Our trip to Key West began on November 14th. Adeline stayed home for this trip. She stayed with her Gigi and Auntie. I am always a bit nervous about leaving her when I travel, but I knew she was in good hands.
I left Granbury at around Two a.m. We flew out at 5:30 a.m and had a layover in Miami. We arrived in Key West at 11: 30 a.m. It was a little windy, and we were glad we were wearing our coats. We taxied around here instead of renting a car. Our taxi service was Lois Taxi Service. Lois Taxi Service 305-783-9156. He was playing some Jamaican music, and I could hear the beach calling my name. We arrived at Casa Marina at 12:30 p.m. The room was right off the coast and facing the pool. We ate at Alonzo's Oyster Bar the food was terrific. I had fried coconut Shrimp and Oysters. The marina is lovely at sunset, giving the boats a stunning halo of color.
I booked a snorkel tour for 10:30 a.m, but Fury Adventure called me and canceled because of high winds. So we had breakfast there at Casa Marina, and the Orange juice was so fresh. We hung out and read by the beach for a while, then headed to town. We visited a couple of galleries and were amazed. My favorite was LIK Fine Art, located at 400 A Duval St. Peter Lik’s photography is some of the best in the world. Ocean Blue Galleries was my other favorite. They have some of the best collectible Artists, including Dr.Seuss / Tom Everhart "Snoop/ James Coleman, and more.
We then went and toured the Ernest Hemingway House. I was thrilled to have captured a great picture of one of his infamous six-toed cats. Our Tour guide, Joanna, was very informative. A couple of facts I learned about Ernest Hemingway was that he was a War Press Correspondent in World War Two. He took up arms and fought alongside the French Resistance against the Nazis. He was a big-time fisherman and hunter, and one of his most famous novels, " The Old Man and The Sea," was written about the quest to catch a great Merlin off the coast of Cuba. He lived there in Cuba For several years. Hemingway won the Noble Prize for literature in 1954. He was a known drinker, loved the ladies, and hated being alone. We even heard the story of how his wife at the time, Pauline, oversaw the construction of the 20,000 dollar pool; he thought she spent the last of his money on it. Hemingway threw down the last change in his pocket and told her she took his last penny. She pressed it into the fresh cement, still soft by the pool. But Pauline's uncle had, in fact, given her the money for it, so Hemingway didn't pay but 1 penny for it.
We headed back to the resort, then got ready for dinner. We ate at Four Marlins Oceanfront Restaurant, located in the Reach resort. The view of the pier lit up at night was beautiful, and the tikis lights made the atmosphere very cozy. The food, drinks, and dessert were excellent. It was a lovely evening to a beautiful day.
I booked a tour with Air Adventure Helicopter Tours for the 3rd day of our trip. We were very excited that the wind and weather permitted. Key West has amazing Ariel views. The Mangroves are so pretty and green, such a lovely contrast to the bright blue waters. We saw three sharks, a couple of stingrays, and other sea life. You can view the Helicopter Tour on my YouTube Channel.
We then headed to Fort Zachary Taylor National Park and Beach.
I believe it is the most beautiful beach in Key West. We saw it from the helicopter tour and knew we wanted to visit asap. I stopped into the market on the way and picked up supplies for a picnic. November 16th was the warmest day of our trip. We were able to soak in a lot of sun and get some good reading in as well. We enjoyed Alonzo's, so we decided to have dinner there again. Louis, our Taxi driver, and Eve made the rides wonderful. We finally headed back to Casa Marina around 7, which was only about 8 minutes away.
On the 17th, We had initially planned to go parasailing, but the weather did not permit us. So instead, we hung around the resort and relaxed by the beach and pool. I scheduled a massage by the beach, and it was so relaxing. It was my first massage since giving birth to Adeline. I tried my hardest not to fall asleep, but I eventually did.
We decided we wanted to switch rooms to get a better view of the beach and coast. We relaxed for a while then headed into town for a last hoorah. Sloppy Joe's, which Hemingway's best friend owned, had great live music. We stopped by a couple more shops and bars then had Eve come to pick us up. She told us a little about her life and how she has turned to juice fresh vegetables and fruits. She said one of the best things you can drink is fresh pineapple and ginger. She is an inspiration, and we were blessed to have crossed paths with her.
The 18th, our final day of the trip, was stormy. It rained all day, so we just relaxed at the resort before our flight. The Key West Airport is so small, but they do have a nice outdoor area. We flew out at 5:30 p.m and arrived in DFW around 7:45 p.m. The glow of the Dallas lights, seemed epically bright, as we flew over. I found the Jeep easily, which is always nice after a long travel day.
I arrived home around 11 p.m. Adeline had been asleep, so I woke her up. She was very excited to see her Mooma. We played and cuddled together until she fell asleep again.
My Advice for this trip would be to read the google reviews before booking anything. Key West is a very costly vacation spot, and some pictures are misguiding.
