Vacations to Go

Home

Seattle on a Whim

Leavenworth Celebration

Christmas at Disneyland-2008

Future Trips:

New England 2009

British Isles Invasion-2010

France Option

Ireland Option



Maui and Kauai-2011 or Alaska/
Caribbean Cruise


Trips for Friends:

Spectacular Yellowstone-2009


Optional Trips:
Long Trips-

Florida Sights

Great Britain on the Run-2008

Ireland

plus Key West Attractions or Key West Restaurants

Hawaii

Oregon
Coast-a-Thon

Oregon Coast from Rockaway Beach North and South

Oregon Coast Websites for Vacation Rentals

Waterton-Glacier National Park

Yellowstone National
Park-Long
Trip

Short Trips:

Ainworth Hot Springs

Glacier in a Weekend

Lighthousing Around Puget Sound

Seattle-Whidbey Island Adventure-2006

A Week in Walt Disney World-2008

Yellowstone National
Park-
Short Trip

RESTAURANTS:
 
ALICE'S KEY WEST RESTAURANT
1114 Duval St., Key West, FL, USA
Phone: 305/292-5733 $15-$30
Chef-owner Alice Weingarten is back in her old location after three years across the street at the former Alice's LaTeDa (now Bacchus Key West Restaurant, a poolside restaurant serving contemporary Mediterranean cuisine, still run by Alice). But she really shines here, where the menu has many of her old favorites, including Aunt Alice's magic meat loaf and macadamia coconut-crusted shrimp with honey wasabi, papaya ginger chutney, and coconut rice. You may never eat strawberry shortcake again after trying Alice's tropical fruit shortcake dessert. The ambiance is calm, cool; the service exemplary. AE, D, MC, V. No lunch.

THE DELI RESTAURANT
531 Truman Ave., Key West, FL, USA $10-$20
Phone: 305/294-1464
Nostalgia is part of the appeal in this fourth-generation family-run 1950s-style eatery with huge desserts in glass display cases, a deli counter, friendly service, and a smoky kitchen. Roast pork and roast beef dinners, Papa's Fish Cakes (stuffed with fish and potatoes), and baked chicken with stuffing and cranberries are among the comfort foods. Most dishes cost $7-$11 and include a choice of two veggies and a biscuit or corn-bread muffin. Although the key lime pie is a bit sweet, it's a favorite among locals. The popular bumbleberry pie, a mix of berries, has been replaced by a blueberry pie that's quickly winning converts. You can order breakfast, lunch, and dinner all day. D, MC, V

FINNEGAN'S WAKE IRISH PUB AND EATERY
320 Grinnell St., Key West, FL, USA $10-$30
Phone: 305/293-0222
From friendly, heavily accented waitresses to pictures of Beckett, Shaw, Yeats, and Wilde to creaky wood floors, this restaurant exudes Irish country warmth. The certified Angus beef is pricey, except for the thick burgers ($7), and most other dishes are bargains. Traditional fare includes Dublin chicken potpie with chunks of chicken and vegetables in a creamy broth, and colcannon -- rich mashed potatoes with scallions, sauerkraut, and melted aged white cheddar cheese. The strawberry rhubarb tart and Irish cream chocolate mousse are phenomenal. There's live music on weekends, two happy hours, and a boast of the "world's largest selection on tap." AE, D, MC, V.
 

RICK'S BLUE HEAVEN
305 Petronia St., Key West, FL, USA
Phone: 305/296-8666
There's much to like about this historic restaurant where Hemingway once refereed boxing matches and customers watched cockfights. Fresh eats are served in the house and the big leafy yard. Nightly specials include blackened grouper or lobster with citrus beurre blanc and vegetarian options and Caribbean foods. Desserts and breads are baked on-site. There's a shop and bar, the latter named after the water tower hauled here in the 1920s. Expect a line -- everybody knows how good this is. Reservations not accepted. D, MC, V.

 

ATTRACTIONS: 

DUVAL STREET WRECKERS MUSEUM
322 Duval St., Key West, FL 33040, USA
Phone: 305/294-9502
Most of Key West's early wealthy residents made their fortunes from the sea. Among them was Francis Watlington, a sea captain and wrecker, who in 1829 built this house, alleged to be the oldest house in South Florida. Six rooms are open, furnished with 18th- and 19th-century antiques and providing exhibits on the island's wrecking industry of the 1800s, which made Key West one of the most affluent towns in the country. COST: $5. OPEN: Daily 10-4.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY HOME & MUSEUM
907 Whitehead St., Key West, FL 33040, USA
Phone: 305/294-1136|
Guided tours of Ernest Hemingway's home are full of anecdotes about the author's life in the community and his household quarrels with wife Pauline. While living here between 1931 and 1942, Hemingway wrote about 70% of his life's work, including For Whom the Bell Tolls. Few of the family's belongings remain, but photographs help illustrate his life, and scores of descendants of Hemingway's cats have free reign of the property. Literary buffs should be aware that there are no curated exhibits from which to gain much insight into Hemingway's writing career. Tours begin every 10 minutes and take 25-30 minutes; then you're free to explore on your own. www.hemingwayhome.com. COST: $10. OPEN: Daily 9-5.

