West Palm to Key West - A Vacation Well Deserved

I haven't been to the Keys for a long time, but when I did go, I ended up staying for six weeks. Preferred the places past Marathon. Marathon used to have a great flea market. Liked the abandoned bridge at Bahia Honda (don't know if it is still there... you had to go through a fence, but lots of people did). Look for deer on Big Pine Key. There used to be an old inn there, supposedly the first place to make Key Lime Pie. Obviously, must taste-test that everywhere you go!

Hemingway's house didn't seem too exciting to me. Big Fence, of course.

Be sure to join with people somewhere to applaud the sunset, though I've heard the dock has gotten overcrowded. There will be a good place though, I think.

sugar, I haven't been to Key West before, but we're heading there for a few weeks at Christmas, so I've been accumulating travel information. One site that I had on favourites is:

Bed & Breakfast Inns Online

(which you probably already know about if you're looking for a B&B.)

Several of them are rated in the 2002 AAA/CAA guide with 3 diamonds, and one with 4.

The Center Court, Cypress House, Ambrosia House, Chelsea House B & B, Conch House, Watson House, all with 3.

Heron House with 4.

Oh, and Westwinds Inn B & B with 2.

Sugar, I can find out if you'd like but, I believe the authorities on the subject spent 250.00/night last trip and Im thinking you dont want that. They just might know more tough.
I wish I had done that while I was down that way but, I can always go back sometime. And maybe Ill know where to go after you get back and tell us all how it was

Piffka, the bridge is still there, I think. Mallory Square is where people gather for the Sunset Festival.

The folks we're renting from told us today that the drive from Miami is up to 4 hours (3 hours on a good day) because the highway is so congested.

quinn1, the ones I listed from the AAA start at around $90 a night. It's still off-season rates until mid-December. In-season, they jump by at least 50%.

I'd suggest driving it in the very early morning... don't stop until you get to Marathon. Then don't stop there unless you have to make a pit stop.

What's it called, the Highway on the Sea, or something like that? Just gorgeous -- but a bummer if it is congested, so go early and watch the sunrise!

I have been looking at the B&Bs, etc., but there are hundreds of them and I usually prefer recommendations from people to narrow it down.

The rates on even the nicest ones don't seem too bad. It will still be off-season, so it seems to range from $89 - $169 a night.

I'm not too concerned about the ride. I'm already figuring 5 hours driving time and I'm on vacation so I'm in no huge rush. Besides, I train for such an event by going through the Big Dig everyday :wink:

Piffka - Sunrise? What the heck is a sunrise? That confounded light that blinds me after a long night? Infernal thing!

Hah! I've heard of the Big Dig, even over here in the upper left hand corner. You'll be fine!

OK.. no sunrise... then just start out late. It used to take about three or four hours to drive the entire way to Key West. I haven't been there in a long time, so can't tell you for sure, but we didn't really feel like we were in the Keys until Marathon. Bahia Honda Key is great, however, it's just before Big Pine and the entire key is a state park. I once caught a five foot Black-Tipped Shark off that bridge. (Some guy hauled it in, hand over hand, and I gave it to him... I think he wanted to eat it!) I saw huge turtles floating underneath and all sorts of other sealife. Just wonderful.

Something really cool you might not have heard... if you had 6 foot high boots you could walk from the keys to the Everglades and not get wet. At least, that's what I was told!

sugar, I agree, a personal recommendation is always the best, when someone shares your tastes.

Maybe this will help you narrow it down. Some of the B&Bs that I listed above from the AAA guide are reviewed here:

Key West hotels - Key West hotel Reviews

Piffka, I like the idea of seeing the sunrise. Up here, sunrise is at around 8:00 a.m. in Dec. I wonder what it is down there. That's if we can get the kids out of bed!

My weather bug says that it is only .... oooh, 64 degrees at Key West right now and the sunrise was at 6:44am.

The average temp for Dec. is 75 and for Jan. it's 71, so they've got a month to get up to speed! 6:44 you say ...