Every year for the past fourteen years, my husband and I would go to St. John, in the US Virgin Islands for our anniversary. However, Hurricane Irma changed everything. My heart was broken after seeing the images of all the devastation that occurred to my beloved island. I then had to think about if we were still going to go away on vacation where would we go? I started to do some research for other options. I wanted to go some place that was warm and tropical. We had already been to Grand Cayman, Aruba (and several other islands) which were not affected by the hurricanes. After researching other islands, there wasn’t really place I wanted to go back to, except Key West.
We had already been to Key West 2 times prior this past year and obviously we truly love it down there. Then news started to come out that Hurricane Irma was headed straight towards Key West. I couldn’t believe it. Would this storm take out my 2 happy places? I knew that if Key West was spared I wanted to go back. I wound up contacting the manager of the Gardens Hotel and told him that we would love to return if Key West makes it through okay. I remember the night that Irma hit Key West, I couldn’t watch the news coverage at all. I was so worried for my dear friend down there riding it out.
The next morning I turned on the tv and started to look on social media to see how Key West fared. I could not believe it that my other beloved island was spared. I knew in my heart that we were meant to go back. A week had passed after the storm and I finally heard back from Jim, the General Manager at the Gardens Hotel. He told me he was still in Orlando but heard back from some staff that road out the storm, that the Gardens Hotel was fine. There was some damage with broken trees, but no structural damage. I was so relieved and so happy. I told him we would love to return if Key West would be open by the end of October. He reassured me that Key West would be ready for us and we were set. We were going back to Key West again!
Sunday – October 29th, Arrival Day 
Normally I prefer to go to Key West from a Saturday to Saturday, but with Fantasy Fest, we had to wait to return until after it ended, which was on Sunday. To make matters more stressful for me, there was a nor’easter headed our way and it was supposed to arrive that Sunday. I was getting sick to my stomach thinking that another storm would affect us, but I just kept telling myself – don’t stress over the things you cannot control.
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.
We arrived at the Gardens Hotel within no time. At first it looked just like I remembered just a few months ago in July. Then I noticed a lot of the canopy was gone and so were the trees that would hide Simonton. There was a decent amount missing on the one side. 
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. https://tinyurl.com/yda7lpyq
We checked in, but our room wasn’t ready yet. It wasn’t a problem for us since we wanted to go see Miguel who tends bar at Rick’s down on Duval Street. We were able to change into our warm weather closes at the Garden’s cabana room and we were on our way. We always love that feeling you get when you first walk back on to Duval. My husband and I always make it a point when we make that right hand turn onto the street and say we are back! We walked down Duval and noticed that it was pretty quiet. Everyone had recently left Key West since Fantasy Fest had ended. We did see a few stragglers here and there, but overall everyone was gone.
We made it to Rick’s and saw that Miguel was working. He was so surprised to see us. We didn’t want to tell anyone ahead of time we were coming, because I wanted it to be a surprise. It was fun to be back and talk about how he faired during the hurricane. We also told him how our friends and co-workers alike couldn’t believe we were going back to Key West thinking it was devastated with the hurricane. There was damage, but not nearly what they were saying on the news back home. Some streets still had some debris in piles to be removed, but overall Key West did an amazing job cleaning up most of the debris and was back, ready for visitors. 
We finished our drinks and walked down towards the Galleon to check out the Sunset Tiki Bar. We walked along the boardwalk and then had to stop. There was damage to the boardwalk and it was blocked, so we had to go around through the parking lot. Once we got to the Tiki Bar it appeared that it faired well. It was pretty crowded so we didn’t stay too long.
Our next place we wanted to check out was the old Kelly’s restaurant which is now called the First Flight Restaurant. 
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.
The bartender was very friendly and we told her how we were pretty amazed how great Key West looked in such a short amount of time. She said that they need people to come back and get the word out that Key West is back. We thanked her for the drinks and food. It was time to get back to our room and freshen up for dinner. 
On our way back we saw a familiar face playing at Willie T’s, John LaMere. I heard he was going to Memphis during the Meeting of the Minds (Parrothead Convention) that was about to start in a few days, so I wanted to stop in and catch a song. It was fun to see him and we probably could have stayed longer, but we were getting quite hungry at that point and didn’t want to miss our reservations at Deuce’s Off the Hook.
Jazz was already in full swing at the Gardens, so we had to walk through a bunch of people sitting at the tables (which we had to do in the past and it always feels a bit awkward even though we are hotel guests). We saw Jim and Kate (the owner) and waved to them both. We freshened up and walked right around the corner to Deuce’s. Besides the fact that they always having consistently good food, we love the proximity the restaurant is to the Gardens especially on our first night after a day of travel. 