HARRY S TRUMAN LITTLE WHITE HOUSE MUSEUM
111 Front St., Key West, FL, USA
Phone: 305/294-9911
In a letter to his wife during one of his visits, President Harry S Truman wrote, "Dear Bess, you should see the house. The place is all redecorated, new furniture and everything." If he visited today, he'd write something similar. There's a photographic review of visiting dignitaries and permanent audiovisual and artifact exhibits on the Florida Keys as a presidential retreat; Ulysses S. Grant, John F. Kennedy, and Jimmy Carter are among the chief executives who passed through here. Tours lasting 45 minutes begin every 15 minutes. On the grounds of Truman Annex, a 103-acre former military parade grounds and barracks, the home served as a winter White House for presidents Truman, Eisenhower, and Kennedy. The two-bedroom Presidential Suite with a veranda and sundeck is available for a novelty overnight stay. www.trumanlittlewhitehouse.com. COST: $10. OPEN: Daily 9-5, grounds 8-sunset; last tour is at 4:30.

LIGHTHOUSE MUSEUM
938 Whitehead St., Key West, FL 33040, USA
Phone: 305/294-0012
For the best view in town and a history lesson at the same time, climb the 88 steps to the top of this 92-foot lighthouse. It was built in 1847. About 15 years later, a Fresnel lens was installed at a cost of $1 million. The keeper lived in the adjacent 1887 clapboard house, which now exhibits vintage photographs, ship models, nautical charts, and lighthouse artifacts from all along the Key reefs. www.kwahs.com/lighthouse. COST: $8. OPEN: Daily 9:30-5; last admission at 4:30.

MEL FISHER MARITIME HERITAGE SOCIETY MUSEUM
200 Greene St., Key West, FL 33040, USA
Phone: 305/294-2633
In 1622 two Spanish galleons loaded with riches from South America foundered in a hurricane 40 mi west of the Keys. In 1985 Mel Fisher recovered the treasures from the lost ships, the Nuestra Señora de Atocha and the Santa Margarita. In this museum, see, touch, and learn about some of the artifacts, including a gold bar weighing 6.3 troy pounds and a 77.76-carat natural emerald crystal worth almost $250,000. Exhibits on the second floor rotate and might cover slave ships, including the excavated 17th-century Henrietta Marie, or the evolution of Florida maritime history. www.melfisher.org. COST: $10. OPEN: Daily 9:30-5.

KEY WEST AQUARIUM
1 Whitehead St., Key West, FL 33040, USA
Phone: 305/296-2051
Explore the fascinating underwater realm of the Keys without getting wet at this kid-friendly aquarium. Hundreds of tropical fish and sea creatures live here. A touch tank enables you to handle starfish, sea cucumbers, horseshoe and hermit crabs, even horse and queen conchs -- living totems of the Conch Republic. Built in 1934 by the Works Progress Administration as the world's first open-air aquarium, most of the building has been enclosed for all-weather viewing. Guided tours include shark petting and feedings. Tickets are good for the entire day. www.keywestaquarium.com. COST: $9. OPEN: Daily 10-6; tours at 11, 1, 3, and 4:30.


KEY WEST SHIPWRECK HISTOREUM MUSEUM 
Step back to Key West of 1851 and discover the treacherous world of shipwrecking and how it made Key West the richest city in the United States. Live actors, artifacts, laser technology and a 60' lookout tower make the experience one of a kind.  Guests will enjoy a video presentation about the shipwrecking industry. Filled with interviews, film clips and underwater footage, the video takes place in a re-created wrecker’s warehouse.  Hear the story of the Isaac Allerton, which wrecked off of Key West in 1856. On display are many of the treasures from the wrecks of the Isaac Allerton and others.  Visitors step back 150 years in history as they meet Asa Tift in his warehouse. The families whose fortunes were made in this exciting yet dangerous industry reveal their stories.  Climb up to the 65’ captain’s observatory and watch the reef for wrecks like the wrecking captains of the 19th century. TOUR DETAILS:
Key West Shipwreck HISTOREUM® Museum
Operating Hours: Tuesday 9:45am to 6:45pm; Wednesday - Monday 9:45am to 4:45pm (last show), 365 days a year. $8.10
Tour Length: 30 minutes
Redeem your eTickets at the Shipwreck HISTOREUM® in Mallory Square. See map.
Attraction Location: One Whitehead Street at Mallory Square
Notes: Notes: Presentations start every half-hour, on the quarter hour. Admission Tickets purchased online can be used any day. Parking is available at Mallory Square or Hilton Parking garage.
For more information call: 305-292-8990

Vacations to Go....