KW 8AM-5PM only. November. Critique my plan.

[Funcouple]

1.Which is the best/most interesting/memorable way to see KW for such a short visit?

-Bike Tour

-Trolley Tour

-On Foot

 

 

2.Here are my must visits (I think). Would you agree?

- Hemingway's

-Truman's

-Southern Point (?)

-Kino's (for the sandals)

- Butterfly garden (?) are there butterflies all over in NOV?

 

3.food / drinks / relax for the last 2 hours.

-Flying Monkey Saloon (Heard the crowds are less and drinks are slushie/yummy)

(we do like guitar music -- Buffet style if it's avail -- no mass crowds though)

 

4.What is Conch Republic?

 

Any thoughts? Should I dump anything or add anything? Don't want to do too much, want to enjoy a relaxed visit -- not rushed.... Thanks for your input

[peter_krynicki]

For starters, you might want to walk up Whitehead Street which begins just across Front Street off the docks. The slightly hard place to find is the Kino sandel shop...when you hit Green, at the Green Parrot bar, make a left, then another left on Fitzpatrick. Its at 107. (Fittzpatrick is actually more like a little square)

 

http://www.kinosandals.com/

 

Then, back on Whitehead, you can walk by the Audubon house, the entrance to the annex where Truman's little White House is (through the big gates almost across from the Audubon house. Then, farther along, you will come to Hemingway's house and the lighthouse and museum across the street. And, at the end of Whitehead, is the Southernmost Point.

 

Also, at Whitehead and Petronia is the Bahama Village which seems anymore to be open hit-or-miss. But walking along Petronia you will pass La Creperie on the left, and Besame Mucho, a very nice gift shop on the right. Then comes Blue Heaven, Columbian Grace, and Santiago's Bodega. You might want to look at the lunch menus for the walk back.

 

If you walk back over to Duval on South Street, one block, and head back down, the Butterfly Conservatory is maybe two blocks along Duval Street.

 

So far, so good.

Pjk

[molly361]

http://www.conchrepublicseafood.com/

 

Conch Republici s a big bar/restaurant See link above

[emcee207]

Well officially, it is the name Key West took when it seceded, supposedly, from the union many years back over, I think, a tax battle or some crazy search embargo imposed on the island. Peter K or Bhopal (Paul) could better expound on this than I.

[peter_krynicki]

The Govm't wanted to erect a toll both somethere on the road just before you get to Key West. A few people went out one night before it could be built and blocked off the road and declared the island independant, naming it the Conchh Republic. It lasted about a day after which the government relented.

 

The Conch Republic - "We Seceded Where Others Failed."

 

Pjk

[bhopal21]

Actually it wasn't a toll booth but a checkpoint and inspection station manned by the border patrol to stop the trafficking of drugs between the keys and the mainland.

 

Mike:)

[bouhunter]

And I believe the mayor and/or city council of Key West declared themselves the independent Conch Republic and applied for foreign aid from the US:D

 

As for today's Conch Republic Seafood Company, they have some fans here but we don't care for their food. The BOGO drinks are OK for one stop the week we're there, and that's about it. Seems like the bartenders are usually VERY busy and it's hardly even worth that:rolleyes:

[peter_krynicki]

There's almost two Conch Republic Seafood Co's. One, a dining areas, to the right as you enter and the another, the bar, to the left. I never miss sitting at the bar and having a drink and shrimp or oysters, but have given the dining room two tries and will probably not go back. Mediocre food. And yet, the dining area is always filled with people.

 

The bar there, during happy hour, gives you a token to redeem for your free drink. If you are in Key West for a week, you can have one drink here and pocket the token. Then, on the last night in Key West, go back one more time, toss your tokens on the bar and drink for free.

 

Pjk

[keywester33]

You can read about the Conch Republic here:

 

http://www.conchrepublic.com/

 

To answer a couple more of the OPs questions, I think bikes are a great way to see the island. Most of the things you will be interested in are within a couple square miles.

 

The Don't miss things are really up to you and different for everyone, but I would not try to cram in too much. Just one museum or house tour would be enough for me. Allow time to bike around and explore. The butterfly House is an indoor atrium so there are butterflies all year.

