Once again we were making our way back to Key West. On our way to the airport I had to think back to myself how many times have we been to Key West since 2006? I couldn’t believe it when I counted 18 times! And this time we were lucky enough to spend a Saturday to Saturday stay in Key West. After getting the chance to visit Key West 3 times last year, I thought that I wouldn’t be as excited to return. However, that wasn’t the case. It seems as though every time we come down to visit, it gets harder and harder to leave.
Saturday, March 31st – Arrival Day
We woke up to a clear morning which was a relief since we have been hit with a lot of late snow storms for the month of March. We got to Newark airport and being that we have TSA Pre now check in through security was a breeze. My husband and I did notice though there are a lot of people that have it now so the lines were long but they moved through security very quickly as compared to the regular line. Our direct flight on United wasn’t scheduled to leave until 8:55am so we had some time to check into the lounge. I was starting to get more and more excited just knowing we were leaving cold NJ behind and headed to one of the places I truly love, Key West.
Soon it was time to get to the gate and board our flight. Unfortunately we had to wait a while before we took off since there was so much traffic at the airport. 
Eventually we departed and we actually made up some time in the air. It seemed like forever to me, but then I finally started to see Key West come into sight once again. 
I was just so happy! I was also thinking how a great friend of mine, Zack Seemiller, who I have been doing graphic design work for several years now, had not idea we were coming down for the week. I wanted to surprise him like I have done in the past. 
Once we landed and got off the plane, it felt so amazing to feel the warm sunshine beaming down on us. My husband and I had carry-on luggage so we were able to get off the plane right away and grab one of the first taxis available. I always love the ride along A1A towards old town. I don’t mind it so much on the way back to the airport, but the way there brings a smile to face. Not before long, I saw the yellow wall that surrounds the Gardens Hotel. We have been staying there every time we come to Key West. As an added bonus I redid their logo a couple years ago and now you can see it everywhere throughout the hotel which is so gratifying. https://tinyurl.com/yc2354mj
Surprisingly our room was ready and we were able to unpack all our things. 
We immediately got out of our winter clothes and changed into our warm weather clothes which is one of the best feelings. We left the hotel and walked down towards to Duval Street. My husband and I always joke about how we look forward to that first step onto Duval and turning right. 
We used to always to stop at Willie T’s for our first drink, but it was a bit too crowded. So we continued our way down to Duval and just took in all the sights again. It was good to be back “home”. As we were walking we realized that one our friends Al was working at Sunset Pier that day. Since it was such a beautiful day I thought it was the perfect spot to grab our first drink and look at the water. We walked in and saw Al and said hello. He welcomed us back and brought us out a couple of mojitos for us. Finally the reality of being back to Key West was settling in. It was a great feeling. 
We had more people to see, so we didn’t stay too long. 
Our next stop was Captain Tony’s to see our friend Gabriel Wright play. We walked in and he gave us his usual nod hello. It was a bit crowded, but we were able to find a couple of bar seats. 
We each ordered a couple of beers and listened to Gabriel play for a bit. Time was passing by kind of quickly and I noticed it was nearing 3pm and I knew Zack was only playing at Rick’s until 4. My husband paid the tab and we walked back onto Duval. As we walked into Rick’s, Zack immediately recognized my husband and not me. He blew the surprise! I was a bit disappointed, but it was all good – it was great to see him again! 
He had another show after Rick’s, so once he was done playing he couldn’t stay long. He did mentioned that he was going to be working on his house the next day and to swing by. 
When we left Rick’s we noticed that the old Lazy Gecko is now called Duval Central. The outside facade looks the same, but we wanted to see what they did with the inside. Once we walked in, the layout was similar as far as the bar being in the same location, but it is completely different as far as the look and feel. It was nice, but it could have been a place anywhere. The Lazy Gecko had that old Key West feel. We did sit down and had a drink and noticed that it is now smoke free which may be ideal for people getting away from the cigarette smoke at the other bars. 
We didn’t have dinner reservations at Deuce’s Off the Hook until 7pm, so we had a chance to have a cocktail at the Garden’s bar. 
Jim, the general manager was there so it gave us a chance to talk to him for a few. It was then time to get freshened up for our dinner reservation. Deuce’s is literally right behind the Gardens Hotel so it doesn’t take much time to get there, which makes it an ideal place to have dinner on our first night. 
We walked on over and didn’t have to wait too long to be seated. They gave us a table right next to the window. It was a nice table, but unfortunately right outside the window is where they have their menu displayed. So from time to time, people would walk by and then stare right into the restaurant. It was a bit awkward, but the food made up for it. I ordered a dozen oysters while my husband ordered the grouper ceviche. Then for dinner I had the hogfish special and my husband had a burger. As usual, everything at Deuce’s was delicious. https://tinyurl.com/y7xymfsq
We were getting tired, but I knew that Caffeine Carl was playing at the Smokin’ Tuna that night and wanted to pop in for a quick listen before calling it a night. We walked back down Duval and being it was indeed a Saturday night, it was packed. After maneuvering our way down the street, we walked into the Tuna. Our favorite seats were taken on the one side of the bar, but were able to find a couple of seats on the other side. The first act was finishing up, so we stayed a bit longer then intended, waiting for Carl to come. It also gave us a chance to say hello to Erin, Carl’s wife who bar tends there. She always takes great care of us. Eventually Carl came on and it was a lot of fun! 
We finally made it back to the Gardens and it was time for much needed sleep.
Sunday, April 1st – Easter Sunday 
We woke up to a beautiful day. I was so happy that the weather was cooperating because I made reservations to have Easter Brunch at Latitude’s. We had not been to Latitude’s for several years and I wanted to go back. I didn’t want to spend the money for dinner, so I thought having brunch was a better alternative. 
Our morning routine was after freshening up was to grab a couple of coffees at Cuban Coffee Queen. 
I love their coffee there – especially their Cuban American blend. I love it so much that I order it online and have it shipped home. 
We walked over the location right off Duval and saw a familiar face, Joe! We met Joe a couple years ago at the Galleon. It was nice to see him. We sat down and talked to him before we had to make our way to the Margaritaville Resort (formerly the Westin) to catch the ferry to Sunset Key.
We walked down to where the ferry was docked. 
The majority of people sat on the outside part of the boat, but we opted to sit in the cool air conditioned part. Even though it is a small boat, the ride over is reminiscent (to me) of taking the ferry from St. Thomas to St. John. It only takes about 5-10 minutes to cross over to Sunset Key. Once we were docked, we walked over to be seated. I did request a table outside on the sand and we were seated at the perfect location. 
It was just so beautiful to sit out there and enjoy the view. It again, reminds me of being on a Caribbean island somewhere. 
My husband and I both ordered the lobster benedict. It was a little on the pricey side, but being it was Easter and on vacation why not? I am glad we did, because it was delicious. 
We also took a few pictures, thanks to our very nice server. 
It was a nice way to spend Easter brunch. 
We took the ferry back and walked back down Duval Street to stop by and see our friend Miguel at Rick’s. As soon as we neared Rick’s, we saw his big smile. We ordered a couple of drinks while we caught up since the last time we were there back in late October/Early November of last year. It was fun to see him again. 
Then I remembered that Zack was working on his house and we told him we would stop by. So we finished our drinks and told Miguel that we would stop by and see him the next day. We made a quick stop at the Garden’s before walking down towards Zack’s house. It wasn’t that far of a walk. 
We walked in and also saw that Zack’s son, Kai was there and his friend Tim. It was fun to see them again. 
They showed us around and what they were working on. It looked like a lot of work, but I am sure once it is complete it will look great. 
We didn’t want to stay to long so that they could get back to work. Kai was playing sunset that night so I told him we would see him later. 
We left the house and started to make our way towards the Bight, at least that is what we thought. We wound walking all the way to Palm Ave. and realized we made a wrong turn. Eventually we found Eaton St. and we were able to get back on track. We were both pretty hot and thirsty at this point so we stopped at the Galleon Sunset Tiki Bar. http://www.galleonresort.com/sunset-tiki-bar-pirates-cove/
We noticed that they did fix the pier and walk way that was damaged from Hurricane Irma since the last time we were there. It is such a great place to sit and have a cold drink with the view of the water. 
I am always surprised not more people know about it. I think people don’t realize it is open to the public. 
It was getting later in the afternoon and I wanted to freshen up before we went to see Kai at sunset. 
We walked back to the Gardens and decided to have a light dinner at the Smokin’ Tuna before heading towards Mallory Square. We stopped in and our two favorite seats were available. We ordered a bunch of appetizers to share. I always enjoy their tuna fish dip. 
There was a singer there Kristen McNamara and she had a great voice – its another reason why we always enjoy stopping at the Smokin’ Tuna – always good music. https://www.smokintunasaloon.com
We walked down to Mallory Square and stopped by to see Jimmy. 
We also noticed that the bridge between Margaritaville and Mallory Square was also fixed. Luckily Mallory Square wasn’t too crowded (maybe because it was Easter), so we didn’t have to wait on line to order a couple of green things. 
We found where Kai was playing and listened to him while the sun was setting. 
It was a beautiful sunset even though it was partially going behind Sunset Key. 
We stayed for a bit before heading back to the Gardens Hotel. 
While we were walking back I remembered seeing online that this band we saw back near our hometown a couple years ago, at a Crawfish Festival that happens every year, called Johnny Sketch and the Dirty Notes. http://www.crawfishfest.com We walked into the Green Parrot and noticed it wasn’t too crowded. 
Unfortunately they went on earlier and were done for the night. Just as well, it was time to pack it in for the night.
Monday, April 2nd – Blue Heaven, Captain Tony’s, Hogsbreath and back to the Tuna 
We woke up to another picture perfect day. We even caught Misha, who teaches a yoga class at the Gardens in the morning 3 times a week. 
