It’s hard to believe that the last time I wrote on my travel blog, it was almost a year and a half ago. I don’t think anyone in their right mind thought that this pandemic was going to affect some many people, lives and especially the travel industry. Originally last year we had 3 trips planned, two to Key West and one to St. John in the US Virgin Islands, but like everything else, they were postponed.
This year I had a trip planned for the end of January but with travel quarantines still in play here in NJ, I pushed our trip to Key West to April for Easter, but again that trip had to be rescheduled. Due to the fact that vaccines were becoming more available, I changed our trip to the second week of May (with fingers crossed) hoping by that time my husband and I would be vaccinated by then and we were. FINALLY we were going back to my happy place.
Saturday, May 8th – Returning to Key West
My alarm was set to 4:30am to give myself enough time to get ready for the car service that was picking us up at 5:30am. I didn’t even need an alarm that morning. I was so excited that I woke up just after 4 in the morning and could not fall back asleep. Are we actually going to go back to Key West after all this time? I thought. With a big smile I was ready to return.
The car service was on time and we were on our way to Newark Airport. We did have to wear our masks in the car ride and also once we arrived at Newark. It was a long time to keep one on, but I didn’t mind. Whatever it would take to get back. Once we made it inside, my husband and I could not believe how busy the airport was. With the exception of everyone wearing facemasks you wouldn’t think that there was a pandemic still in play. Luckily we have TSA pre so going through security was a breeze. There were about five or six people in front of us, while the regular security line wrapped around for miles.
We had some time to spare, so we went to the United Business Lounge for a cup of coffee and a snack. I was so excited and anxious that I didn’t have much of an appetite.
It was about a half hour before boarding time so we walked down to the Gate. I saw our plane was there so I knew that was a good sign and that we would most likely be on time, which we were. I was able to get first class tickets on the way down with all the credits I had from rescheduling, etc. We boarded first and took our seats. The flight attendants were handing out sanitizer wipes to everyone.
Once everyone got onto the plane we soon made our way to the runway, but we were 10th on line for take off. I knew it was going to be a while]. I always seem to get tired at this point of every trip, right before take off. Maybe it is because it is almost a sign of relief that we made our flight. (One time I overslept and we missed our flight and had to go on a later flight and it changed our entire travel day.)
I love how United has the direct flight now from Newark to Key West. It only takes little over 2 and 1/2 hours. It is quicker to fly from NJ to Key West then taking the Key West Express Ferry from Ft. Myers to Key West. Crazy.
About a half hour had passed and we were next on line for take off. Once airborne, the captain came on the intercom and told us that even though we were a bit behind, we would still be on time for our arrival to Key West.
He was right. It was nearing 11:30am and I could begin to see all the green and blue hues below. I was so happy to see that beautiful water again. Then before I knew it I began to see Key West appear. It didn’t take long for us to descend. Once we landed we were escorted as usual on the tarmac into the airport.
Even though we had not been to Key West in almost a year and a half it felt like we were just there. Maybe since we are so familiar with the island – especially being that this was our 24th time there since our first visit in 2006.
Several other airlines had landed around the same time so there was a line to get a taxi. Thankfully the majority of the people were standing in the wrong line so they were directed to another line which we got on right away ahead of them otherwise we would have waited for a while.
We were directed to the next available taxi and we were soon on our way back to my favorite place to stay, the Gardens Hotel on Angela St. I love how the hotel is so conveniently located off of Duval and the center part of the island, but yet when you walk in it feels like a different world with all the gardens and lush vegetation.
(My review of the Gardens Hotel: https://bit.ly/3hS17l5)
Prior to our arrival, I was notified via email that we would have to spray our luggage as a precaution with the can provided in front of the entrance. We also had to wear our face masks while inside the office to check in. Our temperatures were also checked and we were all set. They did mention that the daily maid service was suspended and that if you needed fresh towels to put them in the large plastic bag provided in the room and bring the used towels to the office. Breakfast was also eliminated for the time being, but snacks were provided in the room and would be replenished free of charge if needed.
Our room wasn’t ready so we went to their large guest bathroom located near the pool to change into shorts and get rid of wearing socks and sneakers in exchange for flip flops. It is such a great feeling to do that. I noticed it was quite hot. Hotter then I expected. We had never been to Key West this time of year so I wasn’t sure what to expect. We tend to go around the 4th of July which is hot as well, but being we were having a cool start to the spring up here in NJ we weren’t used to the hot temperatures at this point.
While I was waiting for my husband to get ready I started to talking to a new bartender who was setting up the Gardens Hotel bar. Ironically he was also from NJ. Once my husband came back out and I was ready, he suggested we should stay for a drink and relax for a few minutes. I thought that was a great idea since we had been on the go all morning. We asked Greg, who was the bartender about the masks and he said that they were no longer required for walking around as of several days before we we had arrived. Some indoor places may require them and will indicate it with a sign on the door. We were so excited about not having to wear a mask while walking outside, sitting at bar, etc.
We were having a pleasant time hanging out with Greg and we were just about to head out onto Duval, when the keys to our room were dropped off. So we figured it would be best to get all our things unpacked so we didn’t have to deal with it later on.
We walked up the stairs to our Gardens Room on the second floor (which I prefer) that overlooked the grounds and fountain below. I thought to myself, this going to be our home away from home for the week and smiled.
Once everything was put away it was time to head back out on to Duval. My husband and I always joke about how you walk down the block and once you make that turn on to Duval it’s like you are officially back in Key West mode.
I knew a good friend of ours Zack Seemiller, who I have been doing artwork for him for a while now, was playing at Rick’s. My husband suggested that we would check out to see if our friend Gabriel Wright was playing at Captain Tony’s. So we walked down to Captain Tony’s and it was packed. We were able to find a few seats towards the back of the bar. We walked up to Gabriel and knocked on the plexi that they had set up in front of him. It was hard to see him but he recognized us.
Once he went on break, we talked to him for a bit before he went back to play. He played a couple of our usual requests which is alway fun. I did have to use the restrooms and all I can say is, if I wasn’t vaccinated, my mind would have been ripped with fear.
It was getting later in the afternoon and I didn’t want to miss Zack’s set, so we said our goodbyes to Gabriel and walked down to Rick’s – which is literally only a couple of minutes – if that.
We walked in and saw Zack’s son sitting with a few of his friends. He immediately saw us and came over. It was great to see him again. Zack also acknowledged us and gave us a wave. When he was done with his set he came over and I got my usual photo my husband takes us upon our arrival. We talked to him for a few and while we were I saw a familiar face, it was Ena whom I have gotten to know from my travel blog. It was nice to finally meet her.
We had dinner reservations at Lola’s which is located right behind the Gardens where the former Deuce’s Off the Hook restaurant was located. We tried dinner there the last time we were in Key West and thoroughly enjoyed it. They only have two seatings now, 6 and 8 o’clock. We choose the 6 o’clock seating, figuring after a day of travel we would be pretty tired. We said our goodbye’s to Zack and Kai said we would catch them at Kai’s show at Scotty’s the next evening.
While I was getting ready for dinner I totally forgot that we had to pick up a bottle of wine for dinner, since Lola’s is a BYOB. My husband went back out to the liquor store which is located around the corner from the hotel for a bottle of white wine.
After we were both freshened up we had a few minutes to see Greg again and have a drink. While we were chatting with Greg I saw a familiar face. Jim! Jim is the general manager at the Gardens. He has been working there for quite some time and we have become friends over the years. I even do a few ads for him here and there. He always takes cares of us too and he worked with me while I was trying to reschedule all our trips.
His sister was visiting so we also had the opportunity to meet her. We were having such a good time that we realized it was just past six. As I mentioned earlier the restaurant is right behind the hotel so it doesn’t take long to get to. While we were walking I realized my husband forgot to grab the bottle of wine that we had for dinner. So he ran back to get the wine while I walked in to secure our reservation.
I walked in and remembered how small the place is but it is a nice simple atmosphere with the open kitchen to watch the chef work his magic.
Our table was right near the entrance so my husband had no problem locating our table when he walked in. The owner’s wife I believe, came over to us to read off the chef’s selections for that evening. Last time we were there I ordered the sea scallops for dinner and they were delicious so I ordered them again, along with the fresh snapper. My husband also ordered the scallops and the filet mignon. Everything was spot on and it was a perfect ending to our first day back in Key West.
As expected, after we were done with dinner we were exhausted and thankfully had a short walk back to the room. I don’t think it took us a matter of minutes before we were both sound asleep.
My review of Lola’s: https://bit.ly/3yDDrGT
Sunday, May 9th – Latitudes, Discovering New Places, Jazz at the Gardens
I made breakfast reservations for Latitudes for 8:45am a month prior to our return, so there wasn’t much time to sleep in. Actually I couldn’t sleep in, I was too excited. Once we freshened up we walked down to Cuban Coffee Queen for two cups of Cuban American with an extra shot and cream. It is a great way to start the day. Luckily we were early enough that there wasn’t much of line.
With our coffees in hand we walked down Duval towards Opal Key (which used to be the Margaritaville resort and the Westin prior to that).
We had a few minutes to spare so we found a bench and looked at this massive yacht in the water. I wondered who could have owned such an enormous boat like that. It was very impressive.
Then I noticed a few ladies wearing their masks waiting at the dock to take the ferry over to Sunset Key. I forgot that it was mother’s day and realized that’s why they were going over for a nice breakfast. (And then I called my mom to wish her a happy mother’s day while we were waiting.) We did have our masks with us the entire trip just in case such as instances like this, that you had to wear one in the ferry.
Soon we boarded the ferry and we were on our way. It is such a quick ride, but it always reminds me back when we stayed at Caneel Bay on St. John, in the USVIs and take their ferry from St. Thomas over to St. John and vice versa.
When we arrived at Sunset Key we walked up to the restaurant.
Once we were seated outside we were able to take our masks off. We had a beautiful table overlooking the water. It felt like we weren’t in Key West anymore, but an island in the Caribbean. That’s what the appeal is to me going to Latitude’s. The food is okay but nothing spectacular, but the atmosphere speaks for itself.
We ordered a couple cocktails and breakfast.
It was a pleasant start to our first full day back in Key West.
After breakfast we took the ferry back to the dock and walked to the Gardens. It was getting hot again so I decided to keep the dress I was wearing on since it was lightweight. My husband changed and then we took a stroll around the gardens at the hotel.
We checked on the turtles and counted five of them. I remember when we first stayed at the Gardens there were only two.
Then it was time to make our way back onto the streets of Duval. We sometimes prefer to walk Simonton instead of Duval as a change and pace and less foot traffic.
We agreed that our first destination would be the Sunset Tiki Bar at the Galleon. This is one of our favorite spots to sip down a cold drink and enjoy the views. We walked in and saw a familiar face, Phil. He welcomed us back and said the first round was on him. We thanked him and sat back and enjoyed the view.
While we were talking, my husband found out from a friend on social media that someone from his hometown works at this new bar called General Horseplay. I wasn’t too familiar with the place but saw some mention of it on the TripAdvisor forum not too long ago.
Ultimately our next stop was General Horseplay. We walked in and it had the air conditioner on full blast but it felt great. The day was getting pretty hot and as I mentioned earlier we weren’t used to it. We grabbed two seats at the bar and noticed another young couple at the bar enjoying a few cocktails. The bartender gave me instructions to scan the QR code to access their menu. There was an extensive selection of craft cocktails I had no idea what to get. Then I saw a sprig of fresh herbs on the bar and it gave me the idea to order a mojito. It took a bit of time for the bartender to put together the drink, but it was probably the best mojito I have ever had. Not too sweet and not too acidic. My husband ordered I believe it was some sort of bourbon drink called a ‘Murricane’. I took a sip and it was outstanding. I thought we can get in trouble in this place.
We started talking to the couple next to us and turned out they were from Pennsylvania and the bartender was originally from New York. My husband asked him about the lady that was from his hometown that worked there, but she only works at nights. We could have stayed for another but knew that the best bet would be to move on.