It was a good thing we had reservations, because there were quite a few people standing outside waiting to be seated. I made the reservations for the bar since their tables are situated somewhat closer together then I prefer and honestly feel that believe it or not the bar gives you more room. They had two seats reserved for us. I was also excited see that their catch of the day was hogfish, which is one of our favorites. I tend to start with their ceviche, but I noticed that they had a dozen oysters on the half shell on the appetizer special. I don’t normally order them, but it just sounded like a good idea at the time. I am so glad I did. They were absolutely delicious. For dinner my husband and I both ordered the hogfish special – which wasn’t a surprise.
Feeling rejuvenated after a much needed and delicious dinner, we wanted to catch the end of Joal Rush’s set who was playing at the Smokin’ Tuna. We were able to find to seats at the bar and listen to him play a few songs. 
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.
Monday – October 30th – Seeing our Key West Friends 
We woke up to a beautiful and breezy day. A cold front had moved in so it was on the chilly side. I wasn’t sure what to expect this time of year weather wise while visiting Key West since all of our previous trips have been either in the spring or summer. Even though it was cool, it was just still so pretty. 
I always like to start our first breakfast at Blue Heaven during every trip. We first made our usual stop at Cuban Coffee Queen for a couple of Cuban American Coffees. Their coffee is the perfect beverage to jump start your day in Key West. Ironically we bumped into a friend of ours Joe (aka Kokomo Joe) that we met at the Galleon Tiki Bar back in April. We sat down and talked to him for a bit. He was telling us too how he fared with the hurricane, but overall he did okay. It was nice to see him before we made our way towards Blue Heaven. 
We walked to Petronia and down to Blue Heaven. I wasn’t sure what to expect as far as the foliage, but remarkably it looked exactly the same as it did back in July. 
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. 
We walked back to the Gardens to relax for a bit, however it is always hard for me to sit still. I typically want to head back out and just walk around Key West. It was still too early to have a beverage so I did wind up taking at few pictures around the Gardens Hotel while my husband read on our front porch. 
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 finally that time to get back on Duval and stop by to see Miguel who was bartending again at Rick’s. He was even commenting how cool it was that morning. I think it was around 68 degrees, but being from New Jersey it wasn’t too cold for us. The sun was out and it did start to warm up. I originally had reservations for Latitudes later that evening but with the cooler temperature and wind, I knew it would be too cold to enjoy a meal out on the beach. We figured it was just as well since we wanted to catch up with our friends playing around town. 
Our next stop was Captain Tony’s where Gabriel Wright was playing. It was nice to see him once again. We hung out for several songs until he was able to take a break. We talked a bit and he was telling us how he was in Paris when Irma hit. He was only back in town for a few weeks. We also mentioned how the media made it seem like Key West was destroyed back up in New Jersey. 
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. 
We walked in and he immediately recognized us. We were lucky enough to find two seats at the bar. http://tinyurl.com/ybh5ldaq It was great to be back and listen to him play. It was also nice to see his son Kai stop by to say hello. We talked for a bit and stayed until his show was over. It was so nice to be back in Key West to see them both. 
It was getting later in the evening and we knew we should get back to the Gardens and get ready for dinner. We said goodbye to Zack and his son. We were going to try and meet up later, but if we didn’t we would see him the next day at Willie T’s. 
As we were walking back to the hotel we contemplated where to eat. We agreed that it would be nice to go back to the Roof Top Cafe since we have never had a disappointing meal there. We walked up the stairs and noticed it was getting quite breezy and the temperature was dropping. 
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.
For appetizers, my husband ordered the gnocchi with truffle oil and I had the shrimp and crab cake. They were excellent. Right after our appetizers we saw everything go dark. The entire place and streets were without power. It was kind of surreal at first. However, within minutes the power was restored. The bartender told us that it has become the norm since the hurricane, which is totally understandable. Then for dinner my husband had the sirloin and I had the snapper. Again, we both thoroughly enjoyed our meals.
At this point we were getting pretty cold. It was time to figure out our next game plan. 
We wound up going back to our favorite place to watch live music, the Smokin’ Tuna. Scott Kirby was in town, so we saw him finish his set before Tony Baltimore went on stage. We sat back for a while and enjoyed the music. Another added plus was Erin, Caffeine Carl’s wife was bartending. It was so fun to see her again! 
Before we knew it, it was getting pretty late. We figured that we should get back to the Gardens. All and all it was a great day seeing our friends again in Key West.
