The term “key” is taken from the Spanish word, “cayo”, which means “small island”. The Florida Keys are a string of islands starting from about 15 miles south of Miami, extending for 120 miles off the southern tip of Florida into the Atlantic. From the southernmost key, Key West, Cuba is only 90 miles away.
When I was a little girl, my grandpa returned home from a trip to the keys and brought me back a cute painted little coconut purse. I’ll never forget it and the excitement he had from going to such a beautiful place. Since then I’ve heard many stories about it, but until recently, never had the opportunity to go.
David had never been to the keys or Key West either, so it was the perfect day trip from Miami for us. It’s always exciting to explore somewhere new, especially somewhere so stunning.
Drive the Overseas Highway
We started out early to maximize daylight. The drive was gorgeous in itself. It was generally stress-free driving. For most of the way down to Key West, it is a two-lane road over 42 different bridges on the Overseas Highway, the longest being the 7-mile bridge. With turquoise waters on both sides, it’s hard not to enjoy the scenery. As you pass from key to key, you get a good feel for each island.
It took us a little over 3 hours to get to Key West. It is the most populated Florida Key. It may come as a surprise, but this 2 x 4 mile island was once Florida’s most populous city.
Snap a picture with the buoy at the Southernmost Point
The Southernmost point of the US is marked by a colorful buoy in Key West. Looking at pictures people have taken at this point, I always imagined it on a pier. Instead, it is on the corner of a sidewalk. This is the place to get a travel picture, and cannot be missed if you’re in Key West. People form a line on the sidewalk to get their picture. Everyone is patient and nice, and usually you just hand your camera to the people behind you to get a picture. It was a very easy process, and worth the small wait!
Tour the Ernest Hemingway House
Famous writer Ernest Hemingway lived here in the 1930’s. It is where he wrote 70% of his work. You can wander around the house and grounds yourself, or take a guided tour (free with admission) that is offered every 15 minutes. Make sure you grab some cash before visiting, as they do not accept credit cards. While there, admire the historic house, tropical garden, the first pool in Key West, Hemingway’s writing studio, and the six-toed cats that Hemingway was so fond of. Many are descendants of his first six-toed cat, Snowball. Hemingway lived here for eight years, and regularly fished the waters of Key West.
Climb to the top of Key West Lighthouse
Directly across the road from the Hemingway House is the Key West Lighthouse. It was opened in 1848, and had a female lighthouse keeper. The original lighthouse was destroyed by a hurricane, and was thus rebuilt inland, on higher ground, to the present 66′ structure. Admission for adults is $17, but you can save money by booking online before visiting. You can climb the 88 steps to the top of the lighthouse. Though somewhat scary (thanks for the motivation, David), the climb is honestly not too bad. From the top, you have a nice 360 degree view of Key West. Down in the Keeper’s Quarters is a museum where you can learn more about the lighthouse and Key West’s history.
Enjoy Key Lime Pie
I love a good key lime pie. Because the tart treat is said to have originated in Key West, you’ll find many restaurants in the area offer this dessert or variations of it on their menus. David and I dropped into Kermit’s Key West Key Lime Shoppe. I had the strawberry key lime pie, and David had the regular. Both were good. The outdoor eating area is nice. It is a covered area with a cute koi pond. The shop didn’t have as many variations of the pie as I thought it would, but it did have a big shop that sold cookies, candy, jams, salsa, and even dog treats.
My favorite key lime treat was at the Southernmost Beach Cafe. Located at the end of Duvall Street, near the Southernmost Point, sits this beach-side bar and cafe. The tropical setting offers great views and delicious alcoholic beverages. Both of us got the key lime coladas (just like pina coladas, but with added key lime liqueur). They were so good! While here, take a walk on the small beach, or go out to the pier to look at the crystal waters.
Eat Good Seafood
We were surprised to find so many decently priced seafood restaurants in Key West. We both love oysters, so we decided to go to Half Shell Raw Bar. This laid-back, waterfront restaurant is quirky with its decor (fun license plates from every state) and wild chickens freely roaming inside. The service was good, and food was yummy. We had Edith’s Tower, which was 1/2 doz. oyster and clams, 1/2 lb. peel & eat shrimp, and 1/2 lb. snow crab claws.
The walk from the pie shop to here was nice. There were street vendors selling crafts, art, and jewelry. Boats lined the wharf, and we saw some cool wildlife (including a manatee that came up out of the water for a second!). Key West also has feral chickens roaming the streets, which are kind of cool to randomly see.
Check out Key West’s Historic Homes
I love that Key West feels so much like Charleston, my favorite U.S. city. It has an upscale, beach-y, historic vibe. Even though there have been a number of hurricanes, there are surprisingly many beautiful historic houses that still stand. Key West is not that large, so it’s easy to see many homes by just taking a stroll through town. As mentioned previously, the Ernest Hemingway House is a lovely example of a historic Spanish house, built in 1851.
Another famous house to take a peek at is the Harry S. Truman Little White House. Harry Truman spent 175 days of his presidency in the house, which is now a museum and wedding venue.
Perhaps the prettiest house is the Southernmost House, a Queen Anne mansion built in 1897, which sits directly beside the Southernmost point buoy and overlooks the ocean. Five U.S. Presidents have stayed here, and the electricity was installed by none other than Thomas Edison.
Other places to stroll by include the Curry Mansion, William Lowe Delaney House and the J. Vining and Florida Curry Harris House.
Catch the Sunset at Ft. Zachary Taylor State Park
David had the great idea of going here to complete our trip. There is a spot here called “Key West’s best beach”. We arrived just a bit before dusk. It was lovely seeing the sun set with sailboats in the distance. There is also a Civil War-era fort at the park. We unfortunately did not catch it before it closed, but another interesting place to check out if you go!
Key West was dreamy. I’d love to go back and spend more time exploring all it has to offer. I’m thankful we got to go, and experience so much for only one day. It was such a wonderful day with the perfect itinerary.
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