Key West "kid" trip advice please
 

Hi,
My husband was talking about taking a family trip to key west during the summer. We have a 3 year old and our other child will be 5 months old. I was just wondering if there is anything for children to do there? Family friendly restaurants? Is it recommended to take a trip there with kids that young? Thanks!

It is VERY humid in Key West in the summer and a lot of the restaurants do not have AC - they have the doors open and ceiling fans so it can be uncomfortable! There are plenty of kid friendly restaurants but many of these places are bars, too, ie: Hogs Breath, Sloppy Joes. We live in FL and have not taken our 2 1/2 year old there b/c I think of it as a more adult place but when I have been I see many children (not sure if they are off the cruise ships or actually staying in K.W.) There is a butterfly museum and the Conch Tour train plus a lot of boat trips, etc that would be great for your 3 yr. old but not sure about the 5 month old. I am sure you will have a good time either way but my opinion would be to wait until they are older.

I'd say skip it and head to a beach in Florida and rent a condo.

There are beaches in Key West but they kind of suck.

It is so hot trying to do anything outside is kind of miserable. You don't get to ocean breezes because most accommodations are not oceanfront.

Many accommodations are not kid friendly.

You kids would have a much better time plunked down in the sand under an umbrella on a beach.

Other than the 3 year old chasing the roosters that run around not much. A scenic drive that will be lost on them. If you want Florida, some place around with West Palm Beach/FLL area or on Gulf, perhaps Marco Island.

Can't imagine a worse place to be with kids than Key West during the summer. Key West isn't very kid friendly to begin with.

You could go to a nearby hotel in your hometown and your children wouldn't know whether you were in Tahiti:) I'm one of the few people who thinks Key West is very family-friendly, but geez...in the summer? The heat/humidity combo is awful.

I'd wait a few years. We took our children to Destin a number of times when they were young and always hoped they'd enjoy the beach as much as we did. Nope - they wanted to stay in the pool, and when they got older they wanted to go to the arcade (video, I guess...I can't remember).

One of the funniest posts I've ever seen was on this forum when someone reported on a trip to DC they'd taken with their young children. They'd carefully planned all sorts of "fun" and educational places to take them but the most exciting things to the children were: the airplane bathroom and the trashcans on the streets of DC.

Don't over plan!

I agree with the other posters. Key West is not a place for kids. It is a very adult atmosphere.And don't forget spring break for the college students. The west coast schools are out in april and no doubt will flock to key west to drink and party. Not a lot of beaches, and probably too young for the butterfly house. I'd visit another part of Flordia.Ft.Myers is nice.

I would definitely recommend the aquarium with its "touch" pools for the kids; they might also enjoy that treasure museum next door.

As to the beaches...KW is really more of a "lie around the pool" place IMO although going to some other beach during Spring Break will probably mean lots of kids swooping in.

Not a great place to go in Summer, regardless. However, both my kids (now 5 1/2 & nearly 3) have had great fun there. We usually rent a cottage or apartment in lieu of staying in a hotel but there is plenty to do. The butterfly museum is awesome & we typically take at least a day to visit Baha'i Honda as well. Just the trip out there (+ we'll go over the 7 mile bridge just for fun) makes for a great day. This last time we stopped at the No Name Pub for lunch on the way back & the kids contributed to the Pubs' art collection. Most of the restaurants are very laid back & casual as well, not a problem. There are also a variety of boat rides, etc. I would just plan the trip for a different time of year.

Yes, we took our kids to NYC from Iowa for the first time a few years back. What is our youngest favorite memory? Why it was the people tripping on the uneven steps at the top of Yankee stadium while walking back to their seats and throwing their beer etc. all over others sitting around the area.

We just returned from a short trip to Key West with our 2 1/2 year old, and we had a great time. We stayed in a 2 bedroom at the Santa Maria Suites and had access to the beach at The Reach. The beach was fine for our needs, and our toddler loved it. We enjoyed early morning walks on Duval, time at the pool and beach, and the noise level at the restaurants was such that our toddlers occasional singing/outbursts blended right in. I can't speak to the heat in the summer, but we found Key West an enjoyable place to visit with our toddler.

Hi Sladkey,

We are going tomorrow with our almost 5-year old. I will post something when we get back. I think she will love it.

I think the younger they are, the easier it is to take them to grown up places. Key West (from what I remember) has a lot of outdoor restaurants and bars, so you and your husband can sit and have meals/drinks outside and if the kids get fussy, one of you can walk them around. I know that doesn't work for everyone, but it always worked for us.

We are planning a glass bottom boat ride, maybe a sunset cruise, butterfly conservancy, conch train, maybe a side trip to see dolphins and maybe even some beginners fishing. And when all else fails, I am sure there are lots of places to get ice cream and sno cones!!! : )

Since KW has lots of bars and that type of activity, we plan on finishing up our nights early and hanging out at the hotel.

I will let you know how it goes!

I think the deal here that some of you are missing is that it is a whole different story being in Key West in February or March than being in Key West with kids in July or August.

Foc ice cream, Flmingo Crossing at 1105 Duval St. Key Lime sherbert!

Pjk

When we were in KEY WEST last week they said that everyone thinks that Key West is exceedingly hot in summer but the highest temp on record is 97 degrees. Granted that is still pretty hot but as long as you're in the shade with a drink, you're probably OK.

I am going to post a trip report shortly.

Tango - I've been in Las Vegas when it was 114 and had no problem walking from one casino to another. Here in Arkansas, it's not unusual to have temperatures over 100 in the summer.

But I've been absolutely miserable in Key West both in the fall and spring...and it's ALL because of the humidity/heat combo. If it were dry like Las Vegas, the temperature wouldn't be an issue.

I always forget that those not used to humidity find it quite uncomfortable. I grew up in Washington, D.C. where the humidity is quite bad. I just assumed that meant summer. I actually like it! I used to wonder why people were dropping like flies...you see at least a few people passing out here every year.

I guess the question is will it bother someone to be in the humidity. We took our daughter to Ft. Lauderdale in August for her first trip when she was 2 years old. Extremely hot and humid, but it didn't bother any of us. The next year we went to Palm Beach in August for my husband's birthday. Once again, extremely hot and humid, but it didn't bother us...and the prices are half of what they are in the high season. We've also been to Disney in June twice. That was actually harder than the others because you have to wait to get to a pool to cool off!

I guess it all depends on a person's humidity tolerance levels!

I'm another Arkansan who agrees that the humidity in Key West is a killer in the summer. Between AR and Louisiana, I thought I knew terrible humidity. Then I went to Key West at the end of July one year. It's rough--really rough! I can't imagine taking my toddler there in the summer; it would be terribly miserable. Maybe another time of year would be easier in Key West, and you could try somewhere else in the summer?