My review of General Horseplay: https://bit.ly/3fEhvCU
We walked around a little more before going back to the good old Green Parrot. I was surprised to see they had the mask mandate when you walked in but no big deal. Again once you sat down you could take it off. I also noticed that the place no longer allowed smoking which made a huge difference.
While we were there I got in touch with Zack’s son Kai to stop by for a drink. I still can’t believe he is 21, I remember I first met him 5 years ago. Time does go by fast. We were planning on seeing him play at the former Rum Barrel now called Scotty’s later that evening but turned out he was playing the following Sunday not this one.
We told him we would catch him the next day at Hog’s Breath where he would be playing with his dad. We had every intention going back to the Gardens, but we then remembered how the bartender from General Horseplay mentioned that their sister bar is Mary Ellen’s right down the road across from Willie T’s. I have seen pictures of the place online with all the Christmas lights hanging from the ceiling and wanted to check it out.
It wasn’t hard to find and walked right in.
Again feeling the air conditioning was much appreciated, and normally I am someone who is always cold. We grabbed two seats at the bar and ordered a couple of beers.
The bartender immediately recognized my husband’s accent that he was from NJ. It’s funny how you can’t tell if you have an accent unless someone points it out. The bartender was also from the area so that’s probably the reason. While we were talking to him we noticed the same couple from General Horseplay walked in. What were the odds?
It turned out they were staying on Islamorada and came down to Key West for the day. They were celebrating their anniversary/ birthday I believe. We wound up hitting it off and had a great time.
Then I remembered that the Gardens Hotel usually has jazz on Sundays but wasn’t sure if they started it back up again. I wound up getting in touch with Jim and he said he would reserve a table for us. While we were talking to the other couple we asked them if they would want to check the place out and see the jazz. They wanted to check it out so we all walked to the Gardens.
Tthere was a decent amount of people sitting at tables listening to the jazz when we walked in. I went up to David who also works at the Gardens, always so pleasant, if there was a table for us and he said Jim reserved us a table but it was only for two. I felt bad and I said we had another couple with us. Within seconds David grabbed another table and placed it right in front of the jazz performers. I have never seen someone set up a table quite so fast. It was pretty funny actually. I thanked him profusely and we sat down and ordered a couple of drinks that we didn’t need. The couple was headed back up later that evening so the husband stopped drinking and had water. We probably should have done the same.
The jazz did sound great and I took a few pictures. While I was leaning over to take a picture I leaned a bit too far and wound up on my backside right in front of everyone. It wasn’t my most proudest moments but I was totally fine. Jim ran over to help me up and thankfully I only got a little scratch on my elbow.
At that point it was time for us to say our goodbyes to the sweet couple and wished safe travels back up to Islamorada. Jazz was finishing up and it was after 7:30 and we hadn’t eaten since breakfast at Latitudes. We were starving.
I didn’t have any reservations planned for that evening, but thought of checking out the Blackfin Bistro. I heard great things about it and my husband was craving a burger which they are known for. So I thought it’s not too far from the Gardens and we should be able to make it.
We did wind up making it, but after we walked passed it to about another block. I looked around and thought it couldn’t be this far. I have seen it along the way walking to La Te Da. We turned around and walked in. There were seats in the back outside, but the bar was nice and empty.
We sat down and ordered their calamari appetizer to share, and then my husband had their burger and I had their snapper special. It was the perfect choice for dinner after a long day.
With our bellies finally full, we walked back to the Gardens and crashed.
My review of the Blackfin Bistro: https://bit.ly/3bQaI8c
Monday, May 10th – La Te Da, Hog’s Breath, Prime
We tried to sleep in but couldn’t really sleep past 8 o’clock. It was another picture perfect day and didn’t want to waste it. After we freshened up we made our usual stop at Cuban Coffee Queen.
Then we wanted to head down towards La Te Da. I always like sitting at the bar and people watch. When we got there we noticed that the bar was pretty full. What a bummer, but we did find two seats on the end towards the inside of the place. We couldn’t people watch, but at least we weren’t sitting on top of anyone. As a side note, we noticed A LOT more people around on the island – more so then ever. Probably the last time we saw so many people was back when we used to visit during Spring Break in March.
For breakfast I went with their signature eggs benedict that substitutes ham with fried tomatoes and my husband had the standard american breakfast with two eggs over medium. The benedict was filling between the fried tomatoes and english muffins, but really good.
My review of La Te Da: https://bit.ly/3fixGGU
When we walked back to the Gardens my husband suggested we should relax there for a bit before going back out to see our friend Zack play at the Hog’s Breath Saloon.
It was after twelve o’clock so it was time to motivate and walk back on Duval. We made it to Hog’s Breath and it was crowded which I expected. Luckily there were two end seats up near where Zack and his son were playing. It was hard to see them from the angle we were at but it was better then no seats at all. Eventually I was able to find two open seats on the other side for a better view.
We hung out for the entire show. It was a lot of fun. I even got to meet one of Zack’s friends that was also visiting at the same time Mitch and his wife. They were very pleasant to talk to.
Once Zack’s show was over we walked back to the hotel. We had dinner reservations at Prime Steakhouse and didn’t want to miss it since we heard such great things about the place and never been.
Once we freshened up, it was back out and down Simonton St. out towards the Bite. Prime is located just above Dante’s. It is kind of hidden in a way if you didn’t realize it was there.
When I initially made reservations there were only two options, the bar or outside. I had a feeling outside would be hot so I choose the bar and I was so glad I did.
We walked in and the place was beautiful. It reminded me a little like Berlin’s with the dark lighting and the leather furniture. We were seated right at the center of the bar below a big screen TV. My husband was thrilled.
Once the specials were read we placed our order. I started off with the tuna tartare and then decided on the red grouper special stuffed with crabmeat in a bernaise sauce. My husband ordered the oysters rockefeller and then the NY Strip.
Everything was spot on. The food, the service, timing, etc. I was so happy I finally took all the recommendations from people about this place.
My review of Prime: https://bit.ly/3oSHKd8
When we were done with our meals we were too full to order dessert so we made our way back to the hotel.
It was a beautiful evening.
We were always curious about this place that is located on Angela St. where our hotel is called the Sidebar. Due to the fact we had no care in the world at that point we figured why not? We walked in and it was definitely an interesting place. The stools were wrapped in tutu’s and it was decorated in a fun and festive way. The bartender was really nice and we only stayed for one.
When we walked back to the Gardens, we saw two people standing outside trying to get in and even trying to call David who is on call at night. Apparently they were having a hard time trying to enter the code to open the gate. I remembered back when we first stayed at the Gardens we had a hard time with the gate as well. Our timing couldn’t have been better. My husband opened the gate with the code and they thanked us saying we saved them.
Tuesday, May 11th – Breakfast Club Too, Smokin’ Tuna, Ramshead Southernmost (Twice)
We woke up to another beautiful day. For breakfast this morning we were going to meet Zack and his son at Breakfast Club Too. We did the usual stop first at Cuban Coffee Queen for coffee and then headed back out onto Simonton and down to Breakfast Club Too which is located on Green Street.
It was early enough in the morning that we didn’t have to wait for a table. Zack and Kai showed up shortly after we sat down. We spent the morning catching up and enjoying a nice breakfast.
After breakfast we went back to the Gardens. I knew that Zack and Caffeine Carl were playing at the Smokin’ Tuna later that afternoon and wanted to make sure we didn’t miss it. My husband suggested that we should relax for a bit. The Gardens is perfect for doing so.
Before we got too comfortable it was time to get back out and about. We wound up making a detour first and walked to Ramshead Southernmost (formerly the Blue Macaw). Basically the place looks exactly the same before Ramshead took it over. The only thing different are the signs and the menu. I always liked the vibe of this place – very island – caribbean feel to me.
We grabbed two seats at the bar and ordered a couple of beers. We were only going to stay for one but a very pleasant gentleman by the name of Spike sat down next to my husband. He began talking to us and mentioned how he was waiting for his wife who was shopping. The next thing you know we ordered another round. It wasn’t our intent but things like that happen a lot in Key West. Plus it was so nice to talk to people again.
I knew time was ticking away, so we finished up our conversation and headed back out to the Tuna. When we walked in Zack and Carl were already playing. Luckily there were seats at the bar, but the ones that were available were directly in the sun. I tried to tough it out but it was hot. My husband suggested we sit at a table and that was the best decision to make. It was still hot but not directly in the sun. There now is a covering that is connected from the bar to the stage to help with the sun. They also expanded the stage a lot so you have to be careful if you need to use the restroom facilities.
We ordered a couple of appetizers and enjoyed watching them play. While they were playing Kai showed up with their dog (Bullet). He is such an easy going cute little dog.
When the show was over I was able to get a picture of all of us and I was so excited.
Ironically Zack was playing later that night at Ramshead so we planned on going back see him play and have dinner there since we didn’t have any plans that evening.
We walked back to the Gardens to freshen up and regroup. Ramshead Southernmost isn’t far from the Gardens. Just a quick walk down Duval to Petronia.
When we got there Zack was already playing and we grabbed a couple of seats at the bar.
I ordered the “tuna boats” and my husband had the peel ‘n eat shrimp. We were planning on ordering more but I was good for the moment.
While Zack was playing friends of his, Natalie, Ron, Janice and Matt showed up. We have met Natalie and Ron before so it was nice to see them again.
We wound up having a great time talking to one another that we stayed there even after Zack’s show. In fact we closed the place. In hindsight we should have left earlier because I had planned going out with our friend Billy the next day on his boat to Snipes, but we were having so much fun.
Eventually we left and started heading back to the hotel when my husband stopped to grab us a couple of slices of pizza. At that point I was pretty hungry and it hit the spot. I can’t remember the name of the place but it is close to Angela Street. Once the slices of pizza were consumed we went back to the Gardens and called it a night.
Wednesday, May 12th – Plan B – Relaxing at the Gardens, Back at the Tuna
I was able to get in touch with our friend Billy a few days earlier and we were set to go at 10:00am He would pick us up right at the Gardens and take us to the marina. We wound up sleeping in a little figuring that we would get coffee and a couple of sandwiches at Cuban Coffee Queen for breakfast.
We didn’t bother taking showers since we were planning on going on the boat. When we arrived at Cuban Coffee Queen there was a huge long line. I was starting to think we had the wrong idea. There wasn’t enough time to wait for food so we agreed that we would just get coffee and ask Billy to stop somewhere so we can grab something for breakfast.
While we were standing there waiting, which felt like an eternity, I mentioned to my husband that I was really thirsty and that when we got to the front of the line I needed a bottle of water. A few moments later I felt very light-headed and not well that I had to sit down. Most likely a combination from the night/day before and the heat. Plus not staying hydrated enough.
My husband did finally reach the front of the line and order coffee and water. While we were sitting there I realized it probably would not be a good idea to go out on the water that day in the sun and heat. Our friends boat is more or less a fishing boat, so there is not much shade on it at all.
So I wound up getting in touch with our friend Billy to tell him the verdict. I felt terrible but he was very understanding. I told him we would make arrangements for another day but with only a few days left it unfortunately never happened.
Plan B – wound up being finding a place for breakfast. We started walking down Duval and wound up at Bagatelle’s. I tend to stay away from restaurants on Duval because of the crowds, but Bagatelle’s is always a solid choice for breakfast.
We walked up the stairs and I saw there was a table available on the porch. Nice! This is another great place to watch the world go by when you sit on the porch. For breakfast I wound up ordering an omelet while my husband had the biscuits with a sausage gravy. It looked really good, but I would need a nap after eating that.
My review of Bagatelle’s: https://bit.ly/2RCOqjp
I started feeling myself again and when we were finished with our breakfast we walked back to the Gardens. We both agreed that the best thing to do for the day was to relax by the pool.
