My husband and I are extremely lucky: Our in-laws live in such fabulous places as Arizona and Sanibel Island, Fla., which makes the yearly obligication visits more enjoyable and easy to manage. However, both of us agree that a few days on our own during a weeklong trip helps the time pass better for everyone involved. So we always try to carve out a small adventure that the two of us can do together without annoying our parents.

When we had a week in Florida in early December, we decided to take the Key West Express Ferry from Ft. Myers Beach down to the Keys. I was a little apprehensive about doing this, as I had read several accounts of people getting seasick. We had no problems on the way down. I would tell you to get to the ticket office early, as they want each passenger to fill out an embarkation form and that took some time. The seats on the ferry weren’t super comfy, but we read and watched the sea go by. We did have a storm on the way back, so the boat was canceled. We opted to rent a car (the rental company at the airport nicely agreed to waive the one-way drop-off fee). A few days after I got back, a rep from the ferry company called me, asking why we didn’t board. When I told her that we had to rent a car to come back, she refunded half of  our fare. I was pleasantly surprised, as I had thought the tickets were non-refundable.

Highlights:  

The Hemingway House. We did a lot of walking and went by attractions such as the Little White House, the Southernmost Point, the cemetery, etc. About the only tourist attraction that we felt was a “must see” was the Hemingway House and the resident six-toed cats. A lifelong cat lover, I had seen the odd-toed creatures in magazines since I was a little girl and had always wanted to see them. If you are an animal lover or have a literary bent, it’s a must do. I took the opportunity here to film my first video  - all I can say is that it’s going to be a while before my video skills are up to par!

Lounging around: I did a lot of reading about the different B&Bs. I chose Ambrosia Key West because it was a few blocks off of Duval Street, yet close enough to walk to restaurants and Mallory Square. I had reserved the Jungle Suite, but when we got there, they were doing construction near the room. They asked if we wanted to upgrade and we agreed (there was a strong smell of amonia in the room). We loved our new room – a two-story townhouse with a living area downstairs near a kitchenette, and a spiral staircase heading up to a Master bedroom. I particularly liked the upstairs balcony, which had a porch swing. We spent quite a bit of time out here. In fact, the townhouse was so comfy that our vacation turned into a very lazy one – we took a lot of naps and didn’t do nearly as much sightseeing as we usually do (which wasn’t a bad thing – our trips often take on breakneck speeds). 

Restaurants: Overall, we weren’t that impressed with Key West restaurants. We were really hoping to get some excellent Cuban food, but we felt the places that we went didn’t stack up with other places we’ve gone (El Siboney,etc.). Anyway, here’s some of the places we did like:

B.O.’s Fish Wagon. Excellent fried grouper sandwiches at this place that looks like it was decorated with junk that the tide brought in.

Nine One Five - This is a wine/tapas bar on Duval Street. We ordered a pumpkin soup that was the standout dish of the trip, and had some classic appetizers like Devils on Horseback. Overall, a nice place to sit and watch the street scene.

Green Parrot: We’re not really Duval Street people, so this was the bar that everyone said we had to visit, described as “old Key West.” And yeah, it kinda was – a classic dive bar. We sat down next to a guy who had a poem tattooed up and down the length of his arm and talked to him for a while. This was our favorite night out.

Lowlights:

Snorkeling. My husband and I signed up for a six-hour water adventure day that included snorkeling, wave runners, and parasailing. After getting into wet suits, we went out to the coral reef – except the water wasn’t shallow enough to see anything. Plus the waves were fairly rough that day so we were both on the edge of nausea. Not fun. The best part of the packaage was the parasailing, which I had done before, but Don had not. We did it in tandem and had a nice view of the island.

Overall: We were a little disappointed in Key West. It just didn’t speak to us. It reminded me of a cross between New Orleans and a Florida beach town without the specific charms of those experiences. I did like the architecture, however and if I ever go back, I would love to go to Dry Tortuga. And that doesn’t mean that others wouldn’t love it. My travel philosophy is that there’s something for everyone, and tastes are subjective.

What did we miss? Tell me here:

Key West is quirky. But so is Savannah. Read about it here.