I always get the same reaction time after time from both friends and family alike. “You’re going to Key West again?” And I just smile and nod yes. And with that, yes my husband and I were returning to Key West once again marking it as our 33rd time in my happy place. However, this time I wasn’t so sure what to expect. About a little over a month or so ago, the Smokin’ Tuna shut its doors due to landlord and owner disputes. This was one of our favorite places to go to listen to great music and converse with the wonderful staff. There was talk that it would be open by the time we would return, but sadly it wasn’t even near ready for us. I did check social media and saw some of our favorite musicians were still around, but playing in various locations. It would be interesting to see if we could catch any of them at some point during our stay.

Besides the Tuna debacle, there was a positive spin on our return. Our friends Brent and Julie were already in Key West and would be waiting for us when we arrive. Also another couple, Al and Lynn were on their way the same time as us. Funny how all of us became friends while staying at the Gardens Hotel.

Saturday, June 29 – Arrival day – Coming Back “Home”

Our flight was later then our usual time to head down to Key West. Usually our flight is around 9:30am give or take a half hour. However, this time the flight was scheduled for 11:30am making our arrival time just after 2pm. It wasn’t a deal breaker since we usually just relax at the Gardens the day we arrive. I also originally had reservations at the Red Shoe Bistro with Brent and Julie that evening, but after learning about a terrible car accident that damaged the building, I rescheduled it for our last night not knowing if they would be open in time. Julie went ahead and made reservations at Alonzo’s for all of us. Surprisingly, they did wind up reopening fairly quickly after the incident (the Red Shoe Bistro). 

I had reserved our car service to pick us up at 7:30 that morning so we didn’t have to get up extremely early. Our car service showed up actually a few minutes early and soon we were on our way to the airport. I checked the weather in Key West and it looked about the same temperature as here in New Jersey. We have been experiencing on and off again heat waves making the transition to Key West heat not so traumatic. I did see that there was some rain in the forecast within the next coming days, but at that time of year there is always a chance of a pop up shower so I wasn’t concerned.

After little under an hour, the our car service dropped us off at the newly constructed Terminal A in Newark Airport. Terminal A is quite nice. Sometimes we have to leave out of Terminal C, but A is much preferred due to the ease of TSA, less traffic of people and overall it is brand spankin’ new. There was barely a line for Clear so we eased right through. We walked up the escalator to the United Club lounge with our carry-on luggage in tow, to grab something to eat while we waited for our flight. There were two seats at the end of the bar, so we sat down and ordered a couple of “you’re on vacation” drinks. Soon after we were served our drinks, a message appeared on my FitBit. It read the dreaded “your flight has been delayed”. I quickly grabbed my iPhone and saw that our flight was indeed delayed, but only by half an hour.

It could have been worse I thought. So with that, we wound up having a few more drinks while we waited.

Eventually it was time to grab our luggage and walk down to our gate. Again I just have to mention how pleasant Terminal A is. The way they designed it, there is more light coming through with the large windows, open space walking around, etc. It is quite a delight having to wait for your flight. 

Since I use the United Plus credit card we were in boarding group 1. The notification appeared on the digital signs that they were getting ready to preboard. We walked up to the Boarding Group 1 section and waited for us to get the go ahead. Within a couple of minutes the wonderful words of “we are now boarding” came through over the intercom.

The flight was all and all uneventful, which is always a good thing. They did make up some time in the air so after the delay, we wound up arriving in to Key West only 15 minutes later. 

You can watch a video of the landing here: https://youtu.be/GS2LwelJIpQ?feature=shared

As soon as we deplaned, you could feel the sun beating down along with the humidity. As we were escorted to the airport, I noticed that there was more progress on the construction of the new airport. It still looks like it will be at least another year or two. 

We quickly walked into the airport, past the baggage claim baggage carousel and back out to catch a taxi. There wasn’t anyone else waiting, so we were able to hop in the first taxi waiting on line. I texted Julie to let her know we were on our way to the Gardens. And once again I saw the yellow brick wall come into sight along Simonton St. and immediately I had a big smile.

When the taxi dropped us off we grabbed our luggage and we were welcomed by Rhoda at the front desk. Since we have been staying at the Gardens for so many times, check in is always a breeze. Our room was ready so we took our luggage through the building and out on to the patio. 

As we were walking towards the pool and pool bar we saw our friends waiting for us. We gave Brent and Julie big hugs and gave in to having a welcome beverage before going to our room to unpack our things.

We then went up to our room to put all of our belongings away in the appropriate drawers and freshen up.

Our reservations were for 6:30pm and planned on taking an Uber because of the heat and Alonzo’s isn’t exactly around the corner. Once we were all set, we joined Brent and Julie back down by the pool bar for another beverage before heading out for the evening. Phil was behind the bar so we talked for a bit before going to dinner. Julie mentioned that Brent wasn’t feeling so great so they would probably just come back to the Gardens after Alonzo’s.

We walked out to Angela St. and waited for the Uber to pick us up. It was the typical couple minute wait and then we jumped into the car. The air conditioning felt wonder. It was a quick ride to Front St.

Once we got out of the car, we walked around the pier to Alonzo’s.

I noticed that Alonzo’s transformed the old Wahlburger’s location into a Patio Bar. Interesting I thought to myself.

We were seated at a nice table outside which was the perfect spot to watch all the visitors and locals alike walk by. Both my husband and myself were in the mood for oysters so that is what we both decided to start with. Brent ordered conch chowder and I believe Julie ordered the tuna poke nachos.

The conch chowder looked quite tasty but unfortunately I am allergic to conch so I have to stay away otherwise I would pay the price later on. I wasn’t extremely hungry since we did eat on the plane, but wish I didn’t because it wasn’t very good. I went with the peel and eat shrimp while my husband ordered the hogfish for our main meals. 

When the oysters came out I was ready to dig in. They tasted as good as they looked. I was being dainty and only ordered a half dozen, while my husband ordered a full dozen. Next came out our main meals. The shrimp were also very good and deliciously fresh. It was a good way to start our first night. However, towards the end of our meal Brent was mentioning how he wasn’t feeling so hot. We were a bit concerned but he said not to worry. When we finished our meals, Brent and Julie took an Uber back to the Gardens. My husband and I on the other hand decided to test the waters that evening.

One of our favorite go to places during our stay is the Sunset Tiki Bar at the Galleon. Since it was pretty close to Alonzo’s we walked down towards the Galleon. Then we noticed there was some sort of activity going on, on Front St. with an ambulance. We weren’t sure what happened and couldn’t really tell what was going on when we walked by.

The Galleon was lit up like a Christmas tree. There weren’t too many people there. I got the feeling that they were getting ready to close up shop when we sat down to order a couple of drinks. We didn’t stay long, but chatted with the bartender for a couple of minutes. He recognized us from previous visits throughout the past couple of years.

My husband paid the tab and then we walked down Front St. to Duval. Since it was a Saturday night, there were a bunch of tourists perusing the bars while we strolled towards the Gardens. As we were nearing Margaritaville, I heard music playing. I told my husband to wait but he kept walking. I popped in and noticed it was Caffeine Carl playing with another musician whom I had no idea who it was.

I ran back out and got my husband’s attention mentioning to him Carl was playing. It didn’t take long for him to come back in with me. We sat down at a couple of seats at the bar. Of course being that we were in Margaritaville, I had to order a margarita. As we listened to the music, Carl finally looked up and gave us a shout hello. I was so happy that we were able to catch Carl play. It wasn’t the same as enjoying him playing with the full band at the Smokin’ Tuna but it was still Caffeine Carl. It was a good thing we did catch him play at Margaritaville that evening, because a couple days later he left town to play a couple of shows with Nick Norman.

The travel day was finally settling in and it was time to walk back to the Gardens. We waved goodbye to Carl and made it back. I don’t think it took me very long to drift off to sleep. 

Sunday, June 30 – Rain Rain Go Away

We had made plans to go to La De Ta for breakfast, but when I opened the door the rain was coming down. No wonder I was able to sleep in. Usually I wake up with the sun shining in our room (because we always forget to pull down the shades). I thought it was going to pass, but then I checked my phone and it said the rain would last at least another hour or two. So La De Ta wasn’t going to work since our favorite tables we like to sit at are outside. 

My husband and I both freshened up and walked over to Cuban Coffee Queen for our usual Cuban Americans. The rain slowed down a little so we didn’t need umbrellas. When we arrived, there wasn’t really any line formed, so we didn’t have to wait long for our order. I think the rain kept a lot of people away. We headed back to the Gardens to meet up with Brent and Julie. When we got back, Julie told us that Brent wasn’t feeling well and would pass on breakfast. Julie was still up for it so we decided on Breakfast Club Too since it is indoors. Plus the food is always solid. And then the rain started to pick back up again. It was not letting up, so I arranged for an Uber to pick us up. However, right in front of the Gardens entrance, Angela St. was completely flooded. So we had to give the Uber driver a different pickup location, Simonton St. which can be accessed leaving the Gardens hotel through the back parking lot. Luckily Simonton tends to not flood, not like Angela.

We didn’t wait long and our Uber showed up. I felt a bit silly not walking, but the rain kept coming down. Our driver took us through back side streets and at some point I felt like we were going to get in a fender bender with another car coming down another street. We made it safely and when we got out of the car, there was a mob scene outside of Breakfast Club Too. Well not exactly a mob scene, but there were several groups of people standing outside waiting to be seated. Apparently our idea to eat there, was the same as everyone else’s.

My husband walked up to the hostess and I couldn’t believe it when she said that they had a table available outside (which is covered). Maybe since we were only a party of 3? I am not sure. Regardless we followed the hostess to our table. Once we sat down I noticed that the rain was subsiding and that the sun was trying to break out. 

Our server came over and we all ordered a breakfast cocktail. Julie opted for a mimosa while my husband and I decided on a couple of screwdrivers. I know they are known for their bloody mary’s, but again I just cannot get into them even though they look amazing… maybe one of these days…

I wasn’t feeling too daring that morning so I went the regular two eggs over medium with bacon and a side of potatoes and wheat toast. My husband followed suite and ordered the same thing and Julie went with one of their rositis. While we were waiting for breakfast Julie was telling us more about Brent. He still wasn’t feeling well. They were hoping he would feel better, however he wasn’t improving. For now they thought it was best for Brent to rest in the room and if he still isn’t getting any better, she would take him to the clinic the next morning.

It didn’t take long for our meals to arrive. I thought that it was impressive considering how busy they were. That reminds me how I really enjoy Azur for breakfast as well, but it takes some time to get your food, even if you are amongst only several tables occupied. If you’re not in a rush,it is fine. They do have tasty drinks to sip on while you wait.

Our dishes were delicious and hot. The only thing that I regretted was not ordering their grits. I completely forgot how good they are and that you can substitute grits for breakfast potatoes. Nevertheless there were no complaints from any of us. When we were done with our breakfast Julie checked in with Brent. He was staying put at the Gardens and reassured us he was fine and not to worry.

We walked down to the Galleon Sunset Tiki Bar to take in the view of the water and grab a drink. It was still cloudy out, but at least the rain stopped. Our friend Ramsey was behind the bar and welcomed us back. We chatted for a bit while sipping on a couple of drinks. She mentioned if we had checked out the Tiki House that moved into the old Sandal Factory location. I thought to myself, that’s a great idea to do if the weather didn’t get any better.

When we were done with our drinks, we thanked Ramsey and walked back down Duval. The weather was still not conducive to sit by the pool as the showers would come and go. 

We dodged some rain showers and walked into the Tiki House Bar. A few other people were sitting at the bar waiting out the weather. 

We sat down and were immediately taken in by all of the decór on the walls. They definitely had a lot of work done to transform the place. You could almost remember how the Lazy Gecko was.

They did keep the bar on the same side of the building and the back part of the building still extended all the way back with another bar that wasn’t being used at the time.

I used my phone to scan the qr code to access their drink menu. They also had a chalkboard hanging with their tropical drink concoctions. I ordered a Mai Tai while Julie ordered another sort of rum cocktail. My husband ordered an old fashioned. The drinks were flavorful and hit the spot. I saw that there was a stage set up,but they unfortunately they didn’t have any live music during the time we were there.

We began talking about the Smokin’ Tuna and perhaps taking a look at what is going on, or not going on after we were finished. 

Once we paid the tab, we walked back onto Duval and I thought about stopping at the Tree Bar, but Terri wasn’t working. Then we turned around and sat down at one of the tables in front of Rick’s and my husband and I ordered a couple of beers.

While we were having a couple of sips, I saw this guy walk down the sidewalk and it appeared he dropped money. I was going to say something, but my husband realized he was sitting at the next table behind us and was trying to see how many people would stop to pick it up. I think it was maybe a $100 bill? 

Obviously it wasn’t real but if you walking by and look down, chances are you would notice it. So we stayed to see if we witnessed any takers. I couldn’t believe not one person stopped to pick up. Most of the people walking around were looking up at the buildings – not down at the ground. All well. It was fun to watch for a few minutes nevertheless.

When the show was over, we walked down Charles St. It was so sad to see the old Tuna all boarded up with “do not trespassing” signs up. 

We walked around the back to see if there was any progress going on in the new location. It didn’t look too promising when we went around the corner. 

You could still see the old palapa covering to the back bar, but that was it. Everything was removed that used to be there, couches, tables, etc. Obviously it makes sense if they are going to be constructing an entire new area. 

And the reality that it was going to be open in several weeks was far from what we observed. I wouldn’t be surprised if it took them several more months at least. In the end, I hope they do get it done. The Smokin’ Tuna was one our favorite, or I should say our favorite place to listen to live music and great service. And who can’t forget their tuna dip and yummy wings?

After seeing what had become of the Smokin’ Tuna, we headed back to the Gardens. Julie wanted to see how Brent was doing and we were also concerned. We made it back to the Gardens and relaxed for a bit. Brent was still in discomfort so my husband and I would be on our own that evening while Julie stayed with him. Julie originally booked Latitudes that evening for all of us, but that had to be postponed, obviously. We were still scheduled to go to Latitudes later on that week for breakfast so we were hopeful that would still happen.

We both freshened up and stopped by the pool bar to say hello to Portia who was behind the bar. Then Kate showed up and welcomed us back to her beautiful hotel. 

Julie came down to give us an update and told us she was going to take Brent to the clinic in the morning. We asked her if she needed anything and thanked us but reassured us she was okay. Feeling a bit down, my husband and I thought it was best to get something to eat. This was supposed to be a trip for all of us to have fun together, but so far it wasn’t looking that way. 
With no dinner reservations made, we decided to go to a place we hadn’t been to in a while, the Blackfin Bistro. It isn’t too far of a walk from the Gardens down Duval. It started to drizzle again, but luckily we made it before getting too damp. When we walked in the staff was putting away the tables from their outside dining area in the back. Out of curiosity I looked out in the back to see what it was like. We had never sat outside because they usually don’t have availability. When I peaked out back I realized why – the back outside area was smaller then what I imagined. 

It didn’t matter though because we wanted to sit at the bar. We were one of the first people to come in for dinner that evening, so we had our choice of where to sit. While sitting down at the end of the bar near the entrance, our server came over and told us about the special glasses of wine offerings along with the specials. I ordered a class of the sauvignon blanc and my husband ordered a class of the malbec. 

To start I chose the escargot while my husband went with the sautéed calamari. My husband ordered the wagyu beef burger and I decided to go with nicoise salad with grilled yellowfin tuna. While we waited, our glasses of wine arrived. The wine was very good. It wound up being the perfect pairing with the escargot. I love their escargot there with all that garlic. I don’t think you can never have too much garlic. The sautéed calamari my husband ordered was just as good and perfectly cooked. Sometimes calamari can become a bit rubbery. Not this calamari. It was very tender to eat. 

Then our main courses came out. I couldn’t believe size of my salad. They list it under the salada portion on the menu, but it can definitely pass it as an entree. My husband’s burger looked picture perfect. 

He enjoyed it of course. When we were done our meals, we couldn’t even think about dessert. We asked for the check and got ready to leave. As my husband looked over the check he pointed out the price of the wines by the glass. Let’s just say the two glasses amounted to $50. I know we could have asked the price for the glasses of wine, but I think it doesn’t hurt to put the prices on the drink special menu. We overlooked it since our dinner was very good after all. 

You can read my full review of the Blackfin Bistro here: https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g34345-d1581064-r959171395-Blackfin_Bistro-Key_West_Florida_Keys_Florida.html

When we left the restaurant I couldn’t believe how pretty the sky was with the sunset. It reminded me how we haven’t been to Mallory Square to see the sunset in ages. However, it is one of those things, after so many times, you’re good. I never get tired of taking in the sunset though from wherever we are.

