to do some relaxing before we sent him off to college.

Did some charter fishing, caught a bunch, then took our catch to Dante's in KW and had it all cooked (Some fried, and some blackened). It was excellent.

Followed that up with Jetski rentals from BareFoot Billy's at the Reach. We did the JetSki tour around the island. It was pretty fun.

All in all, it was a pretty fun trip.

[Kiimo]

Get dangerously loaded and chase a chicken and accidentally join a parade when you stumble into it before passing out in your room at 2pm on a Saturday




*Not all Key West experiences are the same

[AustinChief]

Unfortunately it's probably too late to get a reservation but I would HIGHLY recommend a day trip to the Dry Tortugas / Fort Jefferson. You can get there by ferry or seaplane (expensive) or private charter(also expensive). Amazing snorkeling and something very few tourists take the time to do.

https://www.drytortugas.com/

https://www.national-park.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Welcome-to-Dry-Tortugas-National-Park.jpg

[loochy]

Isn't he Kanyes son?

[staylor26]

Unfortunately it's probably too late to get a reservation but I would HIGHLY recommend a day trip to the Dry Tortugas / Fort Jefferson. You can get there by ferry or seaplane (expensive) or private charter(also expensive). Amazing snorkeling and something very few tourists take the time to do.

https://www.drytortugas.com/

https://www.national-park.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Welcome-to-Dry-Tortugas-National-Park.jpg

Yea, the Dry Tortugas are fucking beautiful.

[Coochie liquor]

Unfortunately it's probably too late to get a reservation but I would HIGHLY recommend a day trip to the Dry Tortugas / Fort Jefferson. You can get there by ferry or seaplane (expensive) or private charter(also expensive). Amazing snorkeling and something very few tourists take the time to do.

https://www.drytortugas.com/

https://www.national-park.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Welcome-to-Dry-Tortugas-National-Park.jpg

We did this years ago, when you could stay overnight at them (not sure if they still do it) but rest assured, a good amount of Coochie Liquors DNA is likely there.

[siberian khatru]

If you are doing an anniversary, there’s a cool couple’s spot called Better Than Sex which has a lot of unique desserts, coffee and alcoholic drinks. You’ll need to make reservations ahead of time on their website, but I would definitely check that out.

I can vouch for that. Wife and I hit that place on our trip to KW in 2018.

[staylor26]

Was there last week. All kinds of stuff to do there. The kayaking tours are very good. I used Lazy Dog and Key West Eco tours the last couple of times I went and both were great. Lazy Dog was a little closer to Key West but the Lazy Dog one seemed it went through more on the tour. I also did a half day snorkeling trip with a company called Honest Eco tours and they were very good. Definitely plenty of options for water sports there. The beaches were so full of seaweed and moss that they were unusable. I assume it’s seasonal but the coast was stacked full of it. If you like coffee, Cuban Coffee queen is amazing, especially if you like your coffee stronger. Zachary Taylor park is definitely cool, too. Hopefully the beaches are cleared up by the time you get there.

If you are doing an anniversary, there’s a cool couple’s spot called Better Than Sex which has a lot of unique desserts, coffee and alcoholic drinks. You’ll need to make reservations ahead of time on their website, but I would definitely check that out.

Did you get the Oreo bread pudding with cheesecake ice cream?

:drool:

[tx4chiefs]

Kermits for Key Lime Pie

https://www.keylimeshop.com/

[displacedinMN]

https://prod-images.tcm.com/Master-Profile-Images/MaeWest.jpg?w=824

Mae West says hi

[ReynardMuldrake]

We stayed in Cudjoe Key for a week in 2019. Did the dolphin snorkel eco tour, sunset sail on the When and If, and spent a day at Dry Tortugas. I thought it was hot in December so I can't imagine the June heat. Key West is fun but super crowded. It's hard to find parking, it's easier to just walk everywhere.

[Spott]

Did you get the Oreo bread pudding with cheesecake ice cream?