Jumping in that pool was indeed the perfect medicine. The cold water felt wonderful. I knew that it was probably the right decision to postpone the boat trip even though I still felt awful for cancelling the trip with our friend Billy. I think I needed the time to relax and unwind instead of being on the go which we had been doing pretty much every day.
Zack was playing that afternoon at Willie T’s again but my husband suggested we should just wait until that night to see him play with Caffeine Carl and the band at the Tuna. We didn’t have plans for dinner again so I suggested that we could go to the Tuna a little earlier and try to get better seats and something to eat.
We freshened up and made our way back towards Duval.
On the way we saw that Zack was leaving at Willie T’s so we stopped by to say hello. Natalie, Ron, Janice and Matt were there as well. Another musician we like to see is John LaMere and he was setting up. Not before long he started playing and we decided to stay a bit longer and watch some of his set. It was fun to see him play again since it had been a while.
It was getting later in the evening and we were getting hungry so we walked down to the Tuna.
The band that was playing when we walked in were called Hey Monea. They were quite good.
We wound up finding two seats at the bar and low and behold was Ed and Erin (Carl’s wife) both bartending that evening. It was so nice to see them.
We ordered a couple of drinks and shared their version of jalapeno poppers which are wrapped in bacon. Anything wrapped in bacon is addictive. My husband had the shrimp basket and opted for the fish dip, which is like having tunafish salad. It was still pretty warm out and I wasn’t in the mood for something hot. When we were done eating we decided to move to one of the tables closer to the front. The bar was getting more and more crowded making even warmer.
I wasn’t feeling so great again so the table was a better option. Zack and the band came on and we watched the first set. I wanted to stay longer but I just did not feel well and couldn’t drink or get comfortable. We wound up going back to the room and getting some sleep in the cold air conditioning.
Thursday, May 13th – Seeing What’s Changed and Café Solé
I think this was the first morning we both slept in and it felt great. It was another sunny morning and I wanted to try Blue Heaven for breakfast. We never made it there during our last visit so it was on my to-do list. As usual we made our first stop to Cuban Coffee Queen. There wasn’t much of a line this time so we were able to get our coffees in a timely matter. I also brought a bottle of water with me just in case.
We walked down Duval to Petronia, passing Ramshead and then I started to see people, a lot of people standing outside the entrance to Blue Heaven. I also noticed that across the way they implemented a waiting area and a bar of some sort. We both looked at each other and thought Blue Heaven has good breakfasts but not good enough to wait an hour.
Then I thought of the Moondog Café since it is close by and they always have a solid breakfast as well as dinner. When we walked to the door we noticed the sign to wear a mask upon entering. Thank goodness we had ours with us. We could have eaten outside but the bar was empty and it was nice and cool inside.
We sat down and ordered the standard two egg breakfast. While we were waiting I was watching a young gentlemen make fresh key lime pie. It was quite impressive how quickly he was assembling them.
My review of Moondog Café: https://bit.ly/3flwOS1
After breakfast we started walking around. (Again we noticed a lot more people in Key West. Even the side roads had a lot of foot traffic. There was even a line to take the Mile 0 sign photo every time we walked by – which is now on the opposite side of the road below the end of Highway 1 sign).
I wanted to see what has changed since the last time we were there. We had not made it up towards the Bite at that point (besides going to Prime) so that’s the direction we went.
We walked down Duval all the way to Front Street. We walked by the Galleon and past where the old White Tarpon was located. Now it is a Wahlbergers. It looked so strange to see.
Then we walked by where the Boathouse used to be and now it is the White Tarpon.
We continued our walk past Schooner Wharf and Turtle Kraal which is now going to be the Boathouse which wasn’t open yet. I thought it was an odd color choice for the building but I suppose once all the doors are open it will come together nicely.
Then my husband wanted to check out the new restaurant Marylin’s located where the Dirty Pig used to be on Grinnell St. We walked in and I loved the vibe of the place. It was like an old school dinner. The young gentlemen that seated us was very charming.
We ordered a couple of drinks and looked over the menu for a potential future visit. I had reservations for Cafe Sole so I knew that evening wasn’t an option.
Our next stop was back to the Galleon Sunset Tiki Bar. As another side note, this was the first trip that we would have a full glass of water with everything drink. You had to in order to stay hydrated otherwise I would have felt like I did the previous morning.
While we were enjoying the view we saw this huge ship sail on through. It looked like something out the movie Goonies. The bartender told us the name of the ship and how it sails around but the name escapes me.
Once we were hydrated we walked down to Mallory Square. Along the way I noticed the old Rum Barrel is now called Scotty’s. It looked like it had a cool bar up top but we didn’t go in.
When we got to Mallory Square we saw the same ship docked. It was so cool to see it close up like that.
We were going to stop at El Meson De Pepe but they had the bar area closed off. I wasn’t sure if it was due to COVID restrictions or what so we kept walking.
I knew Zack was playing at Willie T’s that afternoon so we started to head back in that direction. I was thinking of stopping at Rick’s but my favorite seats (the perch) were taken so again we kept walking. Then we passed the Tree Bar and my husband recognized the bartender Ed from the Tuna so we stopped and sat down.
Ironically while we were talking to Ed, the bartender Terry knew my name. She recognized me from doing all the artwork for Zack during the past several years. It was funny. She was really nice. We didn’t expect to stop at that bar but wound up staying a bit longer (as usual) then expected talking to them and also to a couple of other people that sat down.
Eventually we said our goodbyes and made it to Willie T’s. We were able to find a table that was mostly in the shade thank goodness. They have the fans blasting there which helps, but in that sun I would overheat. We wound up getting to Zack’s show a bit later then intended but it was fun to catch him again.
Our dinner reservations were at 6:00pm so we couldn’t stay for the entire show. We told Zack we would catch him again tomorrow.
We made it back to the Gardens to get ready for dinner. On our way out I saw a familiar face. It was Kate who owns the Gardens Hotel. I redid their logo a few years ago and she was probably the easiest client that I ever worked for. It was great to see her again. That’s another reason why we love staying at the Gardens, besides it being such a beautiful place, the staff is so nice and welcoming each and every time we stay there.
It was getting close to 6:00pm so we had to book it to Cafe Sole. It’s not too far from the hotel. Just a few blocks down Simonton and a right turn onto Southard St. all the way to Frances St. and it is right on the corner. I think it is about a 3 minute walk? I remember during are earlier visits to Key West before we got our bearings straight, we would have such a hard time finding the restaurant and now it is super easy.
We were a couple of minutes late but it wasn’t an issue. I prefer sitting outside, but due to the heat we wound up sitting inside. And so was everyone else. No one was sitting outside.
We each order a nice glass of sauvignon blanc while perusing the menu. It was no surprise that my husband and I are were going to order their signature hogfish entree for dinner. I wasn’t exactly sure what to pick for my appetizer but then saw they had foie gras. I know it’s probably something I shouldn’t order but it is so decadent and thought hey I am on vacation why not? My husband went with the escargot which I was happy about because I wanted to try one.
Our appetizers came out and I was a bit disappointed with the foie gras.
It was like a hard kind of mousse in a jar served with bread. It was like eating butter. I tried to power through it but I wasn’t a fan. The figs that came with it were delicious though. Thankfully I had a couple pieces of my husband’s appetizer.
Then our entrees came out. I thought the hogfish looked a bit larger or thicker then normal but it was still delicious. I think it is that sauce that makes it. You can put that sauce on anything and it will taste wonderful. It is like a hollandaise sauce and a roasted red pepper sauce infused together.
As usual we passed on dessert and walked back to the hotel. It was still early enough that the bar was still open. Kate was also still there so we were able to chat for a few minutes before she left. She just came back from Las Vegas.
Then we walked back to our room and relaxed on our porch before turning in for the night. It was a nice way to end the evening.
Friday, May 14th – Last Full Day – Already???
We woke up and it was the first time it was cloudy. It was a welcomed surprise because it kept the temperature down. After our usual stop for coffee we wanted to try Blue Heaven again. It was before 9 o’clock this time so we thought there shouldn’t be much of a wait. We were wrong. As we were nearing the entrance you could see all the people already waiting. What the??? I guess you have to get there right when they open now.
We turned around and started walking back to Duval passing Ramshead. We could have eaten there but it was also packed. Then I remembered the restaurant Azur is usually nice and quiet since it is off the beaten path. I checked my phone and it wasn’t too far of a walk for us.
When we arrived at Azur, they too had the mask requirement and thankfully we still had our masks with us. We walked in and sat inside. During breakfast we were contemplating our game plan for the day. I didn’t have anything planned and didn’t want to go back to the hotel since it was our last day. So after another good breakfast at Azur we set out to walk around again.
My review of Azur: https://bit.ly/34kssUR
We wanted to stop by and see Al at the Sunset Pier since we had not seen him in a while. We walked down to check out the beach at the end of Simonton St., but the weather at the time didn’t make it look too inviting.
We made it to Mallory Square to look around and do some shopping.
The skies were starting to clear again but it was still comfortable enough to head over to Sunset Pier to see Al.
It was nice to see him again. We ordered a couple of drinks and water and listened to the live music.
I wasn’t sure who he was but he was pretty good. He played a lot of music from the 90s which is my genre of choice.
Zack was playing again at Willie T’s so that was going to be our next move. Along the way we checked to see if Gabriel Wright was playing at Captain Tony’s but it was someone else so we kept on walking.
My husband was getting hungry so we walking into Jack Flat’s for something to eat. We always say to each other how something always happens sports related while we are away. Unfortunately the last time it was when Kobe Bryant perished in that horrific helicopter crash. Another time was when Jason Pierre-Paul (former NY Giant) shot off his hand with fireworks (and we are Giant fans). This time the big news was Tim Tebow returning to football as a TE to the Jaguars.
While we were sitting at Jack Flat’s we were trying to figure out where to eat dinner. I was thinking Blue Heaven, but forget that if you are a party under 6 you can’t make a reservation and with our past luck I didn’t want to chance having to wait a while.
We always enjoyed Martin’s for Happy Hour but when we walked by there the other day going to La Te Da, we checked out the menu and it looked very enticing. With not much hope of them having anything available I called. When I called they said they did have availability at 6:30. I thought perfect.
When we were done we walked just a few steps down to Willie T’s to see Zack. We found a table again in the shade thank goodness. While we were waiting for our drinks from the server, two people started shouting out my husband’s name. I am thinking to myself who are these people? It turned out they are customers of my husband’s. (He owns an auto repair garage with his brother back here in NJ). What a small world we all thought. So of course we had to sit together and stayed longer then planned.
It was nearing our reservation time so we had to get moving. We said goodbye to my husband’s customers and walked down to Martin’s.
Usually we sit at the bar for Happy Hour, but it was such a nice change to sit outside in the back of the restaurant. It wasn’t too hot and our table was perfect.
For dinner my husband had the beef wellington and I had the black grouper. I don’t think we could have done much better for our last dinner in Key West.
My review of Martin’s: https://bit.ly/3ujeHAx
Zack was playing with Carl again that night so we went back to the hotel to freshen up. We made it back to the Tuna and it was packed. We were able to find two seats at the corner of the bar. We did manage to make it until the first set break, but the day started to catch up with us. I knew that tomorrow was going to be a long one with it being a travel day and all.
So we left and walked back down to Duval to Angela St. and to the Gardens.
Saturday – May 15th – Going Home
Earlier in the week we had made plans with Zack and his son to have breakfast before we left. It has become sort of a tradition going to Sarabeth’s for our last meal. It makes it a nice way to end our trip.
I got up first to get ready and started putting things back into the luggage. I love packing for trips, but despise unpacking. Once my husband was ready we made our last stop at Cuban Coffee Queen and met Zack and Kai at Sarabeth’s. After breakfast we said our goodbye’s.
We went back to the Garden’s to finish gathering up all our belongings. Our flight was scheduled at 12:45pm so I had the front desk arrange for a taxi to pick us up at 11:15am. We grabbed our luggage and made that walk of woe through the Gardens and to the front to wait for our taxi.