I wanted to walk off our dinner, so we headed down Duval without any plans. As we were walking past Eaton St, I thought about the Saint and how they have the Halo Rooftop Bar. We could hear music being played from up above so we headed down to the Saint. We walked in asked how to get to the rooftop bar. The one employee pointed towards the stairs and we walked up. 

It wasn’t very big but the place was lit up with hues of purple and blue. The place was filled with a lot of people, but just as my husband and I were going to the bar to get a couple of drinks, a table opened up. I sat down while my husband went to grab us a couple of drinks. As I took a couple pictures of Duval street below, I thought to myself how we finally went to this place. Now if we can eventually get to the Chart Room, but that’s for another time.

It took a while for my husband to get our drinks, but I didn’t mind. The young lady singing behind the guitar was quite good.

My husband finally arrived at our table with our drinks. While we were enjoying the music I looked around and felt like we were the oldest people there. Maybe Halo appeals to younger people? I am not sure but I didn’t care. It was fun to experience something new.

Here’s a video of the live music: https://youtu.be/E48ledTL_XA?feature=shared

Once the musician took her well deserved break, we decided to head back to the Gardens. As we went down the stairs we walked through the exit door onto Duval. Now we know how to access the bar from Duval we both thought.

You can read my full review of Halo here: https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g34345-d26222796-r959171658-Halo_Rooftop_Lounge-Key_West_Florida_Keys_Florida.html

We made it back to get some sleep and hoping there would be good news from Julie the next morning. 

Monday, July 1 – Another Rainy Day

It was most likely another rainy morning because I didn’t see the sun shine through the windows when I eventually woke up. I pulled myself out of bed and opened the door. Yes it was raining again – a lot. We didn’t have anything planned that day, besides maybe I thought we could stop by at Hogs Breath that afternoon to see Zack Seemiller, but other than that nothing.

After my husband got ready, he grabbed some coffee station set up at the Gardens. When he came back I was just about ready myself for some coffee. We both checked our phones and saw that Julie texted us pretty early that morning telling us she was already at the clinic with Brent where they were treating him. She said she would keep us updated throughout the morning. He was feeling better, but they wanted to do some additional tests to see what exactly was going on.

Feeling a bit down, we walked to the courtyard and saw Al and Lynn having breakfast under the porch area that was mostly covered from the rain. We sat down and told them what was going on. I grabbed a cup of coffee and we talked for a while. We weren’t sure how things were going to play out and what have you. As we waited for the rain to subside, I grabbed another cup of coffee. My husband and I weren’t really hungry so we decided to stop somewhere later to get something to eat. We came to the realization that the rain wasn’t going to stop anytime soon. Al and Lynn were supposed to go out on the water that day to the sand bar but it was postponed until the following day. Since they didn’t have any plans and my husband was in the mood for a bloody mary at the Tree Bar, we all grabbed umbrellas that are provided at the Gardens and made our way out the back to Simonton St. Again, Angela St. was completely flooded. There was no way you can walk out on the street at that point.

Once we crossed over to the other side of Simonton, we had to be careful not to get drenched by the cars passing by. At one point we were that close as one car ripped on by and created this huge wave of water heading right towards us. Luckily we were able to run fast enough to escape it. While we were dodging the waves of water along Simonton, my husband got a text message from Julie. It wasn’t the news we were expecting. Apparently there was some sort of imaging in question on Brent’s x-ray that they wanted to take him to Miami. Julie said that they wanted her to stay behind and that they would bring him in an ambulance. We all looked at each other dumbfounded. We didn’t know what to do. She then said that she was heading back to the Gardens to get Brent’s phone and a few other things and then go back to the clinic. 

We were just about at the Tree Bar and figured that we could have a drink and then go back to the Gardens to meet Julie once she comes back. We grabbed a couple of empty seats and maneuvered our umbrellas so that we could dry off. Terri was behind the bar and she welcomed us back. Everyone but me ordered a bloody mary. I decided to go with a Titos and fresh squeezed orange juice. My husbands swears by the Tree Bar Bloody Marys that they are the best ones around. Out of curiosity I asked Terri what was the canned tomato that she mixed in with the vodka. Turns out it is Clamato. It is basically tomato and clam juice mixed together. Interesting I thought to myself. 

Everyone was enjoying their drinks, but we kept worrying about Julie and Brent. So after we were done with our drinks, we walked down Duval back to the Gardens to check on Julie. The rain had ended, but the streets were still soaked. Luckily the water on Angela retreated so we were able to get back through the main entrance of the Gardens.

As we entered the pool area we saw Julie. She had just gotten back from the clinic and explained to us how the doctors wanted to have her husband go to Miami so they can get a better understanding what is going on and review all the imaging that was taken. I must say she was handling herself very well considering the circumstances.

At that point we all felt like another drink. Phil was all set up behind the pool bar so we grabbed a couple of seats. We spent that afternoon trying to stay positive and enjoy each other’s company. Julie did eventually hear from Brent and he did in fact make it to Miami. He was going to stay overnight but he wasn’t sure how long he was going to be stuck there. I then realized that my husband and I had not eaten all day. It was nearing 6pm and we thought that we should get something to eat. No one had plans, so we all decided to regroup and meet back at the pool bar to walk on over to Kaya Island Eats.

Once I started to think about the rasta pasta at Kaya Island Eats my appetite came back. I was starving. When we were all ready to go, we walked down to Kaya and sat at the bar. 

It wasn’t crowded at all so we were able to sit together.

Julie and I ordered their signature Mai Tai cocktail and my husband had a vodka and soda. Al and Lynn stuck with wine. My husband and I both ordered the rasta pasta as usual, but he went with the chicken and I ordered he portabella mushroom. Then I remembered how last time we were there and ordered the same thing and I wound up getting chicken. Hopefully it wasn’t deja vu. 

To start I opted for the buffalo cauliflower and my husband had the tuna poke nachos.

Everyone else ordered various items from the menu. I can’t remember exactly what they had, but everything that came out of the kitchen looked delicious. And yes this time I did get the portabella mushroom on my rasta pasta. 

You can read my full review of Kaya Island Eats here:https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g34345-d23162562-r959171849-Kaya_island_Eats-Key_West_Florida_Keys_Florida.html

We walked back to the Gardens and relaxed in the Gazebo near the pool. It was a strange day, but hoping for better news the next day and we all retired for the evening.

Tuesday, July 2 – On Our Own

Originally I had booked brunch at Bagatelle for all us, but with everything going on that was obviously not going to happen. When we woke up that morning, it was finally a beautiful sunny one. After we got ready for the day, we heard from Julie. She was going to stay at the Gardens and wait to hear what was going on with Brent. She was up all night practically waiting to see if any more news came through. She was exhausted and needed to rest. Julie said she would reach out if she heard anything from the hospital. Al and Lynn were heading to their private charter that they booked to go to the Sand Bar, so with that, my husband and I were on our own for the day.

I figured that we could still go to Bagatelle and just let them know the party of 4 is now a party of 2. Before we made our way down to Bagatelle, we made our first stop, of course, at Cuban Coffee Queen. There was a line, but thankfully it moved quickly since everyone knew what they wanted to order when they were up next at the counter.

With our Cuban Americans in hand, we made the walk down to Duval. It was so nice to see the sun shining again. I had no idea that it was supposed to the rain the past couple of days, but even when it rains you can still always have a great time in Key West. (Aside from other things going on.)

We made it to Bagatelle and like most places this time of year, it was fairly quiet. I told the hostess that we were now a party of two. I had the porch on the second level reserved, but I saw a nice table available right on the first level. We sat down and looked over the menu. I had no idea what to have. The lobster omelet seemed intriguing and I was thinking about ordering that. I have had it before, but it has been a while. When our server came over, she told us that they were out of Maine lobster and they were substituting it with Caribbean lobster. All well. My husband decided to go with the biscuits and gravy and I pivoted to a couple of fried eggs with bacon and toast. 

While we were waiting for our breakfast to be served, we couldn’t help but notice a rooster and chicken on the railing. When the table next to us was served their food, they flew right down and started to look for anything that fell on to the ground. It was like they knew that was the spot to try and get some food. (They were waiting all along.) I would assume they probably hang out there all the time and have become quite good at it. They even flew up onto the railing by the table and tried to get a breakfast potato. Eventually they were swooshed away so that the family could finish their meals in peace.

At least we didn’t have any issues when our breakfast arrived. Just as we were finishing up our meals, we received a text from Julie saying that Brent will most likely have to stay another day there. The earliest he would be released was Wednesday. He was scheduled for a few more tests that day and would have to wait for the results to come back. Julie also said that she would still like to take us to Milagro that evening. She had originally made reservations for all of us that night several weeks ago. We told her of course we would love to go if she was up for it. So we agreed to meet up later for our 6:30pm dinner reservation.

Being that we were practically next to Front St., after our breakfast we walked down to the Sunset Tiki Bar.

This time it was Candace behind the bar. She welcomed us back as we sat at our usual chairs that look out onto the water behind the bar. 

We talked for a bit while enjoying a couple of drinks even though we kept thinking about Brent and Julie. Avoiding not to grow roots, we thanked Candace and set out for our next stop. 

We walked by Captain Tony’s to see if Gabriel Wright was playing but no one was playing as a matter of fact, so we kept on strolling down towards the old Rooftop Café location. 

As we got closer, we noticed that there were banners hanging on the balcony and the place was in fact open. The signs read ‘Surly Siren Saloon’.

Out of curiosity we thought to check it out. We walked up the stairs and into the newly open establishment. The bar was still located in the same area as when it was the Rooftop Café. 

The bartender welcomed us in as we sat down and looked over the drink menu. We both got a kick out of the names of the cocktails. Even the food menu was interesting, including gator bites.

The bartender mentioned that the drink names are all in an homage to heavy metal bands, hence that is what the place is being marketed as – a place to see live heavy metal / rock music. 

We were the only ones there so even the owner came behind the bar and chatted with us. They seemed very nice and eager to succeed. I gave them my business card and offered that I could always help out with any graphic work if they needed it. We wished them luck and made our way down the stairs and onto our next destination. 

While walking past the closed Smokin’ Tuna location, we could hear live music coming from Hank’s. We both agreed to go check it out. First we walked into the bar and ordered a couple of drinks. I then realized it was Tony Baltimore playing out in the back, so we took our drinks and found a couple of seats in the shade. 

You can check out my video of Tony Baltimore here: https://youtu.be/H3WFCv3Rd8M?feature=shared

I do miss the Tuna, but it was a nice alternative. 

Then my husband and I received a text from Julie that the doctors determined that the area of concern on Brent’s imaging was nothing more then a shadow. We were so happy and relieved at the same time. We left Hank’s and walked back to the Gardens to meet up with Julie. 

When we got back to the Gardens, Julie told us that they were hoping to give Brent the green light and be released from the hospital the following day.

We all decided to order a drink with the good news at the pool bar. Once we had a drink in hand, Al and Lynn just returned from their day out on the water. We told them the good news. Everyone was in better spirits after that. We talked for a bit before taking turns getting ready for dinner. Once we were all freshened up, we took an Uber to Milagro. I do enjoy the walk down that end of Duval, but it was quite steamy at that point, so a nice air conditioned car made the most sense.

Once we were dropped off we walked in and the hostess seated us at a nice table. As a matter of fact, I think it was the same table as our last visit back in April. 

I wasn’t exactly thrilled with my hogfish last time, so I opted for the salmon entree. I know salmon isn’t a local fish and I can get it basically anywhere, but I was just in the mood for it. Plus you can’t mess up salmon, unless you overcook it. Of course my husband didn’t hesitate to order the prime rib. He absolutely loved it last time, so he was craving it again. Julie went with the shrimp and scallop vera cruz. I was eyeing that myself on the menu, but I am not a fan of raisins in a savory dish. 

To start my husband ordered the calamari and I had the caesar salad, while Julie ordered the chilled jumbo shrimp. 

Our first courses arrived and they were delicious. The calamari was cooked perfectly as I sampled a few and not chewy at all. My caesar salad was excellent – perfectly dressed. A pet peeve of mine, is when they lightly dress the salad and you barely taste the dressing. It accompanied well with my classic margarita that I ordered.

Next our meals were served. Julie’s dish looked amazing and so did my husbands.

My salmon was tasty but I wasn’t blown away by it. Maybe next time I will try their signature fettuccine dish that always strikes my eye.

During our dinner, we decided that it would be best for Julie to cancel the July 4th trip on the Argo Navis that she booked. She insisted that my husband and I should still go, but we didn’t want to if Brent and her couldn’t go – it just didn’t feel right. 

After our meals we were picked up by an Uber who drove us back to the Gardens. Julie went back to her room to check in on Brent. I was pretty full and wanted to walk off our dinner, so we walked back out onto Duval. We decided to check out the Yankee game at Jack Flats. Plus Jack Flats has amazing air conditioning which was welcomed a lot during this trip. 

As we walked in I looked around and it was jamming. We were able to find a couple of seats at the bar. My husband asked for a box, but out of all the channels that weren’t coming through was the Yankee game. It really didn’t matter since they were losing anyway. As we finished our last beverages for the evening, I noticed that most of the tvs had the Copa soccer game on. Then I looked around and saw so many seas of people wearing yellow soccer jerseys. Apparently most of the people there, were watching the Brazil and Columbia matchup. 

It was getting late so we headed back to the Gardens to get some sleep. 

Wednesday, July 3 – Things are Looking Up

About a month prior to our trip, once again I signed up for the July 4th 5K. This was going to be my 3rd attempt and I was determined to beat my time from the year before. I usually run about 4 miles at home daily, but I knew going in, it was going to be a bit of a challenge with the heat. My plan was to take it easy the day before. 

While I was getting ready for the day, my husband reached out to Julie. She was still going back and forth with the nurses and doctors in Miami to see if Brent was going to be released. We told her we were going to breakfast and if she would like to join us, but she said as soon as she gets the go ahead, she will be on her way to Miami. We told her to keep us posted what was going on and then headed out to get some breakfast. 

Neither of us had anything in mind until we edged closer to Caroline St. We both thought of it at the same time, Pepe’s! And if it was too crowded we could always go to Harpoon Harry’s. However, when we walked in, it was practically empty. We didn’t mind and sat at the two empty seats at the small bar. I noticed that the days leading up to the 4th of July were far less busy then what we are usually accustomed to.

The last time we were at Pepe’s I really enjoyed the BLT so I decided to go with that again, while my husband ordered a western omelet. While we were waiting for our breakfast to be served, my husband heard from Julie and she finally got the okay from the doctor and she was on her way to Miami. I couldn’t even imagine driving all that way, especially by myself. However, if it was my husband in Miami I would do the same thing. We came to the conclusion that most likely they wouldn’t be back until later on in the evening. 

Soon our meals were served and the BLT really hit the spot (wish they would cook the potatoes a little more).

With our stomachs all fueled up for the day and with things looking up, we headed up towards the Bight and do a little shopping. I didn’t find anything that caught my eye. At least then I didn’t have to walk around all day carrying a bag.

We were getting a little parched so we strolled down to, you guessed it, the Sunset Tiki Bar at the Galleon. 

Ramsey was back behind the bar. We ordered our go to sweet tea drinks and hung out for aone drink. I didn’t want to get too crazy since again I was trying to be good the day before the 5K.

We thanked Ramsey and walked down towards the Gardens. On the way, we saw a couple of policeman on their horses in front of the CVS store. Only in Key West I thought – gotta love it. 

Then we decided to stop at the Green Parrot for one, since we hadn’t been there yet during this trip. There were several empty seats so we grabbed two and ordered a drink. The last time we were there it was almost standing room only with the Pearl Jam Tribute Band we saw, so it was odd to see the place so quiet. I was thinking about popping into the gift shop to get something for my sister and myself, but I figured we still had time and I could always come back.

The thought of relaxing in the pool at the Gardens was on both of our minds. So once we finished our couple of drinks we made it back. It was a gorgeous afternoon even though it was a bit steamy. That was easily fixed by swimming in the pool. It was the perfect afternoon to do just that, nothing.

We chatted a bit with Lynn and Al who were also hanging out by the pool. They didn’t have any dinner plans like ourselves, so we agreed that we could go to Mangia Mangia together. We had never been there and I was always curious about it. Plus I thought between pasta or pizza would be good option to have the night before a 5K. They always say to load up on carbs before a run.

We eventually dragged ourselves out of the pool and freshened up for dinner. I didn’t think that reservations would be necessary since it is technically slow season. Once we were all ready, we walked down to Southard St. which is where Mangia Mangia is located on. When we walked in I couldn’t believe how small it was. There wasn’t a single table available. Then the hostess offered seating outside. Outside I thought? It’s going to be too hot. We didn’t have much of a choice so we walked out to their little patio in the back and we were seated at a 4 top. To my surprise, it was quite pleasant. I think that since it was a shaded area, it helped immensely.

