Even though our primary trip to Key West was for some relaxation and exploring, the number one thing on my list was the lighthouse. So 'Let's Go' to the lighthouse and the town of Key West Florida.
This light is located at 938 Whitehead St, which is near the intersection of Truman Ave and Whitehead St, one block east of Duval St. We combined a walk to the 'Southernmost Point' for a photo opp with our planned trip to the lighthouse.
The Key West light is an easy climb, the light and grounds are well kept, staff is friendly, and it'll probably take you less than an hour of your time to climb and visit the grounds. Make sure you climb it as the view of the island is excellent.
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| Key West Lighthouse |
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| The door leading to the walkway around the top |
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| Cloudy, breezy day |
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| A look down the street |
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| Looking into the Atlantic Ocean toward another light (too cloudy to see it) |
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| Looking toward the docks |
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| Fort Zachary is within the trees in the background |
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| Just a cool shot from a porthole while climbing the tower |
- Land navigation: 938 Whitehead Street; Key West, FL 33040
- Coordinates: Latitude: 24.33216 // Longitude: 81.48252
- Height: 73 feet
- Originally constructed: 1825
- Original lens: Third order Fresnel lens (1858)
- Deactivated: 1969 (decommissioned by US Coast Guard)
The above map identifies most of the locations we visited, except the 'yellow' highlight icons which we didn't quite have time to go. Now, I have no plans of reviewing each location, but we will talk about a few. If you have a question a particular location, just let me know.
We'll start with eating and drinking locations.
My favorite place to eat breakfast was the 'Banana Cafe'. We had a typical French style breakfast of crepes which was delicious and plentiful. We choose the second floor exterior seating to enjoy the early morning fresh air and temps. From the time we walked in the door, and until we left, the atmosphere was welcoming, friendly, and staffed by professionals. This is a must go place.
As for lunch, I like 'Red Fish Blue Fish'. The combination of ceiling fans and slight breeze made our open-air inside seating comfortable. The food was cooked perfectly, served fast and hot. The drinks were good enough for me to return while my travel partner shopped. This is another place worth visiting.
For dinner and cocktails, I'll leave these options to you. On this trip, our main meal was lunch and cocktails were when we wanted them. We didn't do much of the nightlife scene because by the time the party goers got started, we were back at the hotel.
Speaking of hotels, we stayed at 'The Palms Hotel'. The Palms is a mid-sized hotel with a nice pool, decent breakfast, and a friendly, professional staff. If you plan on spending a lot of time in town partying, there are closer places, but you'll probably spend more money.
We'll finish up with some of the many tourist attractions we visited.
Generally speaking, Key West is a tourist town, full of attractions, with some worth seeing and some not; it all depends on the traveler. So, I'm not going to mention all those we visited, just the ones I liked.
Let's start with the 'Conch Train'. I liked this one because it takes you all around KW, explains stuff as you go by, and lets you get off at their 'stations' and board another train to the next station.
My personal favorite is the 'Butterfly and Nature Conservatory'. This is one of the more peaceful places I've been in. You can spend as much or little time as you want.
One of the best guides is located at the 'Truman Little White House'. This guy was knowledgeable, friendly, and interacted with the guests. One of the guys in our tour group was around when Truman was President and the exchange between him and the guide were great. The biggest disadvantage about this tour was, no photography allowed.
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| Sign outside Truman's Little White House |
For me, 'The Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum' wasn't all that exciting, but it wasn't a waste of money either.
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| Display in Hemingway's house |
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| Cats on Hemingway's bed |
We went to' Mallory Square' during the day, but the sunset festivities had not started. Largely due to cloudy skies, rain, and the threat of rain every evening we were there. Being from the west coast of Florida myself, I can catch a gulf coast sunset anytime, therefore, this wasn't high on my to see list.
The 'Southernmost Point' was a short stop for photos only. Everybody that goes to Key West gets the shot of the buoy marker.
As you're walking along the streets of Key West, keep your eyes open. You'll see plenty of chickens on the street, various statues, writings on the sidewalk, and old style Florida homes.
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| "Rollin' Reefer" |
All in all, Key West is worth a trip. My travel partner and I enjoyed ourselves and will be making another trip in the future.
Until next time, travel safe...
Mike
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