FL Keys (all of them)

[MapNerd]

I’m in the keys, staying at Fiesta Key RV Resort & Marina. Third time I have stayed here, second time I was here at the same time as a Newmar Rally. Great, affordable little place that is “good enough”.

Three great spots to report;
Best fish & chips I have ever had. Wonderful bay view.

Morada Bay · 81600 Overseas Hwy, Islamorada, FL 33036

âââââ · American restaurant

goo.gl

Excellent, high quality food in a very tranquil and relaxed setting. You might think you need to dress up to go here but you don’t. Excellent service. Excellent food. Excellent setting.

Butterfly Café · 2600 Overseas Hwy, Marathon, FL 33050

âââââ · Restaurant

goo.gl

Great desserts, gluten free options too. Delicious key lime pie by the slice or by the whole.

Sweet Savannah's of the Florida Keys · 8919 Overseas Hwy, Marathon, FL 33050

âââââ · Dessert shop

goo.gl

One not so great spot to report:

If you enjoy an 80s colonial French attitude, filthy tables, and rude service (if you get service at all), this is the place for you. Although. dude is a splitting image of the Soup Nazi from Seinfeld, with an attitude to match.

Bitton Bistro Cafe · 82245 Overseas Hwy, Islamorada, FL 33036

âââââ · Bistro

goo.gl

 

[sheridany]

Why am I hearing Jimmy Buffett playing in my head reading that thread. @MapNerd are you a parrot head?

 

[Jabber Jaw]

We were at "Fiesta Key RV Resort" with a Newmar Rally in November! We were quite Happy! No, it's not a super high end RV park, but quite nice!
enjoyed the Restaurant, & the sunsets at the Tiki Hut were absolutely stunning!

 

[MapNerd]

Hard to be unhappy with those sunsets isn’t it it? My water and electric connections are on the wrong side is really the only gripe I have. The entire section is like that. An error made when rebuilding after a hurricane. Strangely sewer is correct.

 

[MapNerd]

Another great place we frequent whenever we are down here…

The Cowboy Prime Rib, when they have it, is absolutely insane. Just one is big enough to feed a family of four and absolutely delicious.

Chef Michael's · 81671 Overseas Hwy, Islamorada, FL 33036

âââââ · Restaurant

goo.gl

 

[MapNerd]

Why am I hearing Jimmy Buffett playing in my head reading that thread. @MapNerd are you a parrot head?

Depends how many I’ve had but I’ll take a blown out flip flop over a blown out steer any day, keys or not.

 

[MapNerd]

Great little spot to sit in a nice shaded garden and have a coffee. A couple of little boutique shops tucked away back here as well.

Cafe Moka Islamorada · 81868 Overseas Hwy, Islamorada, FL 33036

âââââ · Coffee shop

goo.gl

 

[J&JD]

Great little spot to sit in a nice shaded garden and have a coffee. A couple of little boutique shops tucked away back here as well.

Cafe Moka Islamorada · 81868 Overseas Hwy, Islamorada, FL 33036

âââââ · Coffee shop

goo.gl

Thanks so much for the recommendations! We will make use of them on our trip to the southeast this winter. We will be in Key West for a week. Do you have any restaurants you like there? Judy D

 

[Jabber Jaw]

Hard to be unhappy with those sunsets isn’t it it? My water and electric connections are on the wrong side is really the only gripe I have. The entire section is like that. An error made when rebuilding after a hurricane. Strangely sewer is correct.

Funny, the section we were in was set up like "opposing Buddy Sites". Every other one is opposite, so if started out wrong, every one of them was backwards.
Fortunately, not an issue for any of us in the Rally group!

 

[FLSteve]

@MapNerd ... thanks for the recommendations. Makes me want to plan a trip down there and I am not normally a big beach person.

FLSteve

 

[Jabber Jaw]

Also, some unique places to shop in Islamorada! And a little item we bought for the house! Items from $1.00 to $10,000.

 

[MapNerd]

Thanks so much for the recommendations! We will make use of them on our trip to the southeast this winter. We will be in Key West for a week. Do you have any restaurants you like there? Judy D

We’re headed down there later this week. I’ll post what I find if it’s worth posting.

 

[MapNerd]

Funny, the section we were in was set up like "opposing Buddy Sites". Every other one is opposite, so if started out wrong, every one of them was backwards.
Fortunately, not an issue for any of us in the Rally group!

That’s where we are. I think I’ll just ask everyone to move their rigs so we can get this right. Gonna be a lot of work, so I think I’ll start knocking on doors early around 5:30

 

[MapNerd]

@MapNerd ... thanks for the recommendations. Makes me want to plan a trip down there and I am not normally a big beach person.