I wanted to go back to Blue Heaven for breakfast. Usually our first morning in Key West we go there, but being the previous day was Easter we had to wait an extra day. However, our first stop was Cuban Coffee Queen. We saw Joe again and chatted for a few. He said that he wasn’t working that day and maybe we would hook up later. 
We walked down through the Bahama Village to Blue Heaven. It was a Monday morning before 9am so I thought it wouldn’t be too crowded. When we walked in most of the tables were already filled. I was surprised, but we still made it in time where we didn’t have to wait for a table. 
Our server was very attentive so we didn’t weight long for our breakfast. My husband had the sausage benedict and I had a couple eggs with bacon and their multi grain bread. The breakfast was very good as always and even noticed that my husband’s eggs for the benedict were cooked perfectly. We have had previous experiences where the eggs tend to be underdone to both our liking, but this time everything was cooked spot on. 
We walked back to the Gardens to relax for a bit. It was another beautiful day in Key West. Once we regrouped, we walked along towards the bight. We did not make it to the Schooner Wharf for a couple of our past visits, so we agreed to give it a try. 
We sat at the bar and I ordered a painkiller made with Cruzan rum which I prefer over Pusser’s. Disappointingly, it was not the right call. It was just too sweet and I couldn’t drink it. My husband had a beer and I realized that is what I should had ordered – all well. It was still nice to check out the Schooner Wharf and see the locals come and go and talk about what they did for Easter.
Once my husband finished his beer, we walked around a bit before checking out First Flight again, the old Kelly’s restaurant. 
I was curious to try their Key Lime Margarita. I noticed that the size of the drink was still on the smaller side as compared to how they used to be and the price was $12. 
I tried it and it was awful. I couldn’t pinpoint what it was but it just wasn’t right. At that price I persevered and finished the drink. It was a struggle but I managed to do it. At this point I was determined to stick with beer wherever the next place took us. Then I finally realized after the fact, there was NO lime/key lime juice in it! 
Turned out the next place we went to was Captain Tony’s to see Gabriel Wright again. We sat down at a couple of the bar stools. I ordered a corona light and that seemed to be just the ticket. He played a couple of our requests which is always fun and talked to him for a few when he went on break. 
While we were hanging out, a familiar face walked in, it was Joe! We thought it was funny that we actually did run into him.
I knew that Zack was playing at Hog’s Breath, so I wanted to be sure to see him play again. We told Joe where we were headed and he wound up going with us to Hog’s Breath. Gabriel mentioned he was playing there as well the following day, so we made sure would stop by then to see him again. 
We walked in and a couple seats opened up. We sat down and ordered a few beers. I then saw to the side of me Zack’s friend Tim from the day before. I didn’t realize he was there but he moved over and we talked for a bit. Zack’s son Kai was also playing with him as well. 
It was a fun afternoon listening to them play and hanging out with everyone. 
Hog’s Breath never used to be one of my favorite places to go to, but with great music and friends – it is a lot of fun. After Zack and Kai finished their show, I had to get the obligatory photos with them before they left. 
And another… 
I mentioned to Zack and Tim that maybe we could meet up the next morning for breakfast. I remembered that there is this new restaurant called the Breakfast Club Too that used to be at the old Chicago’s location that maybe we could check out. So we made tentative plans and headed out. 
We had every intention to go back to the Gardens hotel to freshen up for dinner, but then we saw Miguel once again at Rick’s. We had to stop by and see him again. 
It was getting later and we knew we had make our move back, otherwise we would most likely not make it back out. 
So we left Rick’s and finally made it to the Gardens. 
I checked the Smokin’ Tuna schedule and saw that Caffeine Carl was playing again. 
Due to the fact that the Tuna is one of our favorite places, we didn’t hesitate to go back again for some food and music. 
We probably should have just stayed at the Gardens and/or found a quiet place to grab something to eat, but we stayed because we were having a lot of fun and even Kai stopped by to say hello. 
I think we overstayed my window, because I was getting really tired. We said our goodbyes and walked down Charles St. to Duval and my husband suggested that we should take a cab back. It was a good idea because I couldn’t see myself trying to dodge all the people on Duval to get to the hotel.
Tuesday, April 2nd – The Breakfast Club Too, No Sunset Sail and Berlin’s 
Once again we woke up to another beautiful day in Key West. I couldn’t believe how lucky we were so far with the weather. We have been visiting for years and would always get at least one day with overcast, showers and/or just cold and breezy. So far each day was perfect. 
We freshened up and did our usual stop at Cuban Coffee Queen. We thought we would run into Joe, but not that morning. After we got our two cuban americans we walked down towards the Bight, since we had some time to kill before meeting up with Zack, Tim and Kai for breakfast. 
I love just walking around the Bight and seeing all the boats getting ready to out for the day. 
We were on schedule to go out with our friend Billy for sunset. I reached out to him and he reassured me that we were good to go, but that a friend of his was borrowing his boat for the day, but would have it back in time for our trip. He said he would pick us up at the hotel around 5pm, which was perfect for us. 
We then walked over to The Breakfast Club Too. It looked really inviting from the outside. We walked in and we were the first to arrive. 
We told the hostess that we would just grab a seat at the bar and wait for them. The atmosphere of the restaurant is impressive. I never was in it when it was Chicagos but it is a decent size place. Once everyone else arrived we were seated at a table near the outside part of the restaurant. It was a fun morning just hanging out and eating a good breakfast. 
Everyone enjoyed what they ordered. I would definitely recommend checking out this place. https://tinyurl.com/ybjb8y4d
Tim was leaving Key West later on that day, so we said goodbye to him, but Zack and Kai were playing at Willie T’s later and told them that we would see them both later on. We thanked Zack for breakfast and walked around for a bit. 
On a side note: I recently just got a FitBit and could see how far we would walk each day. We would probably average between 5 and 6 miles a day, sometimes more. 
Feeling the sun coming down, we were both getting thirsty. We remembered that Al was working again at the Sunset Pier so we stopped down there to see him. It was perfect early afternoon to sit and enjoy the views from Sunset Pier.
Our next stop took us back to Hog’s Breath to see Gabriel once again. He was just getting setup so we were able to find a couple of seats. 
While we were listening to him, I noticed a couple sat down next to my husband. They started talking and noticed it was getting later in the afternoon. That’s what happens in Key West, you meet people and before you know it time just passes by. I wanted to catch Zack and Kai again at Willie T’s before it got to late. Again we got there later then I wanted to. 
Well we said good bye to my husband’s new found friends and walked down to Willie T’s. We were able to find a couple seats so I was happy. It is always fun listening to Zack and play and its a real treat to catch him with his son, Kai. Not before long we turned around and the couple that we saw at Hog’s Breath showed up. 
I am not sure if they followed us or it just happened – nevertheless we all wound hanging out again. 
I was looking at the time and noticed it was getting close to 4 o’clock and we were supposed to meet our friend Billy for the sunset trip.
A few minutes later, I noticed on my phone I got a text message from Billy. It turned out his friend somehow lost the anchor for the boat. I told Billy we could reschedule for later on in the week so it was fine with us. So with that news, we stayed for the rest of Zack’s show. It was a great time. 
We needed to get back to the Gardens and freshen up for dinner. 
We were both pretty hungry and I didn’t have any plans for dinner. The following night I made dinner reservations for Cafe Sole, one of my favorite restaurants, but I figured that my husband should pick where to eat.
Last year we discovered Berlin’s Cigar Lounge above Alonso’s. We had no idea it ever existed and my husband liked the atmosphere in there and as an added feature, it is the same menu as the A&B Lobster House. 
I felt so much better after we freshened up and made it to Berlin’s. 
Even the stairs leading up to it feel like you are entering an entire different experience. 
We walked into the dark lit bar and sat down. It was still a bit early so we didn’t have any trouble at all finding seats. 
For dinner I had their delicious oysters rockefeller, while my husband had the escargot special. Last time we were there, I made the mistake of ordering the lobster thermidor, which was delicious, but having very rich meals back to back doesn’t sit well with me. Our entrees consisted on the filet mignon (my husband) and the snapper (for myself). All the dishes were delicious. https://tinyurl.com/y82qpeyn
The prices are on the high side, but if are looking for a difference experience, I would check out Berlin’s (however do be aware it is a cigar lounge and smoking is allowed). 
Since we were close to Dante’s, I remembered that another musician we like to see Nick Norman was playing there. 
We walked over and the place was pretty quiet. We sat down at one of the bars and then I turned around and saw in the back there was a large stage area where Nick was playing. We brought our drinks over and sat down. Unfortunately he was nearing the end of his show, but at least we were able to catch him for a song or two. 
It was a long day and we were pretty tired. We thought about stopping somewhere else, but made the better decision and just go back to the hotel and call it a night.
Wednesday, April 4th – Kermit’s, Blue Macaw, Rick’s, More Willie T’s and Cafe Sole
Another beautiful day was in store for us. We did our usual stop at Cuban Coffee Queen and chatted with Joe again before walking to Kermit’s. I love getting up early in Key West and walking down Duval when there isn’t really anyone on the street. 
It is just so peaceful in a way. We made it to Kermit’s and ordered breakfast. There was actually a line of people this time so we had to wait for a bit, thankfully we already had our coffees in hand. 
Once we ordered our breakfast we sat back by the koi pond. 
It is such a pretty little spot. We didn’t wait long before our breakfast was served delicious and hot. https://tinyurl.com/ycc75t2x
After a delicious breakfast we began our walk again. We contemplating going into Peppers for a tasting, but I realized that we still have a bunch of hot sauces still at home from our previous trip. 
So we decided to just go back to the Gardens for a bit to relax. 
Time seemed to pass by a little quicker then the previous days. I notice in the beginning of your trip, you feel like each day goes by at a comfortable pace, but as the trip nears its end, days go by faster and faster. Eventually we motivated ourselves to get back out and walk around. Our first stop was the Blue Macaw. 