While we were waiting there was another couple there who were also going to the airport. And the gentleman mentioned how we don’t recognize them, but they were the couple that my husband helped to get in when they couldn’t open the gate. We all laughed about it. It was funny. It made the ride back to the airport more enjoyable.
Checking in through security was a breeze and our flight left on time. However once we got to cruising altitude there was a loud bang that happened causing the plane to move so much that the flight attendant standing almost fell. Then she sat back in her seat. We had no idea what happened.
Moments later (which felt like eternity) the captain comes on the intercom and explained to us that it was a clean air pocket of turbulence that it was unexpected and that everything was under control. He also said that we would be experiencing more pockets of turbulence throughout the flight. He was right. The entire flight was so bumpy that I couldn’t sleep but we did make it back to Newark International Airport safely and on time.
Our car service was waiting for us to take us home and before we knew it we were back home by 5:30pm.
This was a very special trip for me. I was a bit apprehensive about traveling and not knowing what to expect, but definitely being fully vaccinated eased both of our concerns.
I feel so lucky that after the year we had we were fortunate enough to return to my happy place. Key West continues to hold a special place in my heart with its beauty, warm people and great friends.
Thanks for taking the time to read my blog…..
Until next time!
This would mark our 14th time to the St. John (15th to the Virgin Islands). We started going back in 2003 and fell in love with St. John right away. We were supposed to go back again last October but Hurricane Maria and Irma changed that. Thankfully the villa we we reserved was not damaged so we were able to keep our deposit with the owner and planned to return the following year. I wasn’t sure if it was too soon to return being that it was just over a year since the hurricanes hit and the island was still in recovery mode. After reading endless trip reports of people returning, I knew I couldn’t wait another year.
As our trip was approaching there was a storm system headed our way. It was remnants of a hurricane that crossed Mexico and was forecasted to go head to the mid-atlantic and create a N’oreaster. Instead of being excited for our vacation, I started to get a sense of doubt that we were not going to be able to go. Two days prior, I received a notice from United Airlines that it was recommended to change our flight being that we were flying out that morning the N’oreaster was supposed to be at its strongest. I thought about flying out a day earlier, but my husband had too many things he had to do before he was closing his business for a week. Then I was thinking about changing our flight to Sunday but the thought of losing a day of our vacation was unsettling. My husband convinced me that we should just wait it out and see what happens. So with fingers crossed we kept our original travel arrangements.
We woke up early to a rainy and windy morning. It wasn’t as bad as I thought and our car service arrived on time. As we drove further east, the rain and winds started to pick up. I was beginning to question our decision. We did make it to Newark airport and passed quickly through security. We were flying directly into St. Thomas via United Airlines. I checked the schedule of flights and noticed not one delay. I couldn’t believe it. We had some time so we checked into the United Club Lounge for a snack and much needed coffee.
It seemed like an eternity, but it was finally time to get to our gate. Once we got there we noticed there was no plane. My heart just sank. I checked the United App and noticed the plane that we were flying on was delayed. It was coming in from Jacksonville, Florida. I figured it was most likely due to the weather. Thankfully the plane was only delayed about 30 minutes and it did make it to our gate. Eventually we boarded the plane and were on our way. The flight was a bit bumpy during take off, but once we cleared the storm it was a calm flight. We wound up making up some time during the flight. Soon I could see St. Thomas and St. John through the window. I actually started to tear up a little because it looked so beautiful and I couldn’t believe that we were actually going to be there.
Once we landed we quickly departed the plane. It is always so nice to have carry on so you don’t have to wait for your luggage. A few other planes also had arrived so when we went through the airport there was someone playing steel drums and people offering samples of Cruzan Rum. The airport was alive and busy. It was such a happy thing to both hear and see. After we grabbed a shot, we waited for a taxi. Once the driver had enough people to fill up the van, we were on our way to Red Hook to catch the ferry. It was around 2:15 and didn’t think we were going to make the 3pm ferry. Luckily there were no cruise ships in port so traffic was minimal. As we got closer to Red Hook, the driver assured everyone we would make the 3pm ferry. Surprisingly he was right. 
Once we were dropped off, my husband paid the driver and grabbed our luggage, while I went to get tickets. Within a few minutes it was time to get on the ferry. I always choose to sit up top so I can see St. John come in to view. I had to get in contact with our villa manager so that she knew we were on our way. Since the villa was located very close to Cruz Bay, she gave us driving directions to meet her there.
Once we arrived at the dock we gathered our luggage and walked up to Bougainvillea Leasing to pick up our 4 door Jeep Wrangler. I wasn’t used to walking up the hill with our luggage that we had. Usually the villa manager drives us to pick up our jeep. It was a bit of a hike but we made it. Once we got our jeep we drove out to our villa. The villa was called Three Palms Villa located right next to Sea Shure Allure and Coconut Coast Villas. It was definitely a change for us. 
We quickly settled in and unpacked our things. I had ordered provisions from St. John Provisioning ahead of time so we had plenty of refreshments and snacks. We were both pretty tired from the travel day so we just decided to stay in that evening and kick back on the patio outside. I was so happy to be back in St. John, my other happy place. 
We heard that supposedly a new small hotel will take its place. It will be a prime location with great views of Cruz Bay.
We took a few moments before going back to the jeep and onto Hawksnest. We pulled into the parking lot and it was packed. We later found out that Hawksnest is a popular beach for locals especially on Sundays since it is very convenient for them to get to after church mass. 
Luckily we were able to find a spot and walked onto the beach. We noticed right away that the beach was much wider and a lot less shade. We found a nice spot to put our things and to relax for a while. It was hot and sunny. The water again looked amazing. 
We did notice though there wasn’t really any wind so it did make it a bit hot to sit out on the beach. We would take turns going into the water. I brought my snorkel gear and was eager to try it out, however the water was a bit too choppy that day and the visibility wasn’t great so I didn’t. It was still nice enough to go in and swim for a while. 
A few hours passed and we were getting pretty hot and needed a break from the sun. We walked back to the jeep and drove back towards Cruz Bay. We wanted to check out the new Tap Room so we made that our first stop. They did a really nice job and the bar is quite large and room. We ordered a couple of drinks and cooled off for a little while.
Then we realized that it was getting close to football time. We are avid Giant fans and knew the game was on at 1pm. They have been having a terrible season once again, but we still wanted to catch the game. We drove to the Wharfside and parked the jeep at Slim Man’s Parking Lot. 
The entire area of the Wharfside was redone, even down to the cement walkway. It looked really nice. However the Beach Bar, Joe’s Rum Hut and the area that once housed the Waterfront Bistro were all still under repair. 
The only are that looked like there was any progress was the Beach Bar. 
We were hoping it was going to be open when we arrived on St. John, but it looked like they still have a while to go. 
We walked over to High Tide which looked like it always has. We found a couple of seats at the bar with a good view of the television screens. The game was just starting so we ordered a couple of drinks. 
We stayed until about halftime as the Giants looked terrible once again. At least they views of Cruz Bay put me in a better mood then watching the game. We wanted to catch the rest of the game back at our villa so we paid our tab and drove back to Three Palms Villa. 
Our day trip to Jost Van Dyke was the next day so we didn’t want to be out that late. We figured we would go somewhere that had some sort of happy hour specials. Once we freshen up we drove back to town. We parked again at Slimman’s and walked toward Longboard. The place was packed and figured that we should try somewhere else. 
Then I remember reading that Rhumb Lines recently started doing Happy Hour as well. We saw the sign that they were open and that from 4-6pm they have specials but you have to sit at the bar. We didn’t have a problem with that and thought it sounded right up our alley. We walked in and the place was empty besides just one other person at the bar. I noticed that the back area of the restaurant was a lot more open now. I assumed that a lot of the vegetation most have gotten destroyed in the hurricane. However the place itself looked mostly the same as I remembered it. 
The catamaran picked us up over at the National Park Dock. It was nice and spacious. We all found spots on the boat where we could settle in to enjoy the sail over to Jost. It was another beautiful day. We noticed again there was no wind so it got quite hot on the boat. 
We passed by Caneel and again it was so sad to see. 
We eventually made it over to Jost. We had to check in to customs at Great Harbour first before going over to White Bay. We were able to take the dingy over so we stayed dry on our way over. Once we got the okay that we were all checked in we walked down to Foxy’s. 
I couldn’t get over how so much vegetation was gone. Most of the shops on the way were open but we just wanted to have a cold beverage at Foxy’s. When we walked down we noticed that Foxy himself was back on island. It was great to see him again. 
We enjoyed listening to him play a few songs while we had a drink. While we were sitting down a taxi came by and a lady asked us if we needed a ride. It turned out to be our friend Joan who runs Sugar and Spice, a little luncheonette place on Great Harbour. I was so happy to see her, because I wound up bringing a couple of t-shirts for her that I designed for Sugar and Spice. Unfortunately I left them on the boat, but I knew Leon Miller another friend of ours was now bartending at the Soggy Dollar Bar so I told her I would give them to Leon. She thanked us and told us to come by her shop, but we knew everyone wanted to head on over to White Bay so we said our goodbyes and told her we would see her again next year. 
The water felt so good since it was so hot out. Not before long we all made it to the Soggy Dollar Bar and saw our friend Leon. It was nice to see him again. I asked him to give the t-shirts to Joan since we wouldn’t be back at Great Harbour. 
We spent the afternoon talking and relaxing. It was a fun day. 
Our usual tradition after spending a day out on Jost is to walk on over to Margarita Phil’s for a to go order. 
We weren’t sure if they were open, but when we walked on over I noticed a few people sitting outside. We walked in and ordered a couple of margaritas while we were waiting for our order. 
Once our order was ready we walked back to pick up our jeep and drove back to the villa. I was really hungry by the time we got back. We sat inside and had our dinner. It was tasty and hit the spot. I had shrimp enchiladas and my husband had a mix of a few tacos and enchiladas. A day out on the water always knocks me out. I think I was up only for about an hour after I had our dinner. Needless to say we went to sleep early.
I wasn’t sure if we were getting bit overnight or while we were outside in the evening, but they were quite bad during our stay. Plus with the lack of wind it didn’t help keep the noseeums or mosquitos away. I did find that if you use tea tree oil, it does help a lot with the itchiness. 
I did try to snorkel around but didn’t see much besides a sting ray and a few fish. 
It was nice time relaxing and swimming in Trunk Bay. We noticed more people come on to the beach as the day went on. 
It was amazing to see how it came back so quickly. They did such a great job rebuilding the place. Normally when we would go on lobster night the place would be packed so that was the reason behind having the 5:30 reservation. 
When we walked in there just one other couple waiting. We were seated along the balcony which I always love watching the sunset. 
We both had the lobster special but to start I had the red snapper ceviche and my husband had the fried calamari. I was really hungry at this point so everything tasted so good. Then our 1 and 1/2 lb. lobsters came out. I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to finish it, but I did. The lobster was really fresh. 
There was a guy playing guitar and it was a fun way to end the evening. 
We only stayed for one before going back to the villa. I think we were asleep by 8:30.
It was a little bit on the cooler side, but once I grabbed my snorkel gear I warmed up a bit. I didn’t go out too far but did see a nice variety of fish. Earlier we saw a shark swim by along the shore so I was a bit apprehensive to go all the way out and stayed near the shore. 
We had a nice time chatting for a bit before we had enough beach time for the day. We said our goodbyes and would meet up the next day at Maho for a Forum Beach Day. 
We walked up to Woody’s and found a couple of seats outside. They were right in the sun so it was hot but powered through it with a refreshing rum punch. 
We managed to squeak our way past all everyone dressed up and into Greengos. We walked in and it looked like a lot of other people had the same idea. We were able to find a couple seats at the bar.
We contemplated going to check out Tap & Still since they had the Halloween Party but we were tired at that point and just went back to the villa.
I always find the Maho Bay overlook so peaceful. It was so beautiful and green. It is amazing how there was something so tragic that happened in just over a year ago.