:drool:

Lol, we actually did. That cheesecake ice cream was damn good. Those coffees rimmed with chocolate on the glasses were pretty good, too.

[DeepPurple]

Make sure you stop at Sloppy Joe's, Ernest Hemingway's hangout back in the day. Even though I lived in Maryland for 20 years, they had one of the best crab cakes I've ever eaten. They're at 201 Duval St. Key West, Florida.

https://sloppyjoes.com/

They have music all day and night, you can check out their webcams anytime.

https://sloppyjoes.com/cam_lp/

Here's a nearby webcam.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/JA-DTVaLCsA" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[cabletech94]

Great information all. Looks like we are staying at the opal key resort with the ocean view. You guys are the best!!

[RunKC]

This is my first trip to Florida. Staying in Pensacola and Destin and fucking love this state.

Saving this thread for my next Florida trip which will be Key West

[PunkinDrublic]

I knew a couple of cop buddies in Chicago that spent a couple weeks down there in the 80’s because their police commissioner boss forced them to take a vacation. Anyway after a montage of rollerblading and deep sea fishing, one of them convinces the other to invest in a dive bar that’s a fixer upper at best. Cut to several weeks after the vacation, they get into a shootout with the local drug kingpin and decide they want to stay cops. The thing is they’re stuck with the bar down in Key West that they bought together using their pension money and an unexpected inheritance from an aunt Rose.

[eDave]

It's a wet heat.

[Boiled Chicken]

Truman connection

https://www.trumanlittlewhitehouse.com/

[GloryDayz]

Dive, dive, then dive some more. In that order.

[493rd]

Captain Tony’s
Sloppy Joe’s
Rick’s
Harpoon Harry’s
Off the Hook
First Flight Brewery
Key West First Legal Rum Distillery

If you want a top-shelf dining experience for a sunset, then Latitudes is the place. But book months in advance.

[Spott]

Truman connection

https://www.trumanlittlewhitehouse.com/

This guy?

[scho63]

Kayne's less crazy younger brother. He's a bus driver in Cleveland.

[cripple creek]

curlys soul food had some surprisingly good bbq ribs when i was there in '91

[Boiled Chicken]

This guy?

That’s the one!

[GloryDayz]

All you need to do....


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<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dlbDpuRnEk8" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

[Rain Man]

I ran the Key West half-marathon about 10 years ago, which is more or less a run around the whole island.

I started out having a great race, cruising along well. I thought I was going to break two hours, but the sun came out around Mile 10 and it got really hot, so I ended up just over two hours. I also had an obviously pregnant woman pass me around Mile 9. She was maybe six months along.

[DeepPurple]

This is my first trip to Florida. Staying in Pensacola and Destin and ****ing love this state.

Saving this thread for my next Florida trip which will be Key West

I lived in Pensacola from '77 to '82, it's nothing like the rest of Florida. I really liked it, but I'm conservative and so is the panhandle of Florida. Big Navy Pensacola Aviation home and Destin/Ft. Walton is a big Air Force Base (Eglin) It's nicknamed either the 'redneck Riviera' or LA for 'Lower Alabama. Anywhere on the Gulf coast has outstanding beaches, Pensacola Beach and Destin are both very nice and all the way down to Fort Myers.

The 3 mile bridge from Pensacola to Gulf Breeze (a sort of midway point) which you must take to get to Pensacola Beach was just reopened last week, it was knocked out last year during a hurricane. You could still get to the beach, but had to take a round-about way via I-10 bridge east and then another bridge south.

For real younger crowd, spring break type bars and actives, go 100 miles east to Panama City Beach (PC) to the locals. Last time I went was quite awhile ago and sat out on a huge bar deck drinking and met some local girls and Bernie Higgins was singing 'Key Largo'.