FLSteve

Me either. Not a fan of the sand, but that’s why the keys are great. Not too many beaches. It’s all coral and reefs. Great snorkeling, diving, good food if you know where to look, gorgeous views and excellent weather. Add in a boat if you’ve got one and you have to try real hard to not have a good time.

 

[Jabber Jaw]

@MapNerd ......

Check out the "Southernmost Cafe", right near the Southernmost Buoy! We had lunch there. Good food, great view, & interaction with the "Key West Chickens" too!

 

[MapNerd]

Visited Key West today.

My take? Key West is a minor upgrade from Asheville, NC (the city proper) as we didn’t witness even a single fist fight between two grown men, we did not see any hypodermic needles laying around nor any tweaked out junkies filling the city square. Dont get me wrong though, the city square is still absolutely filled to the brim with junk, the vast majority of which is made in China. The entire island is just cheap gift shop after cheap gift shop, each located adjacent to either a strip club or bar that reeks, or on occasion a pawn shop. Then you have your run of the mill overpriced, low quality restaurants, very few with any kind of quality, thought, consideration or pride put into their product. All with substandard, awful housing and infrastructure tucked in wherever it fits for the poor service workers, who are very friendly, nice people doing the best they can while their government absolutely exploits and fails them.

@J&JD - you asked for a recommendation, mine is to skip it. Every other key is worth your time and money and has something to offer. I couldn’t find anything in an entire day of roaming Key West, but I’ve never been a fan of large crowds, bad food, cheap chachkies and an inescapable and overpowering stench of urine and liquor in the air.

 

[redbaron]

Visited Key West today.

My take? Key West is a minor upgrade from Asheville, NC (the city proper) as we didn’t witness even a single fist fight between two grown men, we did not see any hypodermic needles laying around nor any tweaked out junkies filling the city square. Dont get me wrong though, the city square is still absolutely filled to the brim with junk, the vast majority of which is made in China. The entire island is just cheap gift shop after cheap gift shop, each located adjacent to either a strip club or bar that reeks, or on occasion a pawn shop. Then you have your run of the mill overpriced, low quality restaurants, very few with any kind of quality, thought, consideration or pride put into their product. All with substandard, awful housing and infrastructure tucked in wherever it fits for the poor service workers, who are very friendly, nice people doing the best they can while their government absolutely exploits and fails them.

@J&JD - you asked for a recommendation, mine is to skip it. Every other key is worth your time and money and has something to offer. I couldn’t find anything in an entire day of roaming Key West, but I’ve never been a fan of large crowds, bad food, cheap chachkies and an inescapable and overpowering stench of urine and liquor in the air.

But did you see the "ladies" hanging out at the bar, or biking up and down the street, cat calling for you to join the show.

I had to give my homeschooling lesson on why those ladies had such deep voices.

 

[MapNerd]

But did you see the "ladies" hanging out at the bar, or biking up and down the street, cat calling for you to join the show.

I had to give my homeschooling lesson on why those ladies had such deep voices.

YES and I had to do the same. That was easily the worst part of our entire time there.

- Cheap souvenir - $20
- Overpriced, average quality dinner for 4- $160
- Explaining to your 11 year old son why those quarter dressed women standing on the street corner were so ugly - priceless.

 

[J&JD]

Visited Key West today.

My take? Key West is a minor upgrade from Asheville, NC (the city proper) as we didn’t witness even a single fist fight between two grown men, we did not see any hypodermic needles laying around nor any tweaked out junkies filling the city square. Dont get me wrong though, the city square is still absolutely filled to the brim with junk, the vast majority of which is made in China. The entire island is just cheap gift shop after cheap gift shop, each located adjacent to either a strip club or bar that reeks, or on occasion a pawn shop. Then you have your run of the mill overpriced, low quality restaurants, very few with any kind of quality, thought, consideration or pride put into their product. All with substandard, awful housing and infrastructure tucked in wherever it fits for the poor service workers, who are very friendly, nice people doing the best they can while their government absolutely exploits and fails them.

@J&JD - you asked for a recommendation, mine is to skip it. Every other key is worth your time and money and has something to offer. I couldn’t find anything in an entire day of roaming Key West, but I’ve never been a fan of large crowds, bad food, cheap chachkies and an inescapable and overpowering stench of urine and liquor in the air.

We have been to Key West before. Yikes, it must really have gone downhill. Luckily, we have reservations at Blue Water Key, bayside. It is one of my all time favorite places to just kick back and relax. Perhaps we will not want to venture into town very often. Thanks for the update. Judy D

 

[MapNerd]

There are probably nicer parts of Key West (I hope). I just couldn’t find them. Blue Water Key is wonderful. You have to work hard to not have a nice time there. If you find spots in Key West that are outside of BWK that are worth a visit, please let us know. We’re already planning a second trip back down to the keys for February-March