They crossed the road and then came down to the beach. Then we spotted Steve and Adrian who we met the previous day at Francis. 
We couldn’t believe how many donkeys were in the group. I think we counted at least 10 and even one of them was a darker brown color. 
I took a ton of pictures of them on the beach. Then I realized that some of them were drinking the salt water. I didn’t think that they did drink it but it was pretty amazing to see all of them at once. 
Usually when we go to a beach on St. John it is just the two of us, but this was so much fun. We had a great time meeting everyone and just hanging out.
Kelly and Rick that we met on the charter to Jost also showed up with something I have never seen before. It was a raft that had a bull in it. It was hilarious watching everyone trying to get on the thing. I wasn’t about to but did think about it for only about a second. We had so much fun that afternoon. 
I think it was the longest amount of time we had ever been on the beach. Eventually we started to feel the sun and I felt like I was overheating a bit even in the water. So we wound packing up our things and thanking everyone for a great time. 
We immediately saw a few peacocks walking around. It was so strange to see. Then we noticed that the studio was open so we walked in. I wanted to meet the owner’s mother but unfortunately she wasn’t there. We walked around and it was a cute little studio. I wound up buying a calendar and a beautiful set of coasters of hand painted sea turtles.
We walked down to a restaurant I always was intrigued about trying, The Terrace Restaurant. We walked in and it had a nice atmosphere where you can see the sunset setting over Cruz Bay. We sat down at the bar and were welcomed by the friendly bartender. I ordered a beet martini which sounds very odd, but it was really good and not too sweet. My husband had their pepper olive martini. While we were enjoying our cocktails we agreed that we should come back for our last night and have dinner there. 
We thanked the staff and walked down to La Tapa. They were just opening up so there were just a few people inside. 
We walked up and we were seated at the tiny bar. I picked out a nice bottle of red wine to go with our dinner.
It was definitely a different dining experience then sitting outside, but it felt cozy. 
After a few cups of coffee drove to town and parked our jeep. We walked up to Connections and went inside. The nice lady at the counter told us to find a recyclable box that was stacked next to the back door. I couldn’t believe my husband found a box that fit everything perfectly. It took a few minutes but all and all it was very easy to do. She told us that it would ship out the following day and that I would get an email confirmation. Perfect! (and as a side note it only took two days for our snorkel gear to be delivered back home). 
I checked my phone and saw that the Sun Dog Cafe serves brunch which is just what we needed. We walked to the bar and grabbed a few seats. No one was there for a while but weren’t in a rush. Eventually an older gentleman comes up to us and apologizes. 
Apparently there was a mix up with the staff and he was the owner. He started to set up the bar to get things ready. We ordered two screwdrivers which we later realized they have endless screwdrivers, bloody marys and mimosas. That could be dangerous. As we were drinking the screwdrivers we realized they were made with pineapple juice and not orange juice. It was still good but we told the bartender/owner because he was about to make a mimosa for another customer having breakfast. He apologized and wound up buying our drinks which was really nice. Then another guy showed up to relieve the owner until they could get someone else to show up for the day. It was definitely entertainment for us. 
For breakfast I had the huervos rancheros and my husband had the breakfast quesadillas which were huge. I couldn’t believe. We both enjoyed our breakfast – it was a nice surprise. Eventually a waitress that works at Sun Dog Cafe showed up to bar tend for the remainder of the morning/afternoon. She told us she never bar tended before, just waitressed so we actually helped her how to make some of the mixed drinks. It was pretty funny. We probably could have stayed longer but didn’t want to keep drinking so we wished her luck and were on our way. 
We ordered a couple beer and not before long we saw David and Becky that we met the previous day at Maho Bay. 
It was nice to talk to them and eventually Rick, Christine and Brenda arrived. What we originally thought was going to be a drink and go wound up being a fun afternoon. Everyone decided to skip the beach that day since we were all out at Maho for a while the day before. 
We could not have asked for a better last day on St. John spending it with new friends. It was getting close to the time we had dinner reservations so we said our goodbyes and drove back to the villa. 
We had early reservations at the Terrace Restaurant so when we walked in there was just one other table. We were seated in the corner on the terrace. 
It was the perfect setting for our last dinner on St. John. 
For appetizers I decided to go with the oysters rockefeller and my husband choose the escargot. We each shared them and they were so good. Then for dinner I ordered the stuffed prawns served with risotto while my husband had their signature mac and cheese with truffle oil and wild mushrooms. I sampled his mac and cheese and it was so rich but so delicious. The prawns that I ordered were cooked perfectly. 
We were supposed to meet the rest of the group there but I knew we were on the earlier side. After we got through half of our cocktails I was just too tired to stay out any later. I wanted to see everyone last time but I just couldn’t do it. So we wound up leaving and going back to the villa.
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog…. until next time!
We woke up to a beautiful morning. Ironically a heat wave was headed to the tri-state area while we were traveling to Key West with cooler temperatures. We arrived at Newark Liberty International Airport and breezed through security with TSA Pre. It is definitely worth doing since you don’t have to remove your shoes and whatnot, even though lines are long they move so quickly.
When we got to the Gardens I saw Jim (the general manager) and he welcomed us back. Check in was quick and easy. 
We unpacked our things and made our way onto Duval. It is always such a great feeling making that turn onto the street. Last time we were in Key West back in April I wanted to capture the walk on my camera but unfortunately the battery died. I replaced the battery for this trip and was able to capture it finally! 
My first drink of choice was a Moscow Mule. It definitely hit the spot since it was so cold. We just sat there for a while just taking it all in that we were back again in Key West. No matter how many times we come back, I still just get so happy. 
I remembered that our friend Gabriel Wright plays at Captain Tony’s. So after our drinks, we walked down to Captain Tony’s. He was on break so we were able to chat with him before he went back to play. We ordered a couple of beers and sat there for a while. 
I kept checking my watch because I wanted to be sure we would have enough time to see Zack Seemiller at Rick’s. (As a side note, I have been doing graphic design work for Zack for the past several years). It was about 2:30 and we said good by to Gabriel and made the short walk to Rick’s. It was funny because again I wanted to surprise Zack that we were back in town, so I walked in behind a group of girls that were making their way in the same time. I then just stood there for a second until he recognized it was me. I had pulled off another surprise! It was great to see him again. 
We grabbed a couple of seats at the outside bar and listened to him play until his set was done. Unfortunately Zack was playing up the Keys later that evening so we didn’t have much time to talk to him before he had to leave. Luckily he was still going to be in town so we would see him again at Hog’s Breath on Monday. 
We stayed for a while listening to Carl play. It was a lot of fun. It was getting late and I definitely reached my limit. Luckily there was a cab right outside the Tuna that my husband grabbed. It wasn’t that long of a walk back but it probably wouldn’t be a pretty walk back. Once we got to the Gardens it was time to get some sleep after a long first day.
I decided to give it a try and my husband had the regular Cuban American. It was surprisingly very good and in a way calmed my stomach. With our coffees in our hand, we walked down to Blue Heaven. It was just around 9:00 am so we didn’t have to wait for a table. 
After a quick stop at the Gardens we walked down to Peppers. They weren’t open yet, so we walked on over to the Schooner Wharf for something to drink. 
It was a little early for a drink, but at this point why not? You’re in Key West! It was tougher then I thought to get the first drink down, but I managed. I looked at my watch and saw that Peppers should be open at that point. We paid our tab and walked back down to Peppers. 
This is another one of our go to places to just sit down and enjoy the views of the water. Plus the people that work there are very friendly. We sat down for a bit wound up catching the end of the World Cup came and I believe Russia won. After we caught the ending of the game, we made our way to Hog’s Breath to see Gabriel Wright again. 
When we walked in he was a break again, so we found a couple of seats before he went back on. Once he started, we made a few requests and enjoyed listening to him play. 
His parents came by, along with his fiancé. So we all were talking and having a great time. We wound up staying for a while.
I asked the bartender Jerry to change the one channel so we could catch the end of the Nascar race. My driver, Harvick didn’t win, but it was still fun to be able to see it.
A new musician by the name of Ike Kanakanu, who was scheduled to play at 5:00 pm walked up to me and asked me if I was from St. John, since I was wearing my High Tide shirt from there (it’s a well know restaurant in St. John). I told him that we go there all the time and we started chatting. He used to live there for a couple of years, he was originally from Hawaii. He was a really nice guy. I also gave him my business card in case he was looking for any graphics work that I could do for him. It was time for him to start and we stayed a bit longer listening to him play. He was really good. Again, we probably stayed too long but we were having fun. 
At this point we were getting pretty hungry and I knew my husband wanted to go back to Berlin’s for dinner. It was time for us to get back and freshened up for dinner.
We couldn’t stay too long because we needed to refuel ourselves with much needed food. We said our good byes to him and wished a safe trip.
It was perfect – we were the only ones in there. The bartender Gage remembered us from last time. I ordered the Oysters Rockefeller and my husband had the Tuna Tartar. For our entrees I had the yellowtail snapper and my husband had the prime rib. I actually had a couple bites of the prime rib, even though I normally don’t eat red meat and it was delicious. Everything we had was perfect. It is a pricey place to eat, but the food is always really good.
We met up with our friend Joe Cortner who we usually see there. We sat down and talked to him for a bit. We told him we would meet up with him again at some point.
We made the walk down Duval to La De Ta. The sun was quiet strong so we made sure to stay on the side of the road that had the shade. We sat down at the bar and ordered breakfast. The bartender Kathy was really sweet and turns out her boyfriend used to bar tended at the Gardens as well that we knew. Small world. For breakfast I just had scrambled eggs with sour cream and chives and my husband had the regular american breakfast. Their smoked maple pepper bacon was delicious. We enjoyed the breakfast very much and noticed it didn’t take as long as last time we were there for our orders. After breakfast we walked back to the Gardens to relax for a bit before going back out on Duval. 
We lucked out when we got in there and were able to find two seats available near where they were playing. We had such a great time just listening to them play. In fact we stayed until the end of the show. 
I also saw on the Tuna schedule that Joal Rush was in town and was playing at the Tuna. So after Zack and Kai’s show, we made our way back down Duval to the Gardens. 
After a quick shower and feeling rejuvenated, we made it to the Tuna. I wasn’t too hungry since it was so hot that I figured we would just order some light fare and listen to Joal. 
I always enjoy their fish dip there, which is more or less like tuna fish salad. It was the perfect thing for me to have. My husband had ordered the coconut shrimp appetizer. I also sampled several, if not half the order, and then he had a burger.
The rains did finally subside and Joal came back on for a few more songs. Then it was time to see Carl play. It was a fun night. We wound up taking a cab back since it was easier then trying to make the walk back.
They had a nice spread of scrambled eggs, sausage, bagels, fruit and several other pastries.
Soon it was time for Billy to pick us up. He gave us a call when he was in front of the hotel and soon were on our way to Garrison Bight Marina. He also loaded up the boat with refreshments so we didn’t have to stop before we got on the boat.
It was probably only about a 30 minute ride out through the Gulf and once we got to Snipes, I could see why she was taking her group there. It was just gorgeous. 
We had been out to the sandbar before, but on the Atlantic side, not the Gulf. 
We jumped into the water and the sand was just so soft. The water was only waist high so we walked on over to the beach. 
It was really cool to see how large the beach was and the birds flying around the little island. I was looking for some shells but couldn’t find the perfect one for a necklace, but still it was really nice to be out there and some place new that we haven’t been before.
Billy anchored the boat and swam around for a bit. We noticed more boats coming in having the same idea. Apparently on weekends the place can get pretty crowded with locals and other boating trips. 
It was pretty amazing to go through the mangroves and seeing so many birds like blue herons and other wildlife. It was really beautiful and peaceful. We then anchored again for a bit just to relax. 
We noticed in the distance a pretty large storm over Key West. So when it was time for us to make it back, Billy took us back a longer way, but we completely avoided the storm.