To start, I ordered the escargot and decided to go with the carbonara for my pasta of choice. Both Al and my husband ordered a similar vegetarian pasta dish, while Lynn ordered the mahi mahi with a side of pasta. The boys wound up sharing a bottle of red, while the girls shared a bottle of white. While we were waiting for our first course, Julie reached out to us. She had made it back to the Gardens with Brent. We couldn’t believe that she made it back and it was around 7:40 in the evening. Everyone was so happy to hear that they were back.

Then our appetizers came out. The escargot was tasty but it was accompanied by a large piece of bread which made it seem like not enough escargot and all bread. It was loaded with garlic which I love so I finished it and the bread anyway. Must eat carbs was my motto for the evening. 

Our pasta dishes arrived soon after we finished our appetizers. The carbonara was delicious and everyone else enjoyed their meal. While we were waiting for our check, I went inside to use the restroom. When I went inside I asked one of the servers where the restrooms were located. I had to do a double take at first. The server had a strong resemblance to my husband’s late father. When I came back outside I pointed him out to my husband. He couldn’t believe either. So as a joke he asked if he could take a picture with him and he gladly obliged. 

Overall it was a delicious dinner with great company. Once we were done with our meal, I convinced everyone to go to Captain Tony’s. I thought that Gabriel Wright was playing that evening from 4:30 to 8:30. It was just after 8 and I thought we could catch the end of his set. When we got to Captain Tony’s there wasn’t anyone playing. I thought that maybe Gabriel was on break? So my husband asked the bartender and he said that he did play but earlier in the day. Oops. I guess I got that wrong. 

At least we walked off some of the pasta. When we made it back we walked to our room. Al and Lynn stopped by their room before joining us on our balcony. Then both Julie and Brent came out from their room which was right next to ours. It was so good to see Brent again, even though he looked like he had not slept in days. 

We spend the evening listening to their experiences in Miami and their road trip. It was a fun and unexpected ending to another day in Key West. I would have stayed up longer, but I forced myself to get to sleep. I had to be at the White Street Pier for the 5K the next morning.

Thursday, July 4 – The July 4th Firecracker 5K, La Te Da, La Trattoria

The race was scheduled to start at 7:30am but for some reason the day before I received an email that it was moved to 8:00am, which I wasn’t happy about knowing it would be warmer at that point in the morning.

I had my alarm set for 7:00am but didn’t need it. I kept waking up throughout the night checking the clock on the nightstand. When it was time to get up, I avoided coffee but had a few pieces of run gum for caffeine and added an electrolyte powder to some water. Feeling a bit anxious I waited for my husband to get ready. 

Julie met us outside of our room and we walked down to get an Uber. It didn’t take long for the Uber and he drove us to the White Street Pier. I saw all the runners and walkers already waiting for the start. I got out of the car and went to check in. I noticed it was a little cloudy in some spots, which I welcomed to keep the temperature down.

My husband and Julie wished me luck and I got in the mix of people and waited for the go ahead. Soon they gave the command and I started to run. I was towards the middle of the pack and just kept with my own pace. I didn’t want to tire out right in the beginning (even though I do run 4 miles a day). Then as we were nearing 1800 Atlantic Boulevard it started to rain. It actually felt good as it came down. Soon it stopped and as I got onto A1A along Smather’s Beach the skies cleared and the sun was shining. It was so hot and humid. I was tempted to stop for a second, but my goal was to at least make it to the halfway point. It seemed like forever, but eventually I saw the cone indicating the halfway point. 

Then I could finally see the finish line. As I got closer one of the volunteers came up to me and starting running along side me to keep me going. It was pretty funny. 

Then I saw the clock above as I crossed the finish line, 29:07. I knocked off almost a minute from last year. 

I was so happy and exhausted at the same time. I made a beeline for a bottle of water and grabbed one of the metals displayed for the runners. The sense of relief overwhelmed me. I had to take a minute before we took an Uber back to the Gardens.

When we got back, my husband and I walked on over to Cuban Coffee Queen. I was craving a strong cup of good coffee after that. Julie ran to Walgreens to pick up a few things. We made plans for all of us to go to La Te Da.

After taking a much needed shower we  met back up with Brent and Julie and walked down Simonton before cutting over onto Duval. It was a beautiful morning even though it was quite hot out. 

When we arrived at La Te Da, both Julie and I noticed that our favorite two tables were empty. We walked in and sat down. I looked around and the place was nearly empty. I assumed that it was because of the holiday. Maybe everyone was coming in that day for the long weekend. 

Our server came over and to celebrate my 5K run, I ordered a Tito’s and orange juice. My husband followed suite, but Julie opted for a Bellini, while Brent ordered a cappuccino. It was so nice for all of us to be back together.

For breakfast I ordered the eggs La Te Da (scrambled eggs with a dollop of sour cream and chives) and my husband ordered the Eggs Blackstone. Brent and Julie also went with scrambled eggs. As we waited for our orders to arrive, we saw more and more people were walking by wearing their July 4th gear. I could get the sense that everyone was coming in that day.

Soon our orders were served. As usual breakfast did not disappoint. When we were all finished, we walked back to the Gardens. Brent and Julie were going to relax by the pool for the day, so my husband and I would plan on meeting up with them later on. As I already mentioned, Julie had originally booked the four of us to go on the Argo Navis, however with the uncertainty a few days earlier we agreed she should cancel it. 

I was still on a bit of a high from completing the 5K that after we reset at the Gardens for a few, I wanted to head out for the day.

With a little convincing, my husband and I made it back down to the Sunset Tiki Bar. 

Candace once again was working. We talked for a bit and told her how Brent was back in Key West and on the mend. Eventually we motivated ourselves to move on from the Tiki Bar and walk around a bit. We said goodbye to Candace and walked down Front St. This would be the perfect time to hang out at the Smokin’ Tuna I thought to myself, but obviously that wasn’t an option.

We passed by Captain Tony’s and no one was playing – again. Then somehow we made it back to the Tree Bar. We said hello to Terri and ordered some drinks to quench our thirst. While we were talking, a young lady came up to me from Minnesota. Her name was Amy and introduced herself . She told me that she reads my blog and really enjoys my trip reports. I was beyond flattered. I thought that it was so nice. I even asked if I could take a picture with her. 

Not wanting to get too comfy we headed back on Duval and making our way back to the Gardens. As we were nearing Willie T’s, I heard a familiar voice singing – it was Zack Seemiller singing. I kept thinking that he left town, like most local musicians due in Key West during the Summer months. 

So of course we had to stop in and hear him sing for a few. Luckily there was a small table out of the sun that I grabbed. My husband went to the bar and ordered us a couple of drinks while I cleaned off the table. He came back and we had a nice time listening to him play. There was also another couple we saw earlier at the Sunset Tiki Bar that came to sit down at the table next to us. They were really nice. Again wanting to stay longer, we agreed that we should head back to the Gardens. We said goodbye to Zack and made it back to the Gardens without anymore stops along the way.

We walked in and Brent was relaxing in the pool while Julie was hanging out at the pool bar with Al and Lynn. My husband ran to our room to change into a pair of swim trunks, while I decided to take a seat at the bar. We talked for a while and realized no one had plans for dinner that evening and it was the 4th of July! After much discussion it was decided that we should all go to La Trattoria for dinner. Italian restaurant again? I thought to myself. Why not. I just did a 5K I can indulge in more pasta. So I went on my phone and clicked on the Open Table app and reserved a table of 6 for 6:30pm. 

Then it was time for me to get ready for dinner. All of us for that matter. So we all headed in to freshen up and then reconvene at the pool bar and walk to La Trattoria. La Trattoria isn’t very far from the Gardens. In fact we have walked by the restaurant so many times, but have never gone in. The only time we have come close was about 8 years ago, when we went in the back part to Virgilio’s to catch Carl and Zack play. 

We made the short walk to La Trattoria. When we walked in, the place was packed. I thought good think I made a reservation. When I walked up to be seated, the person behind the hostess stand did not look very happy, but I mentioned to him that I had made a reservation for 6 people. He then checked and sure enough he did have a table for us. Thank goodness I thought to myself since we were all looking forward to it.

We were seated at a table towards the back near the kitchen. It wasn’t really that bad since we were kind of in a corner against a wall away from the other tables. It felt like we had our own little private space. Our server came over and told us the specials. One special was hogfish. I thought how I haven’t had hogfish during this entire trip and it would be the perfect time to order it. They also had it on the regular menu prepared a different way. 

To start I ordered once again escargot. I was joking with my husband how I tend to gravitate ordering the same thing several times during one of our trips. Last time I think it was caesar salad. Speaking of caesar salad, that is what my husband ordered to start. For my main course I went with the hogfish special. Brent, Lynn and Julie stuck with the version on the regular menu. Al and my husband ordered some sort of pasta dish. 

While we waited for our first courses to arrive, I noticed how we were all having such a good time and enjoying each other’s company. And if it wasn’t between coming to Key West and staying at the Gardens Hotel, we would have never met. It’s crazy how sometimes things work out.

Our appetizers arrived and they were satisfying. I thought however my escargot could have a little bit more pizazz, aka garlic. Then our main courses were brought out. As soon as the food runner served our food, I asked him for a photo. I thought it was the perfect opportunity to get a picture of all of us together.

Everyone enjoyed their meals. I looked at the hogfish that was on Brent, Julie and Lynn’s plates and it looked so decadent with the creamy parmesan sauce.

Then I looked at mine and thought I should have stuck with the version on the menu. It was fine but again nothing out of the ordinary.

After dinner, we agreed to go back to the Gardens and hang out by the pool. When we got back we started to hear fireworks. I wound up going out the back of the Gardens on to Simonton St. to see if I could catch a glimpse of them. I could see some of the fireworks through the trees but not very well. 

While I was trying to get a better view, I noticed a group of teenage boys sporting the Patrick Mahomes hairdo getting ready to light up some fireworks. I thought that this isn’t going to go well, but I better stay and check it out. Then one of the Mahomes boys lit one of the fireworks that was set in the middle of Simonton St. and all of a sudden it took off. It was pretty incredible. I did record part of the show on my phone, but to protect the innocent, I chose not to share it. 

I walked back around onto Angela St. to get back in to the Gardens from the front. (You can only exit the Gardens from Simonton through the gate. To get back in you need a special key provided if you are staying at their Eyebrow Cottage which is located on Simonton.)

When I got back to join the others sitting by the pool, I mentioned how there was a group of Mahomes boys lighting up fireworks on Simonton. Then as soon as I said it, more fireworks went off from them. We wound up having a 4th of July firework show right our own “backyard”.  

Then it was time to turn in. I was feeling the long day and was ready for some sleep. Plus we were joining Brent and Julie for breakfast at Latitudes and I wanted to feel refreshed in the morning. 

Friday, July 5 – Last full day – Latitude’s, Green Parrot, Red Shoe Bistro

As always the last full day of our visit to Key West comes too fast. I should be used to it by now, but I still get sad when the end nears. However, this day there was a reason to be happy. We were all going back to Latitudes for breakfast! Going to Latitudes for breakfast has become one of my most favorite things to do while in Key West. The water taxi alone makes it so much fun. I always feel like I am setting off to some magical place.

We woke up to another beautiful morning. The sun was shining and it was warming up to be another hot day. Since it was already steamy, we all agreed to take an Uber to the Opal Resort to catch the water taxi. Plus who wants to be all sweaty having breakfast at Latitudes. 

When everyone was ready we walked out to the front of the Gardens. Julie set her Uber app for us to be picked up and I would do the Uber for the return back to the Gardens. Soon the car arrived and we were on our way to the Opal Resort. The streets were already starting to fill up with people who made it down for the July 4th weekend.

Once we were dropped off, we walked down to wait for the water taxi. There weren’t any cruise ships in town, so we had a beautiful view of Sunset Key. Not before long we saw the little boat approach the dock. There were already people waiting as well to head on over to Latitudes for breakfast. You can always tell who is going to Latitudes to dine at the restaurant since they tend to be dressed in their finest. Not so much for breakfast, but usually a little bit spiffier then regular Key West wear.

We boarded the taxi and ironically we tend to get the same seats on board. Within a few minutes everyone was loaded on and we were on our way. I always enjoy seeing Mallory Square from the water taxi vantage point. 

Once we arrived, we were escorted to the restaurant as usual. 

The hostess walked us through the restaurant and outside to a wonderful table. 

There were a handful of tables already occupied by other patrons so we had to wait a little bit for our server to come over. When he did we ordered something to drink. A breakfast cocktail was definitely in order. Once we placed our drink order, we had to wait for a little bit. Eventually he returned with our drinks and by then, we were ready to place our orders. I wound up going with the smoked salmon. 

Once we all had our drinks, we didn’t mind waiting for our food to arrive. We have been lucky enough to experience Latitudes quite a few times, but the view never gets old.  

When our food arrived I was had quite the appetite. Everyone else’s selection looked delicious. I believe Brent and Julie ordered some sort of omelet and my husband had the classic egg breakfast. My smoked salmon hit the spot. I think I ate everything on my plate. It was a pleasant start to our last full day to say the least. 

Then it was time to grab the check and catch the water taxi back. We timed it just right that when we walked back on the pier, the water taxi was approaching. This time there were a lot more people leaving Sunset Key. It looked like the majority were guests checking out. We noticed this family. My husband and I both looked at each other saying he must be a NFL player but with the sunglasses he had on, it was hard to recognize who he was. After everyone was stuffed on the water taxi, including wheeled luggage holders – four of them to be exact, we puttered back.

When we made it back to the dock, I arranged for an Uber to pick us up in front of the Opal Resort. The streets appeared to be more crowded then when we first got there. The Uber managed to maneuver his way through the people and we all loaded in. The air conditioning in the car felt amazing. It was a quick drive back to the Gardens. 

Again Brent and Julie were going to take it easy and relax by the pool while my husband and I started to get into the ‘returning home’ mode.

I didn’t feel like packing, but I knew it was inevitable. In addition, we had our laundry that we had the Gardens send out for us delivered the day before. In a way it made it easier to pack up most of our clean clothes. 

After we finished packing mostly everything besides what we would be wearing for dinner and the following day, we headed back onto Duval. Meanwhile, a friend of my husband’s was in town for the same week as us staying in the Truman Annex. He was trying to coordinate a place where we could meet up for a drink, but the timing never worked out.

When we walked by the Tree Bar, there were a handful of open seats so we decided to occupy two. Terri was again behind the bar. I also spotted Amy from Minnesota, who follows my blog, from the other day was there again with her husband.

We wound up talking for a bit while my husband reached out again to his friend from back in New Jersey. It turned out that he did get back to him while I was chatting with Amy. We made tentative plans to meet at the Green Parrot. 

We finished our drinks and walked down to the Green Parrot. This time it was definitely more crowded then the other day when we stopped in for one. Somehow we managed to find a couple of empty seats at the bar.

We ordered a couple of drinks while we waited for his friend Brian and his wife to show up. Just then some more seats opened up which was perfect since that is when Brian and his wife walked in. It was both fun and funny to see people from my husband’s hometown now in Key West. It isn’t the first time we have run into friends from back home. 

We talked for a bit sharing some stories, recommended places to eat and what have you. I thought we were only going to stay for one, but then one turned into another round. To give myself a break, I wound up popping in the Green Parrot Gift Shop. Besides Hogs Breath, I think they have nicely designed graphics on their shirts. Maybe I am just a little critical being a graphic designer myself. While I was looking at the shirt options, an elderly man came in with his dog – most likely a local. He talked to the man behind the register for a few minutes and before he left he gave me a couple of “One Human Family” bracelets. I thought that was pretty awesome. I thanked him and he was on his way. 

Then I found a couple of shirts for myself, my sister, my husband and his brother. So needless to say I had to carry around a bag back to the bar. At least we were going back to the Gardens after we finished our drinks. After another round, yes another… finally said our goodbyes to Brian and his wife Vivian and made the quick walk back to the Gardens.

I had initially changed our reservations at the Red Shoe Bistro to our last night about a week ago. I still reserved it for the same time 6pm. When we got to the Gardens we still had some time to relax and freshen up for dinner. Al and Lynn also made reservations for the same time. So when we were all set to go, we walked down Petronia to the Red Shoe Bistro.

It was hard to believe that they were open in such a short time after that awful car accident. When we walked up to the Red Shoe, there were a handful of people already waiting. It was just before 6pm so they were still technically closed. 

