My husband and I have been traveling during July 4th week for quite some time now. We used to go down the Jersey Shore, then tried Charleston, a few other Caribbean islands, but settled on Key West. I know Key West gets very hot in July, but as I tell everyone, it is hot every where else. We were in Key West just a few months ago, but this time I was excited to try my second 5K and my husband was determined to partake in the Key Lime Pie Contest. In other words, we had a lot riding on this trip – not really, but it was exciting to be going back down and experience some different things, besides our usual itinerary we tend to follow. 

I had to think back as to how many times are we now up to going to Key West? I don’t think I mentioned it, in my April Trip Report, so I had look up my most recent review of the Gardens Hotel. I couldn’t believe that it was going to be our 30th time. And of course I booked the Gardens Hotel again for this trip. I don’t think you can have too many visits to Key West. I still get excited like a little kid on Christmas morning when are about to go back.

Also our friends Brent and Julie were already down there, and we were planning on spending some time with them again during our stay which is always a lot of fun. It was going to be our last time we were going to be in Key West for the year, so I wanted to be sure to enjoy every moment.

Saturday, July 1 – Arrival Day 

Similar to last time, our usual 9:30 am flight was changed several months ago to 10:30 am. It isn’t terribly late, but I truly believe the earlier you can depart the airport the better, especially Newark Liberty International Airport. I made the reservation for our usual car service to pick us up at 6:45 am. I wanted to give a little extra timing due to the fact it was a busy time of year to travel (July 4th week). 

Our driver showed up right on time and we made the ride to Newark Airport in about an hour. When the driver pulled up to the United Terminal C, there were a lot of people being dropped off. He managed to get us close enough to the curb where we excited the SUV and grabbed our luggage.

We walked down to the entrance to TSA Pre along with the Clear Pass. I couldn’t believe how many people were on the Clear line. I guess people will sign up for Clear to shorten their time waiting on line – that was the reason for us. Then I looked over at the regular TSA Pre line and there was barely anyone there. We decided to stay in the Clear line. It did move pretty fast though. So after a few minutes we made it through TSA. 

The United Club lounge was still under construction, so we went to our go-to place for breakfast for the past couple of trips. It is located not too far from the gate where our flight was scheduled to leave. We grabbed a couple of seats and ordered someething to drink along with something to eat for breakfast.

While we were waiting for our order, I received a text alert that our gate changed for our flight. Actually it turned out that our new gate was literally right around the corner from the restaurant we were having breakfast at. After a pretty good breakfast for airport standards, we grabbed our things and made the short walk over to our gate. 

It wasn’t before long, the United agent began announcing the boarding group order. We were group 1 so we were able to board right away (well technically after go through all the other options, families with small children, Premier 1K, etc.)

The weather was perfect for take off (besides all the smoke from the Canadian fires we had been experiencing on and off for the past month or so). We had to wait to take off, but not as long as we have in the past. Soon we were back on our way to Key West. Overall the flight was fairly calm and uneventful – which is always a good thing. I think we wound up flying a different route than usual, because I noticed when I started to see the Keys below, Key West was already in view first.  We came back around and made our decent into Key West. The airport is still under going construction. I cannot wait to see it when it is finally completed. They say it is supposed to be completed by October 2024 which I find a bit ambitious.  

Once we landed we were given the go ahead to exit the aircraft. We were escorted as usual down the tarmac as I saw people walking in the other direction boarding their respective flights, thinking that will be us in a week.

We walked quickly through the small baggage claim area and outside to grab a taxi. There wasn’t anyone waiting so we were able to get in to the first available taxi. Our driver had a hard time understanding us, but after repeating several times the Gardens Hotel on Angela St., he knew where to go. It was however, an interesting ride to say the least. He took us through back roads and each time we turned on to a side road, he would put the petal to the metal and then come to complete stop when he either reached the back of another car or an intersection. We were holding our breaths the entire way. Finally I could see the yellow brick all surrounding the Gardens on Simonton St. I thought to myself we are going to make it.

We grabbed our luggage and walked up into the Gardens to check in. Rhoda was working and she recognized us right away. Our check-in was easy and quick as usual. Our room was ready so we were able to unpack are things. When we got into our room, we saw a bottle of pinot noir from the owner Kate welcoming us back. It is the little things that I appreciate so much when we return back ‘home’. 

With our socks and sneakers replaced by flip flops, we walked back out to say hello to the bartender Phil (who was dressed up for the July 4th festivities), behind the pool bar. He welcomed us both back with big hugs. He served us a couple of beers as we made ourselves comfortable. I took a big sigh of relief. We made it back to my happy place!

While we were catching up with Phil we heard from Brent and Julie who were checking in their house rental for the month. Julie had made reservations for us at Lola’s that evening for their first seating at 6pm. It was already after 3pm and we figured we would relax for a little bit and then get ready for dinner instead of walking around Duval. Plus it felt very humid and I didn’t have it in me to walk around at that point. We did though make the short walk down Angel St. to the liquor store located just a 1/2 block down Duval to grab a bottle of white wine for dinner since Lola’s is a BYOB.

Once we got back to the Gardens, I went back to the room to get ready and when I came back down to the pool bar I saw the owner Kate sitting down just as my husband was about to get ready. She welcomed us both back as always when we see her. 

I was glad we were able to talk to her since she was leaving to go to Paris that Monday. While we were talking, Brent and Julie arrived. It was so nice to see them again. It was just about 3 months, but we were all so happy to see each other once again.

We were all ready for dinner and it was getting close to 6pm. We thanked Phil and Kate for their hospitality and made the short walk out of the Gardens to Simonton St. Lola’s was also going to close for vacation in a few days, so I was happy that Julie was able to get us a table before they closed for the week.

A few people were outside when we arrived at the entrance. After a few names were read, I heard Julie’s name. We walked in and were seated at a nice table where you could see the chef work his magic. Our server came over and read off the options they were serving that evening. I was so excited when she said that hogfish was one of the seafood main dishes offered that evening. 

When it came time to order, I decided to go with the grilled shrimp in a light tomato and garlic sauce. My husband ordered their scallop appetizer and opted for the filet mignon. Julie also ordered the scallops along with the roast duck for her entrée. Brent started off with the lobster appetizer and I think he went with yellowtail snapper entrée if memory serves me correctly.

As we waited for our first course, we talked about what we have been up to the past few months. It was just a nice way to start our first evening in Key West. Our appetizers came out and as predicted, everything was spot on delicious. You tend to wait a little longer for your courses, but the chef has a great attention to detail and cooks everything to perfection. Then our entrée came out and I couldn’t wait to try the hogfish. The hogfish was served on top of homemade ravioli. My husband’s filet looked like a magazine cover. All our meals were outstanding. In fact they were so good that I opted to get a photo with the chef. I made sure I thanked him for a wonderful meal. 

You can read my full review of Lola’s here: https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g34345-d19247202-r902957761-Lola_s_Bistro-Key_West_Florida_Keys_Florida.html

After all the wonderful food, Brent and Julie walked back with us to the Gardens. There was little wine leftover from dinner, so we grabbed a couple of seats at the gazebo near the pool for a nightcap.

Soon the travel day was settling in as it always does the first day, so we agreed to meet at La Te Da in the morning for breakfast and said good night.

Sunday, July 2 – La Te Da, the Sunset Tiki Bar, First Flight, Latitudes 

I slept pretty good for the first night, so when I woke up I was ready to spend our first full day in Key West. Once we both freshened up, we made our usual quick stop at Cuban Coffee Queen for a couple of cuban americans.

While we were waiting in line, a cute local took a liking to me. After we picked up our coffee order, we walked back to the Gardens and relaxed on the front porch for several minutes.