We made it back to the marina without ever getting rain on us. We thanked Billy for a great trip I and suggested that he do that trip again with other people in the future since it was so beautiful and different. 
Once Billy dropped us back off at the Gardens we needed to shower. Then I remember Zack was playing at Willie T’s so we walked down Duval to see him again. His son Kai was there again so we listened to both of them play for a bit. 
If I didn’t look it up on my phone, I probably would have passed the place.
We walked in and saw Danny right away. He sat us at the bar and it was perfect. I looked around and the place was tiny. 
I was really excited too because everything they serve there is so fresh. They don’t even have a refrigerator. Everything is on ice. I had to try their oysters on the half shell for an appetizer and I was so glad I did. They were probably the best oysters I have ever had. My husband had their tuna tartare brulee. For dinner I had their fresh local snapper served over pearl couscous and my husband had their pasta dish that had clams, shrimp, calamari and local fish.
We sat down and chatted for a bit. It is always a nice way to start our day. We wished Joe a happy 4th and walked down Duval and onto Greene St. to the Breakfast Club Too. I remembered last time we were there I saw their breakfast being served in a cast iron skillet and later found out they were called rostis. I made sure I ordered one of them this time. Once Zack and Kai arrived we were seated at a table inside since it was really warm out.
I wound up ordering the chorizo poblano rostis which was very good but also very filling. It was nice to just enjoy a great breakfast with our friends. Zack then mentioned if we ever been to Stock Island and we never had been. He offered to take us around the Keys the next morning for a little tour of the other keys. I was so excited!! I told him without and
It was still nice to sit at the bar and just gaze at the water nearby. We were going out on the Sebago Appledore Star later on that evening to catch the fireworks so we had to be mindful of how much we were drinking that day. 
We walked in and I asked one of the bartenders if Al was working. Unfortunately he was off so we just kept on walking. It was probably just as well, because it would have been too hot to sit in the sun on the pier. 
We walked over to El Meson De Pepe to have one of their overpriced mojitos – but they are really good. 
We walked down to First Flight and it was another good choice, since they have a nice shaded area to sit. There was a guy playing guitar which was perfect to just relax for a bit. 
The Yankee game was on, so we made our next stop Jack Flats. We had not been in there for quite some time. The place is large and there are a ton of large screen TVs, so if you want to catch your favorite sport team, this is the place to do it. 
Then it was time to get something to eat. We said goodbye to Zack and Kai who were also playing later at the Casa Marina. I wanted to see them play there, but I had already booked the sail. 
We were still a little hungry so we walked over to the Half Shell and ordered a dozen oysters. 
They were so good that we ordered another dozen. It probably wasn’t the best idea, because afterwards I didn’t feel that great. Luckily we had some time to just sit and wait before the boat. 
By the time we were able to board the boat I was feeling much better. We got on the boat and it was so hot. The sun was beating down on us and there was no shade since the sails were down which is to be expected. We had to wait for a few people running late which really annoyed me. 
Finally they showed up and we were on our way. I thought I was going to melt on the boat, but once we got on the water the breezes picked up and it was just beautiful.
They took us out not too far from Key West where we watched the sun set into the water. Then the crew put out this great display of food. 
I wasn’t hungry and neither was my husband. I knew they had food on the boat but couldn’t have waited that long to eat. 
The fireworks were amazing and a it was so cool to see it from the water. We did a similar trip a couple years ago and it was enjoyable to do it again. It is a long trip but it was a lot of fun especially since they only have 16 people on the boat. I would also recommend this trip for the 4th of July to see the fireworks. The crew was very nice and accommodating as well.
It was nearing 10:00 pm and the fireworks ended. We sailed back to the marina and thanked the crew for a great time. It was a long day and being out on the water always knocks you out. So we just grabbed a couple of waters and walked back to the Gardens and called it a night.
It was another beautiful morning. We did our usual stop at Cuban Coffee Queen and saw Joe again. 
I knew we were going out with Zack and to the Hogfish Bar and Grill and didn’t want to have anything for breakfast. I knew if I did, I wouldn’t be hungry for lunch. My husband wound up ordering one of their egg sandwiches and it did look good. We just sat for a while talking about what we did the day before. We said goodbye to Joe and then went back to the Gardens to relax for a bit.
My husband just read on the porch and I started to work on my blog. Around 11:00am Zack showed up and we were ready for the Zack tour of the Keys! I was so excited!! 
Our first stop was Five Brothers for a cup of coffee and few bottles of water. Soon we were on our way up the Keys. Before we got on A1A, Zack drove us around a few back roads telling us some stories which was really interesting. 
The next stop was Boca Chica where the Naval Air Station is located to see where their training. We got out of the van and walked around just for a few minutes. 
There was a lot of seaweed washed up on the small beach so the smell was not very pleasant. 
Zack first took us to the new part of the marina, called Stock Island Marina Village and then over to where Hogfish Bar and Grill was. We walked around the pier for a few and it was intriguing. He referred it to what Key West looked like and felt like years ago – the old Key West. 
Then it was time to grab a bite to eat. 
I ordered the fried hogfish tacos and my husband had the fried hogfish and chips. The hogfish was really good. 
I wanted to try the sandwich but wasn’t too sure how I would like the fish with swiss cheese and mushrooms. I am not a huge fan of cheese and fish together.
Soon it was time to get back to Key West. We then had one last stop that Zack wanted to show us, the Casa Marina Resort where he just played with his son on the 4th of July. We parked and walked into the lobby. The place was impressive. I couldn’t believe how big it was. 
It was gorgeous, but to me it didn’t feel like Key West. It felt like it could be a resort anywhere in the Caribbean. Don’t get me wrong it was beautiful, but would rather stay at a place such as the Gardens where you get the true feel of Key West. 
We walked towards the Green Parrot. We decided to stop in for a drink since we hadn’t gone in yet. The place was a bit more crowded then usual but we were able to find two seats at the bar.
Once Zack and Kai were done we said our good byes and told John that we would be back. We went back to the Gardens to freshen up again and tried to decide where to go for dinner.
We were both hungry again so we left Willie T’s and walked down Duval once again. We were thinking about the Roof Top but wanted to try something new. Their food is always good, but they haven’t changed their menu in a while. I remembered seeing on TripAdvisor that the Red Fish Blue Fish had decent reviews.
We walked in and sat at the bar. We ordered a couple of drinks. The bartender was friendly but she was really slow. We were ready to order, but a bunch of people kept walking in to order drinks to go. At this point I thought maybe we made a wrong decision?
After a while she was finally able to take our order. For an appetizer we shared the fried calamari which was decent. Then for dinner I decided to go with the fried whole snapper and my husband ordered the sirloin. We didn’t have to wait very long for our entrees to come out considering how long we had to wait to order. The fish looked better then it tasted. I think it was fried too long because it was pretty try and didn’t have much flavor. I tried some of the mango beurre blanc sauce that was served on the side, but that didn’t add much to the dish. My husband’s sirloin was just okay. All and all I probably wouldn’t go back there, but now I can at least say we tried. 
We walked in and Joal Rush was finishing his set. Not before long Carl was back on stage. Kai, Zack’s son, also stopped by to catch Carl. 
It wound up being an interesting evening because the lights kept going out. Eventually they got everything back up and running and we had a great time listening to Carl play. 
And it is always nice to see his wife Erin behind the bar who always takes care of us. 
Time flew by and we realized it was getting pretty late. 
We headed out probably around midnight or so and walked back to the Gardens.
We wound up sleeping in for a bit since we didn’t have any plans for our last full day. Where did the time go? The week began at a nice and relaxing pace, but before I knew it, we were leaving the next day. We got up and made our first usual stop at Cuban Coffee Queen. We chatted with Joe for a bit and he suggested Bagatelle’s for breakfast. We had not been there for a while decided to give it a try again.
We walked in and it was nice and quiet. We sat outside on the porch which is always great for people watching. Our server was very attentive and friendly. I ordered a mimosa and my husband ordered a screwdriver. 
I decided to go with the huervos rancheros and my husband had the regular breakfast of two eggs with a few sides. It didn’t take long before our breakfast was served and it was really good. After the dinner from the night before it was a relief that we made the right decision for breakfast. 
We walked down Duval and saw that our favorite outside seats at Rick’s were available. We waved at Zack and sat down and listened to him for a while. During his show I guess another fan of Zack’s, came up to me. She recognized that I was with one that works on all the ads with Zack. She wanted to meet me and complimented my work which I thought was really sweet.
Soon it was time to make our next move. We said goodbye again to Zack and Kai and hoped to meet up later that night. My husband and I were needed a quick bite to eat so we walked back to First Flight and sat down at one of the high top tables near the bar. We ordered a couple Moscow Mules and that probably wasn’t the best decision. They are very good, but strong. 
We ordered a basket of fries that was served with an amazing tasty cajun aioli. I getting really hot sitting there because the sun was beating down on me. It got to the point that we had to leave and get back to the Gardens to cool off with a shower. I knew i was overheating at that point. 
We walked back and freshened up again. I felt so much better and rejuvenated in a way. Before going to dinner we sat down at the bar at the Gardens. We saw a couple sitting there and we started chatting. It turned out they were from Austria. They were so friendly and nice. They had not been to Key West before, so we were telling them places to go. The husband was in a band so of course we suggested for them to go see Caffeine Carl at the Tuna that night. We said that we would hopefully meet them out later depending on how we felt.
For dinner, we heard from several locals that the old Mcconnell’s Irish Pub And Grill closed and a new placed opened up in its place called the Old Towne Tavern and the chef formally worked at Blue Heaven. We walked in and grabbed two seats at the bar. (As a side note, my husband tends to prefer sitting at the bar vs. a table. I used to be a table person but now I am so used to it that I prefer it as well. We looked over the menu and the first thing that intrigued us was their pork belly appetizer. I wasn’t starving so I decided to have their superfood salad which consisted of kale, mixed greens, quinoa, beets, almonds, citrus, sprouts, orange beets vinaigrette. I think I was craving something healthy. My husband decided to go with the shrimp scampi flatbread.
So of course it was decided that we would return once again to the Tuna. It was pretty crowded this time, being it was a Friday night. 
We had to wait a few minutes, but finally a couple of people left where we were able to get a couple of seats. Not before long I saw Zack’s son Kai again. He sat down and we were able to chat for a bit before Carl went on. While we were talking, a fellow TripAdvisor Forumite came up to me. It turned out to be FLBoy22 who recognized me from my blog. I thought it was so funny that he recognized both myself and my husband. It was a pleasure meeting him. 
Once Carl started to play we saw two people walk in and it was the couple from Austria. They spotted us and we were able to find a spot to hang out and listen to Carl. As we were sitting there I looked over and then I saw Zack. I couldn’t believe he showed up! I was so excited to see him!! 
I walked over and we were able to talk for a little bit, but it was loud and crowded. He didn’t stay too long, but it still made my night. We were going to meet the next morning to for breakfast before we had to go to the airport. The couple from Austria wound up leaving before us and so did Kai.
We eventually woke up around 9:00am and packed up the rest of our things. I walked into the office at the Gardens to let Jim know we needed a taxi for 11:30am to take us to the airport. I also had him reserve our return stay next year, I figured that was the best way to lessen the sadness of leaving Key West.
I got a hold of Zack and we decided to meet up at Sarabeth’s since it wasn’t too far from the Gardens. We were able to get a table inside which was much needed because it was another hot day. Kai also joined us for breakfast. We all kind of joked about the mugs that the coffee is served in. They are huge and take up a lot of the table and since they are so large, the coffee doesn’t stay hot that long – not sure why they serve coffee that way. We had a great time just talking for a bit. I didn’t eat too much of my breakfast because I was really sad. I always find it hard to eat the day we are leaving.
