We love the Florida Keys - Key Largo to Key West and everything in between! In this post I'll talk about some of our favorite spots and places we'd like to see.
Welcome to Key West, Florida
The Florida Keys spans 125 miles, with 113 of those miles being the Overseas Highway.
There are 42 bridges in total and 800 different keys
(a key is a small low elevation island above a coral reef)
In season Nov - Apr
Off season May - Nov
*many businesses close in Sep
Hurricane season Jun - Nov
If you happen to be driving on the FL turnpike at night in Hollywood, FL keep an eye out for The Guitar Hotel they do a light show every evening and it is beautiful!
We also found a GIGANTIC mall in the area that is worth a visit if you love malls! Sawgrass Mills
If you are traveling during the day you may want to stop and take a tour in the Everglades National Park - this will almost guarantee your chances of seeing an alligator, if that is on your bucket list. Another place I really want to check out is the Fruit & Spice Park in Homestead, FL a botanical garden with over 500 varieties of fruit, vegetables and spices!
I'd also love to see R.F. Orchids - an orchid nursery and the Coral Castle.
In Homestead is Robert is Here fruit stand.
This place is so fun and unique! They have lots of exotic fruit and tons of fun things to buy. There are restrooms, food and coffee available as well and the farm was a real treat for us. There was an aviary full of parrots and a gated area filled with so many different animals I didn't even know could live together: cows, goats, geese, ducks, emu, tortoises and iguanas just to name a few! 
Once you arrive in the keys, stop at The Florida Keys Visitor Center at 106240 Overseas Hwy in Key Largo and get a map. They are very helpful and will help you plan any excursions and tell you about the weather during your stay. Make sure to have a seat in one of their oversized Adirondack chairs!
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While driving through the keys you will see lots of iguanas! They are everywhere: standing on the side of the road, running through parking lots and in trees. Keep an eye out for them!
We love snorkeling and diving at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Key Largo. We signed up for a snorkeling trip through Keys Diver and got to swim down to Christ of the Abyss! The fish came right up to us, the water was clear and the reefs were absolutely gorgeous!
We LOVE Oceans Edge Key West Resort on Stock Island, it is amazing! They provide transportation into Key West and back on the hour. The restaurant food was great. There were several pools, one was adult only. There were free kayak rentals to get out and have fun on the water. Our view was gorgeous from our room! Absolutely love it here! 
If you love bloody Mary's - Rams Head Southernmost is a MUST! In addition to great food and live music they have a build your own Bloody Mary bar! Pro tip - ask to use their homemade mix, it's amazing!
There is a trolley and a train tour around the island. We preferred the trolley over the train, it was more shaded and comfortable. You pay one fee and can hop on and off all day as you wish. They give you lots of historic information while you ride and it's the best way to get to the Southernmost Point!
While down by the Southernmost Point we walked to The Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory It was beautiful inside, lots of butterflies and a pair of flamingos named Rhett and Scarlet. I HIGHLY recommend the flamingo mingle. Rhett and Scarlet were extremely interactive with the guests and so much fun!
Next we walked around the Key West Aquarium It was small but fun to walk around and see all the fish and sea turtles.
Mallory Square Market is a must see also with lots of shops for purchasing souvenirs and places to eat. It's on the water and the water is GORGEOUS! You have to stay for sunset and watch it because it is unbelievable and you may see street performers come out and entertain you while you wait.
Another option to watch the sunset is at Sunset Pier. There's live music with tables to grab a bite to eat and a drink, or you can walk farther down the pier and sit on the bar stools lining the railing for a more intimate setting.
For an extra special sunset treat I HIGHLY recommend Sebago Watersports for a sunset cruise. We went out on the Marquesa and had a blast. We searched the different sunset cruises and felt this was the best bang for your buck including: open bar, appetizers and live music. I did notice on their website they offer lots of fun looking trips and I would love to try the Ragin' Cajun Seafood Boil Snorkeling Adventure!
While you're in Key West getting a frozen slice of key lime pie dipped in chocolate on a stick is also a must do. The two famous places to have one is either Kermit's or Key Lime Pie Co.
After our alcoholic slushy we had lunch at Amigos Tortilla Bar - home of the squared taco! The Mexican street corn was awesome too!
There is a Cuban restaurant called El Meson de Pepe in Mallory Square that has amazing food. I really enjoyed my tamale and fried plantains.
If you are a Jimmy Buffet fan then eating at the original Margaritaville is a must. Jimmy opened this restaurant back in 1985 in Key West.
We kept seeing people leave on fishing charters from our hotels marina so we went to the concierge desk to try and book a trip. All trips out of our hotel's marina were booked and she highly recommended a place who was able to take us, Key West Fishing Charter. Captain Josh took us out and we loved him! We caught lots of fish during the trip and each caught something really large. TJ got a massive goliath grouper and I caught a nurse shark! It was so hard reeling it in and no one would help me because they wanted me to do it on my own. I did it!
There are many places in Key West that'll do "hook and cook", which is when you bring in your catch and the restaurant cooks it for you. Several people recommended Dante's Key West Pool Bar for this experience so this is where we took our catch. This fish was by far the best fish I've ever had in my entire life. You pay a small fee for two sides and they cooked our fish for free! It was amazing! Great atmosphere and you can even order drinks from the pool!
