Hi All,

I wrote awhile back about driving from Weston, FL to Key West for the day and you all agreed that we would be crazy to try it so we have rented a room at the Southernmost Hotel. We had pretty slim pickings since we are going in three weeks but we figured it is only for one night so how bad could it be. There were some favorable reviews and price was a concern for us. They have off street parking which was important to us and they are in walking (although a nice walk) to the middle of town. We can always take a taxi back if we are pooped. We are really looking forward to it. Any must see that we need to look into. My husband insists on going to Margaritaville (big Buffett fan) but other than that, where are some other eating establishments we need to try. We both love seafood but will also have our 7 yr old son with us so we need something children friendly as well. You have all been such a big help I am looking forward to hearing from you again!

Try the Half Shell Raw Bar. It's very casual, very child-friendly, and has wonderful seafood!

It sounds really weird, but Margaritaville has this awesome catfish reuben sandwich! And for a snack, there is a stand outside the aquarium that sells great conch fritters.

The conch fritters are great. The stand at the aquarium is usually closed by evening so plan accordingly. There is a conch fritter stand out at Mallory Square that's open for the sunset celebration but IMHO the fritters by the aquarium are better. El Sibonery might be a good choice for dinner. It's a family oriented Cuban restaurant with great food and relaxed atmosphere - children are unquestionably welcome there. Not upscale but the food is great and the people are really nice. I would also include Blue Heaven for breakfast - you can easily walk there from Southernmost. It's got a funky, laid-back outdoor atmosphere - sort of a throwback to an earlier era and the food is great. I thought pancakes were more or less the same everywhere until I tried their "made from scratch" pancakes - WOW! There are roosters and cats running around loose and a very artsy feel to the settign - your seven year old will definitely enjoy it.

Captain Tony's and The Green Parrot for cocktails are a must.

This topic (as well as all Key West topics) have beeb beaten to death in the last few weeks.

Please do a search and you'll find plenty of current and helpful info. (I just searched Key West Restaurants and found more than 50 posts)

Topper,

Yes, I know how to do a search and I have gotten a lot of info on restaurants but I wanted to know if there were any other activities besides eating and drinking that I should check out for my 7 year old. If you are bored reading the posts about Key West then I suggest you skip them.

If your son likes the water, take a snorkeling trip, or the sunset cruise out of Key West. He'll also probably like the little aquarium they have there.
Also, he might like strolling through the Key West cemetery. It may sound grusome, but it's actually a place where a lot of tourists go.

Thanks Jack, that's the kind of info I am looking for. I had heard they did sunset cruises but I wasn't sure if it was kid friendly. My husband had been on one in Aruba and it was definately not kid friendly if you know what I mean. He would love snorkeling, I will have to check into that. Is one company better than others?

There are a gazillion (and counting) dive companies in Key West. Some people refer others to certain outfits, but everything in Key West is so transitory I resist the urge to refer something like this. best bet is to ask at the place you stay for a referral. And then check 'em out.

As far as suitability, I do know that there's a clothing optional snorkel/diving/cruising outfit which you'll probably want to avoid. But I think the others will be okay.

Thanks Jack. I will ask at Southernmost Hotel where we are staying. The clothing optional cruise would be more experience than my 7 year old needs at this point in his life! Thanks for the warning. While we are on the subject, are there nude beaches that I need to be aware of? Someone said there are some in Miami, I was wondering about Key West too. Does it get real rowdy at night in town? We are going to Mallory Square for the sunset celebration and I just want to know what to expect and far as what I might need to explain to my son.

there are no "openly" clothing optional beaches.
Some resorts have a very small, very secluded section of beach reserved for clothing optional. And some B&Bs have a seperate pool area for the same thing. But I have always found it to be done very discreetly.

the one thing that's not discreet are the tacky T-Shirt shops lining Duval Street. These shops are not embarrased to put some pretty racy stuff in their display windows.

Also, there are a few shops on Duval that cater to the gay crowd and have some things on display inside that you may not want your son to see.

As fad as rowdiness, i've found that Key West has actually calmed down over the last couple of years (I've been going there since 1966). Of course, avoid the week Fantasy Fest, when it becomes a small Mardi Gras. there's also a nightclub on Duval that features female impersonators - it's best to avoid that area after, say, 9:00 PM.

Most of the restaurants in Key West are very casual, and you'll have no problem having a kid with you. Pepe's and Blue Heaven were my favorites.

As far as conch fritters go, I really didn't think they were very good, and I tried them in a few places. Then I found out that the conch is nearly extinct in Florida, so all of the conch served in the Conch Republic is from Costa Rica.

I've snorkeled with Floridays (they dock at the Hyatt) and have nothing but good things to say about their entire operation. They limit the number of passengers to 20 or less, unlike the catamarans that pack folks in like cattle cars. I've never seen Floridays get anything less than glowing reviews; I highly recommend them.

I'll add that Blue Heaven was a favorite of ours when my son was your son's age. I also have to add that he was utterly amazed at the various street performances at the Sunset Festival if that is still a nightly ritual in Key West.

Charlo, you asked whether Key West is "rowdy", specifically at the sunset celebration. We were there last week and it was not in any way rowdy. Mallory Square sunset has been organized and sanitized almost beyond recognition. Your 7-year-old may get to participate; e.g. hold a hoop for a sweet old golden retriever to jump through. After that you could walk over to the "Historic Seaport" area for dinner. It's just a few blocks and the restaurants are kid-friendly. We ate at Alonzo's Oyster House and were very impressed with our entrees.

If you walk along Duval after dinner you may well run into sights and sounds less suitable for a 7-year-old. You may want to walk down Simonton (next street over) instead. By that point, though, you may want to take a cab, as it will seem like a long walk home. Also, we found that off of Duval there aren't many street lights, especially in the south part of town. It was darker than we're used to. Alternatively you could park in the municipal garage, which is near the Seaport and not too expensive.

The only beach we went to was Higgs Beach, which I think is pretty near your hotel. No nude people, at least that day.

An activity you might like: Across from Higgs Beach is the McCoy Indigenous Park. Not much to see there, but just beyond is the Wildlife Rescue Center. They have all sorts of birds that have been injured (pelicans, cormorants, ospreys) or abandoned (pet screech owls). They release them back into the wild, if possible, or just let them stay if not. Ask to see the pelican chicks; they should be hatched by the time you're there. The place might seem depressing but how bad can it be if the pelicans are breeding right there? The Wildlife Rescue is not sanitized. (I mean that as a promise rather than a threat.) It's educational and moving.

Have fun!!

Although some tell me it's not all that exciting for ther admission price paid, I think a 7 year old might also enjoy Mel Fisher's museum, with treasure galore and info on how it was discovered and retrieved.

There is a restored PT boat down by Schooners that is a lot of fun. They go out for the sunset and a high speed run. Your son could even sit in the machine gun turret. It is the exact same boat they used for the Mchales Navy TV show.

Hi all,

Thanks for all your great advice. I am really looking forward to our trip. The PT Boat sounds up to my son's "speed" and husband too. The faster the better. My son is somewhat disappointed that we are not going to Disney while in FL (went two years ago) so this ride and an airboat ride is a must. He loves excitement and speed. While in Disney he went on Space Mtn. and Runaway train 3X each and would of went more but we couldn't take it anymore. We were thinking of maybe going to Busch Gardens in Tampa from Weston but it looks like a long ride so I don't think we are going to do that.
Thanks again for all your help. I will let you know how everything went!