On the third day of our vacation, Eric and I woke up bright and early, loaded up our convertible, and set out to spend one day in Key West – about a 90-minute drive from our resort in Islamorada. The weather was picture perfect, so we put the top down and set our sights on some fun in the sun.
Parking can be something of a nuisance in Key West, so we ditched our car soon after arriving. Our first trip to Key West together was almost 11 years ago on our honeymoon. Back then we rented bikes to explore the area, but this time we opted to rent this cute little golf cart to shuffle us around town. This made it a lot easier for us to cover more territory, but still allowed us to tuck into interesting little nooks and crannies that we otherwise might have missed in a car. And try as I might, Eric refused to let me drive…
I didn’t mind too much though, since that left my hands free to nosh on Key Lime pie along the way and wash it all down with Key Lime soda while I was at it! Choosing the best key lime pie is a tough one because there are so many options. And besides, if you’re spending one day in Key West, half the fun is going on your tasting adventure while you’re there. But Kermit’s and Key Lime Pie Company are definitely worthy contenders.
When I wasn’t stuffing my face, we made stops at Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservancy, Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum, Audubon House and Fort Zachary Taylor before making our way to Duval Street for an early dinner at the La Te Da Hotel.
And of course I had to cool off while channeling my inner Southern Belle with a folding fan and ice cold glass of sweet tea before dinner!
After dinner, we poked around a few shops on Duval Street to work off some calories before heading down to Mallory Square for the nightly sunset celebration. Watching the beautiful colors of the sun as it set into the Gulf of Mexico was the perfect ending to our day.
Key West will always be special for us since it’s one of the first places we ever ventured together as a married couple, and I look forward to going back again and experiencing its magic!