We spent a week in the Florida Keys with my lovely mom back in our pre-children life and had a blast discovering this family-friendly destination. We flew into Miami and visited beautiful Vizcaya and spotted some alligators in the Everglades before driving down to the Keys. We stayed on Marathon Key but drove down to Key West several times, which is where we found the most action. There is so much to see and do for those enjoying nature, history, great food and tropical drinks, museums and water sports. The people here definitely have that Jimmy Buffet loving laid back vibe too, which is a drastic difference from our East Coast lifestyle. It was a nice change of pace.
The Crane Point Museum and Nature Trail located in Marathon Key is a great spot for the nature lover wanting to spend some time exploring the Keys’ flora and wildlife. The nature trails feature a wild bird center and crane house as well as scenic views at the point worth a look. There are even options for kayak tours on specific days. We did not spend a tremendous amount of time at the Nature Center as anticipated because we (my mom & I) got scared by the giant spiders while enjoying a nature trail. I almost had a heart attack when I noticed that I was an inch away from walking into a giant web with the biggest spider I’ve ever seen directly in front of my face. They were not kidding when they said that Florida was home to huge spiders. Despite nearly wetting my pants, we loved the center and would absolutely recommend it to most – unless you have a spider phobia. Just be on the lookout!
Fresh into Key West, we rented an electric car so we didn’t have to worry about finding parking spots and fees. There are special free parking spots just for those cars, which are a popular tourist attraction. Bertaut bargained at the store, true to his African roots, and secured a great deal so off we went on our Key West adventure. I must say it’s way more fun riding around in an electric car than driving around in your own car. We were like kids at an amusement park, enjoying the breeze and unobstructed views of charming Key West.
Happy crowd
Our first stop was Ernest Hemingway’s house, since we love to get in some history on our vacations. We spent about 2 hours touring the house and listening to some fascinating stories about Hemingway’s turbulent life. The house itself is not terribly huge but has nice double balconies looking out into the lush Florida vegetation.
Double balconies
Part of the house where Hemingway did most of his work was inaccessible to the public, but I can imagine him sitting out on this great porch writing some of his famous novels while nursing a stiff drink. The tour guide shared about Hemingway’s love of women and alcohol, both to which he enjoyed to excess. On nights where Ernest went too hard on the booze, he would rely on the lighthouse to make his way home.
Our next stop in Key West was the Little White House, which was a vacation home for president Harry Truman and was a functioning White House for several years during his presidency. You can read the sign below for more historical facts. We enjoyed the guided tour and got our history fill for the day. Just in time for some icy cold margaritas overlooking the water, a delicious meal at a cuban restaurant, and more exploring the streets in our little electric car.
The Key West Museum of Art and History was something we wanted to check out but didn’t make it on time. It is pretty hard to miss with huge sculptures outside, which gave us some laughs and fun photo opportunities. This will be on our list next visit.
Our last day in town coincided with the Sunset festival where there are all kinds of street artists performing feats like juggling, fire tricks, tightrope walking, and live music. With the Key West party atmosphere, it made for some great people watching. Perfect way to cap the vacation.
As relations are being normalized with Cuba, Key West could be a great stop by boat on the way to Cuba, which is only 90 miles away. We certainly enjoyed our time in the Keys and hope to be back in the area again. We’d love to take a short boat trip to Cuba next time. If you liked this post, please sign up for our RSS feed for updates on new blog posts and our email newsletter for our travel tips.