It has a nice atmosphere and if you can find a couple of seats at the bar, it isn’t a bad place to have your first cocktail of choice. We walked in and it was more crowded then I thought, due to the lunch crowd. We noticed another musician we have seen in previous trips who is fun as well, John LaMere was playing. I thought what a nice surprise. We found a couple of seats after a large party left and just enjoyed listening to him play. We stayed until his set was over and said hello to him. He thanked us for stopping by.
We walked down to the Mile 0 Marker to get more photos. Luckily there were several people there, so we were finally able to get a picture of both of us at the sign. 
I wanted to go back to Willie T’s to see Zack play, but we made a stop at Rick’s for a drink and to see Miguel. 
We didn’t realize it was his last day working until the weekend so it was our last time we would be seeing him for this visit. When it was time to leave we said our goodbyes and thanked him for always being good to us. 
We made it back down to Willie T’s to see Zack and Kai play. I did have to watch the time though, since we had dinner reservations at Cafe Sole at 5:45. We still had time to hear them play a few songs. 
It was hard not to stay but I didn’t want to miss our dinner reservations. 
After we freshened up at the Gardens, we walked down Simonton St. and made the turn onto Southard St., which takes you right to Cafe Sole. As usual, we were seated at a nice table outside in the covered area. 
For starters I had the escargot and my husband had the conch carpacchio. Unfortunately I have discovered that I am allergic to conch and cannot eat it. It is such anomaly to me – I can eat every other type of seafood under the sun, but not conch. I guess it will always remain a mystery. Obviously we had to order their hogfish again for our main course. It was tasty as it usually is. It was a beautiful evening and a great dinner.
We walked back towards the Gardens hotel contemplating what to do next and then I remembered that Caffeine Carl usually plays at Rick’s on Wednesdays. 
So we made a quick stop at the hotel to regroup for a little before going back out. 
I was happy when we got to Rick’s that the outside seats at the bar were available. We sat down and Big Ed was working. 
It was nice to see him again. He began pouring us those grapefruit and club cocktails for us – one after the other.
We were having a great time, but probably should not have had that many. After a while I got to the point where I just had to leave. Thankfully my husband was able to get a cab back to the hotel because I might not would have made it back. Once we got back to the hotel I felt better. It was time to get some sleep.
Thursday, April 5th – Yes It IS a Small World
I may sound redundant, but yes we woke up to another beautiful day in Key West. As each day passed, I could not believe how nice it was – no rain, no drop in temperatures, no high winds, etc.
Usually a couple weeks before we go to Key West I do go on TripAdvisor and do some research to see restaurant reviews and what not. A restaurant I have heard of in the past that tends to get good reviews is Azur. I looked at their breakfast menu and it intrigued me. The items they had for breakfast were different. I thought it was far from the Gardens, but once I mapped it on my phone it wasn’t that far.
We freshened up and made our walk towards Grinnell St. where the restaurant is located. When we got to the restaurant I was really impressed with the outside. It was nicely landscaped, but we had a bit of an issue finding the entrance. We did eventually find it and walked inside. The hostess asked if we preferred to sit inside or outside, and I picked outside. I try to sit outside everywhere I can unless it is extremely hot. I decided to stay classic and order a couple of eggs with breakfast potatoes and bacon. 
My husband had one of their frittata for breakfast. We were both very happy with our choices, it was very good. I was glad that we tried a new place – actually now that I think about it, we tried several new places for breakfast. I love going out for breakfast and it is always fun that there are so many options in Key West. https://tinyurl.com/y7nn5njv
Usually in the fall my husband and I make it back to our other favorite place, St. John in the Virgin Islands. Ironically, back in 2016 when we stayed at the villa Caribbean Palm Villa, the villa owners actually live in Key West. I contacted her a couple days ago and wanted to meet her in person. She mentioned to me that her and husband would be working on rehabbing a house that day and we could stop by. 
So after breakfast we walked down to Whitehead St. where the house was located. Denise came out and we chatted for a bit. She was telling us about St. John and how it is improving and that we should not have any hesitation to return. It was nice talking to her, but didn’t want to keep her away for too long since she was in the middle of working on the house. We thanked her for her time and walked down Whitehead St. 
We walked by the lighthouse and the Hemingway House. If the Hemingway House wasn’t so crowded we probably would have stopped by. We have toured the house several times, but we always enjoy seeing the cats. 
Soon we saw the Green Parrot come into sight. My husband mentioned that maybe we should stop in and have a beer. I thought why not? It was pretty empty but nice in cool inside. There was just one other couple seated at the bar. We ordered a couple of drinks from the bartender and then my husband mentioned to me that he thinks he recognizes the one guy at the bar. He then asked him his name and sure enough he went to high school with him and his wife. I went to a different high school then my husband so I didn’t know who they were, but I couldn’t believe it. What were the odds? They started catching up on things and we all starting talking. We were going to stay longer, however they were meeting friends and going down to Fort Zachary State Park. My husband told them that we could meet up later at some point. 
The next stop took us to El Meson De Pepe for a couple of mojitos. 
Their mojitos are always very good, but I still can’t understand why they are so expensive for such a small drink. Regardless it was a nice stop to look at the huge cruise ship that was in port and look at Mallory Square. 
We only stayed for one and figured that we could have another drink somewhere before going back to Willie T’s and catch the end of Zack’s show. 
We went back to the Sunset Tiki Bar at the Galleon. Comparable to the Ocean Key Sunset Pier, I think this place has an amazing view. 
While we were sitting at the bar, we noticed one of the staff was bringing in new chairs for the bar area. Apparently they were getting rid of all the wood chairs and replacing them with black wicker type of chairs. We stayed long enough where we had to get off our chairs and try out the new ones. They were definitely more comfortable but a bit shorter then the previous ones. We had a fun time chatting with the bartender Grubby too.
It was getting to be that time to get back on to Duval and to Willie T’s. We got there just in time where we could catch Zack and his son Kai sing before their show was over. 
Meanwhile, my husband heard from his high school friends that they wanted to meet up later so we headed out after the show to get ready at the Gardens. We stayed until the end of their show and told Zack we would see him the next day at Rick’s. 
I wanted to go back to the Half Shell Raw Bar for dinner so my husband reached out to his friends again and told them to meet us at the Schooner Wharf Bar since it is nearby.
When we all met up there for a drink, my husband told them about Berlin’s. I thought that they wouldn’t want to go, but they seemed really excited about going. I was a bit disappointed because we were just there and we only had 2 more nights left for dinner. I was outnumbered so we walked over to Berlin’s. It wasn’t such a bad option, the food there is that good. I ordered the oysters rockefeller again and then decided to try their paella. 
I was craving rice and thought that it would be a good choice. Regrettably it wasn’t the right decision. The paella had no flavor – especially the rice. I couldn’t taste any saffron. Thankfully everyone else enjoyed their dishes.
At this point we probably should have said our goodbyes and just see them again the following day. My husband suggested that we should go to the Smokin’ Tuna to see Caffeine Carl play since they never saw him before. We made it to the Tuna and it was quite crowded. We all ordered drinks and not before long, a table opened up at the side of the bar. We watched Caffeine Carl for a while and my husband’s friends thought he was great. 
We finally left with every intention of going straight back to each other’s hotels, but then my husband’s friend wanted to ride the bull at Cowboy Bills. I personally didn’t think the place was even still open. Then before I realized it, we were walking into Cowboy Bills. Thank goodness the bull was out of commission so we all left, but not before the guys did a shot of Jameson – no way I was going there.
We made it back to the Gardens and showed them the grounds. Then we realized it was 2am and needed to call it a night. Finally!
Friday, April 6th – Last Full Day 
Why is it so hard to enjoy your last full day of vacation? You do have an entire day to enjoy yourself, but I consistently think about the next day – the flight, packing everything back up, the unpacking, etc. To make things a little easier we woke up again to another glorious day. I did reach out again to our friend Billy, about going out on his boat, but he had family in town so I told him that the next time we are in town we would go out. I was a bit disappointed, if I had known the boat trip wasn’t going to happen, I would have made other plans to get out on the water. It was a shame not being able to do it this trip.
Neither one of us had a breakfast place that we wanted to go to so after going to Cuban Coffee Queen we wound up going the opposite way down Duval St. towards the Southernmost Point. In the back of my mind I wanted to go to the Banana Cafe since we had not been there in quite some time. We passed a few options for breakfast but kept on walking. Eventually we made it to the Banana Cafe, however it was packed and there was a line of people waiting outside. 
On our way to the Banana Cafe, we passed by La Te Da and it looked very inviting from the outside and not too crowded. We walked in and my husband wanted to sit at the bar, which was fine, but for breakfast I prefer a table. It wasn’t too bad though since it was fairly empty. Feeling the night before we both decided to order a pick me up. My husband had a bloody mary while I had a mimosa. 
It did help – only for a little while. I ordered the breakfast special omelet and my husband ordered the traditional egg breakfast. It took a while to get our order, but once we did get it, it was very good. I am not sure if their service is normally that slow, if it isn’t I would definitely go back. The atmosphere and people watching was great. 
The feeling from the night before was returning, so we headed back to the Gardens. We both sat outside on our porch/balcony to relax. My husband read while I just tried to relax. I then took the time to start packing up some of our clothes and making sure everything was in order and checked in for our flight, printed out our boarding passes for the next day. 
After a bit, we picked ourselves off of our porch chairs and made it down to Rick’s to see Zack’s last show before we left. It was hard not to be sad, but it was fun to see him again. 
While he was nearing the end of his show, my husband’s friends from high school showed up. They were feeling the night before as well. We were having a great time just talking about the night before. Then I noticed someone walk by and then it was another friend of ours that we knew. It was pretty funny.
After Zack’s show was done, we agreed to meet up for breakfast the next morning before we had to leave and before he left I had to get another photo! 
We wound up hanging out a bit longer then we intended, but that’s why you never plan anything in Key West. Things just happen. 