Tuesday – October 31th – Halloween in Key West
This was going to be the first time in a while not spending Halloween in St. John. I heard that Halloween isn’t really a big deal in Key West since the week before is Fantasy Fest, which makes sense. We woke up to another cool but gorgeous morning. We made our regular stop at Cuban Coffee Queen before walking around Key West. I didn’t really have a plan as to where to eat breakfast, but was open to the idea of trying something new. 
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. 
We walked in to order our breakfast and sat down in the back while we waited for the server to bring it out for us. Once we sat down, I noticed how cute this place was. They had a little waterfall and a koi pond. A few minutes passed, and our breakfast was brought out. My husband had ordered the strawberry crepes which looked amazing, even though I prefer to order something savory for breakfast. I chose their standard breakfast of two eggs, bacon, home fries and toast. The bacon was cooked perfectly.
It was definitely a good call to give this place a try. https://tinyurl.com/y8zdhr7d
After breakfast we walked around for a bit and made our way towards sunset pier. As we approached the pier, you could immediately see that it was not ready to be open. 
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.
We made our way towards Mallory Square and again you could see some damage to the aquarium and also the bridge that connects Mallory Square to the Margaritaville Resort (previously the Westin). 
All and all though, that was really the only other things we noticed from the hurricane.
We walked to the Gardens Hotel to unwind for a little while before going back out. We agreed to stop by at the Blue Macaw since we had not been there yet and also noticed that Joal Rush was playing. 
We sat down and listened to him play. It was such a beautiful setting, between the atmosphere of the place and the weather. http://tinyurl.com/yc8otcf3
I knew that Zack was playing at Willie T’s that afternoon, so I wanted to go and see him play since he was going to be off for the next several days due to the Meeting of the Minds that was starting the next day. So we finished up our drinks at the Blue Macaw and walked down to Willie T’s. It was somewhat crowded, but after a few people left I was able to get us two seats near where he was playing. 
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.
Its nice that the Gardens Hotel is located pretty close to Willie T’s so it didn’t take us long to get ready. 
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. 
We walked in and the place was packed. I didn’t realize that it was happy hour and they offer 1/2 price appetizers. The hostess was able to find us a table. Of course I had to order the oysters for an appetizer. We also ordered the buffalo shrimp and calamari all which were half price for happy hour. It didn’t take long for the appetizers to come out and everything was fresh and delicious. My favorite though were the oysters. They also had hogfish on the menu so we both ordered the hogfish. I went with the grilled hogfish over a caesar salad and my husband had his with french fries.
I was so glad we finally made it to Half Shell for dinner because everything tasted so good. http://tinyurl.com/ydcmh6dk 
It was time to walk off our dinners so we walked along the bight and made it back to Duval and once again to Rick’s. I noticed a few people walking by with Halloween costumes on, but not too many. We had a couple of drinks and ran into this guy. 
The temperature started to drop again and planned on going back to the hotel, but instead we stopped by the Tuna again. 
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.
Wednesday – November 1st, Sunset Pier and Cafe Sole 
We wokeup to another beautiful morning in Key West. It was later then we normally get up but it was okay. I also noticed it was slightly warmer then it had been but still was windy. We didn’t have much planned for the day. I had originally had a sunset boat trip planned with our good friend Billy at 6 Pack Charters, but he said that we should wait the next day when the winds would be calmer. 
The night before, Zack recommended 5 Brothers for coffee. We never had been there before and wanted to give it a try. It was a perfect morning to walk along the streets of Key West, which I love to do. 
Once we got to 5 Brothers we walked in but there was a line. I guess 5 Brothers wasn’t a secret. 
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. 
A few days earlier when we were walking along the harbour walk, I noticed that the White Tarpon now offers breakfast. Since we were in Key West twice already this year, I again wanted to try another new place for breakfast. We sat down with our con leches and ordered breakfast. My husband had their egg sandwich while I had one of my favorite breakfasts, a bagel with lox (smoked salmon) and cream cheese. I normally stay away from bagels – a lot of carbs, but I was on vacation and enjoyed every minute of it. 
After our late breakfast we walked around and did some shopping. 
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.
The afternoon seemed to fly by and I had changed our reservations for Cafe Sole from the next night to this night due to the fact we had to change the sunset boat trip to Thursday. The reservation was early but we still had some time to relax at the Gardens before having dinner at Cafe Sole. 
We walked in and the hostess recognized us because we were there just a few months ago (plus I think it was the hat I like to wear while in Key West). We were seated at my favorite table near the road outside in the covered porch. 