Then I mentioned to my husband regarding meeting Brent and Julie at the Gardens or La Te Da. At first he thought that they were meeting us at the Gardens, but then he re-read the message from Julie mentioning that they were taking an Uber to La Te Da. So we grabbed our coffee and walked quickly down to La De Da.

When we walked in, Brent and Julie were already there. They were sitting at one of the two tables we enjoy sitting at, so we told the hostess that we were going to join them at the table next to them. While we were getting settled, Julie and Brent told us that the owner of the Gardens, Kate was sitting at the bar. We both waved hello to her as we looked over the menu. 

Our server came over and we placed our breakfasts orders. While we were waiting for our food to be served, Kate walked over to say a quick hello to us before she left.

It didn’t take long for our food to arrive and it was very good. My husband and I both ordered the Eggs La Te Da – which is a play on eggs benedict. Instead of ham and/or smoked salmon, they serve the eggs on top of breaded tomatoes and an english muffin. It is a nice variation of eggs benedict. 

When we were done with our breakfast the bartender, who was also our server came over to tell us that Kate bought us all breakfast. We thought that was so sweet of her.

Brent and Julie had to get a few things for their house rental, so we would meet up again later. Julie had made reservations at Latitudes that evening as well.

My husband and I wanted to see our friend Ramsey who usually works at the Galleon Sunset Tiki Bar on Sundays.

We took a nice leisurely stroll down to the Bight. It was already hot out but the skies were blue and the sun was shining.

We made it to the Galleon and we found a couple of seats at our preferred side of the bar (facing the water). Ramsey welcomed us back as we ordered a couple of drinks. As usual Phil the manager of the Tiki Bar showed up as well. We spent some talking to everyone and of course my husband mentioned how he entered the Key Lime Pie Eating Contest. (He tried last year, but the last spot was filled up right before he had a chance to sign up. This year I made sure I went online to get him registered ahead of time.)

When it time to get moving, we thanked Ramsey and headed back onto Front St. Being it was a Sunday, the usual musicians we like to see were all off. So that eliminated going to places like Captain Tony’s, the Smokin’ Tuna, etc.

We wound up walking down Caroline St. to First Flight.

It felt like a good idea to have one of their local brewed beers. When we walked in there were several seats open at the bar. 

My husband ordered a flight of beer and I thought that sounded like a good idea as well. Firstt Flight offers two options, either 5 flights of beer or 3. I didn’t want to fill up too much, so I went with 3. I did find their new brews tasty, but their amber ale is still my favorite. My husband decided to go with 5 flights. One of them sounded interesting so I had to give it a taste. It was a peanut butter type of beer. Let’s just say you need a particular palate for that one. One sip was good, but I couldn’t imagine drinking an entire pint.

We left First Flight and walked around again.

We made it back to the Gardens to get ready for Latitudes. Brent and Julie were planning on meeting us at the Gardens so that we could hop in an Uber together. I normally prefer to walk around every where, but it was so hot – even in the evening. And the last thing I wanted to be is a sweaty messy for dinner – especially at Latitudes.

My husband and I both freshened up and ordered a drink at the Garden’s pool bar. Phil’s niece Portia was working behind the bar, whom we have met before. 

Brent and Julie showed up shortly after we got ready. Dinner reservations were not until 7:45pm so we had time for another round. Julie made sure the time of our reservations would coincide with the sunset, which is later in the Summer months. 

It was nearing the time to head towards the Opal resort to catch the water taxi over to Latitudes. We thanked Portia for the drinks and walked out on to Angel St. to wait for our Uber ride. We didn’t have to wait long at all and we piled into the vehicle. The air conditioning blasting inside felt wonderful. 

The drive didn’t take much time at all. Once we got to the Opal resort, we walked down to the pier. There weren’t any cruise ships docked, making it not too crowded with people walking around.

As we walked up to the little dock, you can see a few people dressed in their finest waiting for the water taxi.

I started taking some pictures and then saw the water taxi approaching. I was so happy to see it, because I was really hungry.

We all boarded the taxi and soon we were on our way back to Latitudes. Once we made it to Sunset Key, the hostess walked all of us up the pier to the restaurant.

We walked in and we were seated outside and out of the sun. It was a perfect table to sit and watch the sunset from.

My husband ordered the same thing he had back in April, which was the burrata appetizer, followed by the shrimp carbonara. I myself also started with the same thing as well, the caesar salad. However I changed it up and decided on their crispy salmon. Julie always raves about it so I wanted to try it (even though I have salmon all the time at home.) Brent and Julie also ordered the salmon.

Our appetizers came out in a timely matter and like last time in April they were delicious. When my salmon arrived, I couldn’t believe the portion of the fish. It was really good and I even ate the crispy skin. I was really glad I ordered it.

It was a wonderful evening eating delicious food with great conversation all while witnessing a beautiful sunset.

No matter how many times I have been to Latitudes, I still manage to take endless sunset photos. You can never have too many. 

We made it back from Latitudes and everyone was quite full. The temperature didn’t seem so bad due to the fact the sun had set so we decided to walk back towards the Gardens. We walked along Whitehead St. by the Green Parrot and then to Angela St. 

We walked back to the gazebo at the Gardens where we had another night cap before getting some sleep. It was getting late so I headed up to our room and once Brent and Julie called an Uber back to their house my husband soon followed. 

Monday, July 3 – Azur, Pool and Pizza

We wound up sleeping in a bit that morning since we were up kind of late the previous evening. I had a feeling that finding a quiet place for breakfast could be a challenge since it was later in the morning. However, I remembered the restaurant Azur, which is on the quieter part of Key West. So after we both took quick showers, we made our first stop at Cuban Coffee Queen before walking down to Azur.

It was already a hot morning again, so we tried to pick the shadier sides of the street. We made it to Azur and walked into the restaurant – which felt amazing with the air conditioning at full blast. The host asked us if we would prefer inside or out and without any hesitation we said we would prefer inside. He mentioned that he had a few tables reserved but he was able to accommodate us. 

He sat us at a two top and I noticed just one other table was occupied. I assumed the other tables had reservations for a little bit later on in the morning. For breakfast I wound up going with their veggie frittata and my husband said heck with it and went with the burger. It was nearing 11am so it didn’t seem so odd to order a burger.

While we waited for our breakfast (or brunch if you will), we discussed what our plans would be for the day. 

Since the following day, I was running in the 5K I wanted to take it easy. Normally we would go to Hog’s Breath to see our friend Zack Seemiller play, but I knew if we went I would wind up kicking back too many beers enjoying the music. During our dinner last night, we mentioned to Brent and Julie how we wanted to just relax the next day. So they invited us over to their house so we could hang out at their pool.

Just as our breakfast was being served, my husband received a text from Julie telling us that any time after 1pm we could come on by. My husband’s burger looked really good and I kind of just looked down at what I ordered. Actually the frittata was delicious for its smaller size. It had this wonderful pesto on top of it with melted cheese. It was the perfect amount for me to start our day.

We finished our breakfast and walked around for a little bit.

Originally we were thinking of bringing over a couple of beers and some hard seltzer for me to Brent and Julie’s house. Then my husband had the great idea of grabbing a bottle of Deep Eddy Sweet Tea and several bottles of water. This way we could enjoy something without going too crazy (and less to carry).

We walked down to the liquor store near the Gardens before grabbing a beach bag and towels from the front desk at the Gardens. My husband changed into his swim trunks and changed my into my bathing suit and a beach cover-up. 

It was another steamy walk down Simonton to Fleming. I couldn’t wait to hop in their pool. We walked down to their beautiful house rental where Brent and Julie welcomed us in. It wasn’t before long we got into the pool. It felt so refreshing to say the least. That afternoon was spent sipping on a few drinks and enjoying our time together in the pool.

