Key West, FL

As you may have seen in a recent travel post, this summer I was fortunate enough to take a trip with my family to The Florida Keys. One of my favorite parts of the vacation was our day trip to Key West, which was so much fun! To start, the actual drive down is gorgeous. I have seen it on many “things to do in your lifetime” lists and would recommend that you add it to yours. The famous Overseas Highway is how you actually get down to Key West. From our hotel in Key Largo, which is the northernmost Key, it took a little over two hours by car… and you need to do it by car. I promise that you won’t regret it. It’s a one road in and one road out kind of deal and the scenery will take your breath away. It literally feels like you are driving on water because the ocean surrounds the road. Amazing!

Since most of the family members we were with had been to Key West before, we first stopped at a few of their go-to’s including El Mason De Pepe, a Cuban bar and cigar shop, and Hogs Breath, a famous bar that has the yummiest drinks and a fun atmosphere. From there, we visited The Southernmost Point in the US and Mallory Square… two essentials on the island.

We spent most of our day sight-seeing and exploring what Key West has to offer, a lot of which is located on Duval Street. Downtown is filled with unique shops, bars, and restaurants. We went to Flying Monkey’s Saloon for frozen drinks, the original Margaritaville for lunch, and Sloppy Joe’s for a live band. Needless to say it was a good day on Duval!

Other notables from our Key West trip included US 1 Mile Marker 0 and the Key West Lighthouse, both historic and must-sees in their own special way. We ended the day with a beautiful sunset on the island as we drove away. Sunsets in Key West are a nightly celebration and likely the biggest must-see of them all.

Key West is truly one of those places you have got to see and experience for yourself. There is a rich history to tell about the island… everything from pirate ships to famous poets and lots of things in between. I know I will be back again to see some things that didn’t quite make our day trip itinerary. There is so much to do and see that you won’t be able to get to everything in one day, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try! If you get the chance to go, GO!!!

Have you ever been to Key West? Anything I missed? XOXO