It was just 5:30 so the restaurant only had another table seated. The owner came over and told us how he was offering wine specials where selected bottles of wine were half priced. We knew we had to take advantage of the offer so we chose a bottle of malbec.
For appetizers my husband had their beef carpacchio and I don’t normally eat red meat, but wanted to try their lamp chops. And I probably don’t even have to write what we both ordered for dinner, but yes we had their signature hogfish dinner. I don’t know what I enjoy better, the fish or that red pepper hollandaise sauce that accompanies it.
Once we left Cafe Sole I remembered that Gabriel Wright was playing again at Captain Tony’s. It was the last time he was playing before we were leaving so we stopped in. This time his parents and girlfriend were there so we talked to them for a bit. It was a lot of fun. 
I checked the Smokin’ Tuna schedule and saw that Scott Kirby and Caffeine Carl were playing together. A couple years ago, we saw them play Last Flying Boat together and was hoping to hear it again. I wasn’t sure how crazy the place was going to be with the Parrotheads in town, but wanted to stop by and give it a try. So we said our goodbyes to everyone and said that we would hopefully see them next year.
We walked into the Smokin’ Tuna and I was pretty surprised that it wasn’t too crowded. We got great seats dead center at the bar, which was perfect because we were able to see them play Last Flying Boat again! http://tinyurl.com/ycboqxyt Once again, we probably stayed longer then we should have but it was fun to hear them play and see Caffeine Carl.
Thursday – November 2nd, Sunset Boat Trip with Billy 
The day before I got in touch with Zack to see if we could get together for breakfast since we hadn’t seen him a couple of days. Luckily I set my alarm and we got up in time to meet him at Harpoon Harry’s around 9:15. I think this is the first time in Key West that we would sleep in and stay out later. Usually we get up early and call it a night pretty early. We were having fun so it was all good. 
We wound up taking the long walk to Harpoon Harry’s after grabbing a couple coffees from Cuban Coffee Queen. Once we were there Zack met us and we enjoyed a great breakfast. I always enjoy their grits there too. 
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 did our usual walk back to the Gardens to regroup and relax for a bit. As I sat on our porch I noticed how blue the sky was and it was exceptionally clear. I thought to myself, now this is going to be the perfect evening for a sunset boat trip. I got in touch with Billy to make sure we were still on for later on that day. We agreed that 4pm would be perfect for him to pick us up. 
It was time to motivate once more and walk down Duval. However, first we had to stop and grab a few snacks for our boat trip with Billy. There is a liquor store close by to the Gardens on Duval, so it was perfect to grab snacks and a bottle of wine. We dropped off our supplies and got back on the road. We had not been to El Meson De Pepe and I was craving a mojito. They were refreshing as usual. 
It was a picture perfect day and I noticed that it was starting to get warmer then it had been earlier in the week. We finished our mojitos and stopped at the Sunset Pier to see Al one last time. 
The time was going by quickly and we had to get back to meet Billy. We walked along Whitehead St. and I wanted to take another picture at the Mile 0 sign. Ironically, a conch train was coming by so it was a perfect picture that my husband captured. And I also noticed he got the pink maxi taxi in it as well. 
We did make a side stop to DJ’s Clam Shack for a late lunch. I wasn’t exactly hungry but once I saw the lobster roll my husband ordered, I had to have a few bites. It was really good. 
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. 
Soon we set out for the sunset. It was a beautiful evening. Along the way, we did see some damage to some of the houseboats from the hurricane. It was sad to see.
We made it to the sandbar and Billy got out on the water to check for some shells. We did see a few stingrays swim around in the water. 
It was then time to open the bottle of wine and cheer a beautiful sunset that we were about to see. 
We couldn’t have asked for better weather that evening. The winds were light and the sun just sank into the water. There weren’t any clouds to disrupt the few. It was truly amazing. 
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. 
After the sun had set, I noticed there was a full moon. I had never seen a moon like that while we were out on the water in Key West. It was just as beautiful as the sun.
On the way back, Billy noticed that a bunch of markers were down from the storm so my husband had to a hold a light at the front of the boat to help him navigate his way back. We got back safely and thanked Billy again for a great evening. http://tinyurl.com/y7y7cwxc
We freshened up and wanted to grab something to eat at the Smokin’ Tuna. It was really crowded but we were able to get a couple of seats at the bar. We weren’t sure if they were still serving food so we just had a couple of drinks. It was getting really late and we were starving. We walked back towards the Gardens and found a pizza place. We ordered a few slices to go and enjoyed the pizza back on our porch outside our room. It was a good thing we had something to eat. ,Even though I hate to eat that late, it definitely prevented me from feeling terrible on our last full day in Key west.
