Ready for an awesome adventure in Key West, Florida? With sunny days, stunning beaches, mouthwatering seafood, and the friendliest locals you’ll ever meet. Packed with family fun, we loved the trip we took to Key West. It’s a great place to explore with the entire family where you’re sure to have a wonderful experience. A […]
Ready for an awesome adventure in Key West, Florida? With sunny days, stunning beaches, mouthwatering seafood, and the friendliest locals you’ll ever meet. Packed with family fun, we loved the trip we took to Key West. It’s a great place to explore with the entire family where you’re sure to have a wonderful experience.
It’s a long story but to make it short… We decided to take a trip to Key West for the main reason of picking up a solar panel for our Sailboat and once I looked into how much there was to do in Key West, a last minute trip turned into a weekend getaway to eat, stay and explore Key West.
As we arrived on the island we noticed that having your personal vehicle is nice but can be hard to find parking. Using a taxi or city transit is faster and sometimes easier because the island is so small. Walking the island is fun and enjoyable because every turn has a new site to explore.
After taking a small drive around to take in our new surroundings, we entered the road to Dredgers Key. We stayed at the Navy Lodge Key West while we explored the island. The Navy Lodge is located within an area of military housing and military base privileges are required to enter this area.
Hyatt Residence Club Key West, Windward Pointe
DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Hotel Grand Key – Key West
Key West Marriott Beachside Hotel
Oceans Edge Resort & Marina Key West
We usually find a few things that are a must see and plan for those items to be spread across the time we are in a location. These are the things we checked out below.
The Hemingway House (museum) is famous for not only the award winning author Ernest Hemingway but for 6 toed cats. Hemingway has achieved the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and the Nobel Prize in Literature.
They have a guided tour that lasts around 30 minutes through the house. You are free to walk around the house grounds and explore the garden and tropical flowers on the property. This was the most exciting experience for the girls because they got to pet and get excited over the cats with 6 toes. The staff say there is around 60 cats on the property.
This was an awesome place to explore and experience because of the rich history of the island and the impact Hemingway has left on American literature.
The Light House museum is across the street from the Hemingway House. The lighthouse is 120 years old and has 88 steps to the top. You can get the best view of the island and the ocean at this location.
The girls learned about all the things a light house keeper was responsible for. Addy learned how the lenses were made different and why there are multiple lighthouse along the reef system in Florida. This knowledge would follow us to sailing down the Pacific Coast of the USA.
This spot makes for a good photo opportunity. There can be a big line that forms to get a photo so maybe try early in the day or when a cruise ship is absent from the island for the smallest wait.
We spent the day here to explore the reef, fort and beach. This beach has the idyllic vibe when you think island with shallow water for the kids to wade in. Palm trees right on the beach for your hammock while you gaze at aqua blue water.
While at the beach for the day we tried to snorkel the reef but the wind was from the wrong direction making it really murky. We decided to hunt for sea glass and we were not disappointed by finding some larger pieces.
The fort was completed in 1866 and has the largest collection of civil war cannons. The fort also has other historical artifacts including swords and flint lock muskets on display. Checking out this fort is a cool way to throw in a little bit of Key West history into your family vacation.
It has awesome views and lots of room to run around and explore. It was a great stop to merge the beach and the fort together because they are close together and within the same fee area of the state park. You’ll want to check out the Dry Tortugas National Park too if you can. It wasn’t something we were able to do on this trip but the two parks go hand in hand for Key West.
This area of Old Town Key West has been doing an off-the-cuff celebration daily since the 1960s for sunset. The sunset celebration has many street performers that come to the square 2 or 3 hours early to get the party started.
This is a local hang out spot and as the saying goes “see you at sunset” comes true. I have seen many worthwhile sunsets in my day but the Key West vibe and street performers make it the most enduring. You can listen to live music while walking around trying food from local vendors and taking photos with mermaids.
