Always thought I would like to give it a try. What do you think?
Do you know of any good places to stay/eat?
Cool stuff to do?
Want to get away in January after our November Hell.
Opinions/Thoughts/Recommendations for Key West
by breakfast of champions 4 Replies latest jw friends
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mrquik
Duval St. in Old Key West is where all the tourist action takes place. If you want accomodations in the middle of the action, try the Pegasus on Duval. The Southernmost at the end of Duval is a little quieter. There are a number of other hotels not in Old Key West that are a better bargain. Your pilgrimage should include Sloppy Joe's, the Hogs Breath, Ricks & Captain Tonys. Captain Tony's is wall papered in business cards. I got several stapled there. Don't forget conch chowder & Key Lime Pie. If you collect art, don't forget a water color. The sunset at Mallory Pier is must. Great acts preceeding sunset. Scooters are cheap & a great way to see the island. If you are a biker, you can fly into Miami, rent a Harley for about $700 a week & take Highway 1 to Key West. The 126 miles from Key Largo to Key West is a must do run for all bikers. Take your picture at the southernmost tip of the island. Good vacation; hope you go.
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insearchoftruth4
Yeah Duval St. Its kinda of another Bourbon St. NO. Marqueritaville! Lots of good music, Jimmy Buffett got a good restaurant on Duval st. Take a sight tour on a bus, It don't cost much. I like it in the winter, my wife says its too crazy. Watching the sunset is a tradition there. Hotels? Humm. After what you've thru Brother, go south get warm! Insearchof......
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CuriousButterfly
Key West is beautiful but keep in mind most of the beaches are "man made", they dump sand on concrete. So if you are looking for beautiful sandy beaches like in the Caribbean the beaches in KW are not as plentiful.
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RubaDub
Key West is certainly beautiful. And the drive down from Miami early in the morning or late is the afternoon is breathtaking with the Atlantic Ocean on your left and the Gulf of Mexico on your right.
There are hotels all over the place and prices are not too bad if you avoid the big Event weeks. It's about a 3 1/2 hour drive from Miami or 4 hours from Ft Lauderdale. Air Tran flies directly into Key West. Some fly into Miami/Ft Lauderdale, drive down, and just drop their rental car off in Key West since some companies do not charge drop-off fees within Florida.
The biggest week by far as mentioned above is Fantasy Fest, a 10 day event ending on Halloween weekend. It is one of the craziest parties you will ever attend. Somewhere near 70,000 attend. We have been to Mardi Gras in NO twice but prefer Fantasy Fest by far. First, instead of women flashing for beads in what can often be cool/cold weather, many women just get some body pain as the pic above shows. Most are topless but a few get a 100% paint job although technically it is illegal to be naked below the waist even if painted (the police may ask you to cover up and then just walk away. It's their job to enforce it but they just go through the motions and look the other way, if that is possible .. lol).
Fantasy Fest basically ends with a huge parade on the final Saturday night. You will see things you cannot believe, even if you think you are creative .. lol. It's NOT for children, so if you plan on a family vacation, that is not the week to come. To see thousands of pics, just google Fantasy Fest and you will see dozens of sites with thousands of pictures to view.
It does get expensive that week with rooms typically starting at around $300 per night (Days Inn, etc.) or double that in the Hyatt or other upscale hotels. Most also have a 4 night minimum during major events although some have just 3 nights. You definitely want to be there for the final few nights since things get crazier and crazier as each day goes by. The closer you are to the main drag, Duval Street, the more you pay.
If you attend, it will be an event you will never forget !!!
Rub a Dub