A few minutes passed and soon the door was opened. When we walked in I gave the hostess my name. She sat us at a nice table in the corner near the window. I looked around and you couldn’t even tell there was any sort of damage. Al and Lynn were seated right next to us which was funny because we didn’t plan it that way.

Our server came over and told us that the catch of the day was black grouper. While I was trying to decide what to have for dinner, we all ordered a glass of wine. I have had the catch of the day before, along with their signature dish the yellowtail snapper, but for some reason the stuffed poblano pepper caught my eye. I felt like trying something I had never tried before there. 

When our server came back with our drink order, I ordered the grilled caesar salad to start and the stuffed poblano pepper. My husband ordered the lobster profiteroles, while Brent and Julie ordered the caprese salad and the pear and blueberry salad. Julie also ordered the deviled eggs with scallops for us to share. I think for their main courses, Brent went with the fish special and Julie went with the scallops.

The food came out in a timely matter and everything was spot on and delicious. 

We even shared the lavender cheesecake and the key lime pie to finish our meal. Well I just looked at it, I didn’t eat it, but they did look picture perfect. 

The Red Shoe Bistro has also become one of my favorite places to eat while visiting Key West hands down. The food is consistently fantastic and the prices are not out of reach either. And the service is always on point.

After all that food, the only option in everyone’s minds was to head back to the Gardens for a night cap and an early night sleep. Besides Brent and Julie, the rest of us were leaving the next day. When we got back to the Gardens, I didn’t stay up long, I wound up calling it a night and said goodnight to everyone. 

Saturday, July 6 – It’s Time to Go

Ever since last July, I always get worried about our return flight home. Is it going to be canceled? Delayed? Well when I woke up that morning, United said our flight status was on time. I have seen that before and it completely changes. However, so far it was looking positive – no bad weather in Key West or back in New Jersey.

I also wound up making another reservation for the 4 of us at Bagatelle, due to the fact we were never able to go a few days ago with everything that was going on. So after my husband and I got ready and packed up the rest of our things we met Brent and Julie down by the courtyard at the Gardens. Al and Lynn were on there way out since their flight was earlier that morning. We said our goodbyes and wished them safe travels.

Again to avoid getting too sweaty, we opted for an Uber to take us to Bagatelle. I could get used to that, but usually when it isn’t so hot I welcome all the walking around Key West. We made it to Bagatelle and the place was quite busy, most likely because it was the weekend.

The hostess walked us up the stairs and we were seated in the corner at a large table on the balcony. I was so happy because you get a great few of Duval down below. 

To start we shared the glazed bacon which no one passed on. 

I decided to be a little indulgent and ordered the lobster eggs benedict (and they had Maine Lobster back in stock). And they sure did. When my benedict was served, the first thing I tasted was the lobster. It was fresh and delicious. My husband played it safe and stuck to the usual two egg breakfast and Brent and Julie had their veggie omelet which is served with a side of an arugula salad. It always looks so good. One of these days I will order it but I did not have any regret what I decided on.

When we were done with breakfast, Brent wanted to see what the Smokin’ Tuna looked like or should I say what it used to look like.

So we walked down to Charles St. It was so depressing to see the place again all boarded up. We walked around back to the supposed new location and again not much going on. We did see a pickup truck and a gentleman poking around, so perhaps things were going to get started soon. I really hope so. I fell so bad for the staff and musicians that relied so much on the Tuna.

We walked back on to Duval and back to the Gardens. 

It was getting hot for sure. I think hotter then it had been all week. When we got to our room, we did a once over and took our luggage to a couple of chairs at the pool bar to wait until it was time to leave. Our flight wasn’t until 2pm so we weren’t in any rush. 

Brent and Julie joined us and kept us company while we tried to pass the time. Phil the bartender at the Gardens also showed up to open up the pool bar. The couple hours we waited started off slow and then it was time to go. I always hate goodbyes and for some reason this time was harder then previous ones. We gave everyone hugs and soon we were waiting for our Uber to the airport. 

Within minutes the Uber arrived to take us to the airport. When we arrived, we notice the TSA lines were nearly none existent. My husband suggested having a drink at the Conch Flyer instead of being crammed in between all the people that you know are waiting down the escalator at the gate area. I thought that was a great idea. So we grabbed a couple of seats at the bar and ordered something to drink. 

We were only there for about a half hour, but it was a half hour less again being sandwiched between people. 

We walked out to the TSA line and it was still fairly quiet. Since we have the TSA Pre, going through security was fairly quick. We made it down the escalator to see the unveiling of the sea of people waiting. I still can’t believe one time we were leaving and for some reason we were the only flight leaving at that time. It was almost surreal. I guess now that is highly unlikely, unless you leave very early in the morning maybe?

Somehow we found two seats open near our gate. I don’t know how but we sat down and waited to board. While we were waiting we saw someone waving over at us. It was Kate the owner of the Gardens! I knew she was going to Paris but I had no idea she was leaving the same time as us. She walked over and we began the boarding process. She was on our flight. It turned out that she was flying to Newark, NJ staying over night and then flying to Paris the following morning. I thought that if Kate is on our flight that is good luck. No delays or cancellations…

We walked down the hot tarmac and waited for the go ahead to go up the stairs to the plane. I took a picture of Kate with my husband before we got on the plane. She even had her little dog Tiny with her (in the pink bag). We wished her well and she thanked us for our continued loyalty always staying at the Gardens. (Well we did stay at the Orchid Key last year but that’s because the Garden’s was fully booked when our flight was canceled.) 

While we were waiting for take off, I saw the stairs be removed from the plane. However, a few moments later, the stairs were put back against the plane. I thought why in the world are they doing that? Then the captain came on the intercom and told us that they had over fueled the plane – too much gas. So we had to sit there while the captain revved up the engines to burn off the excessive fuel. Then I saw the stairs be removed once again and a big sigh of relief came over me. We were probably delayed about 15 minutes but not much more.

About 2 and half hours passed and soon I could see the familiar sight of the NY skyline. It looked steamy out there too. When we landed we were told it was in the 80s. I thought nothing of it since we were just in Key West, but when we walked out the doors to wait for our car service, the humidity was awful. Maybe it felt worse because at least you do get more of a breeze in Key West, but outside of Newark Airport the air was still. Nothing was moving.

We met up with our car driver and made it home in just under an hour. Another trip in the books we both thought to ourselves. This trip was definitely not one we expected. Yes there were some good and bad, but we made the most of it and still managed to have a great time in Key West all and all.

As always seeing all the people that we have become friends with through out the many years we have been visiting Key West, makes me feel like I am not just going back to my happy place, I am going back ‘home’. 

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog – I really appreciate it.

…. until next time! 

It didn’t feel like our last trip to Key West was over 6 months ago. Instead of returning in October, my husband and I wanted to go back to St. John in the US Virgin Islands. We had a great time in the Virgin Islands and enjoyed sharing it with our friends Brent and Julie. After our trip we made plans to return to Key West the same time in January. 

Several days before we were returning to Key West we unfortunately had to put down our beloved cat Angel, after 16 years with us. She had been losing weight and stopped eating. I brought her to the vet a few times during the holiday season and it was most likely a tumor of some sort in her stomach. It was one of the hardest things I had ever gone through and the last thing I was thinking about was our up and coming trip to Key West. 

I finally put myself together and packed all of our things the day before we were leaving. I saw that the weather in Key West was going to fluctuate a bit during our stay so I had to make sure we were prepared if it indeed did get cool for a few days. Last year, the winter we had here in New Jersey was very mild and we barely had any snow which isn’t typical. We just got over having a storm that dumped over 10 inches the weekend before. And then there was news that an artic blast was coming in to our area (and most of the United States) later on in the week allowing us for more chance of snow. At that point, I was definitely ready for a much needed change of scenery and some warm sunshine. 

This trip marked are 31st time to the special island and also the same amount of time staying at the Gardens Hotel. I don’t know if I get more excited about returning to Key West or staying at the Gardens. Maybe it is a little bit of both. Nevertheless as usual, I was ready to return to my happy place.

You can read my review of the Gardens Hotel here: https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g34345-d227346-r935969810-The_Gardens_Hotel-Key_West_Florida_Keys_Florida.html

Sunday, January 14 – Arrival Day, Jazz at the Gardens, A&B Lobster House and those Holiday Lights

Thankfully there were no storms in sight and the forecast was for a quiet morning. Actually when we got up in the morning it was considerably mild for January. Our flight was scheduled for 9:30am out of Newark, so I had arranged our usual car service to pick us up at 6am. I noticed the sun rising in the sky as we were neared the airport – it was a beautiful morning. Our gate was in Terminal C this time instead of the brand new Terminal A which we flew out of back in October. Nevertheless I was curious to see the newly renovated United Club Lounge in Terminal C. 

We do have Clear, but unforunately the scanning equipment was down and we noticed people waiting in line. The TSA agent told us that the kiosks should come back on shortly, but without wanting to wait too long, we wound up going in the TSA Pre line. It was definitely longer, but it moved fairly quickly. We got through security without any issues and walked down the terminal and up the stairs to the United Club Lounge. 

It was very similar to the lounge in Terminal A with the open space and bright white walls. We walked on over to the bar area where there were several seats open to sit down where we could wait until it was time to walk down to our Gate to board. While we were waiting there were two ladies that sat down next to us. We started talking and it turned out that the one lady was the owner of the restaurant Ocean Grill in Key West. Small world I thought. Well she wasn’t exactly the owner, but inherited it after (I believe) her father passed. However, they were in the process of putting it up for sale. She mentioned that we should stop in one morning for breakfast. My husband and I never have eaten there before and thought it could be an option during our stay.

I checked my phone and the United app alerted me that we would be boarding soon, so we grabbed our luggage and walked all the way down the terminal to the lower level to board our plane. 

This was the first time we were flying on a 737 plane (not a MAX thank goodness). Usually we are in a smaller plane with only 2 seats on each side of the aisle vs. the standard 3 and 3. As a result, it made the boarding process longer then it usually is. Luckily there were no issues, so once everyone boarded we taxied to the runway.

The plane most have taken a different route because the captain told us the flight would be around 3 hours and 15 minutes. Usually it is about a 2 and a half hour flight. Sometimes give or take another 15 – 20 minutes. 

Eventually I could see the blue and green hues of the water below from the window indicating we were getting closer. This time we were on the left side of the plane which made for a different view point of the Keys below. I could even spot Sunset Key as we were about to land.

Once we landed we were escorted as usual around all the construction going on and into the airport. Being that we just had carryon, we beelined it back outside to the taxi stand line. We were the first ones to arrive so within seconds a taxi pulled up to take us to the Gardens Hotel. 

The driver was a friendly gentleman that made the ride seem quick (even though it is only about 10 minutes) give or take stopping for traffic signals or the occasional conch train that goes by.

After he dropped us off we were about to check in, but then we saw our friends Brent and Julie. They just came back from having lunch at Latitudes. It was great to see them again. Since we just saw them several months ago, it felt like we picked up just where we left off. We decided that we would meet back at the Gardens Pool Bar once we checked in and unpacked our things. 

When we walked in to check in, I recognized immediately the lady at the front desk. After staying at the Gardens so many times you do wind up knowing everyone. She made the check in quick and effortlessly. Our room wasn’t exactly ready yet so we left our luggage in the room near the check in area.

We walked back out to the pool area and saw Portia behind the bar. She gave us both big hugs and welcomed us back. A nice cold beverage was calling our names so we sat down. While she was getting our drinks ready, we were joined by Brent and Julie. 

The temperature was just about perfect not too hot or cool, but you could tell that the temperature was going to drop once the sun went down. While we were catching up with everyone, I noticed that our luggage was being brought to our room. Shortly after that we were given the keys to our room. I didn’t want to break away from our conversation, but I knew I would feel better once everything was unpacked. 

While I was unpacking everything, I gave my sister a quick call to let her know we arrived safely and updated her on the weather. She mentioned to me that they were expecting snow in a couple of days. I thought to myself, what a great time to get away for several days. Once I finished unpacking I freshened up and grabbed a lightweight jacket for later in case it did get cool.

A couple months ago, I was thinking about where we could go for our first dinner in Key West. I remembered last year we went around the same time and they had all the beautiful lights decorated on all of the palm trees at the Bight. However, we didn’t walk down to the Bight at night time last year and we missed all of the lights. I was thinking about going to Bel Mare, but then wanted to try something different. We had only been to Berlin’s cocktail lounge several times in the past, but never to the dining room at the A&B Lobster House. It is one of the more expensive places to dine in Key West, but I thought it was our first night and why not. I know it is one of Brent and Julie’s favorite places for dinner, so I reached out to her about having us all go out to eat our first night we arrived. Julie went ahead and made the reservation for 7pm, giving us time to sample some of the Jazz at the Gardens that evening and walk around the Bight to see all of the holiday lights.

I walked back to the pool area after everything was put away in our room and noticed that all of the chairs were rearranged for Jazz. I secured a table near the bar area as my husband went upstairs to freshen up. People started to show up one by one. 

I looked over and saw Kate the owner of the Gardens with her little dog, Tiny (short for Valentine). When my husband came back to where I was sitting we walked on over to say hello to Kate. She always is so delighted to see us and for us as well. I had my husband take a picture of us like I usually try to do each and every trip. Kate mentioned she was leaving in a couple of days for a small getaway, but we made sure we would see her again before she did so.

As more and more people filtered in to the Gardens, the music started to play. My husband grabbed me a glass of white wine and a cocktail for himself while we waited for Brent and Julie. I noticed it was starting to get cooler and was very happy I grabbed my jacket. Once Brent and Julie came back to our table, it was time for us to start walking towards the Bight.

It was a leisurely walk and the sun was dropping. By the time we arrived at the Bight it was dark allowing all of the holiday lights to sparkle. It was so beautiful to see even though the holiday season was over. 

I noticed there were lights shaped in a heart displayed next to Jimmy Buffett’s recording studio, which brought a little tear to my eye. How wonderful I thought to myself.

After getting all of  my photos taken, we walked up the stairs to A&B. I recognized the entrance to Berlin’s behind the hostess stand, but this time we were eating in the main dining room. The overall atmosphere reminded me a little of Prime with the wood slat panels on the windows. We were seated at a table in the middle of the room, which was fine, but I tend to prefer tables that are on the side. When I am in the center of the room I feel like all eyes are on you.

As we perused the menu, everyone ordered something to drink. I did look ahead of time on their website so I was prepared for the prices. It still amazes me now how some prices for one entree, is the same amount a dinner for two used to cost a few years go. I figured for our first night we can splurge, we were on vacation.

For starters I went with the caesar salad and my husband ordered the beef carpaccio. Brent and Julie shared the burrato salad. Since I rarely cook red meat at home, my husband immediately went for the filet mignon. I was thinking about having the snapper, but the lobster tournedo caught my eye. Again the price wasn’t for the faint of heart but what the heck….  Brent ordered the lobster tail and Julie went for the Alaskan King crab legs.

Our served brought our appetizers out without too much of a wait. My caesar salad was tasty but nothing special. I did like the couple of anchovies they put on top of it though. I tasted my husband’s beef carpaccio and it was so good. After our plates were cleared it wasn’t before long our entrees were served. 

I couldn’t believe the Alaskan King crab legs that Julie ordered. Wow they looked incredible. In fact everyone’s meals looked delicious and they were. As we were finishing our meals I took a taste of my husband’s filet. It was tender and full of flavor. Then Julie offered a piece of the crab leg and I did not hesitate one bit. The crab meat was so tender and sweet – I think even better then the lobster I just had. We were all so full that when we were finished we asked for the check.

You can read my full review here: https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g34345-d491668-r935969067-A_B_Lobster_House-Key_West_Florida_Keys_Florida.html

No one was feeling tired yet and I felt like walking off some of our dinner so I suggested we walk on over to the Galleon to the Sunset Tiki Bar since it is right next door. As we neared the bar, I noticed all of the holiday lights up. It looked so festive and pretty at night. There were several people at the bar and music was playing. It felt like though we walked in to the ending of a party. A couple of seats were open so we sat down and Julie and we ordered a couple cocktails, which at that point I didn’t really need, but it was our first night.

We finished our drinks and walked back towards Duval St. As always, Duval St. was busy but not as bad as a Friday or Saturday night.

Once we made it back to the Gardens we agreed that we would have breakfast together at La Te Da. It was a long day, but it was fun, good to be back. With that we turned in for the night. 

Monday, January 15 – La Te Da, Sunset Tiki Bar, Watching the NFL Playoffs at Kaya, Old Town Mexican 

We woke up to a beautiful morning. The sun was shining and it felt a little bit warmer then the day before. We both freshened up and walked down to grab a cup of coffee that was set up on the back porch at the Gardens while we waited for Brent and Julie. Once they were ready, we walked through the back of the property onto Simonton St. avoiding walking all the way around the Gardens. 

