Key West
 

We have one full day ( off a cruise ship) to spend in Key West. We are planning to see the Truman White House, climb to to the top of the lighthouse and take either the Conch train or the Old Town Trolley ( which is better?) If there is time we thought about Hemingway's home. I am also looking for THE Best Key lime Pie ( any suggestions?)
Are these good choices or should we scratch one or two and substitute something else?

Don't forget to go to Sloppy Joe's on the corner of Greene and Duval Streets! It's a dive but it's been there forever.

When we went to Key West, we rented a motorized scooter and zipped around a bit. It was great. Hemingway's House is a must see in my opinion. Check out the feet of the Hemingway cats!

I hate to disagree with anyone about Key West, but I wouldn't advise anyone to eat a meal at Sloppy Joe's. By all means, have a drink there, but the food? Yuck!

If you were there for more than a day, I'd tell you that you were trying to do too much. But...I think you'd be happy with either the Conch Train or the Trolley, and I loved the Hemingway House and the Truman Little White House. All these tours depend heavily on the person conducting the tour.

We've been going to Key West for nearly 20 years and have never climbed to the top of the lighthouse, so I can't tell you whether it's a valuable trek or not. We haven't missed it. Having said that, I've heard that from the top you can look down on the rooftop of a clothing optional B&B, so that might be worth the trip!

The Conch train is the best!!! Hog's breath for some fresh oysters a must>>.Hemingway's house is also great to see. Key lime pie the blonde giraffe..Walk up to alonzo's and enjoy the view..At the conch farm enjoy a drink while listening to music..Fast buck freddies on duval for great and different gifts..You will have so much fun just people watching!!1

That's funny, I didn't know Sloppy Joe's Had food! Drink, by all means! (that's what we did!)

The train gives you a nice, 90 minute overview of the island and is a good start to getting to know your way around.

The trolley is hop-on / hop off so pre-planning some of the stops to use is a big help. One of them #5 IIRC is in the area of the Bahama Village, Hemingway House, Lighthouse, so if you are interested in seeing these things the trolley will let you off there.

There is also one stop, #9 IIRC, that lets you off at Higgs Beach where you can see the beach itself, the West Martello Tower and garden, and the White Street Pier . It's a nice stop and you might not get out here on your own otherwise. The trolley's web page is very nicely and helpfully laid out in describing what is at and around each stop.

Train if you just want to get acquainte. Trolley to use as a base of operations if you want to see more than normal.

I, too, usually have a drink at Sloppy's but wouldn't eat there.

Pjk

Great suggestions, thanks a lot!!

On a day trip to KW - if I had never been to KW before - I would ... probably start at the Truman White House or Mel Fishers (it is just too much fun picking up that giant bar of gold), and then go to the Hemingway House, where I could finish the tour just in time to walk over to Blue Heaven for lunch... then a more-or-less-straight dotted line between Heaven and the Bight would take you past the Green Parrot (at least for a photo op at MM 0), the Flying Monkey for a pina colada for the road, Fast Buck's for fun island shopping, both the Blonde Giraffe and Kermits (to taste test BOTH key lime pies and to pick up some Toad Sweat chocolate sauce at Kermits) on the way over to the Schooner Wharf for drinks and some afternoon music. I'm not a big fan of either Sloppy's or Hog's Breath (of the two I would take Hogs Breath), as the Schooner stole my heart a long time ago (yes, I know it has gotten way too commercial lately, but I still go), but to each his own. No wrong answers!

hands down Blue Heaven. Skip any burger joint and such you find. You can get that anywhere. Blue Heaven is known for it's jerk chicken, but there is so much more there. Go ready to eat. If I have to pick Key Lime pie it's always Kermits. Drink your way down Duval though. :)