November 3rd., Last Full Day – Rick’s and Berlin’s Cigar Lounge 
This was our last full day so I didn’t want to sleep in too late, but again we did. To save some money we figured that we would just enjoy the breakfast at the Gardens. We did run out first to get a couple of coffees at Cuban Coffee Queen. 
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.
Zack was playing at Rick’s that afternoon so I wanted to be sure we saw him before we left. On our way out we noticed that the Garden’s had out a couple of baby turtles that they were feeding. Jim, the General Manager of the hotel, told us that 7 turtles hatched during the hurricane. They were so cute! 
I did hear that day was the street festival for the Parrotheads. It was odd to see Duval Street closed as they were setting up the stage. This was the first time we had ever been to Key West when there was something going on like that. 
On our way we decided to stop at the Porch for a beer. It was a nice way to ease into the afternoon.
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. 
It was that time to catch Zack too. 
I thought that Rick’s was going to be quiet since the Parrothead Street Festival was taking place, but it was crowded. Luckily we were able to get the two seats on the outside part of the bar. We had another great time listening to him as we always do. 
Of course I had to get a few more pictures of us and the banner I designed for him. We were going to try and meet up later but if it didn’t I thought that we could meet up again for breakfast.
On our way back the street fair was ending but there were still a lot of people around. Besides the specific venues that they had reserved for Parrotheads, it really wasn’t that crowded for Meeting of the Minds.
We went back to the Gardens to get ready for our last dinner in Key West. For dinner I wanted to try El Meson De Pepe, however by the time we got there, the sun was setting so of course being located right on Mallory Square – it was packed. I wasn’t sure where to go as an alternative, but I remembered my husband really enjoyed the newly discovered restaurant/lounge from our last trip in July, Berlin’s Cigar Lounge which is located upstairs in the A&B Lobster House. 
We walked on over and went into the dark bar. It is definitely a throwback when you go in there. 
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.
Before we left for our trip, I noticed that a band we saw years ago down the Jersey Shore at Jenkinsen’s Boardwalk called Jimmy and the Parrots were playing that night at the Smokin’ Tuna for Meeting of the Minds. I knew it was going to be crowded because of the Parrotheads, but I remembered they were so much fun when we saw them years ago I wanted to see them again.
With our stomachs full from dinner, we walked back down Duval to the Tuna. Before we got there, we saw that Big Ed was working at Rick’s so we wanted to stop in and say hello. George was also playing. It was pretty empty and we told them if we couldn’t get a seat at the Tuna that most likely we would be back.
We walked into the Tuna and with no surprise it was filled with Parrotheads. We said hello to Erin and were able to order a couple drinks. I even ran into Carl again who was there for a few minutes. As we were standing a couple of seats opened up at the bar. I couldn’t believe it. What were the chances? 
We had fun for our last night in Key West. Since our flight wasn’t until 1pm the next day – again, we stayed out pretty late. Then it was that time to make our last walk down Duval and back to the Gardens.
November 4th – Last Day 😦 
I woke up around 8am in the morning and packed up everything. It is always hard for me to be happy on the day we leave – but I tried. I did get in touch with Zack and he was able to meet us for breakfast before we left. During our trips to Key West, we always noticed this little breakfast place right near the Gardens Hotel on Duval St. called Havana’s Cafe. We thought that we would give it a try. Once we got inside it was really cute. 
We didn’t know what to expect and the prices were reasonable. http://tinyurl.com/y8pg7375 I don’t know if it was from the rich dinner I had the night before and/or just the feeling of sadness knowing we were leaving in just a couple of hours, but I really couldn’t each that much, but what I had was delicious. Everyone else enjoyed their breakfast too. It was nice to have breakfast with Zack and see him once more before we left.
It was getting to be that time to get back to the Gardens and say our goodbyes. I felt so sad leaving, but it was a great trip seeing all our friends down in Key West. 
We checked out of the Gardens and took a taxi to the airport. We probably got there too early but it gave us some time to decompress before our flight. Again, we had a direct flight home, so it only took about 2 and 1/2 hours to get back to NJ. It was so nice not having that connection. Before we knew it we were back home around 5pm and reality of not being in Key West anymore was already setting in. 
Although Hurricane Irma changed our plans to return to my other beloved island, St. John, I am so grateful that we were able to return to Key West – my second happy place. The more times I visit Key West, the more difficult it is to leave. I used to think it was because of how beautiful the island is, but now I realize it is because of all the great people that make Key West so special. 
Thank you again for taking the time to read my blog.
…..Until next time!
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 