We walked along Simonton and took the short cut through the Duval Square mall passing by the Ocean Grill restaurant.

I noticed though they didn’t open up until 10:00am.

When we walked into La Te Da, the two tables near the front entrance were taken. (As a side note I never realized the hostess stand was a martini glass.)

We wound up sitting inside towards the back. I enjoy sitting at the bar personally, but with all four of us dining together it was easier for us to talk to one another at a table. Being that it was a Monday morning and a holiday MLK, the place was very quiet. 

Everyone ordered the basic breakfast besides my husband who had the Eggs Blackstone. I have ordered them before and they are quite delicious. Basically it is similar to the traditional eggs benedict, but instead of the canadian bacon and/or ham that is often used, they replace the meat with breaded tomatoes. For some reason it works really well. I wasn’t exactly starving from our heavy dinner at A&B the night before, that ordering a couple of fried eggs over medium and bacon was more then enough for me. 

When we were finished with breakfast, Brent and Julie went back to the Gardens to relax and then run some errands. We figured that we would meet up later to catch the first NFL playoff game at Kaya Island Eats since Jack Flats was most likely going to be very crowded. 

It was warming up a bit and it was a gorgeous day. The kind of when you welcome the warmth of the sun. 

After walking around for a bit we were getting a little thirsty. So of course we had to go to one of our go to places while we are in Key West, the Sunset Tiki Bar at the Galleon.

We walked along the boardwalk and up to the Sunset Tiki Bar.

Candace was working and she recognized us right away. She welcomed us back as we settled into our seats. After ordering a couple of drinks, the owner Phil came out and said hello to us. It always feels like we were just there even though it had been over 6 months.

Not wanting to get too comfortable, we thanked Candace for the drinks and conversation and made our way back down towards Duval. We walked down to Captain Tony’s to see if Gabriel Wright was playing, but no such luck.

Next we walked by Rick’s, followed by the Tree Bar and noticed that the Sandal Factory closed down. Honestly I don’t know how that place stayed open for as long as it did. I still miss the Lazy Gecko.

Our friend Terry was working at the Tree Bar and I saw that there were a couple of seats open, so we sat down to say hello. Memories of me almost falling off my chair back in April of last year came to mind. I didn’t want that to happen again. My husband and I kind of joked about as we waited for Terry to make us a vodka and freshly squeezed orange juice. They are so tasty but you can’t have too many. 

We talked to Terry for a bit and talked about how we were avoiding the snow and cold weather up north. Then it was getting to be about the time to get back to the Gardens to relax for a bit.  We thanked Terry and got back on our feet and walked down Duval to the Gardens.

We relaxed for a bit before meeting up with Brent and Julie again at the Pool Bar. Peggy was behind the bar and she is always so friendly and full of energy. I love that. 

Brent and Julie joined us and we all talked for a bit before we walked down to Kaya Island Eats to catch the Steelers and Bills game. Kaya Island Eats is literally across the street from the Gardens so it takes no time at all to get there.

We walked in and there were already people sitting at tables getting ready to watch the game. The bar was mostly open so we grabbed 4 seats at the end. 

Julie and I ordered their famous mai tai and my husband and Brent ordered a couple of cocktails. I forgot how Kaya has so many tvs to view sports a games. Also being that it was the old Cowboy Bills, they have additional rooms in the back with pool tables, etc. 

I was thinking about grabbing dinner at Kaya because it is so good, but earlier in the day we joked about going back to Old Town Mexican for dinner. It isn’t the best mexican food mind you, but we we usually have a good time there with halfway decent food. And plus I was in the mood for mexican the more and more I thought about it. We stayed at Kaya for most of the game and then walked to Old Town Mexican.

When we walked outside I noticed there was a parade going on. I didn’t realize they had a parade for MLK. The parade was fairly small but it was fun and festive.

When we made it to Old Town Mexican, the place was busy as well, so we wound up just sitting at the bar so we wouldn’t have to wait for a table. Plus they had the game on as well behind the bar so we could catch the ending of the game. 

 I wound up ordering the salmon enchiladas. They were surprisingly quite good. My husband had a beef burrito and I believe Julie had the nachos and Brent went with their fish tacos. Again, it wasn’t fancy or the best food, but it hit the spot and we were all satisfied with our meals. 

We ordered a few more drinks while catching the second game, the Eagles at the Buccaneers. 

We stayed through about halftime and then walked back to the Gardens to have a night cap in the gazebo. I grabbed the bottle of wine that was left as a welcome gift in our room. We chatted about our day and what our plans were for the next day. Julie then reminded us that she made reservations for Latitudes the following morning that I totally forgot about. Our reservations weren’t until 9:45am so we could sleep in a little, which I welcomed. I saw that it was getting late and we all turned in for the evening.

Tuesday, January 16 – Latitudes, Smokin’ Tuna x2

We woke up to another mild day. I checked my phone and saw that the Eagles lost to the Buccaneers. Being a NY Giants fan I was happy to see that score and also couldn’t believe they lost. I also saw a message from my sister that it was snowing back home. What a lovely day to be in Key West I thought to myself.

My husband and I freshened up and walked down to Cuban Coffee Queen for a large hot cup of their cuban american coffee. I just love their coffee.

You can read my review here: https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g34345-d9729234-r936063464-Cuban_Coffee_Queen_Downtown-Key_West_Florida_Keys_Florida.html

It was so nice to see that there wasn’t a line so we were able to order our coffee right away. 

We walked back to the Gardens to meet up with Brent and Julie. They just finished getting ready as well, so we strolled down Duval towards the Opal Resort to catch the water taxi over to Latitudes.

As we were nearing the end of Duval, we noticed a lot of people walking along the streets with lanyards around their necks. Must be a cruise ship in town. And sure enough, when we got to the Opal Resort, there it was – a huge Carnival ship. They must have recently docked because everyone was walking off of the ship. I couldn’t imagine waiting all that time just to leave the ship and then having to constantly check the time on your watch / phone when you have to be back on the ship. No thank you. I prefer to do things at my own pace.

We walked to the little dock to wait for the water taxi. I couldn’t believe how many people kept leaving the ship. One after the other. It was never ending – being it was a massive ship I assume there were thousands of people on it. Finally I could see the water taxi make its way to the dock around the cruise ship. 

Only a few people were on it so we didn’t have to wait long to board the taxi. It must have been a popular time for breakfast because the taxi filled up and there were no empty seats left.

As we made our way around the huge cruise ship and along Key West, I noticed it the skies were getting cloudy. The temperature was still warm but the skies were turning gray. It was a short trip and soon we all walked off the taxi and down the dock to the restaurant. 

We were seated in a nice table outside. 

I looked around and oddly the place was very quite. Julie mentioned how the RokIsland festival is starting the next day and most likely a lot of the musicians would be staying on Sunset Key. So maybe people were checking in later on that day.  Anyway, it was nice and peaceful that’s for sure. For breakfast I ordered an omelette and everyone else ordered some sort of egg dish. 

We all enjoyed our breakfast. It isn’t anything that special, but the backdrop is what makes breakfast at Latitudes worth it. I just wished it sunny out to see that blue/green water. Once everyone was done, we noticed that we could make the 11:30 taxi back otherwise we would have to wait. So we asked our server for the bill and we walked down to the dock. 

When we got back to Key West, we wanted to try another way to leave instead of walking back through the Opal Resort grounds. We wound walking in to the Truman Annex. It was really pretty. I don’t think we ever walked that part of Truman Annex before.

Brent was scheduled to play later that evening at the Smokin’ Tuna with the Nick Brownell Band, so he wanted to get back to the Gardens to practice for a bit. I mentioned to Julie that I wanted to see Caffeine Carl and Zack Seemiller play at the Tuna that afternoon as well. So she said that she would head back to the Gardens with Brent and meet us at the Tuna a little later. So Brent and Julie headed back to the Gardens and we walked around for a bit.

Eventually of course, we decided to head back to the Sunset Tiki Bar. 

Candace was working again so she didn’t even have to ask for our drink order. We always order the Deep Eddy Sweet Tea and water with a squeeze of lemon. For some reason they just set the tone for the day without being to harsh. Knowing we had a long day ahead of us we didn’t stay too long. 

We strolled around for a little bit and walked by the old Rooftop Cafe. There was some sort of construction going on, hopefully that means it will reopen at some point. Perhaps a new restaurant is on the horizon. It is such a shame the Rooftop Cafe closed down. The place was one of my favorite restaurants in Key West.

While we were walking around, we got in touch with Julie letting her know we were going to the Tuna. We walked on in and Phil was working behind the bar. He welcomed us back as well as we grabbed a table to sit down at. Carl and Zack were setting up and we said hello. Soon Julie showed up as well.

While we were hanging out and enjoying the music I noticed that I got a message from one of Zack’s friends Jolene. She just came in town with her friends for the RokIsland Festival that was starting the following day. I told her about Brent playing later that evening at the Tuna with the Nick Brownell Band. So we planned on meeting up later at the Tuna.

I also looked around for our name plate. Back in July of last year, I had our names engraved on one of the plates they have displayed all over the columns at the Tuna. I was sent a photo of the plate several months ago when it was completed. So I new it was hanging up, somewhere. I walked around and looked at every column – no such luck finding it. I thought that I would check again later or that evening when we came back.

After enjoying Carl and Zack play, we walked back to the Gardens. We didn’t have any dinner plans that evening, so decided that we would all grab something to eat at the Tuna later on. The weather was getting iffy and then it started to rain. We wound up sitting at the Gardens Pool Bar for a bit to wait out the rain. 

It was getting to be about that time to freshen up a little and head to the Tuna. Brent and Julie wanted to get there early so Brent could set up and whatnot. The rain thankfully subsided and we made our way down to the Tuna. We walked in and the place was packed. Cliff Cody was on the stage finishing up his set. 

I noticed that one of the tables in front of the stage only had several people standing around it with empty cups piled high. I walked up to them to ask them if they were leaving soon. They nodded and said that we could sit down at the table. One person from the group mentioned how it rained earlier and they had to move because the water came down from the edge of the covering above. Good to know.

It wasn’t raining at that point so we stayed at the table for the meantime. We all ordered something to eat. I wound up ordering their fish dip and my husband ordered the wings. While we waited for our food we noticed that the table next to us left, so we wound up moving over to that table just in case it rained again. 

When our food came out I was quite hungry. I haven’t had the Smokin’ Tuna fish dip in quite some time and boy did it taste good, especially when you pair it with their hot sauce (the green one is my favorite). My husband enjoyed the wings as well. I was contemplating ordering something else, but I was pretty satisfied and so was everyone else.

Soon it was time for Brent to join the stage with the Nick Brownell band.

You can see a video I took during the show here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5QZe3vZ9R8

While we were listening to the music I saw Jolene walk in with her a friend of hers. I waved her over to our seats. She introduced us to her friend Terry who was so nice. We all ordered around of drinks and settled in for the night.

It was so much fun. Even John LaMere came by to check out the band.

Unfortunately the rain started again and it poured. And I mean poured. It poured so much that in front of the stage, big pond of water formed. Then we noticed the table we moved away from initially, had a little waterfall coming down from above. Good thing we did more. The table we were sitting at was fully protected from the rain thank goodness. The band sounded great. I never heard Nick Brownell play before and he was very good. At one point towards the end of the evening there was someone in the crowd who asked if he could come up and sing Tennessee Whiskey. Nick welcomed him up on to the stage and he started singing. Then within minutes a young lady came up on the stage and joined in. I never seen anything like it and it was probably the best impromptu at the Tuna, I have ever heard. They were great.

You can see the video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjSFtj6g39w

When the band finished up for the night, we were all pretty tired and ready to get back to the Gardens. Since it was still raining we grabbed a taxi to take us back. I told Jolene that we would meet up again at the Tuna the following night to see Caffeine Carl and the Buzz after the concert. (She was going to for the RokIsland fest at the amphitheater.)

We made it back to the Gardens for much needed sleep. 

Wednesday, January 17 – Bagatelle, The Red Shoe Bistro, Smokin’ Tuna

Since we were up quite late night before we slept in a bit. The rain must have brought in a cool front, because when I opened our door to check the temperature, I felt a little chill in the air. Good thing I brought a couple of long sleeved shirts just in case. While we were waiting for Brent and Julie to get ready we walked down to Cuban Coffee Queen. Again, there wasn’t much of a line so we didn’t wait long to have our coffee in hand. As we walked back to the Gardens I could feel the wind blow and it was chilly.

I assumed it was most likely coming in from the North. I checked my phone and sure enough it was quite cold back up in NJ. Usually when there is a cold front back at home, it tends to be cooler down in Key West. 

Brent and Julie were ready when we walked back to the Gardens. When we met up with Brent and Julie, my husband suggested that we could head down to Bagatelle for breakfast. Even though it was cool out, it was still nice enough for a stroll down Duval. We arrived at Bagatelle and we were greeted by the hostess. I noticed that there was a table open on the front porch in the corner and was hoping to sit there. However, the hostess brought us upstairs to sit on the second level balcony which was fine, but we were on the side of the building, so there wasn’t much of a view. Plus when you sit on the second floor, you feel the servers walk by. The floor actually shakes a bit. I assume it is nothing to worry about, but it does make me feel a little uneasy.

We looked over the menu and I forgot how many things they have on their menu. I thought about ordering the southern eggs benedict, but I wasn’t hungry enough to have the pulled pork even though it is so good. I decided to go with the lobster omelette. Plus it just sounded good to me. When the server returned we all placed our order. While we were waiting on our breakfast we all talked about the night before and what fun it was. Speaking of, I couldn’t wear my keen shoes that day. They were soaking wet from filming the band perform from standing in that huge pond of water.

Our meals arrived and my omelette looked delicious. And it was. 

After breakfast Brent and Julie went back to the Gardens while we wondered around. The air felt a little warmer as the day went on, but it was still a bit overcast. 

We thought about stoping by the Smokin’ Tuna to see who the afternoon music act was. Generally, it is usually quiet at that time of day and you don’t have to try and find a place to sit.

As we neared the back entrance to the Tuna, we heard music – loud music. I totally forgot that they also host bands for the RokIsland Fest. The place was packed – standing room only. All well we tried. Instead we made it back to the Gardens to relax for a bit.

On a side note, several months ago, a well known Key West photographer by the name of Ralph De Palma reached out to me about helping him promote his new book called The Soul of Key West Volume 3. Since I have been doing artwork for several musicians down in Key West for several years, I was delighted to have the opportunity. I also helped design his new 2024 calendar which features all the musicians that play on Key West. Being a fan of music myself, it was a fun project to do. 

I got in touch with him and told him that we were going to meet a couple of friends at the Smokin’ Tuna that evening to see Caffeine Carl and The Buzz play. We did have reservations that evening at The Red Shoe Bistro, but for 6pm so we wouldn’t miss anything. He told me that he wanted to get some photos of Caffeine Carl and Zack Seemiller to help promote his book. So we had tentative plans to meet up at the Tuna after dinner. 

That afternoon seemed to fly by. Before I knew it, it was time to get ready for dinner. The temperature was dropping again so I wound up staying in the same clothes I wore during the day. I made sure I grabbed a heavier hoodie so I wouldn’t be too chilly at the Tuna that night. Brent and Julie met us at the Gardens Pool Bar for a drink before we walked down to The Red Shoe Bistro. Phil was behind the bar which is always entertaining.

The Red Shoe Bistro isn’t very far from the Gardens. It is just a quick stroll down Petronia in the old Bliss location. 

When we arrived at the entrance the door wasn’t open. They weren’t open just yet. Several people were standing outside already waiting. I guess we weren’t the only ones a little early. 

Within minutes the owner open the door and welcomed us in. He said that he recognized me when I told him my name for our reservation. We have been loyal customers ever since it opened up several years ago. I usually try to make it a point to eat there at least once every time we visit Key West. When we were in Key West back in July they were closed for vacation so unfortunately we couldn’t have dinner there.

We were seated in a lovely corner table overseeing the bar area. I think every table was occupied by the time we gave our server our drink orders. It is great to see The Red Shoe do so well.

The server came over and told us the catch of the day. It was black grouper, one of my favorites. So of course I ordered that and so did Brent and Julie. My husband always order’s their signature beef stroganoff and that’s what he went with again. I noticed that they had a new item under appetizers, crispy pork belly crositini. I usually order their caesar salad, but I do love pork belly so I wound ordering that. I thought to myself I am going to have to run a bit extra when I get home to work off all these great dinners we have been having.