The Ghosts & Gravestones tour was so much fun! Regardless if you believe in ghosts or not this tour had a ton of interesting Key West history spun in its storyline that you aren't told on the day time trolley tours. I really enjoyed this tour! "We are the doomed!!!"
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Mrs. Mac's Kitchen We haven't eaten here yet but we've heard great things and definitely want to check it out!
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Another stop worth looking into is the Florida Keys Wild Bird Center
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Toilet Seat Cut is something you'll have to view from a boat but I hear it is a site to see!
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Theater of the Sea is a park with lots of wildlife shows and interaction programs. I would love to do the paint with a sea lion!
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Shortly after passing Betsy, the lobster, we always stop at Islamorada Fish Company and Worldwide Sportsman to walk around, stretch our legs and get a bite to eat. You will almost always see tarpon, pelicans, iguanas and roosters at this stop!
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We haven't gone yet but I would love to snorkel Alligator Reef Sanctuary
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Robbie's of Islamorada is definitely a must! You get to feed huge tarpon and lots of photo ops! Be mindful of the bold pelicans. This is a fun place to stop and a great place to grab a drink, bite to eat and some souvenirs! You can also rent kayak's here.
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The Dolphin Research Center is an educational center with options to purchase interactions.
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The Turtle Hospital is an educational rehabilitation center for sea turtles.
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Pigeon Key is where the workers who built the 7 mile bridge lived while constructing the bridge. You can visit this key and do a tour of the bridge and island on a train themed tram.
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Burdine's Waterfront Marina was recommended as a good place to eat with a fun atmosphere.
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Fred the tree is a local keys celebrity. Make sure you look out for him while crossing the 7 mile bridge!
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Bahia Honda State Park is well known for it's beach, marina and campground along with the gorgeous views.
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On Big Pine Key is Grimal Grove Reserve, where you can tour a garden of breadfruit trees and other exotic fruits. I am really interested in tasting this bread fruit but we've yet to do a tour.
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Big Pine Key is home to the famous Key Deer! You can pull off here and try to catch a glimpse of the smallest white tailed deer in North America! If you stop, check out the National Key Deer Refuge! Also while here you may want to check out The Blue Hole.
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No Name Pub is a fun stop. The food is great and you will most likely spot some key deer on the way back to it. Note that this bar only serves beer and wine - no liquor.
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Five Brothers Two is a seafood market and cuban restaurant. I heard the food and coffee is amazing here.
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Baby's Coffee - if you made it this far and need a quick pick me up, this is a fun stop
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Our resort has a coffee bar but nearby is a cuban coffee and bakery Croissants de France that I really love. We normally run there in the mornings or stop on our way into Key West if we're driving. I love their cafe cubano, cafe con leche and croissants! (guava & cheese is my fav)
We haven't booked a tour with Lloyd's Tropical Bike Tour yet but I've been reading the reviews and it's something I would love to do the next time we visit!
I've been hearing a lot about this place called Sunset Key where you can stay in cottages on a private island (Fun fact - this beach is filmed in the movie Office Space at the end with Milton). They also have a restaurant that is open to the public and I heard it's best to make reservations at Latitudes
There are tons of chickens roaming around Key West. The history goes that cock fighting was popular in Key West. Cubans would bring over Cuban roosters and breed them to make the ultimate fighting roosters. When they made cock fighting illegal they forced everyone to let their chickens go or else they had to pay huge fines, right around the same time they made Key West a bird sanctuary and it was illegal to kill any birds on the island so the chickens just roam around begging for food and can even be seen in gift shops and restaurants.
The flying monkey saloon and Fat Tuesday both have really yummy frozen alcoholic drinks. My favorite is the Miami Vice - Pina colada and strawberry daiquiri mixed!
Sunset at Mallory Square is a must while in Key West!
Fort Zachary Taylor Park is a fun place to visit in Key West. You can explore the fort guided or unguided and there is a beach with rental items, snacks, drinks, bathrooms and a great place to snorkel!
Dry Tortugas National Park also has a fort to explore. There's camping and snorkeling there as well but this trip will take some extra planning. You can only get there by boat or sea plane. This is another Key West item on our bucket list.
Next time we plan to book with Sloan's Ghost Fort Adventures - ghostfort.com to finally meet Robert the Doll!
Conch Republic Marine Army sponsors cleanup trips to the mangroves. Each trip comes with lunch a visit to a sandbar.
Another spot we haven't checked out yes is Better Than Sex - a dessert restaurant. Cheesecake is my favorite dessert and I've been dying to try the popcorn pimp cheesecake.
You cannot come to Key West without taking a photo of mile marker 0!!!!
Other restaurants and bars we love in Keys West:
Banana Cafe - crepes!
BO's Fish Wagon - use to be a hang out for the Coral Reefers Band!
Capt Tony's Saloon - lots of Key West history here! Drop in for live music and a drink!
Hogfish Bar and Grill - great drinks, food and entertainment - try the hogfish!
