Page Updated: November 16, 2023
Key West
View from Sunset Pier - Key West FL
During our stay in the Keys, we took a 3 day chunk and devoted it to Key West! Obviously, Key West is renowned as a busy tourist destination; but we wisely sandwiched our trip between Spring & Summer Breaks and found it wasn’t nearly as over crowded as we thought it might be. Finally! We did something right!
For our visit, we stayed at the Simonton Court Hotel. Airy rooms, lush gardens and several pools, we found it epically Key West and highly recommend.
The best tip we can give you about vacationing in Key West is to just park your car for the duration of your visit and walk were you want to go. Bikes, scooters, and golf carts can all be rented from various vendors, but we found the best way around was on foot.
We neglected to reserve a parking spot at the hotel, but found a park easily enough in the City of Key West Old Town Garage. The facility was roomy enough for our Ram 1500 to easily navigate, and the parks are big enough to accommodate larger vehicles.
Forever and always, right along with the epic sunsets, what will be seared in my brain when I think of Key West is chickens - chickens are everywhere! The story from a local as to why boils down to this: cockfighting was once a big deal in Key West. When it was finally banned, all the chickens were released. Since all animals in the Keys are protected, the chickens are allowed to roam and do whatever they want. It’s wild y’all!
Fun Stuff To Do in Key West
Old Town Trolley Tours have become one of our favorite ways to get history in the cities we’ve visit. The tour in KW didn’t let us down. Fantastic way to take a break, see the sites, and learn about the area. It’s important to note KW is a port of call for cruise ships and trolley tickets sell out quickly on arrival days. We purchased our tickers a day ahead to ensure we had a spot.
Fort Zachary Taylor has a quick self-guided tour; and for those who may not know, it sits inside a Historic Beach State Park. Admission to the Fort also allows admission to this beach – which is the touted as the best in KW. We toured the Fort but skipped the beach in favor of touring the city.
Cocktails on Sunset Pier are a must do if you’re in Key West. Even if you don’t drink, the sunset views are some of the best you’ll ever see.
Best Places We Ate in Key West
Best Brews We Found in Key West
Interesting Places We Skipped in Key West
The Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory looked interesting, but we skipped in favor of places with AC. Will do next time around
Hemingway Home and Museum only takes cash. So we skipped it.
We intended to see Harry S Truman Little White House, but we were whooped after all day touring. Maybe next go around.
Sunset Cruise looked amazing! Also wasn’t in the cards this trip. Definite do next time for sure!
Quick Notes
Fun Fact: where the “Southernmost Point in the Continental US” marker sits is not actually the southernmost point in the continental United States. As such, getting a photo here wasn’t a “must do” for us. That said, for those wishing to snap a selfie here, the line was lengthy all 4 times we passed this location. We’d advise arriving early or bring lots of water.
The beach around Ponce De Leon Fishing Pier was pretty, but smelled like sewage… not the H2S of rotting sea grass… actual sewage. I have a hyper sense of smell and can smell yuk when I’d really rather not, but it serves me well. We did see one woman swimming in this area, but I personally wouldn’t get in the water here.
Locals will insist you try key lime pie from Kermit’s and claim it’s the best ever. Lee was not impressed … says it was “just like any other key lime pie, just more expensive.”
-b&b
Bahia Honda State Park
Fort Zachary Taylor