Our appetizers arrived and I was excited to try the pork belly. It was perfectly cooked and delicious. My husband had the shrimp mango toast and enjoyed his selection. Next up were our main courses. The black grouper on my plate looked amazing. It was beautifully prepared, so fresh. I don’t think anyone had anything negative to say about their meals except how good they all were.

You can read my full review of The Red Shoe Bistro here: https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g34345-d21141783-r935968271-Red_Shoe_Island_Bistro-Key_West_Florida_Keys_Florida.html

When we were finished I couldn’t even think about dessert, I was stuffed. So was everyone else. I was tempted to just go back to the Gardens as my husband suggested, but I did make plans to meet up with both Jolene and Ralph De Palma and I would have felt terrible not showing up. 

With a little bit of convincing, I rallied up the troops and we walked down to the Tuna. Again all the tables in the front of the stage were taken. Then I noticed there was a couple at one table and they looked like they were about to leave. I asked them if they were leaving. They said they were finishing up their drinks, but they welcomed us all to sit with them. I thought that was really nice. Then before I knew it they wound up leaving. Shortly after they left, I saw Ralph De Palma come over with his camera and book in tow. 

I told him to grab a seat and we talked for a bit. When Carl, Zack and the rest of the band began setting up, he took a bunch of photos of them with his book. And so I thought I should get one myself (even though Brent wasn’t part of the band that night).

He then said I could get in a picture as well. So of course I did!

After my photo shoot I made a quick walk around the bar looking for our name plates again thinking I probably just missed it. Again, no dice. Eventually I thought to myself I will find it. Maybe not this trip but someday – it will be my mission. Soon the band came on and started to play their regular set. I think I know it by heart by now.  

While we were enjoying the music Jolene and her friend Terry showed up again. She said the band that they just saw at the amphitheater was really good. I can’t remember which band it was. Maybe it was Wig Wam? Anyway, it was nice that they were able to join us as well. Then all of a sudden another familiar face appeared, it was Vincent Bergamo. 

Ironically he is a musician from Lavallette, NJ where we would spend a lot of summers at the Jersey Shore. We have seen him play back in NJ a few times. He was in town for a bit to play a bunch of gigs in Key West. We chatted for a few before he had to make his way out. 

Due to the fact there was another RokIsland Fest Band scheduled to play after Caffeine Carl, they only played until around 10:30pm, which I was okay with. I was tired and still full from dinner. Once the band ended we made it back to the Gardens and called it a night.

You can see a video of the band performing here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WObC4-fX3p0

Thursday January 18 – The Saint, Mallory Square, Wille T’s, Lola’s

The cold front had lifted that morning. When I opened up the door I could feel the warm air. It felt great. The sun was back out shining and the skies were blue. 

Brent and Julie wanted to sleep in and have breakfast at the Gardens. Once my husband and I freshened up and were ready, we took a leisurely walk down towards the Moondog Cafe. We had not been there in quite some time and I wanted to check it out. I remember their breakfasts were always good. However, when we neared the cafe we saw a line of people waiting to be seated. Plan B we both thought. Since we were on Whitehead St. we thought about maybe going to Ramshead Southernmost, but then I remembered the last time we were there I wasn’t exactly thrilled with what I ordered.

We walked along the road which was fine since it was a beautiful morning. Then I suggested going to the Saint for breakfast. It wasn’t exactly early in the morning so no matter where we would end up, there most likely would be a wait. And the past few times we have been to the Saint, it is usually fairly quiet. 

We walked past the Mile 0 sign and there wasn’t anyone waiting to get their photo taken. Even though I have numerous photos of myself standing next to it, you can never have enough. So I had my husband take a quick photo before we walked in to the store. My sister asked me to grab her a Mile 0 car magnet and this was the place to get one. We walked in and the lady behind the counter showed us the display of all of the magnets hanging on the display. I wound picking out the traditional Mile 0 sign one. 

After my purchase we walked down to Eaton St. We walked inside of the Saint and to no surprise the bar was empty. We sat down and the bartender gave us a couple of menus. I noticed he was getting over a cold as he kept sniffling. It was a bit off putting but we were both pretty hungry for breakfast.

I decided to go with the salmon eggs benedict while my husband went for the traditional egg breakfast. We ordered ourselves a couple of screwdrivers while we waited. There were a few tables of people but overall the place was quiet. I find the lights that hang above so intriguing. The entire place has a whimsical flare to it if you will.

Eventually our breakfast was served. It looked delicious. I took a few bites and disappointingly it was cold.

It must have been sitting out for a while. I wound up eating anyway, but I wasn’t exactly happy about it. My husband said his meal wasn’t hot either, just lukewarm. All well. When we were done with our meals we went back on to Duval to walk around and wound up at our go to place, the Sunset Tiki Bar for a drink.

Our friend Ramsey was working so it was fun to catch up with her since our last trip.

After we finished our drinks, we made our way towards Mallory Square and maneuvered our way through the shops. 

I didn’t see anything that caught my eye so we kept walking out to the square to check out the water. There wasn’t any cruise ships in town that day so it was nice and quiet. 

We walked back through the shops of Mallory Square, but through a different building. It was a small indoor mall, which reminded me of going to the mall as a kid. We noticed there was a Cuban Coffee Queen shop as well inside.

Once we were back onto Whitehead St. my husband wanted to stop at First Flight.

We grabbed a couple of open seats at the bar and my husband ordered a flight of their brews and I went with a mojito. 

I probably should have went with a margarita but it wasn’t bad – just a little too sweet for what I was in the mood for. I remember back in the day when it was Kelly’s, they used to have the best key lime margaritas. Ever since they changed over to First Flight, they are not the same.

After our drinks we walked back along Whitehead St. down to Angela. 

We made it back to the Gardens to relax by the pool for a little while. Zack Seemiller was playing at Willie T’s that afternoon and Jolene told me that she was going to be there with her friend Terry and Lisa whom I wanted to meet. We caught up with Brent and Julie who were relaxing by the pool and I mentioned to Julie that I wanted to go to Willie T’s. My husband didn’t feel like going so he stayed behind with Brent. 

Julie and I made the fairly short stroll down Duval to Willie T’s. Ironically when my husband and I used to come to Key West years ago, our first stop was always Willie T’s after we would check in at the Gardens. Now we usually just hang out at the Gardens Pool Bar our first afternoon. 

When we walked in to Willie T’s I immediately spotted Jolene. She secured a table right near where Zack was playing with her friends. She introduced us to everyone as we grabbed a couple of seats to join them. We talked for a bit while we listened to the music.  Even Jolene sang a duet with Zack. It was a fun time. 

Unfortunately we couldn’t stay until the end of Zack’s set. Julie made reservations at Lola’s for the first seating that evening which was 6pm. We said our goodbyes to everyone and made tentative plans to meet up later at the Smokin’ Tuna.

When we got back to the Gardens, my husband and Brent were hanging out at the pool bar. I quickly freshened up and not before long it was time to walk down to Lola’s. Lola’s is literally a half block away from the Gardens, if that. When we walked up to Lola’s, everyone was outside waiting. Apparently this was the first night Lola’s was reopening after being closed for vacation.

After a few minutes, the door opened and the hostess started reading off names. Then at the very end of the list, Julie’s name was called. They originally had our reservation for a party of 2 instead of 4, which was the reason for being the last ones called. It was no problem since they were able to rearrange a couple of tables. We were seated towards the front of the little restaurant.

Our server came over and opened the bottles of wine we brought. I totally forgot about that part, but thankfully my husband went out with Brent to grab a bottle of wine while Julie and I were at Willie T’s. After our bottles were open our server told us what was on the menu for that particular evening. One of the main course offerings was a hogfish entree served with a garlic pepper sauce. I was so happy when I heard that and new immediately what I wanted, but he had to take care of another table first and gave us a few minutes to decide what everyone wanted to order.

I was so hungry that it seemed like an eternity before he finally returned to take our order. Julie ordered scallops for her appetizer, which they are known for. Brent and my husband both ordered the roasted lobster tail for their appetizers. I didn’t want anything to extravagant, because I wanted to save room for the hogfish. My husband followed suit and ordered the hogfish for his main course. I wound choosing the braised artichoke hearts for my first course, which I have had in the past and really enjoyed them. I think Julie wound up ordering the roast duck for her main course and Brent decided to go with the branzino. 

Our first course came out and without any surprise the artichoke hearts were delicious. There was a bit of a lag for our main courses which is to be expected since there is only one person cooking everyone’s order, but it is always worth the wait. The hogfish was amazing with the pepper and garlic sauce. Everyone else loved their meals as well. My only slight critic is that I wish they would have a small side with the protein. Even if it was just a little roasted broccolini or something. I find it a little incomplete when they present say just the piece of fish. Overall though, the food is outstanding.

Julie wound up ordering a slice of pecan pie for dessert. I tasted a piece of it and it was so good. It reminded me of Thanksgiving. By the time we were finished and paid the bill it was after 8pm. I felt kind of bad for all the people waiting outside for the second seating. Maybe they should adjust it from 8pm to 8:30pm.

You can read my full review here: https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g34345-d19247202-r935967589-Lola_s_Bistro-Key_West_Florida_Keys_Florida.html

We still had some wine left over so we took it back with us to the Gardens. I really wanted to go out to the Tuna, but looking at the little gazebo at the Gardens all lit up did look inviting. I sent a message to Jolene to let her know we weren’t going to make it. After the rich dinner I was pretty tired anyway. We wound up having a night cap and I headed to the room shortly after. It was an early night for me.

Friday January 19 – Last Full Day – Azur, Sunset Tiki Bar, Bob’s on Margaret

Usually the sun shining in our room wakes me up, but that morning the room was dark. We wound up sleeping in thinking it was earlier then it actually was. I didn’t mind though because we really didn’t have any set plans for our last full day. I checked outside and it was another cool day. My husband mentioned to me that while I went to sleep before everyone else the night before, he made plans for all of us to go to Azur for breakfast. I always like going to Azur for breakfast so I was all for it.

We both freshened up stopped at Cuban Coffee Queen before meeting up with Brent and Julie.

The route we took was to walk down down Simonton St. and then make a right onto Fleming. It was a nice leisurely walk down the lesser visited streets of Key West which I love. There was a cool breeze, but not cold enough to prevent us from sitting outside. 

When we arrived at Azur I requested to be seated outside. The host sat us at a very nice large corner table. Can you tell I like corner tables?

While we looked over the menu Julie and I each ordered a mango mimosa. I normally don’t drink mimosas, but I figured it was our last full day so why not. I didn’t realize it was quite late – nearing 11am. No wonder why I didn’t feel like breakfast. I noticed that they had salad options with a choice of chicken, shrimp or yellowtail snapper. So I decided to go with the caesar salad and yellowtail snapper. Julie also ordered one of their other salad offerings with the snapper. My husband didn’t go the breakfast route either and ordered a burger. Brent was the only one that ordered an actual breakfast of fried eggs.

When our drink order came out, I couldn’t believe the size of the mimosa (I wish I took a picture). It wasn’t served in a typical champagne flute glass, but a wine glass. You definitely get your money’s worth. I really enjoyed the champagne mixed with the mango. 

Our breakfast or brunch I should say, arrived after a little bit of a wait, but we weren’t in any rush. My caesar salad was delicious and like most of our previous meals during our stay, and that snapper was excellent. Everyone enjoyed their meals as well. 

You can read my full review here: https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g34345-d788388-r935967859-Azur_Restaurant-Key_West_Florida_Keys_Florida.html

When we were done and asked for the check, Brent and Julie told us that they were going to go back to the Gardens to relax. We had reservations later on in the evening at Latitudes, but the weather did look a little iffy. So we decided to wait and see how the day went before canceling our dinner. We told them we were going to walk around for a bit and then meet them later, as usual, back at the Gardens. Plus I wanted to start packing as well at some point that afternoon.

My husband and I wound up walking down Grinnel St. past the new restaurant Eaton Good. There were people sitting outside eating and it looked like a cute little spot. Maybe a place to check out in the future. Then we turned down Eaton St. to Margaret. 

As we were nearing Harpoon Harry’s we noticed a lot of police activity. There were several police cars parked along the roadway and cops standing outside a building across from Harpoon Harry’s. As we walked by we noticed it was a place called New Market with a Western Union. Interesting we both thought. 

We continued our walk down towards Half Shell and around the Boathouse Restaurant. As we were walking down the pier we saw a couple more police officers talking. We over heard them mention a young guy most likely from the cruise ship and something about an attempted robbery. Who knows what exactly happened but that was the first time we ever saw anything like that in Key West. Hopefully they caught the guy.

We walked down to look at some of the shops near the Waterfont Brewery. There was a dress I was eyeing but unfortunately I needed a Small and all that there was, were a couple of XS and XLs so that didn’t work for me. Next we walked down to the Conch Farm. I always like their little retail shop next to the restaurant. We walked in and surprisingly there wasn’t anything that caught my eye. I think this was the first trip I didn’t buy anything during our stay (well besided the Mile 0 car magnet for my sister). Then again how many Smokin’ Tuna, Conch Republic, Hogs Breath, shirts can I possibly own? Too many.

Since it was our last full day we wanted to make sure we stopped in again at the Sunset Tiki Bar to see Ramsey who usually works on Fridays. We walked down the pier looking at the ominous weather. It reminded me of the Jersey Shore on a rainy day. We walked up to the bar, and sure enough Ramsey was working. There were a few people already at the bar, so we sat on the other end. Ramsey made us a couple of drinks while we talked for a bit. 

We noticed the weather wasn’t looking like it was going to clear up any time soon. In fact it was looking worse then it did a few hours earlier. We mentioned to Ramsey that we were supposed to go to Latitudes that evening, but most likely would have to cancel since it wasn’t conducive enough to sit outside and would not have any sort of view, which is the entire point of going to Latitudes.

Ramsey mentioned that she wanted to try this new restaurant Bob’s on Margaret in the former Michael’s location. Then I remembered reading about it recently on the TripAdvisor forum that it just opened literally a few weeks ago. I checked the menu on my phone and it looked like something everyone would enjoy – especially all the gluten free options. Brent and Julie are gluten free. I was able to make us a 6:45 reservation for that evening through their website. I texted Julie about it and she agreed about canceling Latitudes and was excited to try something new. We thanked Ramsey for the idea and told her we would report back how the dinner went. 

Again, not wanting to get too comfortable we asked Ramsey for the check and wished her well. We told her we would see her again soon and thanked her for the drinks. We walked back down Duval and the winds were picking up. Canceling our Latitude’s dinner was definitely the right call.

We walked back down by the Tree Bar and noticed most of the seats were empty and Terry was back behind the bar. We walked on over and grabbed a couple of seats. We chatted with Terry for a few and told her we were headed back to NJ the following day. She asked us about the weather so I checked my phone. I wish I hadn’t. It was forecasted to be 17 degrees when we land back in Newark. All well I thought, at least it was warmer in Key West and we managed to have several beautiful warm days. Things could be worse.

Then I was itching to get back to the Gardens so I can start packing our things. We thanked Terry and made our way back on to Duval to Angela St. We also had a load of laundry done midweek so I was hoping that was ready. When I walked into our room I saw the bag of laundry. It was perfect timing. While I packed up a bunch of our things, my husband retired at the pool bar to chat with Phil the bartender for a bit. Once I was satisfied with my pre-departure packing, I joined my husband at the bar. Both Brent and Julie were also at the bar. They were both eager like us to try the new restaurant. Then it started to rain. Good thing I made the Plan B reservations I thought to myself.

Thankfully the rain subsided by the time we were ready to walk down to Bob’s. Once everyone was freshened up and ready we made our way down Simonton to Southard.

It was so quiet and peaceful as we walked past all these beautiful homes. Someday I thought – well maybe if we won the lottery. It is the only way to afford anything in Key West. 

We made the left turn on to Margaret and the restaurant was right there. It was beautifully lit when we walked inside. I didn’t specify our preference where to sit when I made the reservation. The host guided us inside to a table along the wall. The room was nice, but I noticed the outside area had more ambience. 

I asked the host if we could sit outside, but he said due to the threat of rain they were trying to seat people inside. It wasn’t a deal breaker so we walked back inside and sat at the table.

Everyone ordered a cocktail, while we looked over the menu. Our server came over and told us the catch of the day was swordfish. I am not a fan of swordfish, but both Brent and Julie are.

So they wound up ordering the swordfish for their main courses. I was a little tired of seafood and my guilty pleasure is rack of lamb. I rarely ever eat red meat, but that’s one exception I will order. I noticed they had it on the menu and for $43 which I didn’t think was such a bad price. My husband also went in the red meat direction and ordered the filet mignon. For starters I tried the salmon tataki appetizer and my husband ordered the caesar salad. I think Brent and Julie shared a salad and maybe another appetizer, but I really can’t remember and I didn’t take a photo of what they had. When our appetizers came out, my salmon tataki looked like a work of art and it tasted just as good as it looked. 