Time seemed to move too fast unfortunately that afternoon. Before we realized it, it was nearing time to figure out what to do for dinner. I wanted to have something that would give me some energy for the following morning – pizza. So we agreed to order a few pies from Clemente’s and have them deliver it. I was getting uncomfortable sitting in my wet bathing suit, so my husband and I walked back to the Gardens to take quick showers and change into something dry to wear. 

When we got back to the house, my husband placed the order for two pies. Mushroom for us and gluten free for Brent and Julie. The pizza arrived in about a half hour and it sure hit the spot. I was initially expecting large pies like we normally get here in NJ, but they were a barely enough for two people per pie. I probably could have eaten more but it was probably better not to have too much before my run. After dinner it was getting dark and I wanted to get back to the Gardens for an early night sleep. Earlier in the day my husband made arrangements for a taxi to pick us up at the Gardens at 7:00am. So we thanked Brent and Julie for their hospitality and headed back to the Gardens.

On our way back we noticed the full moon that evening. It was quite impressive.

Once we got back to the Gardens, I put out all my run gear for the next morning and set my alarm. I thought to myself, I sure that hope I can do this and soon fell asleep.

Tuesday, July 4 – 5K and Pie on the 4th of July

I had my alarm set for 6:30am but wound up waking up before it. I was so anxious about the race that I was awake and ready to go. Last year I did the 5K as well, but I didn’t have any coffee and was regretting that decision during the race. I was a bit hesitant however to have coffee before I ran, so I did some research. I discovered that runners will either take a caffeine pill and/or caffeine gum. I decided to go with the gum, so that way if it made me too anxious I could just throw it out verses something that would be in your system for a while. So after I changed into my run gear, I took a few pieces of gum to help me wake up.

My husband soon got ready as well and we walked out to the front of the Gardens where our taxi driver was waiting for us. It was a short drive down to White Street Pier which I believe is now called Edward B. Knight Pier. I noticed that the sun was rising. Not a normal sight for me to see in Key West since I am usually sleeping. It was beautiful.

As I mentioned previously that I did run the 5K the year before, so I knew what to expect once we got dropped off at the Pier. Julie was planning on taking an Uber over so we figured that we would probably go back with her so we didn’t need our taxi driver to pick us up.

I walked over to sign in. It was a beautiful morning and unlike last time there wasn’t any sargassum or a smell of any kind. It was a huge relief, because that did affect my run I believe a bit last time.

Soon it was time for us to line up.

I gave my husband my bag and my phone to hold on to during the race. This time they didn’t have any pre-race ceremonies besides going over the route we would run and how the runners start up front and the people who signed up to walk, start in the back. As they were going over everything I saw a familiar face. It was Julie! I called her name and she came over. I told her she was right in the middle of all the racers. So she gave me a quick hug and wished me luck. I pointed to the direction where my husband was so that she could watch with him.

Then I heard the signal go off and it was time to race! The first part of the run is nice and shady, but when you reach A1A along Smathers Beach, you feel the sun beating down on you. (I think it was 83 degrees already when the race started.) I kept thinking to myself, do not stop this time – just make it to the half way mark and then you can do it. Finally I saw the point in the race where we all turned around to go back the same way we came. This is also where they had a water stand set up. I grabbed a cup of water from one of the volunteers and just splashed it on my face, which did help for a second. I started getting tired but kept telling myself that I was more than halfway to the finish line and I can do it.

Finally I could start to see the finish line. As I came closer I started to run a little faster and harder. I saw my husband standing there cheering me on, along with Julie. I looked up and saw the time when I crossed the finish line. It was just over 30 minutes and a split second I thought. I wasn’t sure but I did think it was better then last year, which was 31 minutes and 30 seconds. 

I immediately grabbed a water and drank it like I hadn’t had water in days. I was so relieved, but yet happy I did it again. At home I had been running every day outside each and every morning since the beginning of the year (weather depending of course) so that I could do the 5K again.

After I caught my breath, Julie called an Uber to take us back. My husband entered the Key Lime Pie eating festival that was scheduled for 1pm later that day, so we went back to the Gardens. We were all in the need of some coffee, so we first walked over to Cuban Coffee Queen. I felt like I was wearing a badge of honor with my run number and the metal they gave out to the runners who competed. The line was almost non-existent because it was still quite early. I think it was just about 8:30am? We got our coffee and sat at one of the tables. The coffee never tasted so good. We talked about the up and coming pie eating contest and what our plans were. I suggested that my husband and I would go back to the Gardens, because obviously I needed a shower and I worked up an appetite. 

The contest was being held at the Southernmost Beach Resort so we agreed that we would meet there around noon. Julie headed back to the house while we walked back to the Gardens. After a long shower, we walked back out to the grotto area to sit at one of the tables. I looked a the menu that was displayed on the table and they were offering omelettes for breakfast. I couldn’t have been happier. It sounded perfect. One of the Garden’s staff came out from inside the building with fresh squeezed orange juice and a fruit cup filled with yogurt for the both of us. I didn’t feel like the yogurt so my husband had his and mine. And that’s all he ate. He didn’t want to fill up before the contest – even though it wasn’t about how many pies you can eat – it was about how fast you can eat one key lime pie. And we weren’t sure if there was a crust or would it just be the filling and meringue?

Then my breakfast was brought out to me. It was a nice plate of warm potatoes, a mushroom omelette and even a donut – which I passed on, even though it looked really good. When we were done with breakfast, or I should say when I was done with breakfast, we went back to our room to read and relax for a little bit.

Since the contestants for the pie eating contest had to check at 12:30pm we started to head down to the Southernmost Beach Cafe around 11:30am. We took a leisure walk down to Simonton and then crossed over onto Duval. It was another hot day and we both needed water. My husband stopped at a food truck for a couple bottles of water.

After a few sips, we started walking back down Duval. We made it to the Southern Most Beach Café. Brent and Julie were on their way, but they were running a little behind. 

We walked in to the café and grabbed a couple of seats at the bar. We ordered a couple of drinks and talked to a nice family that was staying at the resort. Of course my husband had to tell everyone around us he was going to be partaking in the pie eating contest. We looked over and saw the set up for the contest. There was a long table covered in a green paper table cloth and around 25 chairs. I couldn’t believe my husband was going to do it. It was just about noon and I suggested that he should go on over and see about checking in.

He walked on over and he was able to check in. They gave him a number to wear (#2 since he was the second one to check in) and a sheet with all the rules. When he walked back to where I was sitting, we looked over the piece of paper. It was definitely comical. I particular liked the one rule how if you showed signs of any sickness, you would be disqualified.

The time felt like it wasn’t moving. I don’t know if it was because I could tell my husband was getting anxious about it and/or because I was tired from the run earlier. Eventually it was nearing the time for the contestants to walk on over, so we got up and headed to where the table was set up. There were a few stations set up for the Key  Lime Pie Festival that was going on, including a full roasted pig. It looked amazing. I wasn’t sure who it was for but I definitely wanted to try it. 

As we waited for the festivities to start, the sky became ominous. We watched the lighting flash from time to time. I thought that they would perhaps delay the contest and/or even cancel it. Luckily the storm passed on by and the contest was still on. They called all the contestants to gather on one end to be introduced. I wished my husband good luck and then Brent and Julie showed up. We found a spot to stand amongst all the other people that were there to watch as well. They even had two guys commentating the contest which I believe was being televised – assuming locally? They were wearing yellow construction helmets sitting at the other end of the row of tables. There were even photographers lined up. This is a big deal I thought to myself.

Before my husband left to get in line to be introduced, he gave me his phone. He had been telling all his friends through social media, weeks and weeks before, that he was going to go live for the event. So I was the lucky one to film it. When the announcer started introducing the contestants, I hit record. The sun came back out and there was no shade. Zero. We were right on the beach so it was very hot, making the introductions feel like an eternity. My husband was introduced as Teddy Ten Pie. Yes that was the name he came up with. When they called his name I started laughing. Everyone had some sort of unique name. They also gave the contestants googles to wear. There were all ranges of people and ages. 