Everyone was getting hungry so we were all going freshen up and meet up somewhere. Then we all realized why don’t we just go out like we are? It’s Key West! You don’t have to dress up. So I suggested that we go to the Rooftop Cafe. So if we had time we could catch the sunset at Mallory Square after. 
We walked down to the Rooftop Cafe and the sky was beautiful. 
Everyone wanted to sit at the bar so we didn’t have to wait for a table. 
The sun was setting behind as we had another delicious dinner at the Rooftop Cafe. 
By the time we finished dinner it was too late to see sunset. 
Since it was our last night, big surprise, we wound up going back to the Smokin’ Tuna to see Carl one last time. He put on another great show.
We even saw Big Ed there!
We were all getting tired and there was no way we were going to make the same mistake twice. So I made sure I said goodbye to Carl’s wife Erin and thanked her again for always taking care of us. 
We then went up to Carl and told him goodbye. It was sad but I didn’t get too upset otherwise I would never hear the end of it. Everyone made their separate ways and called it a night.
Saturday, April 7th – Back Home
Were we really leaving already? It felt like we just got there, but yes it was time to leave. It was another pretty morning that made it even more difficult knowing we were going back to cold temperatures that were still hanging around in NJ. We freshened up and made sure all our things were ready to go. 
We met Zack and Kai for breakfast at Havana’s Cafe which is located right on Duval very close to the Gardens. http://www.havana-keywest.net/havana-key-west-restaurant.html
Last year we had breakfast there and it was very good. I find it a bit odd though it doesn’t open until 9am. We had a later flight so waiting until 9am wasn’t an issue. 
It was a nice way to spend the morning before we left. All the food we ordered was very good, especially the bacon. 
I was getting really sad about leaving Key West and our friends so I wasn’t too hungry. Then it was time to say our goodbyes – which I always hate.
Our flight was at 12:55pm so we had the cab pick us up at 11:30am which gave us enough time. We didn’t have to wait too long to board our flight and again it was direct. The flight was only 2 and 1/2 hours. We wound up landing about a 1/2 hour earlier then expected. Before we knew it, it was 5:30pm and we were back home in cold NJ. 
Another Key West trip is in the books. Again, we had an amazing time seeing our great friends in Key West and meeting new ones. As I noted earlier, it gets harder to leave the more times we come to visit. Key West holds a special place in my heart. It is truly a magical island, not just because it is so beautiful, but because of all the terrific people that make up this wonderful place. 
Thank you again for taking the time to read my blog. Until next time!
Luckily, our flight was early enough in the morning not to be affected yet with the heavy rain and winds that were on its way. There was only some rain, but it wasn’t too bad at that point. While we were waiting for our flight to board, I saw an article about Fantasy Fest in Key West. I thought to myself how funny is that? 
We had a direct flight on United and had no issues taking off. The flight was a little bumpy at first but then it did calm down a bit. After about 3 hour, I could start to see the Keys come into view below. It was a beautiful sight to see. Once I could see Key West, I began to smile and knew in my heart I made the right decision. 
It was on the windy side when we landed, but we were both so happy and excited to be back. We did have to wait for a cab since another plane had arrived just before ours. We had to share a cab, but fortunately we were able to have the cab driver drop us off first.
It was a bit sad to see, but knowing what Hurricane Irma did to the other islands, it wasnt that bad. The staff was working vigorously throughout our stay replanting the trees that were lost in the storm. 
We walked in and I personally didn’t notice too much change as far as the outside bar and dining area, unless the majority of the renovations were done to the interior dining room. We grabbed two seats at the bar and I ordered a margarita. 
It tasted like the old Kelly ones but it was half the size (not that I needed a larger one), but if they are charging the same price for a margarita during happy hour, I feel that they should have it be the size it once was. If it wasn’t broken, don’t fix it. We also ordered an ahi tuna appetizer just to get something in our stomachs.
Then the Marshall Morlock band came on to play. I had never heard of them, but they were quite good. We didn’t stay too long since the travel day had set in. It was time to get some sleep and call it a night.
There weren’t too many people so we were seated right away. I wound up having a cheese, spinach and mushroom omelette (with a side of their signature key lime hollandaise sauce) and my husband went with one of their old reliable stables the eggs benedict. The breakfast was good as it usually is, but my favorite part dining there is seeing all the roosters and chickens running around. It gives you that true feeling of Key West. 
I also stopped in to see Nancy and Jim who have been working at the Gardens for years. It was nice to see them and they thanked us repeatedly for returning to Key West and supporting the much needed tourism that needs to come back. 
It was then getting to be about that time to see my great friend Zack Seemiller playing at Hogsbreath. We have been working together for a couple of years creating fun ads that he posts on social media each day. 
Thankfully I had a sweater on and my husband was wearing a sweatshirt we bought earlier in the day at the Conch Farm giftshop. We tend to gravitate to the bars at restaurants since we enjoy the interaction with the bartender and follow patrons, so we chose to sit on the outside section of the bar, which gives you a great view of Mallory Square behind you. 
I was thinking about going to see the sunset after dinner, but this time of year the sun sets earlier, around 6:45pm. It was going to be too late after dinner, but it was still nice to see the sunset partially from the restaurant.
Eventually we made it to the Bight and my husband suggested going to Kermit’s for breakfast. I thought that why not since we never had been there before we should give it a try. 
You could see the damage that occurred from the hurricane and all of the extra tables and chairs were being stored in the garage area.
All and all though, that was really the only other things we noticed from the hurricane.
We sat down and listened to him play. It was such a beautiful setting, between the atmosphere of the place and the weather. 
We always have a lot of fun at his shows and even his son Kai stopped by and played a song. It was a nice afternoon before it was that time to get something to eat. We said good bye to Zack and Kai and hoped to catch them again later.
One place I thought of going to dinner this time was the Half Shell Raw Bar. We had been there numerous times in the past, but we had never eaten there and after watching the guys shuck oysters each time we were there, made me quite intrigued. Plus it is a bit of a walk from the Gardens for dinner – so we tend to eat some place closer to the Gardens. 
Caffeine Carl was finally playing! We probably stayed later then we first intended, but we were having so much fun that it was worth it. Eventually we did get back to the Gardens to get some sleep.
We noticed there were a lot of construction workers and cops in the shop. We planned on having breakfast there, however the place was quite small and there wasn’t enough room to sit. I wanted to try their coffee anyway, so we waited and ordered two con leches. The coffee was indeed delicious. I can see why all the locals go there for their coffee. It was a tasty start to our day. 
I remembered that Al was working at Sunset Pier that day and realized that we had not seen him yet. 
We walked down towards Sunset Pier and found a couple of seats along the side of the pier. The actual pier that goes out over the water is sectioned off. Al immediately recognized us and brought us over a couple of beers. He was telling us how the pier wasn’t going to be repaired and ready until next Summer. Instead of just repairing it, they were going to rebuild it using cement so hopefully it will last a long time. It was nice to see him and hear that him and his family were doing well.
It was nice to catch up with a great friend. He was off again so we told him we would catch him at Rick’s the next day. 
We were going to freshen up but realized that we were going out on the water and to wait until after we got back. I got call from Billy and he was waiting for us. We grabbed our supplies and he drove us to the marina. 
It was then time to open the bottle of wine and cheer a beautiful sunset that we were about to see. 
We could not have asked for a better sunset. I didn’t want to leave and just the thought of going home in a couple days got to me. I just took in the view and thought how lucky we were to return to Key West and how lucky Key West was to be spared from the destructive storm Hurricane Irma. 
We sat down at the Gardens for breakfast. Because I had the pizza the night before so late, I really couldn’t eat much. I did take the time though, to get all our clothes in order and the painstaking process of packing up most of our things since we were leaving the next day.
My husband then wanted to stop at the Sunset Tiki Bar too one last time. So we walked on over enjoyed a drink there too. I also was able to check in for our flight while we were there. It is always hard to enjoy your last day, just knowing you are leaving the next day but we made the best of it. 
We sat down and ordered a couple of drinks. For dinner I had to order the oysters rockefeller and my husband had the tuna. Our entrees consisted of filet mignon and the lobster thermidor (which I had). In hind sight, I probably shouldn’t have ordered two rich dishes back to back, but they were so good.
We didn’t know what to expect and the prices were reasonable. 
Even though we were just in Key West 3 months prior we were excited to get back to the place we truly love. This would mark our 16th time in Key West within 11 years. Some say we are crazy for returning to the same place over and over, and others think that why not if you enjoy it so much? We didn’t have much planned but figured that it is always best not to have any plans in Key West.
Similar to our most recent trip, we had an early 6am flight out of Newark, however due to the fact it was a smaller plane flying to West Palm Beach, the boarding time was only 30 minutes prior to departure. We still had to make the grueling wake up time of 3am, but knowing we were going back to Key West, made it a bit easier. Our car was on time and picked us up at 3:45am. Security lines were long, but we made it through within a few minutes to spare to have a quick cup of coffee at the United Club Lounge.
Soon it was time to board our flight. The flight was on time and we had no issues. Once we landed in West Palm Beach we looked for the Silver Airways Gate. The airport is fairly small so it was a quick walk to the gate. We noticed a few people waiting and even the two pilots. The flight was scheduled to leave at 9:35am and soon it was time to board. We thought we are going to be in Key West at 11am! It would be the earliest time we had even been to Key West.
Soon Key West began to appear below and I was so happy to be back. We landed and grabbed our luggage. There was another flight that just landed so we were worried we would be waiting a while for our luggage. Thankfully our luggage was one of the first to come out of the carousel so we were able to grab a taxi.
Before we knew it we were back at the Gardens by 1pm. With all things considered it wasn’t so bad and could have been a lot worse. We walked in to the Gardens and saw Jim the manager at the hotel. It was nice to see him again. We checked in and our room was ready. I quickly unpacked our things. 
We sat down and enjoyed the delicious mojitos. We cheered and were both so happy to be back to Key West!