Then for my main course, the rack of lamb, it too looked amazing when it arrived. Instead of the typical 4 chops, they gave you 5 chops. The only little negative was that they weren’t all sliced. They were in two pieces. One piece had two chops and the other had three chops. I didn’t mind too much – plus they gave me an ultra sharp knife so it was easy to cut through. The lamb was cooked to a perfect medium rare. Brent and Julie raved about their swordfish. And of course my husband enjoyed his filet mignon. I was a bit relieved that everyone enjoyed their meals since I was the one that suggested going to Bob’s instead of Latitudes.

For dessert I ordered a key lime martini. It was a nice way to end the meal. Once we paid our tab we walked back outside and noticed all the tables were filled. So much for rain I thought and it looked so pretty with the lights. Especially the bar – if it was just myself and my husband I would definitely eat there. 

You can read my full review of Bob’s here: https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g34345-d27101266-r935968070-Bob_s_on_Margaret-Key_West_Florida_Keys_Florida.html

While we were walking back to the Gardens, the thought of going out to the Tuna crossed my mind, but then I thought would I really want to go out and drink more on such a full stomach? Probably not. So I didn’t even suggest it and we walked back to the Gardens. Plus with a travel day ahead of us, who wants to be feel terrible or not well rested. 

We all had a nightcap at the Gardens before getting some sleep on our last night. 

Saturday January 20 – Going Home

When we woke up we noticed light in our room. The sun had returned. I opened up the door and the sun did indeed return, but so did a cold front. It was chilly. Then I thought about how it is supposed to be really cold when we arrived back in NJ. We both freshened up and packed up anything else we had left out the night before. 

We met up with Brent and Julie to have our last breakfast at La Te Da. Since it is usually our first breakfast stop in Key West, why not make it our last stop as well. Thoughts of our trip back in July kept crossing my mind. I remember how we were actually on the plane and we had to leave the plane only to be told our flight was canceled. However the United app said our flight was on time for 1:59pm.

We walked down to La Te Da and our two favorite tables were open. Julie and I were so excited. 

We asked the hostess if we could sit there and she said of course. We sat down and the bartender came over to take our order. I was still pretty full from the lamb chops the previous night, so I just order a couple of eggs and bacon. Of course my husband had the eggs blackstone again and Brent and Julie had eggs as well. 

It was a beautiful, but chilly morning. Thankfully we couldn’t really feel the wind from our seats. Our breakfast arrived and it was again, very good. The thought of leaving in a couple of hours started to get us all a little sad. Brent and Julie still had one more day before they headed back to home. 

When we finished our breakfast, we walked back down Duval to Angela St. It was the last time walking down Duval I thought to myself. 

I went back to our room to gather or things while my husband arranged for a taxi pickup at the front desk. My husband came back to the room to help me with our luggage. We rolled our bags to the pool area to meet up again with Brent and Julie. (I hate the sound of the bags rolling when we leave, but love the sound when we are rolling the bags to our room.) We grabbed a couple of seats and talked about the week we just had. It always goes by way too fast. Like a blink of an eye. I would love to do a 2 week vacation but it is very hard with my husband’s schedule and mine. Plus the cost for two weeks in Key West – yikes.

To pass some time, my husband and I walked in to the back of the Gardens, because he wanted to hit the gong they have. The bartender Phil usually shows new guests when they arrive at the Gardens and hits the gong. We never have, so my husband wanted to give it a try. Wow it was loud.

Soon it was that dreadful time to say goodbye. We hugged Brent and Julie and wished them safe travels the next day. 

We walked out to the front of the Gardens. I moved so I could stand in a spot on the sidewalk where the sun was shining down, while we waited for the taxi. It was chilly in the shade. A few minutes passed, but then we spotted the taxi. Once he arrived we grabbed our things and soon we were at the airport. 

Since we only had carryon we walked right to the TSA Pre line. I noticed this time they had TSA agents for both lines. It didn’t help much though, because the screen process was slow. Very slow. It also looked like they had new scanning equipment for the luggage – very high tech. Eventually we made it through and took the escalator down to the lower level. Then the sea of people appeared. We walked in to the gate area and it was standing room only. I had never seen it that packed. It was crazy. I think they had all the flights leaving around the same time. Crazy. Luckily we found a table near the food / beverage area. I thought about maybe just sitting in the outside area and feel the sun one last time, but it was closed for construction. That probably didn’t help with the crowded gate area. No extra area for people to wait.

I checked our flight status and it still said on time. Thank goodness. Again we were flying out on a 737 jet so the gate area had a lot more passengers waiting as opposed to when we would fligh out on a smaller plane. It seemed like eternity, but finally they announced that the boarding process would begin.

We made it to the plane and once everyone boarded we were soon on our way back to Newark. The flight was quicker then the way down – only about 2 and 1/2 hours. As we neared Newark I could see the white below. 

It looked so cold and so uninviting. Once we landed I got in touch with our car driver. 

We made it to the doors and as soon as we walked outside of the terminal, I had to take a second breath. It was so cold. You try to prepare yourself for it, but you really can’t. It was an uneventful hour drive back home. It was nice to see our house again and be home, but for the first time not seeing our little cat waiting for us at the door made us both sad. 

This wasn’t the most eventful Key West trips, but sometimes that’s all you need. Especially when you need a little escape from the monotony of winter weather in the Northeast. No matter what we have planned or not planned, it is always great returning to Key West seeing friends and making new ones. It is place that brings a smile to my face each and every time we return. I am so grateful that we are able to return as much as we do and never take it for granted.

I hope you enjoyed my blog and thank you for taking the time to read it.  As always I truly appreciate it….. until next time!

I couldn’t believe it was four years since my husband and I have been to St. John (my “other” happy place). Since 2003, we made sure to get back to the Virgin Islands every year to celebrate our wedding anniversary. However, Hurricane Irma and COVID changed that like many things. After we stayed at Arc De Soleil back in October of 2019 I immediately booked the villa for the following year once we returned home. Sadly, once COVID hit I had to postpone our trip from 2020 to 2021 hoping that things would be back to normal by then. Obviously they weren’t ,so again I postponed until 2022. Then I read about how there were restrictions regarding going to the British Virgin Islands. Usually when we visit St. John, we always plan a day to go over to Jost Van Dyke and I still really wanted to be able to go.  I was able to work with the villa company (BookVI.com) and push off our villa rental one last time to October of this year. They were so easy to work with throughout all of my date changes – I highly recommend them. 

Back in October of 2021, we wound up going back to Key West (my other happy place – yes I have two) since I had postponed St. John until the following year. It was during Fantasy Fest, but it wasn’t really in full swing since everyone was slowly getting back to normal. During our stay, we became friendly with a couple who was also staying at the Gardens Hotel where we always stay. Long story short, every time since we have met them, we have been planning our vacations to Key West the same time together. During our stays in Key West, my husband and I would talk about how we were returning to St. John and that it had been four years since the last time we visited the island. Brent and Julie had never been and became increasingly more interested about going with us. After showing them the villa and the beaches of St. John they were in.

I had been looking at airfare since the beginning of the year and it was insane. I couldn’t fathom how the airlines could charge so much for a flight that is only about 3 and 1/2 to 4 hours. Finally in April the prices came down just enough that I jumped on the tickets. I also contacted Julie to let her know it was a good time to book. We figured out that the easiest way for us to all get to St. John together would be for all of us to be on the same direct United flight to St. Thomas. Brent and Julie live in Nashville, so they wound up booking a flight the night before directly to Newark, NJ. They would stay at the Marriott right next to the airport over night. We thought about having them stay with us but by the time they would get to our house (we are about an hour away from the airport) we would only have a few hours of sleep and head right back out to the airport. So it seemed that them staying at the airport hotel the night before made the most logical sense.

Saturday, October 28th – Arrival Day

Several days earlier I kept checking the National Hurricane Service website for updates on Tropical Storm Tammy. Initially Tammy started off as a tropical storm and then quickly intensified to a hurricane. Luckily Tammy stayed away just enough of the Virgin Islands so it was mostly just a lot of rain type of weather event. Once Tammy moved northward however, there were still remnants of rain that was affecting the islands. I also read how there were swells and rip current alerts issued especially with the North Shore beaches.

The weather forecast was looking dismal ahead of our arrive that Saturday and I just kept reminding myself that you can’t control the weather and hope for the best. 

I had checked us in for our United flight the day before and it showed that we would be leaving from the newly renovated Terminal A at Newark airport instead of Terminal C (which we normally leave from). I was curious to see for myself the new terminal. I have heard that it is a vast improvement compared to what it used to be. 

Our flight was scheduled for 9:27am that morning so I had reserved our usual car service to pick us up at 6:00am. The drive takes about just under an hour so I knew it would be enough time, especially since my husband and I both have Clear and TSA Pre.

Even though it was the end of October, the morning was quite mild. I didn’t have to wear a heavy jacket or anything, but I made sure to pack a hat for the flight back home (since the flight home always seems to be so cold). We arrived at the airport just around 7:00am. When our driver dropped us off we just looked around at the new Terminal. We weren’t exactly sure where to go. Terminal C is pretty much all United so there is no question where to go. Terminal A also encompasses several other airlines. We walked around and not before long we saw the sign for All Gates with TSA Pre. We went through the turnstile and up to the TSA Pre check-in line. We didn’t see any signs for Clear so I figured they didn’t have that option in the new terminal and/or we just didn’t see it.

Once we got through security, I texted our friend Julie that we made it through security. Brent and Julie were already waiting in the United Club lounge. Since I have the United Mileage Plus Card, I too have access, so we wound up meeting them at the lounge. When we walked up the stairs and into the lounge, I couldn’t believe how nice it was.

I know the lounge in Terminal C has been under construction for quite some time and I believe it just reopened, but this one was impressive.

They even had hot breakfast items to choose from, like scrambled, eggs, breakfast meats, etc. – not just the cold yogurt, cereal and bread options. 

Not before long, my husband and I spotted Brent and Julie. They found a couple of seats where we could also sit together. We gave them both big hugs.

It felt so strange to see them in the airport since we always see them in Key West. After grabbing something to eat and catching up we grabbed our things and walked back down one level to our Gate A12.

I still couldn’t get over how the terminal was. It felt like completely different airport. Our flight was on time so we didn’t have to wait too long to board and plus we were in Group 1.

Once everyone was boarded, I noticed that the main cabin door of the plane was remaining open. I thought to myself, here we go again. (Our last flight experience was still fresh in my mind…. return flight home from Key West canceled, barely making the next flight the following day.) As we sat there waiting, we were informed that they had to go through some sort of safety inspection. 

I was getting a little antsy since I had reserved a private taxi to pick us up in St. Thomas and take us to the 2:15pm Crown Bay Ferry (and I also bought our tickets for the ferry ahead of time). I read that you don’t really need to buy the tickets ahead of time or have a private taxi to the Crown Bay Ferry since it is literally about a 5-8 minute drive. However, my husband and I wanted to make it as easy as possible for our friends since it was their first time going to St. John. Plus who wants to sit in a taxi cab packed with people and making stops along the way dropping off the passengers who are staying in various hotels on St. Thomas.

Probably about 30 minutes passed by and then I saw the flight attendant closing the main cabin door. The captain came onto the intercom and apologized for the delay. I am assumed since we were flying out of Terminal A instead of C, we did not have to wait long at all before we were next in line for take off. Soon we were on our way back to St. Thomas.

During the flight I would catch myself peering out the window hoping to see a glance of islands below. The tropical wave was evident because all I saw along the way were a lot of clouds. My fear of landing in St. Thomas and our newbies walking onto the tarmac for the first time in the pouring rain. 

After about 3 and a half hours, the captain came back onto the intercom and alerted us that we were beginning our initial decent in to St. Thomas. A feeling of happiness immediately came over me. I couldn’t believe after 4 years I was finally coming back to my other happy place St. John. As we neared St. Thomas I could start to see the small islands off of Puerto Rico and thought that maybe the weather was looking up.

We were seated on the right side of the plane so unfortunately I couldn’t see us land on the runway which I always enjoy. Once we landed I looked at my Fitbit and the time was exactly the time we were supposed to land. I assumed they made up the time in the air and to my surprise, the sun was shining. I couldn’t believe that it wasn’t raining. However, once we landed, we didn’t move. The plane just sat there. This was due to another aircraft parked in our arrival location. So again, we had to wait and again I started to panic a little – worried about missing our ferry. It wouldn’t be the end of the world, but the ferry wasn’t until 3:30pm. Another option was to take the taxi to Red Hook, but I wanted to avoid the long taxi ride for our friends.

It was nearing1:45pm when the plane began moving again to our arrival location. We got the go ahead to exit the plane. Once we got off the plane, we made the long walk around and into the airport. We all had carry on so we didn’t have to wait for our luggage.

They had the usual welcome Cruzan Rum shots display and live steel drum music was playing. We didn’t have much time, but we all grabbed one and did our welcome to St. Thomas shot.

Once we got that done, we walked quickly back out to the taxi pick up area. I saw my name on the iPad of a drive from the company Chris Limousine (the private taxi service I booked). I introduced myself and he escorted us to wear his large van was parked. I thought to myself, if we had this to Red Hook, it wouldn’t be so bad. 

As we were leaving the airport I explained to our driver how we had not been to the island in over 4 years. He welcomed us back and was so pleasant. I also asked him about the recent weather and he said that the night before it down poured and even into the early morning hours, so we really lucked out.

We were only a couple minutes away when I got a call on my cell. It was the Crown Bay Ferry. I guess since I purchased the tickets ahead of time, they wanted to make sure if we were going to make it. I told the gentleman on the phone we were almost there and we were.

Once we arrived, we unloaded all our luggage and handed it to the crew. I wanted Brent and Julie to experience the ride to St. John the best way, the top level of the ferry. We walked up and sat down. It was a beautiful sunny day and we were on our way to St. John!

As we waited I did get a text from our villa Host, Jennifer. I told her that we did make the 2:15pm Crown Berry ferry and we would meet her at the dock. Then the captain of the ferry came up the stairs and gave us his brief safety speech. He mentioned to us that the water is going to be rough with swells. He also warned us that we would get wet as well and if we didn’t want to experience water on us, he suggested we should sit down another level. We all looked at each other and said we don’t want to get wet. We grabbed our things and walked down to the main level, but there were no seats available. So we went down below to the lower level and entered the air conditioned room. Several tables and booths were occupied, but then I saw one booth that had one man sitting at it. We asked him if we could sit with him and he moved his stuff over. 

We started chatting about St. John and how we hadn’t been there in 4 years. He was also staying on St. John on his way to meet his family. As the ferry began its course towards St. John, we noticed a few bumps a long the way. The few bumps increased in frequency. I tried to turn my body to face the same direction the ferry was going.  I started to feel that welcome shot I took at the airport. Why did I do it, I thought to myself. Then every few minutes, I would sit up in my seat and try to look out the window. The windows were set a bit above the seats so it was hard to see out.

I looked around and no one was talking. I saw one woman with her arms clutching the end of one the tables as she sat there with her head down and eyes closed. Another woman asked us if anyone had a plastic bag. Julie had a Ziploc bag she found in her bag and gave it to her. 

My husband said if she gets sick, we are all going to get sick. The 40 minute ferry ride felt like an eternity. I have never experienced a ferry ride to St. John like that. (Note to self, if there are north swells, stick with the Red Hook ferry.) Finally I could see Cruz Bay come into view. We were almost there!

A few more long minutes passed by and I could feel the ferry slow down. We made it. No one thankfully ever got sick, but it wasn’t a pleasant experience. Once everyone grabbed their things and composure, we walked over to a white SUV where Jennifer was waiting for us. 

I had rented a 4 door jeep wrangler from our usual jeep rental company, Bougainvillea Leasing Ltd. It is a bit of an uphill hike to the office. I was worried about it being pouring rain as well when we arrived, so I requested a vehicle that could take us all to the rental company. Jennifer had another passenger in the car so we all had to fit in the back somehow. My husband crammed himself into the very back (trunk area) and we made the short uncomfortable drive to Bougainvillea. Brent and Julie waited for us while I went in the office with my husband to sign the paper work.

Our jeep was a bright red model and fairly new. Brent and Julie hopped in the back seat with us and followed Jennifer to Arc Du Soleil. Along the way we passed the Westin, which brought back memories staying there several times years ago and even attending our friends’ wedding. I know they did a lot since post Hurricane Irma, but the entrance still looked the same. It was probably about a 10 to 12 minute ride up to the Virgin Grand Estates. I didn’t forget about some of the hairpin turns as you climb up St. John and neither did my husband. He did a great job getting us all to the villa.

