shelbyjosh

I have a surprise trip planned for DH and I to Key West 9/20-9/24. I have printed out the flight confirmations. I have received a CD-ROM from the Keys Chamber of Commerce and lots of brochures of bars/activities in KW. I also have a pamphlet from the guest house we will be staying at. I was hoping to get some ideas on how to surprise him on our anniversary (9/5). Maybe put the info in a suitcase and bag it up? What other creative ideas do you have????

GoTravel

Go online and buy him a pair of Kino Sandals.

Buy him some Jimmy Buffet CDs.

Order some Nellie & Joe's Key Lime Margarita Mix and Margarita salt with some Margaritaville Tequilla (Jimmy Buffetts brand).

Buy him a Ernest Hemingway book.

AuntAnnie

My DH and a friend's DH gave us a trip to Hong Kong one Xmas. They made a crossword puzzle and all of the clues were related to our trip. SSome of the puzzle squares were highlighted and spelled out Hong Kong when I finished the puzzle. The suspense was killing me!

AuntAnnie

P.S. I LOVE the Hemingway book idea!!

luvs2pack

Great ideals Go Travel!! I didn't know Nellie & Joe's made a margarita mix. I MUST check that out! I say go ahead and mix the margaritas up, put on the music and wrap the book up with the brochures in the book!! What fun. It make me want to pack up and head on down!Have fun. I love to surprize my husband with trips too. He loves it and I get to go on a trip!!

thehumps

Yes, you have to do the Hemmingway house and check out Mel Fisher's museum.And your husband is one blessed dude.

luvs2pack

I thought I would share these recipes with ya'll in the spirit of key West. I went on the Nellie and Joe's web site.
Key West rita
1½ oz. tequila
1 oz. melon liqueur
1 oz. piña colada mix
½ oz. Nellie & Joe’s Key West Lime Juice
½ oz. orange juice
1 dash grenadine
Mix all in blender with ½ cup of crushed ice. Blend at slow speed until smooth and pour into a hurricane glass.


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Mango Key Lime Rita

2 oz. tequila
1 oz. Cointreau
¼ fresh mango, peeled and chopped
½ cup fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon Nellie & Joe’s Key West Lime Juice
1 cup crushed ice
2 slices key lime
Combine tequila, Cointreau, mango, orange juice, Nellie & Joe’s Key West Lime Juice and ice in blender and blend until slushy. Serve in margarita glasses and garnish with lime slices.


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Island Joe’s Punch

1 cup Nellie & Joe’s Key West Lime Juice
1-46 oz. can unsweetened pineapple juice
2½ cups light rum
6½ oz. envelopes powdered daiquiri cocktail mix
2-16 oz. bottles lime carbonated beverage, chilled
In a punch bowl, combine Nellie & Joe’s Key West Lime Juice, pineapple juice, rum and daiquiri mix. Stir to dissolve mix. Carefully pour carbonated beverage down the side of the bowl. Mix gently, float the lime slices on top of punch.


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Pat2003

shelbyjosh, maybe I misunderstood but are you asking how to announce to him on the day of your anniversary a trip that you planned for 9/20-24? For my husband's birthday I got him a new wet suit for snorkeling/diving and I stuffed its sleeves with tickets to Grand Cayman, reservations for our lodging and a guide book. His birthday was in December and our trip in April. We are returning to Cayman Islands this December. How about getting him a humorous bathing suit

rapunzll

I like the Hemingway book idea too........ why not take that a step further and put a gift certificate from a KW restaurant in the book as a bookmark? Then he'll ask you when you expect to be able to use it!

Grcxx3

I guess part of this depends on how accepting your husband is of surprises (mine in NOT!).

Several years ago, my friend's husband decided they needed some "couple time." So he planned a long-weekend trip to Cancun. He arranged all the travel and hotel stuff. He also arranged for the care of their 3 children. Then he packed his wife's suitcase (including some new items he had purchased for the occasion) and told her to be home early on Friday afternoon and to be ready for a relaxing weekend.

A few years later, he planned a special trip for my friend and her sister. First, he gave her tickets to New York and a hotel to go to. At the hotel, they were given theater tickets and a gift certificate to go shopping. On day 2, the hotel informed them of a reservation for a dinner at one of her fav restaurants. On day 3, they were given tickets for Bermuda! They were never sure from one day to the next what was going to happen!

Okay - the guy goes a bit overboard...but my friend is very adaptable and has enjoyed each special "surprise" trip!

luvs2pack

WOW!!!!!!!!!Grcxx3 You have one very lucky friend!

lynnejoel1015

i like the crossword puzzle idea!! give it to him while serving margaritas!

TahitiTams

Hi shelbyjosh..
What a sweetheart you are for surprising your husband with a trip to Key West..
I don't want to be a bummer on this but do you have a back-up plan if there is a hurricane?
Just want you to have a wonderful time and it is still very active at that time..
I love the Hemingway book and the Buffett CD and maybe at the restaurant that you go to, stop in at lunchtime and drop off your gifts and a Key Lime Pie and have your server wish you two a Happy Anniversary and let him open the gifts..of course with a Marg!
Have a wonderful time..

dorkforcemom

The surprise for my DH would be if I charged everything and then let him open the bill! Kidding aside, it sounds like a wonderful vacation - Happy travels!

shelbyjosh

I have jumped through hoops to make this happen. Lucky for me that I am home all day to get the mail...the air and hotel charges were put on his CC and he has no clue! Of course it is just about paid off, so he will never know! I think I only owe about $200 on it anyways. Thanks for all the great ideas. He doesn't drink so the margarita would be for me! I am sure he will be surprised. My mom and neighbor will be overseeing the kids (11,8) while we are gone and they want to see his reaction as he opens this stuff up. I am not sure if he will put Hemingway and KW together or not. He does like to snorkel and I would really like to do the Dry Tortuga trip but I want to wait to book since I am not sure what he'll want to do. We are so used to doing the Disney thing and have never gone anywhere alone for anything more than an overnighter. He had hernia surgery 3 weeks ago and this trip will be long overdue...for both of us!

mamajo

Quite a few years ago I planned a surprise trip for "us" and told DH that we were going away for the week end. I would not tell him where. I had called his work, found out he had no meetings, talked to his secretary & co workers to keep the secret and 'cover' for him. Arranged for our son to dog sit, packed his bag & had it in the car and had his traveling clothes laid out for him. As I drove to the airport, he kept asking "are we going to?" I'd answer "maybe". When we got to the airport he still didn't know. Finally we got to the gate and when we stood in line he looked up and asked if we were headed for the Bahamas and I said yes. He said he couldn't go...he had work to do. I told him fine...he had car keys, I'd find someone in the airport to take his place...and added I had everything cleared at work. We had a wonderful 4 days!
Enjoy your trip!

TC

On our 30th anniversary, I got the surprise of my life. My husband whisked me off to Paris for an unbelievable week to celebrate. I had no idea where we were headed, only that we were going on a trip, the weather would be approximately 50 degrees, we'd be doing a lot of walking - similar to NY. That's how I decided what to pack. I made quite the scene in the airport - crying, laughing, hugging strangers who were standing in our line. Although I had my hopes up, it wasn't until we arrived at the airport and he handed me a gift box containing (what else?) the Fodor's guide to Paris that my dream came true. My very first trip to Paris. He still gets brownie points for this one -- nearly a decade later.

While in KW try the restaurant, Seven Fish - tiny, but great food. Also loved the food at Alice's.

SAnParis

Maybe you could get some body paint a la 'Fantasy Fest' & well, you can take it from there...

coldwar27

Sand in the suitcase or bed?