Once everyone settled in at their appropriate spot, the key lime pies were brought out on large trays. I couldn’t believe the pies were huge. They said that they were made right there at the Southernmost Beach Café. And yes they had a crust. I thought how in the world is my husband going to eat that? Let alone fast?

They gave the signal and everyone started diving in. At first it was funny, but then my stomach started to turn a little. It wasn’t a pretty sight to say the least. Then I noticed my husband was hammering the pie. It looked like he was going to win. Even the photographers and the announcers were all surrounding him. I couldn’t believe it. Is he going to win? Then all of a sudden his phone went dead when it was almost over. The phone actually over heated. So I grabbed my phone and just hit record to film the ending. Then in a split second all the people watching were calling over to the other end of the table. And just like that, my husband didn’t win. A large gentleman wound up winning the contest. My husband gave it his all though. There were no official 2nd or 3rd place finishes, but I am pretty sure he finished second.

You can watch the video here: https://youtu.be/Naj7R2riD_4

When the contest was over, they gave the contestants Key Lime Lager. That was the last thing my husband felt like. So after a quick clean up in the men’s washroom, we walked on over to the Seaside Mansion. Originally I was planning on all of us to go see Caffeine Carl and Zack Seemiller at the Tuna after the contest, but my husband was still a bit messy from it and didn’t feel like going to the Tuna like that. 

We found a table near the bar area and sat down in the shade. 

We ordered a round of drinks as we talked about what we just witnessed and congratulated my husband for the effort.

The drinks were cold and refreshing. It was just what we needed after standing out in that hot sun. 

Julie had booked us on the Argo Navis that evening to watch the fireworks. When we were done with our drinks, Brent and Julie headed back to their house and we went back to the Gardens. We walked back by the pool area and they were cooking up hamburgers and hot dogs for the 4th. I thought it was nice and festive, but we weren’t exactly hungry.

We both freshened up and relaxed for a little while before going back out to meet Brent and Julie at the Argo Navis. The catamaran was docked near Half Shell. It was going to be a very hot walk and I didn’t want to get all sweaty (again) after we just took showers. We decided to call a taxi to take us over instead. 

It wound up being a great decision because when we got to the Bight, we didn’t have to walk far to the boat. And the sun was hot. We saw Brent and Julie already there and walked on over. 

Soon the captain waved everyone over who were waiting around in the shade. He went over the safety procedures, where the lavatories were on the boat and so forth. I couldn’t wait for him to give us the go ahead to board the boat. The sun was beating down on everyone.

Finally he told us we could board and we all found a place to sit. We found just enough room at the end of the boat, but we were all kind of squished together. Then my husband noticed that inside the Argo Navis there was this empty beautiful table with four chairs. We thought why don’t we sit inside instead at the table? We can always go back out to watch the sunset and the fireworks. 

So we all got up and went inside which was the best decision. It was cooler inside and plus we were right where the staff would bring out the food and serve us drinks. You couldn’t ask for a better spot. Once we sat down one of the staff members aboard the boat came over and asked us what to drink. There was a drink menu on our table, so we each picked out a drink to order. 

Then the boat began to leave the dock. It is such a large and beautiful catamaran that you couldn’t even feel it move.  I had to look out the windows to see if we were actually moving. Once we set sail, the rest of the staff would come around with hors d’oeuvres on a platter. There was a nice variety of food, but it wasn’t exactly filling. It was still tasty.

Then we noticed that the sun was starting to set. We grabbed our phones and went out on the back part of the catamaran. People were already seated, so we were able to sit down on the platform area to watch the sunset. It was a spectacular one too. Unfortunately no green flash but it was still so beautiful to watch.

After the sun sat, we waited for the fireworks to start. And once they started we just kept watching the show. We have seen the fireworks several times now in Key West and they do not disappoint. They kept going off one after the other.

We watched until the finale and then we all went back inside for the sail back.

You can see the fireworks video here: https://youtu.be/lAteH_nfRaE

Overall it was such a nice experience that I would highly recommend the Argo Navis even if it just for a sunset sail. The service is top notch and the hors d’oeuvres provided are done very well, but you probably won’t be full for dinner.

You can read my review of the Argo Navis here: https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g34345-d15856394-r904613362-SV_Argo_Navis-Key_West_Florida_Keys_Florida.html

By the time we got off the boat we were all quite tired.

We walked back along Duval towards the Gardens. When we got to Fleming we said good night to Brent and Julie and made plans to meet them at Bagatelle for breakfast the next morning.

Wednesday, July 5 – Bagatelle, Red Shoe Bistro, the Smokin’ Tuna

We woke up to another beautiful day. Surprisingly we didn’t really hit any rain during our trip. When we first arrived on Saturday there was a little afternoon shower following by a very loud early morning thunderstorm the other day, but that was it. 

Once we both were ready to start our day, we made our usual first stop at Cuban Coffee Queen. There wasn’t much of a line so we were able to get our coffee quickly. Then we headed back on Duval down to Bagatelle to meet Brent and Julie for breakfast. I always enjoy going to Bagatelle. The food is alway good and it is a great spot to watch people go by while you wait for your breakfast.

Just as we were walking up the stairs in to Bagatelle, Brent and Julie were just about to be escorted up the stairs to a table. We quickly joined in and followed them up the stairs out onto the balcony. There was only one other table of people making it was nice and quiet.

We all placed our orders. I wound up going with my go-to, southern eggs benedict. I also felt like some bacon, so I ordered the glazed bacon. I justified it being that I just did a 5K the previous day why not reward myself with some, oh-not-so-good for you bacon!

We already had our coffee with us, so we just stuck to water. I never drank so much water during this trip versus previous ones. You had to drink a lot of water other wise you could easily get dehydrated. Not before long our breakfast was served. My eggs benedict were perfectly cooked and delicious. The bacon looked like slabs of leather but it was really good.  There was so much that I did share.

You can read my review of Bagatelle here: https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g34345-d447767-r902969493-Bagatelle-Key_West_Florida_Keys_Florida.html

When we were done with breakfast, Brent and Julie wanted to check out the Sunset Tiki Bar at the Galleon. Once we settled up with the bill, we walked down Front St. back to the Sunset Tiki Bar. This time Candace was working. She recognized us since we were there only several months ago.

We sat down and ordered a couple of drinks, Deep Eddy Sweet Tea and water with lemon. We chatted for a bit while admiring the view of the water. 

I wanted to stop by the Smokin’ Tuna to see Phil the bartender and check out who was playing that afternoon. I checked their website but it had not been updated yet, so I had no idea who was filling in the afternoon spot. I was hoping it was Joal Rush, but I didn’t see anything on his social media. 

We said goodbye to Candace and thanked her for the drinks. Brent and Julie wanted to go back to their house to take care of a few things. We agreed to meet at the Gardens later on since we had dinner reservations at the Red Shoe Bistro.

My husband and I walked down to Charles St. to the Tuna. There was a gentleman playing guitar but I did not recognize him or the name. The place was quiet so we had our choice which seat to sit at the bar. Phil was working as usual and served us a couple of beers and we listened to some music. I think it was the first time the entire trip that we were finally listening to live music. Usually we already have had our fill of live music, but with the 5K and the pie eating contest, our usual things to do were put on hold.

Phil poured us his “tasty but not so sure what is in it”, ” shots for all. We chatted for a bit before making our way back to the Gardens. We thanked Phil and we walked back onto Duval. to Angela St. The thought of jumping in that pool was definitely creeping in the back of my mind.

When we got back to the Gardens my husband grabbed a pair or swim trunks. I was already wearing my suit underneath my clothes so I was set. There were a couple of seats open at the Gardens bar and Phil was behind the bar. I ordered a High Noon and my husband had a beer. Then not before long we brought our things over to the pool. 