When we drove up the driveway and parked the jeep, memories of staying at the villa immediately came back. Jennifer walked us in to the villa which is mostly all open air. Everyone couldn’t get over the view, even though my husband and I both have seen it before, it is still such an overwhelming site.

Since my husband and I have stayed at Arc Du Soleil before, the welcome tour was short and sweet. Once Jennifer left, both Julie and I went to unpack all of our things while my husband and Brent settled in – a.k.a. jump in the pool. I had worked with Landlubber Logistics ahead of time to have provisions set up and a welcome meal for our arrival. (I highly recommend them if you are looking for provisions.) I thought it would be a nice and easy way to spend our first night in St. John. 

Once I unpacked all of our things I joined everyone in the pool. The weather was still surprisingly clear and it was perfect for an early evening swim. 

I checked the refrigerator for our arrival meal. Landlubber suggested Sam & Jack’s Deli. It was actually really easy to do. I went on Sam & Jack’s Deli and emailed them the items we were interested in. They contacted me within a few days on the phone (super nice) to reconfirm our order and where we were staying. They would have our meal ready the day of our arrival for Landlubbber to pick up. 

Everyone was getting hungry so my husband put the jerk chicken with coconut rice in to the oven. I also ordered the grilled shrimp skewers with mango salsa along with a chick pea salad. There were only 4 of us, so the portions for 6 to 8 were more then enough for all of us. The food was delicious.

You can read my review of Sam & Jack’s Deli here: https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g147409-d2215378-r926174447-Sam_Jack_s_Deli-St_John_U_S_Virgin_Islands.html

We talked about our plans for the next day. My husband and I suggested that we would take them to Trunk Bay. It is the most popular and photographed beach in St. John (especially the overlook). It was a long day and we were all getting tired. We both retired to our rooms and planned on getting up early for our first full day on St. John.

Sunday, October 29th – Making the Best of an Overcast Day on Hawksnest Bay

Throughout the night I did hear the rain, however when I woke up it looked like it cleared up. I went ahead and made a fresh pot of coffee from Cuban Coffee Queen, Key West which I shipped down ahead of time. I was able to ship all our toiletries and a few odds and ends (like a frisbee) in a box to our villa management company. (They provided me with the address to send to.)

I wanted to make a fritatta for everyone, so I quickly whipped up some eggs and added some cheese. Once the eggs were in the oven I started to crisp up some bacon on the stove top. I noticed the oven took a while to heat up but I didn’t think anything of it. As I waited for the eggs to set, the skies became more overcast. As the weather started to deteriorate, the immediate rush to get to Trunk Bay dissipated. 

After breakfast we cleaned up and relaxed for a little while hoping the rain would stop. Brent and my husband even played a game of darts to pass the time. The rain finally stopped, so we gathered our things and headed to Cruz Bay to show Brent and Julie around. We took the windy steep road back down to town. Once we reached the center of Cruz Bay, my husband suggested that we could keep going up towards the north shore beaches to show Brent and Julie some of the overlook stops.

We all agreed and my husband kept driving past Mongoose Junction and up to the first overlook, Cruz Bay. Then our next stop was the Caneel Bay overlook. We all got out of the jeep to take a look. It still makes me so sad to see once such a beautiful place just left undone. You could even see how the property has become overgrown since the hurricane over 6 years ago. We explained to Brent and Julie that when we first visited St. John back in 2003, Caneel Bay was our first place we ever stayed at. Since then, we had stayed there around 6 or 7 times, mixing in a few split stays with the Westin and the other neighboring Virgin Islands. Eventually we decided that we should try and stay at a villa.

We all got back into the jeep and my husband drove us to Hawksnest Beach. There were several jeeps already in the parking lot, which I was surprised to see due to the fact the weather wasn’t exactly ideal. We made the short walk to the beach to show Brent and Julie how beautiful the beach and water was. Even with an overcast day, they couldn’t believe how pretty it was. We walked along the beach for a few minutes and then saw several people enjoying the beach and even in the water. The sun started to peek out a little and it didn’t look so ominous anymore. So we walked back to our jeep and grabbed our chairs and towels.

What started out as a show and tell sort of day, became a beach day after all. Once we had all of our chairs set up, we all made our way into the water. It was so warm and pleasant. It was even warmer then the pool at our villa. I was so happy that Brent and Julie were able to get into the water. 

It started to rain a little again so we decided to pack it in. Since we left the villa later then what we had planned, it was already after 1pm. My husband drove us back to Cruz Bay where we parked in Slim Man’s parking lot. (I find it so convenient especially parking spaces are very hard to come by in Cruz Bay.) We hadn’t seen all the new updates to the Wharfside Village and it was definitely a change. All the bright and brilliant colors were painted over to light hues of grays and white. Even the walkways were redone. It did look very nice and elegant, but I kind of missed all the colors of the old Wharfside Village. We walked over to High Tide which had not changed. And I love that. I don’t think it needs to and it is fine the way it is. We walked in and grabbed a few seats at the bar. They had the TVs on showing the Cowboys football game. 

I recommended to Brent and Julie that they should try a rum punch, which I find High Tide to be one of the best recipes. When the bartender came over, we all ordered a rum punch, except Julie who was eyeing the buschwacker – which isn’t a bad fall back drink to have. As we looked over the menu, one of the staff members saw that my husband was wearing a Giants t-shirt so she turned on the one TV to the Jets and Giants game that was on. I thought that was really nice of her.

I also noticed the ferry dock under construction (it is still open and running). Since we arrived on the Crown Bay Ferry, we weren’t able to see it. It looks like it is going to take a long time for completion (island time). 

Everyone ordered a bite to it, but not me. I wasn’t really hungry at that point and didn’t want to fill up for dinner. I tend usually eat breakfast and dinner while on vacation.

When everyone was done with lunch, we drove over to the Starfish Market to pick up a few things. Our villa was fully stocked with toilet paper, paper towels, laundry detergent, etc. but we still needed a couple of things. Plus I wanted to get the ingredients to make my red sangria. Every Sunday (mostly) I make a pitcher of red sangria to have while enjoying football. We call it Sangria Sundays.  Luckily I was able to find all the ingredients I needed to make it. I didn’t bother with the apples since it wouldn’t be sitting for too long before we drank it. 

Once we checked out of Starfish Market, my husband made the drive back up to the Virgin Grand Estates entrance to our villa. You can watch the video of the drive back to Arc Du Soleil here: https://youtu.be/2jRI0zb1QZI?feature=shared

We spent the remainder of the afternoon checking the football scores on our phones and relaxing. Even though the weather wasn’t great, we were still able to enjoy the pool. We tried to get the TV to work to watch a game, but it was a challenge to work. I reached out to our villa management company questioning how one works the TV. When they got back to me, they told me it was a SmartTV. You had to log into your own accounts, like Prime Video for instance, to watch TV. So much for DirectTV. This made it nearly impossible to watch any live sports. I am not sure if that has become the new norm, but I think it would be nice to still be able to have the option to watch regular TV. (Plus what if you forget to log out of your account. The next guest can watch TV using your log in that was set up.) I wound texting my sister back and forth towards the end of the Giants game after she told me the Giants won. I checked the score and saw that there was over a minute or so still left in the came. In football, that is a lot of time. So I called her and asked her what she was talking about? And as we were on the phone together she told me how the Jets did get the ball back and in the end the Giants lost. All well – at least we didn’t watch it.

Throughout the afternoon, I kept checking the weather forecast for the followoing day and it didn’t look too promising. I had made reservations to go over to Jost Van Dyke with Second Chance Charters. We had gone out with them in the past a couple of times and we really enjoyed Michelle and Jon who run the charter. They do a great job. I reached out to Michelle and she said that Tuesday looked better. That would have worked out, however I had already booked an early dinner at Morgan’s Mango for lobster night. Luckily they had availability on Wednesday so I rebooked it for then. 

It was still raining, but we were getting hungry – especially me since I didn’t eat lunch. I remembered looking at the menu at 1864 in Mongoose Junction a few weeks ago at home and it looked delicious. I also noticed that they had gluten free options which was key since both Brent and Julie are gluten free. I tried to make a reservation, but they were closed on Sundays so I made one for Monday. 

Then I saw that Greengos was open that evening and thought how mexican is always a great alternative as well for having gluten free options. Once we all freshened up, we piled back into the jeep and my husband made the drive down the steep and winding road back down to Cruz Bay. 

When we arrived at Mongoose Junction there were several parking spots available. Usually it is a challenge to find a spot there, but it probably had a lot to do with the weather. Not many people probably wanted to venture out in the rain. We walked in and notice that the water that runs through the buildings below was ragging. 

We walked up the stairs past the Sun Dog Cafe bar into Greengos. The hostess seated us right away at a booth. There were a few patrons at the bar and a couple of tables, but it was fairly quiet. I remembered from last time we were there, they usually broadcast the NFL games. When I looked over at the bar they did have the games on. I guess they don’t have SmartTVs? 

Our server came over and told us the specials. We wound up placing both are drink and dinner orders all at the same time. We also ordered their homemade chips, guacamole with assorted salsas to start. I wound up ordering a spinach salad with fresh blackened mahi mahi. My husband and Brent ordered beef tacos while Julie opted for the fish special. I can’t remember what it was unfortunately, but when it came out on a sizzling platter it looked delicious.

We ate so many of the chips and sides, that I was relieved that I wound up going with the large spinach salad. Everything was really tasty and hit the spot. The only thing that was a little frustrating was not all of our food came out at the same time. First it was Julie’s special that arrived. Then it was my husbands main meal, then me and lastly Brent. Usually it doesn’t matter, but it was a large amount of time for each of our meals to be brought to the table.

Other then that, the food was very good. I felt it was not on par though when we were there 4 years ago. I remember thinking wow this is exceptional. This time, it just felt like good mexican food. Nothing out of the ordinary.

We were all pretty stuffed after our meals and asked for the check. We walked back down past the Sun Dog Cafe bar. I was hoping to stop by to have a little night cap, but the bar was full. And then again, we were going back the following evening to 1864 so we could always try then. 

It was probably for the best, because when we all got back into the jeep, everyone felt tired. We were contemplating stopping at the Wharfside Village, but with the rainy weather, it made it an easy decision to go back to the villa.

My husband made the drive back to our villa in the dark which was very impressive. I don’t think I could ever drive on St. John, especially the road up to the Virgin Grand Estates.

Once we made it back to Arc Du Soleil, we relaxed for a bit before getting some sleep.

Monday, October 30th – Rain Rain, Go Away

Again throughout the night, we would wake up to hear the rain. This time however the rain sounded like it was coming down in buckets. I woke up around 7am and it was still pouring. So we decided to sleep in. There was no need to get up early which sometimes isn’t a bad thing.

We eventually got up and my husband went into the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. Brent and Julie were already up just relaxing in the chairs that overlook the pool. Even when it was raining, the view of St. John out to St. Thomas was still beautiful. We spent the morning having a leisurely breakfast. When the rain lightened up, we decided to head back down to town. When we got to the Virgin Grand Estates entrance to leave, the gate was closed. However, since we were leaving the gate opened up as it sensed the jeep. We thought about how if it was closed when we were returned, we don’t know the code.

We made it back to Slim Man’s parking lot. I wanted to show Brent and Julie Joe’s Rum Hut. Plus I was curious to see how they renovated the area. I was also in the mood for a mango mojito. We walked around past the somewhat new (location) of the restaurant La Tapa (which I made reservations for our last night). When we walked to Joe’s Rum Hut, I barely recognized it. Yes it still had the same view with the bottles stacked neatly, but again everything had hues of grays and white. 

The hanging lights were a nice touch, along with an additional eating area behind where we were seated.

I also noticed restrooms, which was a welcoming sign. I remember back in the day, you would have to ask the bartender for a key and make the walk by the Beach Bar into the parking garage area to a bathroom that was never inviting whatsoever. I also noticed around the corner, the checkin area for Wharfside Village Hotel that is located above.

We all grabbed a couple of seats and looked over the menu. There was no mango mojito. In fact there were no mojitos of any sort. I couldn’t believe it. Yes they had a nice limited variety of cocktails, but again it was completely different then what I remembered years ago. 

Everyone ordered a cocktail and I wound up going with their rendition of a rum punch with a myers rum floater, which I probably should have skipped. When I got towards the end of my drink, I couldn’t drink it anymore. It was extremely strong (for me).

After we enjoyed our cocktails, we walked down to the Beach Bar. I think everyone else had the same idea, because when we walked in, there wasn’t an empty seat available. So we decided to turn around and walk back down to High Tide for another beverage and a light lunch.

Again I wasn’t too hungry and I made reservations for 1864 at 5:30pm so I figured I would just wait until dinner and maybe nibble on whatever my husband ordered. While everyone was enjoying their lunch, I walked over to the High Tide little gift shop. I wish more establishments would make it easy to by shirts and what not. I always feel like if I ask someone working at a restaurant for a t-shirt I am inconveniencing them. I wound up buying a couple of t-shirts and a small wooden sign that was identically the same one that I saw hanging in our villa that said Livin’ The Dream. Plus I thought the larger size may get red flagged through security on the way home and the smaller size would fit easily in my carry on. Once I was done with my purchases, I walked back over to the bar and everyone was pretty much finished with their lunch. 

We made the short walk back to Slim Man’s parking and waited for him to rearrange some vehicles to get to our jeep. It is quite impressive how they can park a decent amount of vehicles in such a small area. Our jeep finally made its way to the front and we all hopped in. We had to make another stop for a few more things at the market, but this time we stopped at the Dolphin Market. The Dolphin Market is smaller, but they do have a lot of items in there.

The one thing that we were finding a hard time locating was believe it or not bottled water. Circling the aisles several times, eventually my husband found a large pack of bottled water. (You can never have too much water.) After we made it through check out, my husband made the drive back to the Virgin Grand Estates once again. This time the gate was closed, but there was someone ahead of us so we were able to follow through the gate.

We unpacked our groceries and relaxed at the villa and like always taking in the view. I noticed that it started to get brighter and the sky was getting higher or appearing that way. Could the tropical wave we were experiencing be finally leaving? 

It was nearing the time to get ready. When we were all set, we got back into the jeep and my husband made the drive back down to Mongoose Junction. We were able to find a spot once again. Since we arrived a little early, I was hoping that we could have a drink at the Sun Dog Cafe bar, but all the chairs were occupied again. So we walked into 1864 and they were just opening up. The host suggested that we could wait for our table to be ready at the bar.

When we sat at the bar, I noticed that there were a few areas that were reserved for dinner. I thought, why didn’t I do that? The bar is really nice and airy. I don’t mind the tables, but I find that they can get warm in the back near the stone walls from holding in all the heat.  

I ordered a class of wine and my husband order a vodka and soda. Brent and Julie also ordered a cocktail. While we waited for our table to be ready, I looked over the menu. I wasn’t sure what I was going to order and figured I would wait to decide until I heard what the specials were.

Not before long, the hostess came over and walked us to our table. Our server came over and told us what the specials were being offered that evening. The one special that intrigued me was the seared tuna. They also were offering a variety of fresh oysters on the half shell. We all ordered our appetizers and didn’t have to wait too long for our order to arrive. 

The oysters tasted as good as they looked. They were fresh and delicious. I liked that they weren’t too large either. Sometimes when oysters are really large, they are harder to eat (for me). While we were waiting for our main meals to arrive, I departed to the ladies room, which is up a flight of a spiral staircase.

It was a great view from up there that I took a photo of everyone before I walked back down the stairs. I can only imagine if someone had a bit too much to drink, those stairs could be a bit of a hazard.

Our main meals soon arrived and I looked down at my plate. There was this odd shaped concoction of some sort. I first sampled the tuna which was delicious. The side however was filled with sauerkraut and shredded pork. I am not exaclty sure what it was called, but I didn’t really care for the pairing with the tuna. It was like a meal in itself if you will. Everyone else really enjoyed their dishes so overall it was a nice dining experience.

You can read my review of 1864 here: https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g147409-d17700955-r926174652-1864_The_Restaurant-St_John_U_S_Virgin_Islands.html

Again, we were full from our meals that we passed on dessert. Once we paid our bill we walked back to the jeep. We passed by thte St. John Brewers store and I was tempted to walk in, but everyone wanted to head back to the villa. When we got back I changed into some comfy clothes and had a night cap. As we were talking about our day, I looked up and I could finally see the stars. I told Brent and Julie when you see the stars at night, it means it is going to be a beautiful morning. Meanwhile, Brent was able to figure out the SmartTV and we were able to watch the Monday Night Football game. I watched a few drives before turning in, which tends to be the trend while in St. John. You get up early and go to sleep early.