We remembered that Al was working at Sunset Pier and wanted to stop by and say hello to him since last time we only saw him once during our trip. We walked over and it was a hot but sunny day. We talked to him for a bit before making our way to Captain Tony’s to see Gabriel Wright. 
Since it was so hot, Captain Tony’s was pretty crowded because of the AC. 
It was great to see Gabriel again and listen to him for a bit.
We had dinner reservations at Deuce’s Off the Hook so we figured that we would walk back to the Gardens to freshen up. 
While we were passing by Rick’s we noticed that Caffeine Carl and George were playing. Of course then we had to stop by and catch them for a few songs. It was fun to watch and say hello. 
It was getting later in the evening so we made the walk down Duval to the Gardens to get ready for dinner. It was a long day and I realized I hadn’t eaten yet at that point so I was extremely hungry for dinner. 
We walked into Deuce’s and we were seated at the bar. 
We actually prefer the bar then the tables since the place is small, we just feel like there is more room. For appetizers I ordered the grouper ceviche and my husband had a shrimp appetizer which was delicious. 
I decided to go with the snapper special while my husband settled on the burger. We were happy with both of our choices and enjoyed everything. Once we finished dinner, we felt the affects of the long travel day and ready to get some much needed sleep.
Feeling rejuvenated if you will, we freshened up and walked down Petronia Street to Blue Heaven. It was before 9am so I knew there wouldn’t be a wait. I wasn’t sure if they would be serving breakfast outside, since when we went there back in April after a rain shower they kept the outside closed. Luckily when we got there we saw a few tables seated with people. 
Because it was Sunday, it was a brunch menu that offered more options verses the standard breakfast menu. We were both craving the eggs benedict so I went with the florentine version, while my husband chose the sausage benedict. I also had a side of grits which tasted really good. After our breakfast we stopped in the gift shop because I wanted to buy another tank top. 
We walked back to the Gardens to relax for a few. We made our way back onto Duval. We walked around up the bight past Dante’s. 
It was a gorgeous day, but the humidity was high. We were getting thirsty so walked towards the Galleon. 
The Sunset Tiki Bar was open so we grabbed a couple of seats. We chatted with the bartender Ramsey for a bit. I remembered that I saw on the Tripadvisor Key West forum that a bar by the name of The Lazy Gecko was closing. She told us that today was the last day it was going to be open. It was a sad story to hear how a place was open for 17 years and when the lease came up, they wanted to increase it to $35,000 a month. The owner’s counter offered for a lower price, but someone from Nashville made the offer. We later found out the name of the new bar will be called the Tin Roof, a chain I believe in Nashville.
He mentioned that Caffeine Carl’s birthday party was going to be held there on Wednesday so we would definitely made a point that we would go. We also talked about the Lazy Gecko and how it was it’s last day. 
We decided to go across the street to the Lazy Gecko and have a few drinks before closes. As soon as you walked in, it was pretty crowded and you can see the staff about ready to cry. It was so sad to see a place that has been an icon in Key West become no more. 
After we freshened up we walked back to Duval towards the Rooftop Cafe. We always have a solid dinner there and wanted to go back. 
We walked up the stairs and no one was really there yet. We were one of the first customers for the evening and chose to sit at the bar on the outside part. From there you can see Mallory Square nearby and the Front St. below. 
For our first course my husband had the shrimp and blue crab empanadas while I selected the tuna tar tar. Since we were practically the only ones there at the time, the food came out promptly which we don’t mind since we were pretty hungry. Our main course was the grilled mahi mahi (which I ordered) and the flame grilled NY strip.
We hadn’t seen “Mr. Mojito” in a couple of years and was hoping to see him. We walked near the Margaritaville Resort (formally the Westin) and sure enough we saw Jimmy in his cart! The line wasn’t too long so we waited a few minutes and said hello. It was nice to see him again and order his infamous “Green Thing” drink. They are so tasty and really hit the spot if you are looking for something semi-sweet and refreshing. 
We were tempted to stop in but I was pretty tired at that point so we just kept walking to the Gardens and called it a night.
We woke up to cloudy day so we slept in a little bit. Our first usual stop each morning again was Cuban Coffee Queen. Sometimes you get there and only a couple people are there, other times you can wait for a while, but the coffee is worth the wait. 
We were going to go back to Bagatelle’s but as we neared the building it was closed because they were working on the front porch. So we thought about going to Kermit’s Cafe Kitchen for breakfast to try something new. I looked at the menu and only saw sandwiches and I was craving huervos rancheros. I remember last time I wanted to try Amigos for breakfast since I saw that they did have huervos rancheros on the menu. 
We walked to Amigos and just when we walked to the entrance the skies began to open up. We couldn’t ask for better timing. We sat in the front which is a great place to people watch. Since it was raining not too many people were going by. 
My husband ordered the egg burrito while I had the huervos rancheros. When they came out there were 3 instead of the usual 2. They were tasty but I personally prefer when the beans are refried and mashed verses just whole beans. 
Once we were done the rain did subside. It didn’t look like it was going to clear so we made the decision this would be the morning we walk around and do some shopping. It was actually good to pick the day we did since it wasn’t too hot to walk around with bags in tow. Our first stop was Hog’s Breath for a few shirts. They always have a nice variety of shirts to choose from. Then I remembered last time I saw a shirt I wanted for my husband at the Conch Republic Seafood gift shop so we went back. In addition, last time we never made it to Peppers and we were running low on our hot sauce inventory at home so we had to make it back. 
We walked down Greene St. to Peppers and noticed the red awning was no longer but a pepper sign. That was the only thing that was different – as soon as we walked in we saw all the hot sauces and other condiments. Neither of us was in the mood to taste anything but we knew what we wanted. The young lady at the tasting bar helped us with a few of our selections that we had questions about. We also wanted to ship everything home since we only do carry-on. It wasn’t a problem as usual and order was placed and ready for shipping. It is always fun too to have it arrive when you come home. A little reminder of where you were just at, which brings a smile to my face.
We had a few bags to drop off at the Gardens before setting out for the rest of the day. It was still too cloudy to lounge by the pool so after freshening up we went back out onto Duval. Back in April we never made it to the Blue Macaw and wanted to go back to check it out. 
We made it back onto Duval and into the Smokin’ Tuna. It was about the time Joal Rush was supposed to play and we noticed the place was quite empty and so was the stage. We then found out Caffeine Carl wasn’t feeling well so he wasn’t playing and that Joal Rush was playing at 8pm. It was only 5pm and we didn’t want to sit there for 3 hours waiting. 
So we walked down towards the Bight to find a place to eat. Being it was happy hour, everywhere we looked was crowded – Conch Republic, Commodores, Alonzo’s, etc. You wouldn’t think it was low season. Then as we were walking around I saw the entrance to A&B the Lobster House. I laughed when I saw it because we have been going to Key West for 11 years now, and I never noticed the door to the fine dining upstairs. We walked up the dark staircase into the main dining room. It was beautiful with large windows overlooking the marina. The hostess told us that the dining room wasn’t open yet, but that we could have a drink in the bar which turns out to be Berlin’s. 
We walked in and the AC felt wonderful. It was on the dark side but we got a kick out of the old retro vibe it gave. The bartender was very nice and said that anything offered in the main dining room you could have at the bar. We tend to prefer eating at the bar at certain places and thought that it was perfect to dine there. 
We each ordered a class of wine and I still couldn’t believe I finally found the entrance (not that it is hard to find, I just never noticed it before). For appetizers I decided to go old school and have the shrimp cocktail martini and my husband ordered the escargot sauté. When my appetizer came out a flashback of the movie Beetlejuice came to mind. The shrimp were huge hanging over the martini glass, but they were delicious and so fresh. My husband’s escargot was full of flavor as well. 
And the amazing food just kept going with my husband’s steak au poivre and my grouper oscar. It was probably one of the best meals we had on the trip. It is on the pricey side, but if you are looking for that one special dinner while you are on vacation, this is the place to go to. 
We stayed for a while and listened to Joal play before calling an end to the evening. 
We woke up to a beautiful day. So like any other morning we walked to Cuban Coffee Queen for much needed coffee. We tend to prefer the Cuban American Coffee, so we ordered two of those and walked around contemplating where to eat for breakfast. The breakfast choice of the day wound up being the Blue Macaw. 
Since the weather was so nice, we took advantage of it. When we were done with breakfast we walked back to the Gardens just to relax by the pool for a bit. 
It was getting hot so we decided a nice cold beer was in order. We walked down Duval and grabbed a couple of cold beers at the Porch. It is quite a pretty area to sit out on the porch and watch the people go by.
We scheduled to go out with Billy at around 6pm and thought it would be a good idea to grab something to eat before going out with him otherwise it would be a long time since we had breakfast. 
He drove us to the marina and it was a beautiful evening. 
He took us out past Sunset Key and then we eventually went back towards the sandbar. 
On our way we passed by Mallory Square. 
The sandbar was so shallow that we can the birds just running round. It was so nice and relaxing to sit back and relax. 
It was a beautiful sunset but then just when you thought it was going to touch the water, it fell behind the clouds. 
We still witnessed quite an impressive sunset. 
It was fun to hang out with Billy for a bit before going back to the marina. 
Billy dropped us off back at the Gardens. We thanked him again and told him when we return, we would definitely do the sunset trip again. 
This has become one of our favorite places, since it is sort of an out of the way place it never gets too crowded, the service is always very friendly no matter who is working there, and the view of course. 
I realized the last time we saw Al at the Sunset Pier, it was his last day working before he will be off for a few weeks. We headed back to the Sunset Pier to see Al. We wished him well and told him that we will hopefully see him next year. 
Then it was that time to say hello to Miguel again at Rick’s. We saw the posters set up for Carl’s birthday. They were pretty funny. It wasn’t that late but we were getting hungry. We thought to get back and freshen up so we could hit Martin’s for happy hour. Last time we just barely made it to happy hour but it was only about 3pm. 
