Seven Mile Bridge To Key West
After returning to our car from the Old Seven Mile Bridge we drove non-stop to Key West and our hotel, the Pier House Resort & Caribbean Spa. My GPS was spot on; we had no difficulty finding the hotel. Check in was a breeze and we made it to our room in time for our first Key West sunset. It was beautiful…!
The Pier House Resort is located at 1 Duval Street. It is right in the midst of all the Key West goings on. Although it is an older resort, it is well maintained, the rooms are clean, the grounds are very nicely landscaped and manicured. There is a small beach area complete with a “top-less” section and a resident iguana named Boobs. The Pier House offers drinks and dining on-site at the Harbour View Cafe, the Wine Galley Piano Bar, the Beach Bar and Grille and the Chart Room Bar. As all you “Parrotheads” know, the Chart Room Bar was the first stop for Jimmy Buffet when he arrived in Key West way back in November of 1971. The bar tender assured us that today it is mostly unchanged from that period in time.
Our week in Key West was just wonderful. The weather was beautiful every day and the seven sunsets that we witnessed were simply gorgeous. There are plenty of things to do in Key West in the day time and at night the entertainment is unrivaled. During our stay we did a bunch of touristy things including: nightly visits to Mallory Square for the sunset celebration; a visit to the Butterfly and Nature Conservatory; gawking at the people in line for a photo at the Southernmost Point; a tour of the Key West Lighthouse & Keepers Quarters Museum; a ferry to Sunset Key for drinks, dinner and a sunset; a ride on the Conch Train; kayaking the back county mangrove islands in “Clear” kayaks; snorkeling out on the reef; nearly puking from the overwhelming smell of wet fiberglass in the Key West Aquarium; climbing the tower at the Shipwreck Museum with a slight hangover; sailing out on the Gulf of Mexico at sunset on the America 2 Schooner; drinkin lots a lager and sayin “Arrgh” and generally acting like a pirate in the Old Town Harbor by the Dinghy Docks, of course.
As one would imagine, the food and drinks were out of this world. There is nothing like fresh seafood and a cold beer on an island a billion miles from responsibility. As the great Tom Waits says:
I’ve wined, dined, sipped and supped in some of the most demonstrably beamer epitomable bistros in the Los Angles metropolitan region.
Substitute “Key West” for “Los Angles” and he has it right. I complied the entire list of all the Key West Restaurants that Robrandi and I wined and dined, and without further ado:
- Jimmy Johnson’s Big Chill – Key Largo
- Pilot House Marina / Restaurant / Glass Bottom Bar – Key Largo
- Hog Heaven Sports Bar – Islamorada
- Safari Lounge – Islamorada
- Conch Republic Seafood Company – Key West, Old Town Harbor
- Half Shell Raw Bar – Key West, Old Town Harbor
- El Mason de Pepe – Key West, Mallory Square
- Sunset Pier Restaurant – Key West
- Latitudes Beach Restaurant – Sunset Key
- Louie’s Backyard – Key West
- A&B Lobster House – Key West, Old Town Harbor
- Two Friends Patio – Key West
- Harbour View Cafe – Key West, Pier House Resort
- The Chart Room – Key West, Pier House Resort
- Wine Galley Piano Bar – Key West, Pier House Resort
- Beach Bar & Grille – Key West, Pier House Resort
- Kelly’s Caribbean Bar, Grill & Brewery – Key West
- Turtle Kralls Restaurant & Bar – Key West, Old Town Harbor
- Southermost Beach Cafe – Key West
- Bistro 245 – Key West, The Westin Key West Resort & Marina
- Hog’s Breath Saloon – Key West
- Sloppy Joe’s – Key West
- Captain Tony’s Saloon – Key West
- Hard Rock Cafe – Key West
- Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville Cafe – Key West
- Schooner Wharf Bar – Key West
- Islander Bar – Miami, MIA
- Barcardi Mojito / Lorena Garcia Cocina – Miami, MIA
I know this looks like a long list but we were there for seven days. That’s only four a day. We had drinks in all of these places but in the places that we had food I can honestly say that we did not have a bad meal. If anyone is interested in additional information on any of these establishments just comment or email me back and I will give you some more opinion. Many thankx to all our friends who made recommendations. We went to all those places.
As with any vacation, the end of the week shows up much too soon. Before you know it it time to pack up and head home. I think that I can safely speak for both Robrandi and myself when I say that we truly had a wonderful time. Even though we did all these things and visited all these restaurants we found the time to slow down and enjoy each other’s company. By the end of the week the stress level was pretty low. We both fell in love, with each other and with Key West. We will be back.
Albums | ABSENCE 2012 – Volume 14 | Harrisburg Camera Club Awards Banquet
Key West Images | Key West Part 1 Blog