I retired in Central Florida but if it wasn't for this retirement community I'm in now and the fact the panhandle gets hit by a hurricane about every other year, I would of retired there. None of the places I hung out are still there, but one neat thing, I was there in '78 when they filmed Jaws 2 at Navarre Beach. The opening scene in that movie was filmed inside the Holiday Inn Holidome, I was inside when the director and DP were setting up the scene but didn't see the filming. That Holiday Inn, all 7 stories was destroyed in 2004 by Hurricane Ivan.

https://cdn3.movieweb.com/i/article/WgM8RmD2DFcN7ayisJLuw6uM3BMgs8/1200:100/Jaws-2-40th-Anniversary-Set-Photos.jpg

[Donger]

Unfortunately it's probably too late to get a reservation but I would HIGHLY recommend a day trip to the Dry Tortugas / Fort Jefferson. You can get there by ferry or seaplane (expensive) or private charter(also expensive). Amazing snorkeling and something very few tourists take the time to do.

https://www.drytortugas.com/

https://www.national-park.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Welcome-to-Dry-Tortugas-National-Park.jpg

Wow, I had no idea that existed. Thanks for posting it.

[TripleThreat]

Key west is great. You can have a great 3-5 days down in the Florida keys of sight seeing and just general walking around. It’s pretty nice. I was sad we only did a simple overnight before the cruise we went on

[Mecca]

Unfortunately it's probably too late to get a reservation but I would HIGHLY recommend a day trip to the Dry Tortugas / Fort Jefferson. You can get there by ferry or seaplane (expensive) or private charter(also expensive). Amazing snorkeling and something very few tourists take the time to do.

https://www.drytortugas.com/

https://www.national-park.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Welcome-to-Dry-Tortugas-National-Park.jpg

This is in red dead 2....

[DeepPurple]

The Key West Express operates everyday from Fort Myers to Key West and back. From Key West it departs everyday at 4pm and returns to Key West the next morning at 8am. If you want get over to the mainland see the Gulf Coast of Florida, no need to drive 150 miles to Miami and then back across Florida, take the 3-1/2 hours aboard the 170' jet powered catamaran.

https://www.keywestexpress.net/

https://www.trustedtours.com/city/fortmyers/kwex/fmko/photos/02_The%20Big%20Cat%20Catamaran%20at%20Sea.jpg

[Rain Man]

I wonder how the world would be different if the USA had not acquired Florida from Spain.

Florida's population is about half the size of Spain's, so if Florida had grown at the same rate I'll bet it would have gone independent at some point and would be a country on our border now.

But on the other hand, I doubt that a non-USA region would have grown that fast. I bet Florida would have basically become another Cuba, with or without the communist stuff. So it would probably have half the population that it does now and all of the big cities would be smaller.

Savannah would probably be huge, though, and you'd have more growth along the Mississippi and Alabama coasts.

However, I think it's hypothetical only. My hunch is that Florida would have eventually followed the Texas model. They would have broken away from Spain and then 10 or 15 years later they would have joined the USA.

[eDave]

Go see all the polydactyl cats at the Hemingway Home & Museum. Cost's like $15 for adults. There was great concern for them during the last big hurricane down that way but the community rallied and protected them all.

[cabletech94]

Go see all the polydactyl cats at the Hemingway Home & Museum. Cost's like $15 for adults. There was great concern for them during the last big hurricane down that way but the community rallied and protected them all.

Side note from Hemingway’s house tour:

We went to the tour, I love history bla bla blah. Several people here all wandering around ( which is the norm). I was watching one of the 6 toed cats sunbathe and a kid comes by the cat. You can tell the cat isn’t a people person. This kid repeatedly tries to pet said cat. Then BAM BAM BAM!!! 6toe batted the kid like 20 times!!! My wife turns to me as I’m laughing out loud. The kid sees me and runs off to find his parents!!!! Lol.

[Mecca]

Go see all the polydactyl cats at the Hemingway Home & Museum. Cost's like $15 for adults. There was great concern for them during the last big hurricane down that way but the community rallied and protected them all.

I did this..it's also down the street from the southern most point marker.

[cabletech94]

I did this..it's also down the street from the southern most point marker.

Same! We liked the Dingy!!!! Or whatever it’s called!! :)