We recognized mostly everyone who was in the pool. When you stay at the Gardens everyone talks to each other making it fun and a friendly atmosphere. We said hello to everyone and jumped in the pool. It felt so refreshing. Ironically we tend to not go in the pool much at the Gardens, but with the way the weather was it was a must.

We hung out for a bit conversing with the other guests before drying off. I went to our room first to get ready for dinner. I made our reservations a couple months at Red Shoe Bistro for 6pm. Then it was my husband’s turn to get ready. We met Brent and Julie at the Gardens bar once again, before walking down Simonton to Petronia.

It was a nice short walk to the Red Shoe. They were just about to open up when we walked up to the entrance. When they opened the door I gave them my name. At first they seated us at a table in the adjoining room, but I was hoping we could sit in the main room by the window. (I actually requested it but they thought I meant the other room.) It wasn’t a problem and they moved us. 

Our server came over and read us the special catch of the day which was black grouper. I had that the previous time we were at Red Shoe, so I decided to go with one of their signature dishes, the yellowtail snapper. My husband, of course, ordered the beef stroganoff. Brent and Julie ordered the special for their main éntrees.

To start with I had the caesar salad and my husband had the shrimp toast, which I took a taste of. It was very good. Julie had the deviled eggs topped with scallops and shw enjoyed them very much.

Our main meals arrived shortly after and everything was tasty and delicious. No one had room for dessert, so we asked for the check.  You can read my review here of Red Shoe: https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g34345-d21141783-r902970992-Red_Shoe_Island_Bistro-Key_West_Florida_Keys_Florida.html

I wanted to see Caffeine Carl and Zack Seemiller with the band that night, especially since we had not seen them yet during our trip. After we paid the bill, we headed back onto Duval. It felt good to walk down Duval after eating all that wonderful food. We walked in and there was a table right near the stage that was available. There were actually few tables that were open. It wasn’t too busy at all, which I prefer. Carl and Zack came over and we said hello. It was nice to see them again.

Soon it was time for the show to start. We ordered a few drinks while we listened to the music. It was a fun night.

We wound up staying through the first set, but we were all getting tired. I remember when we used to always stay to the very end, but I didn’t have the energy. 

We wound up taking an Uber back, since Julie’s knee was bothering her. I didn’t mind. The air conditioner in the car felt wonderful. We were dropped off first at the Gardens. We said good night to Brent and Julie and called it a night. 

Thursday, July 6 – Half Shell, Back to the House Day and Old Town Mexican

We wound up sleeping in. We were both dragging our feet. The heat definitely makes you a bit more tired than usual. After quick showers, we felt a lot better. We walked back down to Cuban Coffee Queen for our morning coffee. Since we were later, there was a bit of a line this time. 

Once we got our coffee we decided to check out the Saint for breakfast. We walked down to Eaton St. When we arrived at the Saint, we walked right in to the bar area. We grabbed a few seats and no one else was in there, besides the bartender. We ordered a couple of morning cocktails and looked around for menus. 

The bartender didn’t appear to be in a good mood and never asked us if we wanted to look at the breakfast menus. We felt a little unwelcome, so we finished our drinks and had to figure out a plan b where to go for breakfast. It was around that time where it was nearing the end of breakfast and the start of lunch.

We walked down to Front St. and saw that Island Dogs was open. When we walked in there were was another couple seated at the bar so we did the same. The bartender gave us a few menus and they were still on the breakfast schedule and we both felt like lunch at that point. They weren’t serving breakfast for another hour, so after my husband finished his drink we turned around and walked out. Where to now?

Eventually we made it to the Bight. It was just nearing 11am and saw that the Half Shell was open. We had not been there in quite some time, and the thought of some fresh seafood seemed to appeal to both of us. 

We walked in and as usual we grabbed a couple of seats at the bar (yes we prefer to sit at the bar vs. a table). We looked over the menu and I was craving a salad.

I chose the caesar salad with blackened mahi mahi for my early lunch. My husband wound up ordering a dozen oysters on the half shell. They looked amazing but I just couldn’t try any unfortunately. My stomach wasn’t in the mood, but the blackened mahi and caesar salad was what I felt like. It was delicious. 

You can read my review here: https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g34345-d447772-r902972463-Half_Shell_Raw_Bar-Key_West_Florida_Keys_Florida.html

We felt a lot better with food in our stomachs. Then we walked back to the Sunset Tiki Bar at the Galleon. Candace was working again. This time it was just us. We talked for a bit, but only one one drink a piece. We had made plans to go back to Brent and Julie’s house that afternoon so we didn’t want to drink too much.

We walked back to the Gardens and changed back into our pool gear. I also grabbed a bag of towels again at the front desk to bring with us. We then stopped at the liquor store to get more Deep Eddy sweet tea since everyone enjoyed them last time.

We walked back along Simonton down to Fleming.

We walked in and Brent and Julie were already relaxing in the hot tub. My husband made everyone a refreshing beverage and we joined them. It was a beautiful afternoon weather wise and again just enjoying each other’s company.

Neither of us made plans for dinner, but Brent suggested we all go back to Old Town Mexican. It isn’t the greatest mexican food if you will, but it is decent. I joked how last time I never made it there with them and that this would be my redemption.

First though, my husband and I had to get back to the Gardens to get ready for dinner. This also gave Brent and Julie time to freshen up as well.

Since Old Town Mexican is basically a stones throw away from the Gardens, we agreed to meet at the Gardens first. After we freshened up and changed into some dry clothes we met Brent and Julie at the Gardens Pool Bar once again. And Phil was bar-tending as well.

We only had one drink because everyone was famished at this point. We walked down Duval to Old Town Mexican. The bar area was a somewhat crowded, but we found four seats towards the other end of the bar. 

My husband and I shared the fried calamari – not exactly mexican, but it was what we both felt like. I was in the mood for vegetarian so I had some sort of avocado and veggie tacos. My husband ordered one of their oversized burritos. I think Brent and Julie had tacos of some sort. I can’t remember exactly, but we all enjoyed our meals – not 5 star but it hit the spot. We walked back to the Gardens for one last night cap in the gazebo. I still had some wine left over that Kate gave us as our welcome back gift. It was a nice way to end the day.

Friday, July 7 – Latitudes, Pool Day at the Gardens, Back to the Smokin’ Tuna

Julie made reservations for all of us that morning at Latitudes. It was a later reservation so we were able to sleep in again. I think this was the first trip where we would never get up before 8:30am? (Well besides for my 5K.) We both freshened up, stopped at Cuban Coffee Queen (as usual) and walked down Duval to the Opal Resort. As we got closer to the resort we noticed this enormous Carnival Cruise Ship docked. It must have just docked because there were masses of people walking around. 

We walked over to the dock to wait for the water taxi to take us over to Latitudes. Brent and Julie weren’t there yet, so we sat down on a curb along the retail shops. We just watched all the people pouring out of the ship. I couldn’t imagine waiting in a long line just to get off the ship and then have to wait on line to get back on the ship. It just doesn’t sound appealing to me at all. 

Then we saw Brent and Julie at the dock so we walked on over. Not before long the water taxi also showed up. We boarded the water taxi and we were off.

The water taxi went right near the cruise ship making the ship appear larger than how it looked from afar.

We made the short right over back to Latitudes. This time we were seated at table underneath part of the building so we were all shielded from the sun. It is always is such a lovely setting at Latitudes, whether it is breakfast or dinner (never tried lunch yet). 

I decided to go with the cheesy grits for breakfast. I never had them there before and I was curious to see how their version was.

While we were waiting for our breakfast, we talked about what we had planned for the day. My husband and I wanted to, at some point start packing up our things since we were leaving the following day. Brent and Julie had family coming in as well, so they a few things to do. So we planned on meeting up at Kaya for dinner. Our breakfast arrived and I was so happy with my choice. The grits were so good and cheesy like the name. I didn’t order the shrimp option, just the eggs and it was the perfect amount for me.