After we freshened up, we walked down to Martin’s and it was just 4pm. It was perfect! There just one other couple there and we sat right at the bar. I think we ordered almost everything off the tapas menu we were so hungry. Each item was as delicious as the next. 
We had some time before Caffeine Carl’s birthday at Rick’s so we went back to the Smokin’ Tuna to listen to Joal Rush again. It started to rain again but not too bad. Just a few showers. We then noticed Carl walking in and grabbing a few things for his birthday show. We wound up walking back to Rick’s with him. He told us he had a terrible sinus thing but obviously he was going to play for his birthday. 
We were able to get our two seats right at the window. We saw big Ed and Carl’s wife Erin who was also bartending. It was funny when Carl went on with George, he mentioned how it felt like it was the Smokin’ Tuna in the bizarro world.
The music began and the drinks started flowing. More and more people came in and it was a lot of fun. 
Eventually even Joal Rush showed up after his show at the Smokin’ Tuna for it. 
We wound up drinking a lot and staying up late (for us), but it was worth it. 
We made it back to the Gardens and we were done.
I would have booked our trip like we did back in April – Saturday to a Saturday. And that Saturday, the day we left, we were able to book a direct flight home to Newark so we literally got home by 10:30 am. This time of year there are no direct flights so the flights available if we stayed until Saturday would have had us arrive home later in the evening so we decided to leave a day earlier so we would still have the weekend to decompress. 
While we were finishing breakfast a few more showers rolled in. So much for relaxing by the pool our last day – I thought. We did go back to the hotel to sit on our porch and relax for a bit before going back out for our final day. 
We wound up walking back to El Meson De Pepe. We were in the mood for sangria but disappointingly the Little Jazz Room Bar isn’t open during the day – not until 4pm now and we really enjoyed their sangria. We sat down and each had a glass of their sangria. It wasn’t the best sangria I have ever had but it hit the spot. We watched the clouds come in through Mallory Square. 
Our next stop was Half Shell Raw Bar. We have never eaten there before and the next time we come back to Key West I want to make it a point to do so. The food that comes out of the kitchen looks so good. We had early dinner reservations at Café Solé so I didn’t want to have any lunch. 
We wound up having some time to spare so after we were packed and freshened up, we sat at the Gardens bar for a drink. Kate the owner was there and it was nice to chat with her for a bit. We have been going to the Gardens every year since 2006 and the past several years staying there twice a year so she really appreciates our loyalty to the hotel and plus I redesigned their logo which I am really proud of. 
The skies appeared to get brighter so we didn’t need to bring umbrellas with us. 
We made the left turn on to Simonton St. and then a right turn onto Southard St. 
We joke now because it took us several years to figure out where Café Solé is and it isn’t that far or difficult to get to from the Gardens.
Café Solé is definitely one of my favorite restaurants in Key West. 
He even brought us out a complimentary piece of Key Lime pie. And I hate to admit this, but I think that was the first time I have ever had key lime pie in Key West! I am not a big dessert fan so I usually don’t order it. I think maybe my husband had one of the key lime pies on a stick dipped in chocolate during our first time in Key West. The pie was delicious. 
We thanked Dan for a wonderful dinner and we were on our way again. 
It was our last night in Key West and knew we would spend it at the Tuna. We walked in and sat at the bar. Joal Rush was playing again. Erin was bartending too so it was nice to see her again. Then it was time for Carl to come on. We had to be up for our flight home around 6:45am. It wasn’t that early but early enough where we wanted to be back in our room by 10:30. Soon it was time to call it a night and say goodbye. Last time we were in Key West I knew we were returning in a couple of months so I was fine, but that night I realized we wouldn’t be back for a while and I did get upset. It is just seems each and every time we visit, it gets harder and harder to leave. 
We made it back and turned in for our long travel day ahead.
We had an hour or so layover so I wasn’t so concerned. I had the Silver Airways boarding passes and wasn’t sure if I needed to have them reissued at the United Gate. We walked over and I noticed a few people waiting in line. As I walked closer I saw that our 11:30 flight was delayed until 1:30. My heart sank, all you want to do is get home when it’s time to leave. Apparently there were heavy rain storms back up in the northeast that caused a lot of delays. Our plane was actually there in Tampa, but the time to land the plane in Newark had to be pushed back. So they called it air traffic control delay. People were not happy. Many of them had connections to international flights out of Newark. I didn’t need new boarding passes so we wound up finding a place to have lunch.
Our room was ready so we were able to unpack our things before making our way down Duval Street. 
When we entered our room we notice a card welcoming us pack. It read to check the fridge and so we did. It was such a nice gesture that they did. 
We decided to walk down further on Duval onto Caroline Street and grab a few key lime margaritas for our first stop at Kelly’s.
It was a great call because the place was quiet. We sat down and just took it all in. We were back to one of our favorite places – Key West!
Once Zack finished a song we walked in and I think it took him a second to realize it was us! We had pulled off the surprise!! Of course I had to get a few photos with him and the banner that I designed after he finished his set. 
He told us that he was playing also at the Smokin’ Tuna later that evening so we were excited to see him there. The Smokin’ Tuna is one of our favorite places to sit and listen to music in Key West.
We made it back down Duval and to the Tuna. 
It wasn’t too crowded and we sat down at our favorite seats. It was a nice way to ease into the trip listening to Zack play. 
I thought about getting another photo, but then i saw the line of about 50 people waiting to get their photo taken at the point so I decided that we’ve been there done that.
We then stumbled upon this little hole in the wall… the Patio Bar. 
You had to open the fence and walk through the back. We weren’t sure what to expect, but when we turned the corner it was a really neat little place.
Luckily it moved pretty quickly and we were seated at a nice table outside on the porch.
It was a nice way to spend Easter in Key West.
We walked back down Duval and when we walked by Willie T’s we noticed that this musician John LaMere was playing. We saw him last year and thought it would be fun to stop in and we hadn’t been to Willie T’s yet. While I was waiting for my husband to get us two drinks, I recognized Zack Seemiller’s son, Kai. We talked for a few minutes and he was getting ready to play a few songs with John. I wanted to stay and hear them play so we sat down.
Needless to say we didn’t make sunset. It was fun though just to watch them play. Then we hung out for a bit before calling it a night. It was definitely a different way for us to spend Easter. 
We always seem to run into him at Rick’s when we go and he’s always an entertaining guy. We grabbed two seats that are just right outside the bar. We talked for a bit and just watched the people go by. 
Then we recognized one of Key West’s most famous icons. Buddy! He is such a friendly dog and it was nice to see him. 
We have never had a bad meal there and this was another time it didn’t disappoint. After we finished our meals it was time for us to head back “home” to the Gardens.
We woke up to another rainy morning. I was disheartened because I wanted to go to Blue Heaven, but knowing what happened the day before, we would have to eat inside. We grabbed a couple of umbrellas from the Gardens and just started walking.
It was still raining once we were done so it wasn’t really the time to walk around. Ultimately we did walk all the way back in the rain to the Gardens – again we were soaked. We were supposed to meet up with Zack at this place called Don’s but the rain wasn’t letting up. We got in touch with him and told him we would have to take a rain check.
Luckily two people were leaving and we found two seats at the bar. It was a little tough to start drinking a beer but we got through it.
The weather was becoming overcast again but once we got to Sunset Pier we saw a couple of guys playing. The one guy was Tony Baltimore but unfortunately I don’t remember who the other guy was. They sounded very good as we had another beverage. We then noticed that we didn’t see Al, and were told that he switched with another bartender. I guess we would just have to come back another day.
We walked in and it was a nice surprise to see both Zack and his son playing together. We sat down and enjoyed them play until their show was done. 
We then made our way back to the Gardens to get some energy back and freshen up. Both our stomachs were quite hungry and realized that we hadn’t been to the Tuna since our first night. 
We walked in and a young musician by the name of Mick Fury was playing. He is originally from Syracuse, NY and then moved down to Nashville, TN. He had a great voice and we listened to him for a bit.
We woke up to a beautiful morning. Since we were meeting Billy at 9:00am we had our breakfast at the Gardens. The Gardens does offer a nice variety for breakfast besides the standard continental fare. They had several chafing dishes filled with several hotoptions. The one option we both went with, was the egg casserole. The Gardens also offers a Keurig espresso machine. It is a nice alternative to have vs. the regular coffee. After breakfast we met Billy outside where he took us to the marina. 
We have been going out with Billy for years now and it was great to see him again. He did mention to us that it was pretty windy but he would to take us to a spot to fish that was on the Leeward side of the island. Another plus was that Billy just recently got a new boat. It was a little smaller then the previous one, but it had full seats, a great sound system and a bathroom which was a huge plus for me. 
Soon we were on our way and then I realized we never took any Dramamine which we usually do. Thankfully we never did get seasick. The first spot we anchored at it was pretty wavy. There was this perfect seat however where I could fish and sit all at the same time. It made it a lot easier for me. We started catching fish after fish right away, but they were too small to keep. Still it wound up being a lot of fun. 
About an hour or so had passed and Billy wanted to try another spot to fish closer to our eventual destination, the sand bar. Once we got to the next spot my husband still fished for a while. I was just happy to relax on the back of the boat in the sun.
Again my husband did catch a bunch of fish, but too small to keep. We then went over to the sand bar where we just relaxed for a bit. 
We talked to Billy and just caught up with what we have both been doing since the last time we saw him. 
It wound up being a nice day to be out on the water and have a change of scenery.
After a full day out on the water it was time to go back. 
We made our way to the marina and then Billy dropped us off back at the Gardens. We thanked him for the day and we made tentative plans to see him again later in the week.
It turned out that Zack was still playing at Willie T’s and so we stopped in to check out the end of his set before we made our second attempt to see the sunset at Mallory Square. We stayed until the end then and told him we were on our way to see the sunset. However, before we did we wanted to back to Martin’s for their happy hour special. 