We walked back to the Gardens to grab our luggage. Right before we were leaving we saw the couple from Austria again. We thanked them for their nice gesture, and told them to have a great rest of their vacation. The taxi showed up right on time. It turned out the driver used to work at M&M Mars which is located right in the town where my husband’s auto repair shop is located (and he works on cars as well from M&M’s). We thought how ironic is that? She was really nice and made the ride back to the airport nice and pleasant.
Until next time…. thank you for taking the time to read my blog!
Once again we were making our way back to Key West. On our way to the airport I had to think back to myself how many times have we been to Key West since 2006? I couldn’t believe it when I counted 18 times! And this time we were lucky enough to spend a Saturday to Saturday stay in Key West. After getting the chance to visit Key West 3 times last year, I thought that I wouldn’t be as excited to return. However, that wasn’t the case. It seems as though every time we come down to visit, it gets harder and harder to leave.
Eventually we departed and we actually made up some time in the air. It seemed like forever to me, but then I finally started to see Key West come into sight once again. 
I was just so happy! I was also thinking how a great friend of mine, Zack Seemiller, who I have been doing graphic design work for several years now, had not idea we were coming down for the week. I wanted to surprise him like I have done in the past. 
Once we landed and got off the plane, it felt so amazing to feel the warm sunshine beaming down on us. My husband and I had carry-on luggage so we were able to get off the plane right away and grab one of the first taxis available. I always love the ride along A1A towards old town. I don’t mind it so much on the way back to the airport, but the way there brings a smile to face. Not before long, I saw the yellow wall that surrounds the Gardens Hotel. We have been staying there every time we come to Key West. As an added bonus I redid their logo a couple years ago and now you can see it everywhere throughout the hotel which is so gratifying. 
Surprisingly our room was ready and we were able to unpack all our things. 
We immediately got out of our winter clothes and changed into our warm weather clothes which is one of the best feelings. We left the hotel and walked down towards to Duval Street. My husband and I always joke about how we look forward to that first step onto Duval and turning right. 
We used to always to stop at Willie T’s for our first drink, but it was a bit too crowded. So we continued our way down to Duval and just took in all the sights again. It was good to be back “home”. As we were walking we realized that one our friends Al was working at Sunset Pier that day. Since it was such a beautiful day I thought it was the perfect spot to grab our first drink and look at the water. We walked in and saw Al and said hello. He welcomed us back and brought us out a couple of mojitos for us. Finally the reality of being back to Key West was settling in. It was a great feeling. 
We had more people to see, so we didn’t stay too long. 
Our next stop was Captain Tony’s to see our friend Gabriel Wright play. We walked in and he gave us his usual nod hello. It was a bit crowded, but we were able to find a couple of bar seats. 
We each ordered a couple of beers and listened to Gabriel play for a bit. Time was passing by kind of quickly and I noticed it was nearing 3pm and I knew Zack was only playing at Rick’s until 4. My husband paid the tab and we walked back onto Duval. As we walked into Rick’s, Zack immediately recognized my husband and not me. He blew the surprise! I was a bit disappointed, but it was all good – it was great to see him again! 
He had another show after Rick’s, so once he was done playing he couldn’t stay long. He did mentioned that he was going to be working on his house the next day and to swing by. 
When we left Rick’s we noticed that the old Lazy Gecko is now called Duval Central. The outside facade looks the same, but we wanted to see what they did with the inside. Once we walked in, the layout was similar as far as the bar being in the same location, but it is completely different as far as the look and feel. It was nice, but it could have been a place anywhere. The Lazy Gecko had that old Key West feel. We did sit down and had a drink and noticed that it is now smoke free which may be ideal for people getting away from the cigarette smoke at the other bars. 
We didn’t have dinner reservations at Deuce’s Off the Hook until 7pm, so we had a chance to have a cocktail at the Garden’s bar. 
Jim, the general manager was there so it gave us a chance to talk to him for a few. It was then time to get freshened up for our dinner reservation. Deuce’s is literally right behind the Gardens Hotel so it doesn’t take much time to get there, which makes it an ideal place to have dinner on our first night. 
We finally made it back to the Gardens and it was time for much needed sleep.
Our morning routine was after freshening up was to grab a couple of coffees at Cuban Coffee Queen. 
I love their coffee there – especially their Cuban American blend. I love it so much that I order it online and have it shipped home. 
We walked over the location right off Duval and saw a familiar face, Joe! We met Joe a couple years ago at the Galleon. It was nice to see him. We sat down and talked to him before we had to make our way to the Margaritaville Resort (formerly the Westin) to catch the ferry to Sunset Key.
We walked down to where the ferry was docked. 
The majority of people sat on the outside part of the boat, but we opted to sit in the cool air conditioned part. Even though it is a small boat, the ride over is reminiscent (to me) of taking the ferry from St. Thomas to St. John. It only takes about 5-10 minutes to cross over to Sunset Key. Once we were docked, we walked over to be seated. I did request a table outside on the sand and we were seated at the perfect location. 
It was just so beautiful to sit out there and enjoy the view. It again, reminds me of being on a Caribbean island somewhere. 
My husband and I both ordered the lobster benedict. It was a little on the pricey side, but being it was Easter and on vacation why not? I am glad we did, because it was delicious. 
We also took a few pictures, thanks to our very nice server. 
It was a nice way to spend Easter brunch. 
Then I remembered that Zack was working on his house and we told him we would stop by. So we finished our drinks and told Miguel that we would stop by and see him the next day. We made a quick stop at the Garden’s before walking down towards Zack’s house. It wasn’t that far of a walk. 
We walked in and also saw that Zack’s son, Kai was there and his friend Tim. It was fun to see them again. 
They showed us around and what they were working on. It looked like a lot of work, but I am sure once it is complete it will look great. 
We didn’t want to stay to long so that they could get back to work. Kai was playing sunset that night so I told him we would see him later. 
We left the house and started to make our way towards the Bight, at least that is what we thought. We wound walking all the way to Palm Ave. and realized we made a wrong turn. Eventually we found Eaton St. and we were able to get back on track. We were both pretty hot and thirsty at this point so we stopped at the Galleon Sunset Tiki Bar. 
We noticed that they did fix the pier and walk way that was damaged from Hurricane Irma since the last time we were there. It is such a great place to sit and have a cold drink with the view of the water. 
I am always surprised not more people know about it. I think people don’t realize it is open to the public. 
We walked back to the Gardens and decided to have a light dinner at the Smokin’ Tuna before heading towards Mallory Square. We stopped in and our two favorite seats were available. We ordered a bunch of appetizers to share. I always enjoy their tuna fish dip. 
There was a singer there Kristen McNamara and she had a great voice – its another reason why we always enjoy stopping at the Smokin’ Tuna – always good music. 
We also noticed that the bridge between Margaritaville and Mallory Square was also fixed. Luckily Mallory Square wasn’t too crowded (maybe because it was Easter), so we didn’t have to wait on line to order a couple of green things. 
We found where Kai was playing and listened to him while the sun was setting. 
It was a beautiful sunset even though it was partially going behind Sunset Key. 
We stayed for a bit before heading back to the Gardens Hotel. 
Unfortunately they went on earlier and were done for the night. Just as well, it was time to pack it in for the night.
We woke up to another picture perfect day. We even caught Misha, who teaches a yoga class at the Gardens in the morning 3 times a week. 
Our server was very attentive so we didn’t weight long for our breakfast. My husband had the sausage benedict and I had a couple eggs with bacon and their multi grain bread. The breakfast was very good as always and even noticed that my husband’s eggs for the benedict were cooked perfectly. We have had previous experiences where the eggs tend to be underdone to both our liking, but this time everything was cooked spot on. 
We sat at the bar and I ordered a painkiller made with Cruzan rum which I prefer over Pusser’s. Disappointingly, it was not the right call. It was just too sweet and I couldn’t drink it. My husband had a beer and I realized that is what I should had ordered – all well. It was still nice to check out the Schooner Wharf and see the locals come and go and talk about what they did for Easter.
I was curious to try their Key Lime Margarita. I noticed that the size of the drink was still on the smaller side as compared to how they used to be and the price was $12. 
I tried it and it was awful. I couldn’t pinpoint what it was but it just wasn’t right. At that price I persevered and finished the drink. It was a struggle but I managed to do it. At this point I was determined to stick with beer wherever the next place took us. Then I finally realized after the fact, there was NO lime/key lime juice in it! 
While we were hanging out, a familiar face walked in, it was Joe! We thought it was funny that we actually did run into him.
It was a fun afternoon listening to them play and hanging out with everyone. 
Hog’s Breath never used to be one of my favorite places to go to, but with great music and friends – it is a lot of fun. After Zack and Kai finished their show, I had to get the obligatory photos with them before they left. 
And another… 
I mentioned to Zack and Tim that maybe we could meet up the next morning for breakfast. I remembered that there is this new restaurant called the Breakfast Club Too that used to be at the old Chicago’s location that maybe we could check out. So we made tentative plans and headed out. 
So we left Rick’s and finally made it to the Gardens. 
I checked the Smokin’ Tuna schedule and saw that Caffeine Carl was playing again. 
Due to the fact that the Tuna is one of our favorite places, we didn’t hesitate to go back again for some food and music. 
We probably should have just stayed at the Gardens and/or found a quiet place to grab something to eat, but we stayed because we were having a lot of fun and even Kai stopped by to say hello. 
I think we overstayed my window, because I was getting really tired. We said our goodbyes and walked down Charles St. to Duval and my husband suggested that we should take a cab back. It was a good idea because I couldn’t see myself trying to dodge all the people on Duval to get to the hotel.
I love just walking around the Bight and seeing all the boats getting ready to out for the day. 
We were on schedule to go out with our friend Billy for sunset. I reached out to him and he reassured me that we were good to go, but that a friend of his was borrowing his boat for the day, but would have it back in time for our trip. He said he would pick us up at the hotel around 5pm, which was perfect for us. 
We then walked over to The Breakfast Club Too. It looked really inviting from the outside. We walked in and we were the first to arrive. 
We told the hostess that we would just grab a seat at the bar and wait for them. The atmosphere of the restaurant is impressive. I never was in it when it was Chicagos but it is a decent size place. Once everyone else arrived we were seated at a table near the outside part of the restaurant. It was a fun morning just hanging out and eating a good breakfast. 
Everyone enjoyed what they ordered. I would definitely recommend checking out this place. 
On a side note: I recently just got a FitBit and could see how far we would walk each day. We would probably average between 5 and 6 miles a day, sometimes more. 
Feeling the sun coming down, we were both getting thirsty. We remembered that Al was working again at the Sunset Pier so we stopped down there to see him. It was perfect early afternoon to sit and enjoy the views from Sunset Pier.
While we were listening to him, I noticed a couple sat down next to my husband. They started talking and noticed it was getting later in the afternoon. That’s what happens in Key West, you meet people and before you know it time just passes by. I wanted to catch Zack and Kai again at Willie T’s before it got to late. Again we got there later then I wanted to. 
Well we said good bye to my husband’s new found friends and walked down to Willie T’s. We were able to find a couple seats so I was happy. It is always fun listening to Zack and play and its a real treat to catch him with his son, Kai. Not before long we turned around and the couple that we saw at Hog’s Breath showed up. 
I am not sure if they followed us or it just happened – nevertheless we all wound hanging out again. 
I was looking at the time and noticed it was getting close to 4 o’clock and we were supposed to meet our friend Billy for the sunset trip.
We were both pretty hungry and I didn’t have any plans for dinner. The following night I made dinner reservations for Cafe Sole, one of my favorite restaurants, but I figured that my husband should pick where to eat.
Even the stairs leading up to it feel like you are entering an entire different experience. 
We walked into the dark lit bar and sat down. It was still a bit early so we didn’t have any trouble at all finding seats. 
For dinner I had their delicious oysters rockefeller, while my husband had the escargot special. Last time we were there, I made the mistake of ordering the lobster thermidor, which was delicious, but having very rich meals back to back doesn’t sit well with me. Our entrees consisted on the filet mignon (my husband) and the snapper (for myself). All the dishes were delicious. 