When everyone was done with their meals we walked back to the dock to catch the water taxi back. We timed it just right so we didn’t have to wait long for it to arrive. Once we got back, my husband and I walked down Front St. to the Sunset Tiki Bar while Brent and Julie headed back to their house.  I knew Ramsey was working again and I wanted to say hello before we left to go back home. We walked in and we waved hello to Ramsey.

The idea of us leaving the next day started to set in as it always does. I say the same thing each and every trip. The beginning of the trips seems to go by nice and slow, however before you know it, it is time to turn around and go back home in a blink of an eye.

We talked for a bit before motivating ourselves to head back to the Gardens. I always hate packing up all of our things. Most likely because somehow my luggage accumulates more things when I pack it back up. I do tend to pick up a few shirts, but nothing that would make that much of a difference.

We thanked Ramsey and told her we would be back next year. It was another hot day walking back, but I think we were kind of getting used to it at that point. 

We made it back to the Gardens and our lauandry that we had dropped off at the front desk at Gardens was back from the laundry mat. So that made the decision for us as far as what was next on our agenda. We packed up most of our things, besides what we were going to wear for dinner and for the next day on the plane.

With most of our thing all in order and ready for our trip back home, we grabbed a couple seats at the Gardens pool bar. Once again Phil was working vigorously behind the bar. The rest of the guests that we had become friendly with were all back in the pool. The pool looked so inviting that we decided to cool off as well. We talked to everyone for a bit. Most of them were not leaving until the day after us.

The afternoon went by too quick as the last full day usually goes. It was around that time to get ready for dinner. We each took turns getting ready. When we walked back to the Gardens pool bar, Brent and Julie were there.

Kaya is a very short walk from the Gardens. It is located literally just across Duval. 

We usually eat on the Duval St. side, but I felt like eating in the open air section of the restaurant that is accessible from Angela St. We walked in and the seats in front of the small bar area were open.

My husband and I have sat there before and enjoy watching the staff cook behind the scenes. Plus it reminds me a bit of a restaurant called the Longboard on St. John in the USVIs. 

I perused the drink menu and ordered one of their drink concoctions. I watched the bartender as he made it. I forget what was exactly in it. It tasted similar to a mai tai, but even better.

My husband and I shared the tuna poke nachos and he ordered the rasta pasta like he usually does. This time for dinner I was craving fish and chips and I saw it on the menu. It was actually mahi mahi breaded with both panko and break crumbs. I thought this is going to be heavy but honestly I didn’t think I would eat the entire thing. 

And I did. Well I didn’t finish all the fries but the fish was so good. I couldn’t even remember the last time I had fish and chips so it was a nice treat. Then I was thinking that it may not have been the best decision because we were planning on going back to the Tuna for our last night.

You can read my review of Kaya here: https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g34345-d23162562-r903009691-Kaya_island_Eats-Key_West_Florida_Keys_Florida.html

When we were all done with our meals, we walked down Duval to the Tuna.

I was hoping the walk would help all the food digest. We walked in and again there was a table right near the stage. Cliff Cody was finishing up his set as we ordered a round of drinks. I thought how I don’t think I have the room to drink anything else but I will try. I was actually really thirsty so I asked the server for some water.

Once Cliff Cody was done, we saw Caffeine Carl, Zack and the rest of the guys in the band begin to set up. We said hello and watched them get ready. Big Ed was working behind the bar but I didn’t see Erin that night. 

I wound up ordering more water. I just couldn’t drink anymore and I think I was so thirsty from the fish and chips I had. Maybe it was that remoulade sauce that accompanied it that was really salty? I don’t know but the water was all I needed.

We wound up staying through the first set and again, maybe because of all the food or the week catching up with us, we were all getting pretty tired. We were planning on saying good bye to Carl and Zack but when they went on break we missed them. Brent and Julie were able to talk to Pete (who plays the keyboard) for a couple of minutes and then we walked back onto Duval. As we left to go our separate ways, we told them we would meet up again at La Te Da for our last breakfast in Key West. 

Saturday, July 8 – Departure Day (or so we thought)

Our flight wasn’t until 2:40pm that afternoon so we were able to get a later checkout at the Gardens. This gave us a chance to join Brent and Julie at La Te Da without rushing. We freshened up and packed up a few things left. I also threw all the toiletries out that I initially shipped down to the Gardens since we were only using carry on. Again it was a beautiful sunny morning. 

We walked down Simonton to avoid the sun on Duval and made the detour across onto Duval. We walked to La Te Da and waited for Brent and Julie to arrive. We didn’t wait long and their Uber dropped them off. The place was very quiet so I suggested sitting at the bar for a little different atmosphere. 

We all ordered something to drink and looked over the menu. I couldn’t believe I was still in the mood for eggs, but I thought that I better eat something substantial because there wouldn’t be anything on the plane. Their omelette of the day sounded quite good so I went with that. I think it was a spinach, mushroom and your choice of cheese. My husband enjoyed the eggs La De Ta at the beginning of our trip so he went with that again. Brent and Julie ordered scrambled eggs. 

It was a nice morning even though it was our last one in Key West. We finished our breakfast and walked back towards the Gardens. Brent and Julie said that they would stop by before we left for the airport later on. 

Since our flight wasn’t until 2:40pm, my husband called our taxi contact, arranging the time to pick us up a 1:00, which is plenty of time for Key West standards. We walked back to our room and gave it that one last once over to make sure we weren’t leaving anything behind.

With our luggage all packed up to the max, we rolled our luggage past the pool and into the little wine room they have. The Gardens told us it would be fine to leave our luggage in that room while we waited to be picked up.

Phil soon arrived and we watched him set up the bar for the afternoon guests. Speaking of guests, we saw of few of them walk by and they wished us safe travels. Not before long Brent and Julie joined us. We talked about our trip, but I could not help keep looking up at the clock behind the bar. Plus Brent and Julie’s family were on their way as well and Brent had to pick them up at the airport. 

The time seemed to move very slow, but eventually it was that time for us to wait for our taxi out front of the Gardens. We said our goodbyes and told them we would see them soon. We waited out front of the hotel for a few minutes and then the taxi showed up. The taxi driver was a hoot. She drove like a taxi driver should, unlike our experience when we arrived at the Gardens. It still makes me uneasy thinking about it.

She dropped us off at the airport and wished us safe travels. I already checked us in through the United app and we had carry-on so there was no need to go the ticket counter. We walked up to the TSA line and the TSA Pre line was empty. The regular line wasn’t too bad, but they only had one TSA agent working so they would alternate back and forth, making us wait for a little bit (I thought to myself what is the point having the TSA Pre line?)

We finally made it through security and took the escalator down to the departure area. You never know what to expect when you get down there. Sometimes it is empty and/or other times it is packed to the nines. We made it to the gate area and it was pretty busy – actually it was packed. We were able to find a table near the food area to stand next too. I waited for my husband to grab something to eat and a bottle of water for me.

We didn’t wait too long since we got to the airport closer to our departure time. The United agent announced that our flight from Newark had arrived and that they would be boarding shortly. We were group one so we walked over to near the gate area. I thought by this time tomorrow, I would be unpacking and/or cleaning the house, grocery shopping, etc. 

Once our group was called, we made the walk out onto to the hot tarmac to our flight. Everyone boarded in a timely matter. As we waited for everyone to get settled, we noticed the plane was brand new. It even had that new car smell. One of the passengers behind us asked the flight attendant if the plane was new, and he said it was brand new. And we all thought was hopefully not too new. You do want a plane to have a few flight miles on it.