It is a great deal where you have a variety of items to choose from off their tapas menu. I thought that the happy hour was from 4-7pm, but when we got there it was packed. We asked the gentlemen at the front if there were any tables available. He said to wait a few minutes and he could see what he could do. Only a few minutes passed and he found a table available for us.
We ordered their calamari ceviche martini, escargot, lamb chops, tuna tataki, grilled lamp chops and the pork tenderloin & bermuda onion skewer. Everything came out in a timely fashion and each one was as good as the next. 
Once we were done with our early dinner we were determined to make to sunset. We walked along Duval and onto Greene St. As we were passing Captain Tony’s we saw that Gabriel Wright was playing. I also noticed a gentlemen sitting at the bar with a familiar hat. It was Ralph DePalma. He is a very well known photographer down in Key West which so happens also photographs Zack and I had been doing some work for him as well. 
So we made the turn into the bar where I met Ralph. He was very nice and had some crazy stories to share with us. We asked Gabriel when he was playing next and it wasn’t until Saturday, the day we were leaving so we grabbed to seats at the bar since it was the last time we would see him play. We weren’t making the sunset again.
Zack mentioned to us that Caffeine Carl may be playing at the Lazy Gecko and we hadn’t seen him yet. We said our goodbyes and we walked down towards the Gecko. When we walked by it wasn’t Carl. Just as well because the best thing for us was to go back to the Gardens.
It probably wasn’t the best idea, because once we sat on our porch we couldn’t even finish the wine. It was a long day and it was time to go to bed.
We slept in a bit since we were going to attempt to see Caffeine Carl play at the Smokin’ Tuna later that evening. This was our last night without consequence as my husband always says. It’s basically our last night we can stay out late and not have to get up early.
We walked down to Blue Heaven and just like we suspected, it was crowded. We walked up to the hostess and she said it would be about a 20 minute wait to sit outside. We had our coffee already so it wasn’t really a big issue for us. We got a couple seats at the bar and my husband ordered a Bloody Mary. I tried it but I just can’t drink them. I wish I could because they look so good.
We were literally the only ones in there, which was fine since we were able to make a few song requests. Irish Kevin’s is a great place to go too if it is hot out since they always have the AC blasting, but after one beer I needed to get back outside. I was freezing.
We walked all the way out to Sunset Pier to see if Al was working. As we walked in, we saw a familiar face. It was Al and he recognized us right away. We found a couple of seats along the water. Al was pretty busy but he made a point to come over to talk to us for a bit. We caught up on things and it was great to see him.
We said our goodbyes and then walked around for a bit. We wound up walking back to Sunset Tiki bar the Galleon. It was a beautiful day. 
We told him that we had dinner and that maybe we would run into him later. We made it back to the Gardens to freshen up once again. The Gardens is such a beautiful place to stay but we are barely there. I probably would have hung out more by the pool if I didn’t get so sunburn the other day on the boat.
We walked in and were seated at a very nice table. 
I love the location and setting of the restaurant since it is off the beaten path and generally very quiet. My husband ordered the beef carpaccio while I had the angels on horseback (which are dates wrapped in bacon stuffed with garlic). Both appetizers were very good. Then we both ordered the hogfish snapper for dinner which the restaurant is known for. It was delicious. 
We walked on over to check out the new Margaritaville Hotel which is the former Westin. 
Everything looked the same besides the new branding of the signs. We wanted to see if Mojito Jimmy was working still at his cart. 
On our way we ran into Zack and Kai. At this point I started not feeling too well. I don’t know if was from the richness of the dinner or drinking but I needed to sit. They suggested that I should try coconut water which is served in an actual coconut. 
I was determined to feel better so I gave it ago. Let’s just say I wasn’t a fan. It really didn’t taste like much but it was lukewarm which just made it not very appealing. I eventually got most of it down.
I was actually started to feel better so we walked to the Tuna wait for Caffeine Carl. I guess the coconut water actually worked! We grabbed two seats at the bar enjoyed Mick Fury play before Caffeine Carl came on. 
Once his set was over, he came by and we talked to him for a bit. He was a really nice guy. 
I was feeling revived in a way and we wound up staying out the latest we had all during our vacation. I think we made it to about midnight before we called it a night. 
Was it really our last full day already? I thought staying a full week would feel like eternity, but the trip just flew by.
We walked down the Simonton St. and were seated outside at a nice corner table. 
The rain held off while we enjoyed a much needed breakfast. I had the cheddar omelet while my husband ordered the green and white omelet which is basically scallions and cream cheese. When we were done with breakfast we went back to the Gardens to relax for a bit. This gave us the opportunity to set up our pickup to the airport through the front desk before we went back to the room. We asked to be picked up by 6:00am since our flight was at 7:10am. I would have probably made it a little earlier, but I was able to print out our boarding passes from the hotel so we could go straight to the security line and not the ticket counter.
We relaxed for a bit and eventually made our way back towards the Bight. My husband suggest going to Dante’s for a drink since we had not been there yet. It wound up not being a very good suggestion. We sat down and noticed loud music playing. I looked around and noticed a lot of bachelorette parties. As we tried to get our drinks down a DJ came on and mentioned that it was the Dante’s Poolside Party. I was starting to get flashbacks of spring break in Panama City Beach, FL many years ago. We definitely felt out of place. We didn’t even finish our drinks before leaving. It wasn’t bad, but just not what we were in the mood for.
Since we wanted to see Zack and Caffeine Carl play later on back at the Smokin’ Tuna, we didn’t want to stay out for too long, so we walked back down Duval to the Garden’s. Before we got back, we stopped in at Rick’s to catch the last few songs of Zack’s show. After the show was over, we did mention to him how I would love a picture of my husband and I with him and Caffeine Carl. He said that it shouldn’t be a problem when we went to the Tuna later. We made it back to the Gardens to regroup one last time.
We were getting a bit antsy making sure we would get our favorite seats at the bar, so we made our way back to the Tuna. It wasn’t crowded at all so we had no problem finding our seats. We also order some dinner while we were listening to Mick Fury.
This marked our 13th time back on St. John (14th time to the Virgin Islands) and couldn’t have been more excited to go since NJ was experience a cold spell right before we left. We were also staying at a new villa called Caribbean Palm Villa located in Point Rendezvous. 
We had to first pick up our jeep rental at Bougainvillea 
The annual Cat Fight races were going on as well so we could see all the catamarans in the distance racing.
We headed back out onto the North Shore Road, but first stopped at the Caneel Bay overlook to take a picture.
The weather was still overcast and occasional showers so we just drove back to the villa. We relaxed for a bit and thought we could eat lobster. I kept the reservation and we got ready for dinner.
And it tasted just like I remembered.
It was quiet so it wound up being a good call.
Until then… Thank you for talking the time to read my blog 🙂
Even though we were just in Key West 3 months prior, my husband and I were excited to return again to one of our favorite places. (Making it our 14th time back within 10 years does say a lot.) We were also returning to our usual place to stay the Gardens Hotel. It has sort of become a second home to us because of its familiarity with the hotel and staff. I shipped a box of our toiletries ahead of time to the hotel so we only had to bring carryon with us which we find to be more convenient then waiting for checked baggage and worrying about if it doesn’t make the connecting flight.
July 3 – Arrival Day (Day 1)
Our flight left on time at 7:30am to Ft. Myers.
Around 12:20pm we touched down and we were back! In a way it felt like we never left because we were just there 3 months ago, which in a way was a plus because the trip did feel a lot longer then usual.
When we got there it was quite crowded so we had to sit in the back. It actually wasn’t that bad of a seat since we were out of the way of the action where we could catch up for a bit. 
I even pointed out to them the banner for the musician down there Zack Seemiller. Unfortunately he left town for a bit and I was bummed out that I couldn’t see him, but it did give us an opportunity to check out other music during our stay. 
We probably should have but we enjoyed a round of their Key Lime Margaritas before walking back towards the hotel to check into our rooms. Before we did, we stopped at Rick’s. Our friend Nancy and my husband wanted to have a pickle back shot since they both had one a couple of years ago when we were visiting. 
Nancy and her friend decided to go for a swim while we unpacked and got ready for dinner. I made reservations later that evening for the 4 of us. Deuce’s Off the Hook is located conveniently right behind the hotel and serves delicious food. It is definitely a plus to go there after a long day of travel.
I always like walking down Duval early in the morning. It is just so quiet and empty. We made it back and our friends were ready to walk down to Blue Heaven. 
You can’t beat the atmosphere with the roosters and chickens running around.
When we left the Schooner Wharf we noticed up above the Waterfront Brewery, there was something going on. I wasn’t sure what it was, but then I heard Nick Norman started to play. I wanted to check it out but I wasn’t sure if it was open to the public or not so we just kept walking. 
It was nice to just relax for a bit and listen to him play. Of course I had to request Eddie Vedder’s Hard Sun like I always do. I ask him to play Mumford and Son’s I Will Wait which was fun to hear. 
We said good bye to Gabriel and made our way back towards the Gardens, but not without a pickle back shot at Ricks. Nancy and my husband did one last one for old time sake while I just took a few pictures.
I was glad I booked the Appledore Star since it only had space for 16 people. We didn’t have to wait to long for check-in and soon it was time to head onto the schooner. It was as a beautiful evening to watch the sunset.
It was on our way back so we stopped in for a few songs and of course see ourselves on the webcam. 
We were both getting pretty tired so we thought it would be a good idea to just walk back to the hotel and call it a night.
We had not stopped at the Galleon Tiki Bar and we wanted to see if the bartender Dave was working. 
When we walked up to the bar we noticed that Dave was working. It was great to see him and the ironic thing was he told us how he was leaving Key West in a few weeks to St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands. I mention the irony since my husband and I try to go every October to St. John for anniversary. Plus it turns out that he did get a job working at one of the bars on St. John. 
We talked for a bit before making our way on to the next stop. We told him we would try and stop by again to see him, if not we would see him in October.
