FL Keys (all of them)

[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