Hog's Breath Saloon - bar with live music, food and drink
Sandys Cafe - get the cuban sandwich!
Sloppy Joe's - bar food, good drinks and live music!
Stinkin Crawfish - My husband LOVES this place- great for oysters and wings too!
The Conch Republic Seafood Company - great dinner on the water
Two Friends Patio Restaurant - eggs Benedict was great, hubby LOVED the lobster bene
The Smallest Bar - literally the smallest bar in the United States!
Celebrity Sightings
Many celebrities frequent the Keys, I am not sure what celebrities currently own a home/live in the Keys besides Judy Blume but I will post a couple addresses that were formerly owned by celebrities that you can check out. This can be a fun activity if you all of a sudden get stuck with bad weather and need something to do on land for a day during your trip.
Books & Books is owned by Judy Blume and she does currently work in the bookstore, if you're lucky you may run into her while visiting and if you purchase a book she will sign it and pose for a photo with you.
The Ernest Hemingway House if you are a cat lover this place is for you! It is covered in free roaming polydactyl (six toed) kitties who are lounging all over the furniture, potted plants, roaming outside and even laying on the books in the gift shop. The house is also rich with Ernest Hemingway history and a must if you are fan of his.
Shel Silverstein lived at 618 William Street in Key West from the 1980s to 1999, he passed away in that house and it was later damaged by the banyan tree in the yard during hurricane Irma. The banyan tree is in the ficus family and also known as 'a strangler fig' as it always starts as a host tree from likely a seed being dropped by a bird, it's branches will send roots down to the ground for it's support and as it grows it will eventually strangle and kill the host tree. This tree is all around Key West and absolutely gorgeous! Shel Silverstein's book The Giving Tree is supposedly written about the banyan tree however that book was written well before his house was purchased so I'm unsure of that fact floating around. Fun fact: I had no idea that Shel Silverstein wrote the song A Boy Named Sue sang by Johnny Cash!
Tennessee Williams is a famous play writer who lived most of his life in Key West. There is a museum devoted to his work Tennessee Williams Museum and you can drive by the house he called home at 1431 Duncan St in Key West.
Dale Earnhardt Jr (NASCAR) owned two homes in Key West - 704 & 708 Eaton Street. There is a renovation series starring Dale and his wife Amy on the DIY Network called Renovation Realities: Dale Jr. & Amy where you can watch them renovate a home in the historic district of Key West.
Nick (Backstreet Boys) and Aaron Carter once lived on a 17 acre compound with their family, that was featured on MTV cribs at 9300 Overseas Hwy in Marathon. Nick later purchased a home in Key West at 1221 Newton Street but no longer lives there.
Kenny Chesney loves to spend time in Key West, in fact he purchased the estate located at 425 Caroline Street in Key West but reportedly sold it after a newspaper published the exact address and never moved in. The house known as The W. Hunt Harris House has some history to it as well.
Jimmy Buffett Self Guided Tour
Jimmy Buffett's home that he had lived in for 20 years was two homes combined 3628 Sunrise Dr and the house next-door, on the riviera canal. I found a couple photos of it here and a neat article on Jimmy here. Jimmy Buffett's estate was 2 houses together totaling 5 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms.Jimmy also lived at 123/125 Ann St (was his brother in laws home - and is now Captain's Corner Dive Center!)
Jimmy also lived in a second story apartment of 704 Waddell St and Nextdoor is Louie's Backyard where he would frequently visit and sometimes play there. The lyrics "I knew I could use a Bloody Mary, so I stumbled next door to the bar" from the song Trying To Reason With Hurricane Season is referencing Louie's.
Jimmy's recording studio Shrimpboat Sound Recording Studio is next to the Conch Republic Seafood Company.
Anytime I hear a Jimmy Buffett song I immediately think of the Key West and wish I was there! Check out this video showing more photos of Jimmy's homes with some interesting facts.
BO's Fish Wagon use to be a popular hang out of the Coral Reefers band.
Chart Room Bar is supposedly where Jimmy got his start, he would play here for drinks and wrote the song "A Pirate Looks at 40" here.
Capt Tony's Saloon framed on the men's bathroom wall is where Jimmy wrote the lyrics to "Last Mango in Paris".
On the corner of Caroline and Ann Street is where the inspiration for "There's a Woman Going Crazy on Caroline Street" supposedly lived.
My Head Hurts, My Feet Stink, and I Don't Love Jesus shouts out Fausto's in the lyrics.
Blue Heaven Rendezvous is mentioning Blue Heaven Restaurant.
Smathers Beach is where Come Monday and Who's the Blonde Stranger videos were filmed.
And do not forget Jimmy opened the original Margaritaville in Key West back in 1985.
Beaches in the Keys
Sunset Park Beach - Key Colony Beach
Sombrero Beach - Marathon
Coco Plum Beach - Marathon
Bahia Honda State Park - Big Pine Key
Calusa Beach - Big Pine Key
Key West
To do next time:
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Sloan's Ghost Fort Adventures - ghostfort.com Key West
pic of jeep with buoy
Ragin' Cajun Seafood Boil Snorkel with Sebago Watersports
To eat at next time:
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