We walked over and the place was pretty quiet. We sat down at one of the bars and then I turned around and saw in the back there was a large stage area where Nick was playing. We brought our drinks over and sat down. Unfortunately he was nearing the end of his show, but at least we were able to catch him for a song or two. 
It was a long day and we were pretty tired. We thought about stopping somewhere else, but made the better decision and just go back to the hotel and call it a night.
It is just so peaceful in a way. We made it to Kermit’s and ordered breakfast. There was actually a line of people this time so we had to wait for a bit, thankfully we already had our coffees in hand. 
Once we ordered our breakfast we sat back by the koi pond. 
It is such a pretty little spot. We didn’t wait long before our breakfast was served delicious and hot. 
So we decided to just go back to the Gardens for a bit to relax. 
It has a nice atmosphere and if you can find a couple of seats at the bar, it isn’t a bad place to have your first cocktail of choice. We walked in and it was more crowded then I thought, due to the lunch crowd. We noticed another musician we have seen in previous trips who is fun as well, John LaMere was playing. I thought what a nice surprise. We found a couple of seats after a large party left and just enjoyed listening to him play. We stayed until his set was over and said hello to him. He thanked us for stopping by.
I wanted to go back to Willie T’s to see Zack play, but we made a stop at Rick’s for a drink and to see Miguel. 
We didn’t realize it was his last day working until the weekend so it was our last time we would be seeing him for this visit. When it was time to leave we said our goodbyes and thanked him for always being good to us. 
It was hard not to stay but I didn’t want to miss our dinner reservations. 
For starters I had the escargot and my husband had the conch carpacchio. Unfortunately I have discovered that I am allergic to conch and cannot eat it. It is such anomaly to me – I can eat every other type of seafood under the sun, but not conch. I guess it will always remain a mystery. Obviously we had to order their hogfish again for our main course. It was tasty as it usually is. It was a beautiful evening and a great dinner.
So we made a quick stop at the hotel to regroup for a little before going back out. 
I was happy when we got to Rick’s that the outside seats at the bar were available. We sat down and Big Ed was working. 
It was nice to see him again. He began pouring us those grapefruit and club cocktails for us – one after the other.
We freshened up and made our walk towards Grinnell St. where the restaurant is located. When we got to the restaurant I was really impressed with the outside. It was nicely landscaped, but we had a bit of an issue finding the entrance. We did eventually find it and walked inside. The hostess asked if we preferred to sit inside or outside, and I picked outside. I try to sit outside everywhere I can unless it is extremely hot. I decided to stay classic and order a couple of eggs with breakfast potatoes and bacon. 
My husband had one of their frittata for breakfast. We were both very happy with our choices, it was very good. I was glad that we tried a new place – actually now that I think about it, we tried several new places for breakfast. I love going out for breakfast and it is always fun that there are so many options in Key West. 
So after breakfast we walked down to Whitehead St. where the house was located. Denise came out and we chatted for a bit. She was telling us about St. John and how it is improving and that we should not have any hesitation to return. It was nice talking to her, but didn’t want to keep her away for too long since she was in the middle of working on the house. We thanked her for her time and walked down Whitehead St. 
We walked by the lighthouse and the Hemingway House. If the Hemingway House wasn’t so crowded we probably would have stopped by. We have toured the house several times, but we always enjoy seeing the cats. 
The next stop took us to El Meson De Pepe for a couple of mojitos. 
Their mojitos are always very good, but I still can’t understand why they are so expensive for such a small drink. Regardless it was a nice stop to look at the huge cruise ship that was in port and look at Mallory Square. 
We only stayed for one and figured that we could have another drink somewhere before going back to Willie T’s and catch the end of Zack’s show. 
We went back to the Sunset Tiki Bar at the Galleon. Comparable to the Ocean Key Sunset Pier, I think this place has an amazing view. 
While we were sitting at the bar, we noticed one of the staff was bringing in new chairs for the bar area. Apparently they were getting rid of all the wood chairs and replacing them with black wicker type of chairs. We stayed long enough where we had to get off our chairs and try out the new ones. They were definitely more comfortable but a bit shorter then the previous ones. We had a fun time chatting with the bartender Grubby too.
Meanwhile, my husband heard from his high school friends that they wanted to meet up later so we headed out after the show to get ready at the Gardens. We stayed until the end of their show and told Zack we would see him the next day at Rick’s. 
When we all met up there for a drink, my husband told them about Berlin’s. I thought that they wouldn’t want to go, but they seemed really excited about going. I was a bit disappointed because we were just there and we only had 2 more nights left for dinner. I was outnumbered so we walked over to Berlin’s. It wasn’t such a bad option, the food there is that good. I ordered the oysters rockefeller again and then decided to try their paella. 
I was craving rice and thought that it would be a good choice. Regrettably it wasn’t the right decision. The paella had no flavor – especially the rice. I couldn’t taste any saffron. Thankfully everyone else enjoyed their dishes.
On our way to the Banana Cafe, we passed by La Te Da and it looked very inviting from the outside and not too crowded. We walked in and my husband wanted to sit at the bar, which was fine, but for breakfast I prefer a table. It wasn’t too bad though since it was fairly empty. Feeling the night before we both decided to order a pick me up. My husband had a bloody mary while I had a mimosa. 
It did help – only for a little while. I ordered the breakfast special omelet and my husband ordered the traditional egg breakfast. It took a while to get our order, but once we did get it, it was very good. I am not sure if their service is normally that slow, if it isn’t I would definitely go back. The atmosphere and people watching was great. 
Everyone was getting hungry so we were all going freshen up and meet up somewhere. Then we all realized why don’t we just go out like we are? It’s Key West! You don’t have to dress up. So I suggested that we go to the Rooftop Cafe. So if we had time we could catch the sunset at Mallory Square after. 
The sun was setting behind as we had another delicious dinner at the Rooftop Cafe. 
By the time we finished dinner it was too late to see sunset. 
We then went up to Carl and told him goodbye. It was sad but I didn’t get too upset otherwise I would never hear the end of it. Everyone made their separate ways and called it a night.
I was getting really sad about leaving Key West and our friends so I wasn’t too hungry. Then it was time to say our goodbyes – which I always hate.
Luckily, our flight was early enough in the morning not to be affected yet with the heavy rain and winds that were on its way. There was only some rain, but it wasn’t too bad at that point. While we were waiting for our flight to board, I saw an article about Fantasy Fest in Key West. I thought to myself how funny is that? 
We had a direct flight on United and had no issues taking off. The flight was a little bumpy at first but then it did calm down a bit. After about 3 hour, I could start to see the Keys come into view below. It was a beautiful sight to see. Once I could see Key West, I began to smile and knew in my heart I made the right decision. 
It was on the windy side when we landed, but we were both so happy and excited to be back. We did have to wait for a cab since another plane had arrived just before ours. We had to share a cab, but fortunately we were able to have the cab driver drop us off first.
It was a bit sad to see, but knowing what Hurricane Irma did to the other islands, it wasnt that bad. The staff was working vigorously throughout our stay replanting the trees that were lost in the storm. 
We walked in and I personally didn’t notice too much change as far as the outside bar and dining area, unless the majority of the renovations were done to the interior dining room. We grabbed two seats at the bar and I ordered a margarita. 
It tasted like the old Kelly ones but it was half the size (not that I needed a larger one), but if they are charging the same price for a margarita during happy hour, I feel that they should have it be the size it once was. If it wasn’t broken, don’t fix it. We also ordered an ahi tuna appetizer just to get something in our stomachs.
Then the Marshall Morlock band came on to play. I had never heard of them, but they were quite good. We didn’t stay too long since the travel day had set in. It was time to get some sleep and call it a night.
There weren’t too many people so we were seated right away. I wound up having a cheese, spinach and mushroom omelette (with a side of their signature key lime hollandaise sauce) and my husband went with one of their old reliable stables the eggs benedict. The breakfast was good as it usually is, but my favorite part dining there is seeing all the roosters and chickens running around. It gives you that true feeling of Key West. 
I also stopped in to see Nancy and Jim who have been working at the Gardens for years. It was nice to see them and they thanked us repeatedly for returning to Key West and supporting the much needed tourism that needs to come back. 
It was then getting to be about that time to see my great friend Zack Seemiller playing at Hogsbreath. We have been working together for a couple of years creating fun ads that he posts on social media each day. 
Thankfully I had a sweater on and my husband was wearing a sweatshirt we bought earlier in the day at the Conch Farm giftshop. We tend to gravitate to the bars at restaurants since we enjoy the interaction with the bartender and follow patrons, so we chose to sit on the outside section of the bar, which gives you a great view of Mallory Square behind you. 
I was thinking about going to see the sunset after dinner, but this time of year the sun sets earlier, around 6:45pm. It was going to be too late after dinner, but it was still nice to see the sunset partially from the restaurant.
Eventually we made it to the Bight and my husband suggested going to Kermit’s for breakfast. I thought that why not since we never had been there before we should give it a try. 
You could see the damage that occurred from the hurricane and all of the extra tables and chairs were being stored in the garage area.
All and all though, that was really the only other things we noticed from the hurricane.
We sat down and listened to him play. It was such a beautiful setting, between the atmosphere of the place and the weather. 
We always have a lot of fun at his shows and even his son Kai stopped by and played a song. It was a nice afternoon before it was that time to get something to eat. We said good bye to Zack and Kai and hoped to catch them again later.
One place I thought of going to dinner this time was the Half Shell Raw Bar. We had been there numerous times in the past, but we had never eaten there and after watching the guys shuck oysters each time we were there, made me quite intrigued. Plus it is a bit of a walk from the Gardens for dinner – so we tend to eat some place closer to the Gardens. 
Caffeine Carl was finally playing! We probably stayed later then we first intended, but we were having so much fun that it was worth it. Eventually we did get back to the Gardens to get some sleep.
We noticed there were a lot of construction workers and cops in the shop. We planned on having breakfast there, however the place was quite small and there wasn’t enough room to sit. I wanted to try their coffee anyway, so we waited and ordered two con leches. The coffee was indeed delicious. I can see why all the locals go there for their coffee. It was a tasty start to our day. 
I remembered that Al was working at Sunset Pier that day and realized that we had not seen him yet. 
We walked down towards Sunset Pier and found a couple of seats along the side of the pier. The actual pier that goes out over the water is sectioned off. Al immediately recognized us and brought us over a couple of beers. He was telling us how the pier wasn’t going to be repaired and ready until next Summer. Instead of just repairing it, they were going to rebuild it using cement so hopefully it will last a long time. It was nice to see him and hear that him and his family were doing well.
It was nice to catch up with a great friend. He was off again so we told him we would catch him at Rick’s the next day. 
We were going to freshen up but realized that we were going out on the water and to wait until after we got back. I got call from Billy and he was waiting for us. We grabbed our supplies and he drove us to the marina. 
It was then time to open the bottle of wine and cheer a beautiful sunset that we were about to see. 
We could not have asked for a better sunset. I didn’t want to leave and just the thought of going home in a couple days got to me. I just took in the view and thought how lucky we were to return to Key West and how lucky Key West was to be spared from the destructive storm Hurricane Irma. 
We sat down at the Gardens for breakfast. Because I had the pizza the night before so late, I really couldn’t eat much. I did take the time though, to get all our clothes in order and the painstaking process of packing up most of our things since we were leaving the next day.
My husband then wanted to stop at the Sunset Tiki Bar too one last time. So we walked on over enjoyed a drink there too. I also was able to check in for our flight while we were there. It is always hard to enjoy your last day, just knowing you are leaving the next day but we made the best of it. 
We sat down and ordered a couple of drinks. For dinner I had to order the oysters rockefeller and my husband had the tuna. Our entrees consisted of filet mignon and the lobster thermidor (which I had). In hind sight, I probably shouldn’t have ordered two rich dishes back to back, but they were so good.
We didn’t know what to expect and the prices were reasonable. 
susannj 