The flight attendant closed the door and was about to go over the safety procedures when he got a call from the cockpit. Then I watched him unlock the plane door. I thought oh no – that is not a good sign. Within minutes the captain came on the intercom and told us that they just got word from Newark airport how they are grounding all inbound and outbound flights and we would be delayed at least an hour. They would give us updates as they received more information.. This happened to us in April and thought how we are going to sit again for an hour. And we did. 

An hour went by and the captain came on and told us that it looks like it may be another hour, making us not leave until around 5:30. At this point the plane was getting warm sitting in the sun, so they told us that they were going to have us exit the plane. And with all our belongings. At that point, no one felt like we were going to get back on the plane. Everyone exited the plane and walked back to the gate, where we waited again. People were going up to the United agents asking for more info and they kept saying they were waiting to hear from Newark Airport. I texted my sister and she said the weather was fine and couldn’t understand why we were delayed. 

Another half hour passed and then we looked up at the flight status and the dreaded words came on the screen “flight canceled”. WHAT??? So the next thing we hear was that United wwas handing out cards with a QR code on them and to scan the code. It would put you directly with someone who can help rebook your flight. I said to myself, if everyone is doing that, how am I going to get through.

So I went on the United App on my phone and searched for any flight leaving Key West the next day. All I could find was a 4:15pm flight with Silver Airways (ugh Silver) to Fort Lauderdale and then a connecting flight at 8pm to Newark. It was our only option so I booked it. They only had a few coach seats left and begrudgingly selected them. Our initial flight, I had us booked on, I used my miles to book us first class, but there were no seats available. 

With our flight booked, I felt slightly relieved, but where are we going to stay? Immediately after I booked our flight I called the Gardens. I was hoping they would have a room available, but it was a Saturday night after all. I called and they said they may have a late cancellation. I was crossing my fingers, but then they came back on the phone and said they had no availability. I thanked them for checking and thought where can we stay?

My husband mentioned La Concha, but then I thought about the Orchid Key. We always walk by it and I always wanted to check it out. So I looked the number and gave them a call. The lady on the other end of the phone was very nice and told me they had a last minute cancellation and that a king deluxe suite was available. Then i was thinking okay great, but for how much? She said with tax it would be $306 for the night. With a huge sigh of relief I told her we would take it. She took down all my info and then asked our arrival time. I kind of laughed and said how we were literally in the airport and once I hang up with her, we were going to get a taxi to the hotel. 

So our flight home was booked and we had a place to stay. I still felt all out of sorts. We were supposed to be on our way home, not on our way to another hotel in Key West. We grabbed our luggage and started walking out of the departure area. Then we realized how in the world do we leave the airport? We never had to leave before. We took the escalator back to the second floor and walked around TSA security. My husband asked one of the TSA agents working how do we leave to grab a taxi? She told us to take the elevator just beyond the security check point and go down one level.

We got in the elevator and the doors opened up to the parking garage. Then I recognized the outside part of the airport with the large Conch Republic flag painted on the side of the building on the opposite side of the garage. That is where we usually leave the airport to grab a taxi. We walked through the parking lot and to where the taxis were waiting. It felt so strange. We got into one of the taxis and instead of saying the Gardens Hotel, we said the Orchid Key Resort.

I couldn’t believe I was looking at the water again along A1A. We aren’t supposed to be here I kept telling my husband. Soon we arrived at the Orchid Key. It was a pretty little spot. We walked in to check-in. 

The same lady I spoke with on the phone was behind the counter. I told her how she just spoke to me and welcomed us to the hotel. After some paperwork she gave us two drink vouchers that we could use at their bar located next to the reception area. My husband and I both looked at the cards and then each other, yes we will definitely use them. I also remembered how I threw out all of our toiletries.  I still had our toothbrushes, deodorant, floss, etc. but no toothpaste. I asked the receptionist if she had any toothpaste and they did! I figured that they always have shampoo, conditioner and soap in the rooms so we should be good to go for the one night. I thanked her and we grabbed our things. 

We rolled our luggage over to our room. Our room was on the other side of the property near the road. I noticed that the outside of the rooms reminded me of an old retro style motel if you will.

We opened up the door and the room was really nice. It was an adequate size, but I wouldn’t call it deluxe. We immediately got out of our “plane” clothes. I couldn’t wait to get out of my long pants and sneakers. I was so uncomfortable after all that time just sitting and waiting. 

Trying to make the best of our situation, we walked over to the Orchid Key Bar. The bar is all enclosed that I found a bit strange, but it was fully air conditioned. We walked through the doors into the little bar. It was adorable and they even had some finger foods for the guests. I guess it was technically happy hour. The bartender asked us what we would like to drink and we showed her our drink vouchers. I was able to order a glass of house white wine and my husband ordered a beer. 

We began telling the bartender our story. Then she asked us where we were from and we told her New Jersey. And then she said she was originally from NJ as well. Actually she was from a town literally 20 minutes away from where we live. Small world as they say. We thanked Rose, the bartender for the drinks and left a tip. We both wanted to go back to the Gardens to tell Phil our story along with the other guests that were still there.

We walked back down Duval onto Simonton and made it back to the Gardens, as we kept saying how we weren’t supposed to be there. Phil was still working and looked surprised to see us. We told him along with the other guests how our flight was canceled.

(Later we found out it is more do with the lack of staff and them not having enough air traffic controllers for all the flights coming in and out of Newark. In a way I wish it was weather, because I really don’t want to go through a canceled flight again, but unfortunately it sounds like these issues are going to take a while to resolve in the long run.)

The hotel guests were planning on going to the Green Parrot later that evening to check out a band that was playing there. We told them that we would stop in after we had something to eat.  

Not wanting to spend a ton of money, since we weren’t planning on it, we thought that Jack Flat’s would be a good call to have some dinner. Plus the Nascar Xfinity race was on, so we could catch some of the race. We walked down Duval to Jack Flats. We found a couple of empty seats at the bar.

My husband asked the bartender for a box so that we could listen to the race. 

I ordered the seared Tuna over a salad and my husband ordered a burger. It was probably around 8pm or so and I had not eaten since breakfast at La Te Da that morning. I was starving. The food came out fairly quick and it was just wat I needed. The tuna was cooked perfectly and the vinegrette dressing on the salad was quite tasty. 

Feeling kind of invigorated we walked down to the Green Parrot. We never initially made it there during the week, so I was excited to check it out. 

The place was crowded but somehow after we ordered a couple of beers, we ran into everyone we met from the Gardens. It was fun to see them outside of the hotel. 

I could have easily stayed there for a long time, but we were supposedly leaving the next day and didn’t want to feel too terrible. We left after a drink and headed back to the Orchid Key, which I am not used to writing.

Along the way we saw that the Little Jazz Room was open. We used to stop in all the time before it closed down, both during the day and sometimes at night. Now the Little Jazz Room is only open in the evenings. We never seem to time it right where we are in its vicinity when it is open. 

The blue lit stairs guided us in. We walked in and there was live entertainment. They were very good.

We grabbed a couple of seats at the bar. I ordered a glass of wine, that I probably could have done without at that point but the vibe of the place kind of made me feel like one. I looked around and I was impressed with the renovations.

The instruments on the walls, the photographs – it was really cool. I was surprised there weren’t more people there, especially on a Saturday night.

We listened to a couple of songs before walking down Duval to the Orchid Key.

At that point we were pretty exhausted and turned in. It was a long day and I was so happy we had a place to stay for the night. 

Sunday, July 9 – Heading Back Home (finally)

Since our flight wasn’t scheduled until 4:15pm we weren’t exactly in a rush to get up early, because where were we going to go? Actually the evening before, I did get in touch with the general manager Jim at the Gardens asking if it was okay if after we checked out of the Orchid Key, we could bring our luggage over to the hotel and leave it in the wine room like we usually do while we wait to check out. He said of course and it wouldn’t be a problem.