I walked back to join the others and we ordered much need food. As we ate, we really enjoyed Brent Byrd. His sound was really good.
We just relaxed for a bit talked about things. I even jumped in the water for a little swim. We wound up meeting Billy several years ago when he used to work at the Gardens Hotel bartending. We had been going out with him fishing ever since. It was great to catch up. 
We also read over the menu but weren’t quite hungry yet. After Nick’s set we walked back to the Smokin’ Tuna to catch Brent Byrd again. Plus my husband reached out to his customers and they were on their way as well. 
Unfortunately Mr. Mojito wasn’t working but we did order a few of drinks and watched the sun fall behind Sunset Key.
It was delicious. Everyone really enjoyed dinner and we were stuffed.
So of course we had to stop in for one to hear him play. We didn’t last too long with the day out on the water catching up with us. We made the wise decision and called it a night.
I looked up the location on my phone and it wasn’t too far away on Caroline St. We walked pasted Pepe’s and then saw the retro looking sign. We walked in and it definitely had that old school diner feel. We sat down at a booth and ordered. At this point we worked up an appetite from the walk. 
My husband ordered the 222 and i tried the salmon, tomato and cream cheese omelet with a size of grits. The food was quite good and everything tasted fresh. We would come back to this place for sure the next time we’re in Key West.
Neither of us wanted to do the tasting but we have been there so many times before that we know what our favorites are. We looked around and made our selections. And as usual we had them ship the box back home for us since we don’t have to worry about checking it at the airport. 
We decided to walk back to the hotel for a bit and relax by the pool. This is why I love the Gardens Hotel. It is conveniently located right off Duval, but if you need time to regroup, etc. you can. 
Once we were fully recharged we made our way back to the Sunset Pier to see if we could catch Al working. We found two seats along the water with some shade. Luckily Al was working and it was nice to catch up with him. He told us how he was expecting his second and congratulated him. It was nice to see him but it was getting hot since the wind seemed to stop. 
Meanwhile I was checking to see if Gabriel was playing at Captain Tony’s but he was off today. I wound up getting in touch with him and figured out that we would meet up at Hog’s Breath for a drink. We said our goodbyes to Al and told him we would try and stop by again the next day before we headed back home that Saturday.
The sun was beaming down on us and it was time to move someplace with shade – Hog’s Breath. We walked on over and again found two seats right near the musician who was playing. it was nice and cool and there as we ordered a couple of cold beers. I was having fun with my friends to check out the webcam and they would send screen captures back to us. 
Then I saw Gabriel walking up to the bar. We managed to keep a seat open so we were able to stay where we were. It was good to see him and talked to us about visiting his family the following week. It was fun, but before I realized it we were there for a while. We all agreed it was time motivate. We wished Gabriel well and told him we would catch him next year.
We wound up back at the Gardens to freshen up and figure out where to go to eat. I did have a copy with me of all the Happy Hours in Key West that is posted on Trip Advisor by one forumite. It really did come in handy since we wanted to hit one. However I remembered last time I wanted to try the Thirsty Mermaid and never got there. We decided it would be a good call since it was some place new to try. After having the opportunity to go to Key West 14 times, we should try something new. 
The Thirsty Mermaid is located just off Duval on Fleming and really close to the Gardens. We actually walked along Simonton to get there. It doesn’t look like much from the outside, but the inside is bright and clean. Only a few tables were taken so we had our choice to sit at the bar or a table. We decided to sit at the bar. I ordered the oysters rockefeller while my husband ordered the mac & cheese croquettes which I had to try.
It was getting late but we figured that we could stay up since we could sleep in the next day. Eventually we did get up and leave but instead of going straight back to the Gardens, we heard a couple of guys playing at Willie T’s. 
The smart thing to have done would be to go back to the hotel. However I was feeling pretty good and said that we should stop in. As soon as I walked in I requested the guys to play my favorite band Pearl Jam and within minutes they started playing Elderly Woman. I was pretty happy to hear it and then they played two more songs. Meanwhile there were a couple of german guys having a good time and we started to talk to them. They were hilarious and kept us there a little longer then we intended. 
After another drink to many it was time to get to bed. I think we wound up getting back to the Gardens around 2am. We had never stayed up that late before and probably won’t ever again!
Since we were up too late last night we slept in quite late for us. I think we didn’t get up until 10:30 which was unfortunate because we usually have breakfast at Blue Heaven for our last day. Regretting our decision to stay out like we did, we slowly made our way out to grab something to eat. We didn’t feel like walking too far so we decided to go back to Deuce’s Off the Hook. It was perfect since we were really hungry at this point. We were seated at the bar and I chose something a little different for breakfast. It was their shrimp hash with two fried eggs served on top and a much needed big cup of coffee. 
It was unexpectedly really good. I would definitely order it again.
I had made dinner reservations as well at Cafe Sole for our last night. The dinner reservations were at 6 so we had some time to hit a place or two before. We hadn’t been to Irish Kevin’s so we wound up going there for one. The beer wasn’t going down too well but it is always entertaining to in there. Plus it is nice and cold when its a hot day in Key West which it was. 
We then decided not to walk to far for our next stop before dinner and that was Rick’s. The bartender there definitely makes it quite entertaining while sitting there and people watching. 
Cafe Sole is a little bit of a walk from the Gardens so we figured that we would get a taxi to take us there and then just walk back to Duval afterwards. It wound up being a great decision since right before we were ready to leave the skies opened up. It started to downpour. We had to wait a little longer for the taxi but the Gardens called the restaurant to let us know we were running late. Once the taxi drive came he told us how once it rains in Key West, its like snow up north, everything gets backed up and delayed. 
We weren’t too late so it didn’t matter too much. He dropped us off at the restaurant and it was just about quarter after 6. The rain had stopped and the hostess sat us down at a very nice table. 
She then mentioned to us that since it was before 7pm all drinks and entrées are half off. I remember seeing that on the happy hour list but totally forgot about it. Cafe Sole is known for their hogfish snapper so we didn’t hesitate at all as to what to order. For appetizers I ordered the escargot and my husband ordered the beef carpaccio. Everything came out in a timely manner and was delicious. For dessert we shared the key lime pie which I don’t think we ever had in Key West before. Then since we have been dining at Cafe Sole for years (and apparently we are in the system) the hostess brought us out two little glasses of dessert wine – not that we really needed it, but it was a very nice gesture.
It was our last night in Key West and of course wanted to stop one last time to Smokin Tuna. By the time we got back to the Tuna, Brent Byrd was finishing his set. We wanted to see more of him play but we just got there too late. Not too long after we were there it was time for Caffeine Carl to come on. It was a nice surprise too that Claire Finley was playing as well that night. Back home we have an AppleTV and we stream the live feed a lot while at home and watch them play. 
It was kind of fitting for our last night in Key West. We both wanted to stay longer but knew we didn’t want to wake up for our travel day feeling like we did earlier in the morning. So we made the wise decision and called it a night. We waved good bye to Carl and made the last walk down Duval.
Our flight was scheduled to leave at 9:00am so we had the Gardens Hotel call us a taxi to have them pick us up at 7:45am. We woke up at 7am to get ready to leave. It was still dark out but we knew it was the correct time. The sun rises a lot later in Key West then back home. We grabbed all of our things and took the walk of woe to the front of the hotel. I dropped off the keys and there was the taxi. The sun was starting to rise as we neared the airport. It was going to be another beautiful day in Key West but I knew it was time to get back home.
I am considering to change my blog to say “Key West” and “St. John” travel blog, since it seems to be the only two places we have been going lately, but if you find places you love, why not return when you can?
And then I noticed a few banners that were displayed for the musician I have been doing work for. It was so cool to see!!! It was awesome quite frankly. I wanted to get a picture of it, but there was a group of people seated right in front of it. I knew we would be back in a few days so I figured I would wait until then. Some guy named Dallas was playing while we were there, not really a fan – so we decided to finish our margaritas and make our way down Duval. I was still in the mood for a margarita, so we went to the place that makes one of the best (IMO) Kelly’s. We sat down in the lush setting and just took it all in. 
Soon Gabriel Wright went on break and I approached him and asked if he remembered us. Last year I requested my favorite artist’s song, Hard Sun by Eddie Vedder and he didn’t know all the words. He kind of laughed and did remember. We chatted a bit and I told him how I have been doing the design work for Zack and if he was looking for a designer to give me a shout. Turns out he was looking for someone to do his cd artwork and that we would be in touch. We talked a bit with him and Jake and told them we were going to check out Joal Rush later at the Smokin’ Tuna and catch Caffeine Carl after that. 
It was the perfect weather.
We walked down the Bight again and made it the Half Shell Raw bar. I sent a picture of the tshirts to Zack and told him I was getting more inspiration for tshirt designs for him (they do have quite a collection of shirts there).
We found a spot and just hung out for a bit. 
Again the weather was just so gorgeous that we just took in the view of that green blue water.
We grabbed some food and then made it to Rum Runners. Once he was on break we figured that he could drop his car the next morning after breakfast at the Gardens and we would make the drive up the Keys. At that point, the day was catching up with us so we didn’t stay too long.
We found a parking spot and walked along the beach. 
I had made dinner reservations at Cafe Marquesa and always wanted to eat there. I was quite excited and we were seated at a nice table. It wasn’t too crowded since it was early. Disappointingly, the dinner did not match up to our expectations. We found the food lacked seasoning of any kind.
We had our daysail on the Schooner American 2.0 at 1:30 but had to check in at 1pm. We walked around and figured we would have a drink at Turtle Kraal Tower Bar. It is always a beautiful view.
The water was calm and so were the breezes. It was so beautiful to finally go out on the water. My only regret was that we weren’t able to get in the water during this trip.
We noticed that it was definitely more crowded since the weekenders were coming in. We walked into the Lazy Gecko and it was packed. I honestly thought we weren’t going to stay but we ran into Shane and Warren. While we were talking to them, thankfully two seats opened up at the bar. 
susannj 
