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I was in Key West Nov. 17 - 20. Through Priceline I got Crown Plaza La Concha for $55/night. It right on Duval Street, four blocks from Mallory Square (and the "sunsets.") Place was quiet at night - we drove - only negative at Crown Plaza La Concha was the $18 night parking. But - my god - what a convienent location. gp

I see George Bush Sr. frequently on the news, boating & fishing out of Islamorada. Hubby and I have been to Key West a few times, but not recently, sigh. Love the atmosphere, quaintness, laid-back lifestyle. And the weather aint bad, either. Have fun!

Carol: My suggestion is the Grand Key Resort in Key West. It is not on the beach, but has a lovely pool area. It was very quiet. When you want the noise, take the shuttle downtown to Duval. We do not snorkel so I cannot help you on this one. I do that some of the best snorkeling is supposed to be at John Pennekamp State Park it is somewhere near Key Largo (I think) We took a glass bottom boat tour here once, and it was pretty good. There were tons of people going out snorkeling from this location. Enjoy the trip. Like good Cuban food? Try Manny & Isa's (nothing fancy at all) and they have killer key lime pie. Delia

My husband and I (also 50ish)were there end of Sept. Stayed at the Hyatt for $165 a night..a real bargain, considering the location. Also, it is not like the average Hyatt, but built in the Key West style. It is walking distance to most things. Our balcony overlooked the ocean, they have a very nice pool and hot tub with the ocean alongside. When the pool gets crowded, there is plenty of room to lounge by the ocean. It is also close to sunset celebration, etc.

Long Key would be a perfect place. Not too commercial, but right next to MarathonSome of the bridgers have the original pilings from the old Flagler Railroad. And if you are into that kind of thing, there is a turtle rescue hospital and a dolphin center in Marathon.

You've GOTTA take a boat to our newest national park, DRY TORTUGAS NATIONAL PARK, located 75 miles off the coast of Key West. For about $95 per person, there are high speed catamarans that will take about 100 passengers at a time there for the day! Or, you can spend several hundred for a twenty minute sea-plane ride. You will see FORT JEFFERSON on the main island, with its extremely historic past. The waters are carribian blue! You will enjoy snorkeling in the crystal clear water around the fort! The boat operators lend you snorkel gear for free. Lots of fish and some of that beautiful purple fan coral. I just turned 50, but my wife and I enjoyed the trip so much that we are doing it again this February! Just do a search for FORT JEFFERSON or DRY TORTUGAS NATIONAL PARK and you will find lots of info. Note: overnight camping is temporarily suspended. Another fun thing is to visit Everglades national park. Stay at the motel in FLAMINGO (not the cabins). The rooms in the motel have large windows out the back, looking out at the bay. The cabins are in the woods. By staying in the park, you can conveniently see all kinds of birds fly in for the night, and walk back to your room. Mosquitos are virtually non-existant during the winter. Better take some bug spray just for comfort though. Take some of the boat trips offered by the NPS. Also, rent a canoe from the NPS and take the NINE MILE POND trail. It's easy, and much of the way it is only a foot or two deep as you travel trails through the RIVER OF GRASS. An added bonus is that February is the bird migration season, so you should come upon many birds while you're canoeing. We had a ball! While in the Keys, take one of the glass bottom boat trips to the reef, or better yet, take a snorkeling trip. Lots of fun. If it's too rough to snorkel, the boat will probably still go out. A place to stay? On Marathon Key, there is a hotel complex that has houseboats at the marina! (actually small two-story apartments on barges). Its called Faro Blanco (search the internet for their web site). Really neat, because the barges are intersperced with regular boats. So, your neighbor could be a yacht! Neat. Just make sure to say you want the houseboat, because they have regular rooms in a regular hotel too (boring). Hope this helps. We really enjoyed all of the above.