We eventually got up around 10am and freshened up. This time I refused to put on socks and sneakers for our travel day. It was so hot and I knew that back home was warm as well so it probably wasn’t necessary. I put on my flip flops and packed up the few things we had left out. We walked to the reception area and checked out of our room. 

My husband called a taxi and we were dropped off at the Gardens. We wheeled our carry-on luggage into the room where we would leave it for the morning and afternoon. It felt so much better to be able to walk around without having our luggage with us. 

We walked back to Cuban Coffee Queen, again thinking to myself we are supposed to be home right now and I would probably going to the grocery store, etc. Once we got our coffee, we thought about giving the Saint another chance. I heard how they have a Sunday Brunch and wanted to check it out.

We walked back down Duval to Eaton St. This time when we walked in, the place had more people around and a different bartender. He asked us what we wanted to drink and we ordered a couple of screwdrivers. He presented us with their brunch menu. It was all you can eat small tapas plates. The cost was $55 per person which in hindsight isn’t that bad if it is all you can eat. However, we weren’t exactly starving since we had that late dinner at Jack Flat’s the night before. So we passed on the brunch and finished our drinks. 

It was just about noon at that point and I really had no idea where to go. My husband suggested First Flight and I thought why not? It is close by and it is nice and shady there. 

We walked in and grabbed a couple of seats at the other end of the bar. Lunch was being served, so we took a look at the menu. I thought that the roasted brussel sprouts sounded intriguing for some reason so I ordered them to start and then their french fries. My husband ordered the caesar salad with blackened mahi. 

There was another couple sitting at the bar that we started to talk too while we waited for our food. We told them how we weren’t supposed to be there and our flight was canceled the previous day. Ironically they were originally from NJ but now live in, I believe it was Kentucky or somewhere in that area?

Our food arrived and the fries were delicious. The brussel sprouts were tasty but could have been crispier. My husband enjoyed his salad which looked really good, but then again, how can you mess up a caesar salad? 

We finished our lunch, if you will, and walked back to the Gardens. By the time we got back, the pool bar was back open and Phil’s niece Portia was working. She was surprised to see us again and we of course told her what happened. The guests that were staying at the Gardens all week were still there using every last minute up in the pool before having to check out. We talked to them for a little bit before having to go back to the airport and doing it all over again. 

We had our taxi pick us up at 3pm and soon it was that time to grab our luggage and wheel it out to the front of the Gardens. We made the short drive back to the airport. Since we were flying Silver Airways, I couldn’t check-in ahead of time so we had to go to the ticket counter. While we were checking in, another gentleman was waiting as well. He said that he was supposed to be on the United direct flight that Friday and it was canceled as well. So basically the direct flight Friday was canceled, then our flight was canceled on Saturday and then I looked up and the direct flight that I was hoping to book for Sunday was also just canceled. This time however, there were bad storms up in the northeast. Our fingers were crossed that they would move out by the time we were supposed to fly back at 8pm.

We got our boarding passes for our Silver Airways flight and started to walk down to the TSA line, but then I looked up at the Departures sign and saw that our 4:15pm flight was delayed until 5:35pm. Okay not to panic, our flight isn’t until 8pm in Fort Lauderdale so there is still plenty of time for our connection.

Then my husband noticed the Conch Flyer restaurant was open. He suggested why don’t we go in there for a couple of beverages instead of being cooped up in the Gate area for such a long time. So we walked in and sat at the bar. The place was actually really nice and had great music playing. Why hadn’t we ever go in it before? Well usually we don’t have that much time before our flight. Even the Yankee game was on the tv so that made it more enjoyable.

It was then getting closer to our flight time, so we paid our tab and got back on the TSA Pre line. Since it was later on in the day, it wasn’t really crowded (well the TSA line). Then we took the escalator back down to the departure area and that’s where all the people were waiting. 

I looked at the flight status for Silver Airways and it still said 5:35pm. Since it was so crowded inside, we decided to sit outside. My husband ordered us couple of drinks and brought them outside. I thought to myself, we are finally going to be back home. It is going to be late but at least we will be back home and we had a cat waiting for us. 

I went back inside to use the restroom and I checked the status again. It changed to 7:05pm! What? There is no way we are going to make our connection. I went back outside to tell my husband and we were both lost for words. I then got back up and went to the Silver Airways counter. The ticket agent told me that there was back weather in Fort Lauderdale (that’s where the plane was coming from) causing it to be delayed. I asked him if there was any way he could find us another flight. I didn’t care what airline, etc. He got on his computer and started clicking away – for a while. It felt like I was standing there forever. He finally looked up and told me there was nothing available until Tuesday. It was Sunday. He even checked JFK and Laguardia airports. My heart just sank. He then checked his computer again and said how the flight from Fort Laudale was boarding sooner than expected. So he suggested that being it was a 45 minute flight our best bet would be was to stick with our 8pm United Flight and we would make the connection…. hopefully.

I thanked him for trying and walked back outside where my husband was waiting. I explained to him that we just had to hope that we would make our connection. I looked at my watch and it was around 6:30pm. Then I heard on the intercom that our Silver Airways flight was ready to board. We scrambled to grab our things and made it to the boarding area. I thought we now have a chance. We walked back outside on the tarmac to the plane. It was larger then I remember back in the day when we used to take Silver.

The flight wasn’t full so they had people change their seats to allow for appropriate weight disbursement. While we were waiting to take off, there was a lady seating near us. She too was on our connecting flight back to Newark. She told us how she travels all the time and that if we didn’t make our connecting flight, there was nothing as of now until Thursday! Thursday we both thought? My husband runs his own repair garage back home and if he didn’t make it back, he could not reopen it. He was actually contemplating renting a car and driving back to NJ  if we didn’t make the connection. 

We didn’t wait too long to take off. The flight was uneventful and about 45 minutes long. It was around 7:30 when we landed. I figured we will make it. I could see the United planes lined up at the airpot when we landed, but then our plane kept taxing down the runway. I thought where are we going to be deplaning at? 

My heart started racing and we finally got to our gate. We grabbed our luggage and left the plane. When we entered the airport we were in Terminal A. We had to go to Terminal C. It was 7:45pm and I got the alert on my phone that our flight was boarding. We literally started running with our luggage in tow. I couldn’t keep up and I told my husband to keep going and I would catch up. 

So much for Terminal C being close by to Terminal A. After running practically through the entire airport, we made it to our Gate. Every one was already on line boarding. We were at the tail end, but we made it. A huge sigh of relief from the both of us.

We had to wait on line for a bit, but I didn’t care we made it. We found our seats and mostly everyone was already seated. I gave my husband the window and I sandwiched myself in the middle seat. I so missed having first class but this was our only option. Luckily we found two spots near by in the overheads to put our carry-on luggage in.

Our flight eventually took off after about a 10 minute delay. It was a little bumpy but not too bad. The storms had left the tri-state area so we weren’t affected by the weather. Dinner was a bag of pretzels and a plastic small cup of water. I wish I ate more at First Flight I thought to myself. At least we were able to watch a movie on the plane – Champions with Woody Harrelson. It was surprisingly pretty good and it passed the time.

Finally we landed around 11:45pm. We met up with our car service outside of Terminal C. We eventually made it home around 12:45am and asleep by 1:30am after feeding our cat, taking a quick shower, etc. It was a crazy ending to our trip and I hope it doesn’t happen again. After 30 times going to Key West, that has never happened. So I guess we are pretty lucky in that regard. And we were lucky to make it home after only one day being delayed vs. days.

(Update: United did refund us for the canceled flight and gave us a $200 travel credit for a future flight.)

As I always say, Key West is a wonderful place filled with such beauty, fun and great people. We enjoy seeing our friends we have made throughout our many travels to Key West each and every time. That’s what makes it my happy place and so grateful we have been able to do so and I never take it for granted. 

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. I know this one was a long one. Until next time!