The key west aquarium has all the normal things an aquarium would have on a smaller scale. Great stop for the young children and kids especially the girls because they love ocean creatures. The interactive exhibits here allow for kids to get hands on. The touch tank had local sea stars, hermit crabs and sea urchins. This is a good stop to experience the local aquatic animals that are native to the island of key west from their natural habitat.
The conch tour train was one of the really fun things we did in Key West. It’s a great way to see the island. The tour guide takes you on a ride through the popular attractions and gives you a short description of the historical and funky landmarks.
I suggest doing this first. It’s one of the best things to help you get an idea of where things are and how far apart everything is so you can use your time wisely while visiting the island.
This was my favorite place!! Once a pirate always a pirate! The museum was fun for the whole family and walked you through info all about the shipwrecks along the reef system and the ghosts that come with them.
Awesome place with historic artifacts and treasures! It will definitely keep the kids entertained for a while and don’t forget to climb up to the lookout tower and signal the pirate conch horn! We had a great time visiting this attraction.
This discovery center has a display and an educated learning experience on how to help coral survive and thrive. It’s a pretty cool nature conservatory to check out with the kids. I think the most random thing we learned about was how lionfish are an invasive species to the coral reef here in Key West. It was really awesome to be able to see one upclose to help with identifying the fish.
Lionfish are naturally in the Pacific Ocean. People bought them for fish tanks and they were released into the reef system in the Atlantic by disposing of them incorrectly. They are bad for the coral reefs and marine life in the Atlantic Ocean for many reasons and should be harvested when you see one. The learning center is aimed more towards older kids but there’s still plenty for the little ones to keep entertained too.
Everyone that has been to key west knows all about the chickens! They have been here for centuries and most have originated from Cuba and/or the Caribbean.
The chickens are protected by law and you are not allowed to feed them either. The first offense for feeding them will cost you $250! There are about 2000 chickens on the island. Don’t worry you will see them anywhere you go.
This is the spot for breakfast. Good food and sitting outside in the jungle covered canopy was awesome. Get there early because this place fills up for breakfast.
This restaurant has the Cuban food influence you are looking for when visiting Key West. Good carribean cooked food at no extra cost. It is off the beaten path a tad bit but is Definitely a local food fare spot.
We stumbled across this place out on a loosely planned day and was hungry for lunch. Did a quick google search for Cuban food and boom we landed here while walking around.
Very good Cuban sandwich with lots of flavor and not too expensive. Definitely would go back to this place.
After a whole day on the road – we clocked about 300 miles to reach this spot – we rolled up to Island Fish Company and it was like a breath of fresh air. It’s not just a gem for those on land because it’s also a perfect dock-and-dine spot. Think big tables, no crowd with the option to watch tropical fish swim by as you eat – that’s a double win in our book. It’s a pretty awesome restaurant, a welcome pause before diving into the lively hustle of Key West.
The food hit the spot, and the girls were in their element right by the water’s edge. Imagine a palapa roof, an open deck, and the most tranquil, crystal-clear water right in your view. The girls were all about spotting the fish below, playing their own version of “fish charades”. ???️ #IslandEats
A Key West trip isn’t complete without grabbing a slice of that famous key lime pie from this bakery. This sweet treat isn’t just Florida’s official dessert – it’s the heart and soul of Key West, also known as the Conch Republic.
When we visited, we indulged in the classic key lime pie, it was so good! Imagine this: frozen key lime pie, dunked in chocolate, and served on a stick! Yeah, you read that right. To experience this jaw-dropping creation, you’ve gotta make a pit stop at the Key Lime Pie Bakery. It’s like a slice of tropical heaven on a stick! ??? #KeyLimeLove
After a whirlwind trip of only checking out Key West for 2 Days I think we got a lot in. You can definitely keep busy for a full day if you’re only able to spend one day in Key West. If you’re planning a family trip here then know that there’s tons of stuff to keep busy. From historical sites to turquoise waters you’re sure to have a meaningful family trip. I hope this helps you plan an amazing adventure for you and your family.
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