[Aquahound]

Actually it wasn't a toll booth but a checkpoint and inspection station manned by the border patrol to stop the trafficking of drugs between the keys and the mainland.

 

Mike:)

 

Exactly. It had nothing to do with a toll booth.

 

The U.S. Border Patrol was stopping and identifying everyone and while the purpose was drugs, the locals were upset over having to go through a USBP check point to enter the Keys. Therefore, in 1982 we seceded and called ourselves the Conch Republic (notice, I still use it on my profile location ;)). The secession lasted 1 minute. Then Mayor Wardlow surrended to the U.S. Navy and demanded foreign aid.

 

In 1 month, we will be celebrating our 30 year anniversary. Every year, the Conch Republic Navy battles the U.S. Coast Guard with water cannons and Cuban bread in Key West Harbor. Except, we changed history a little. The U.S. Coast Guard are the ones who surrender. ;)

[Funcouple]

You can read about the Conch Republic here:

 

http://www.conchrepublic.com/

 

To answer a couple more of the OPs questions, I think bikes are a great way to see the island. Most of the things you will be interested in are within a couple square miles.

 

The Don't miss things are really up to you and different for everyone, but I would not try to cram in too much. Just one museum or house tour would be enough for me. Allow time to bike around and explore. The butterfly House is an indoor atrium so there are butterflies all year.

 

- Biking we enjoy, when it's not congested. Is it congested in the KW area?

 

- Can we do Hemmingway (just to look, no tour), Butterfly Atrium, and Truman's Little White House (tour) in between 10am and 2pm? On bikes?

 

- 2pm-4:30 we can go to the Schooner Wharf and enjoy some drinks before our 5pm ship departure

[peter_krynicki]

If you think of Key West as an approx 1 x 4 mile rectangle, the short streets, Whitehead, Duval, and Simonton, are usually crowded with traffic with Whitehead probably a little better to bike on. Once oyu are out of Old Town there are a few bike paths along Higgs Beach and a nice sidewalk along Smathers. I wouldn't try to bike all arouns Key West, and there is some sort of road construction going on out around Smathers.

 

You cannot go onto the Hemingway house grounds without buying a ticket, but if you do not take the tour you can do the three you are interested in.

 

Yes to the Schooner Wharf bar.

 

Pjk

[emcee207]

Something to keep in mind; and Peter K and Mike can confirm or deny, but I understand there are many many bike accidents in KW. The majority being tourists. Just a warning to be super careful.

[Aquahound]

I can confirm the bike accident frequency. Problem is this. The roads, expecially around Duval and the entire Old Town area, are very narrow and congested due to on street parking. Key West allows bike riding on the sidewalks, but even the sidewalks can be narrow and congested. Add in tourists that forget they are sharing the road with locals who are trying to commute for work purposes and accidents occur. Rarely are they serious or fatal, but minor bumps happen a lot. I am not an advocate for bike or scooter rentals. To see a good chunk of the town, I almost always suggest the City View Trolly.

[bhopal21]

I can confirm the bike accident frequency. Problem is this. The roads, expecially around Duval and the entire Old Town area, are very narrow and congested due to on street parking. Key West allows bike riding on the sidewalks, but even the sidewalks can be narrow and congested. Add in tourists that forget they are sharing the road with locals who are trying to commute for work purposes and accidents occur. Rarely are they serious or fatal, but minor bumps happen a lot. I am not an advocate for bike or scooter rentals. To see a good chunk of the town, I almost always suggest the City View Trolly.

 

I could not agree with this more. I have two friends that were seriously injured in scooter accidents (neither was at fault).

 

The risk is real, why ruin a great vacation?

 

Mike:)

[bigeagle12]

 

2.Here are my must visits (I think). Would you agree?

- Hemingway's

-Truman's

-Southern Point (?)

-Kino's (for the sandals)

- Butterfly garden (?) are there butterflies all over in NOV?

 

 

We did KW on foot and hit everything in item 2. Waited a long time to finally visit KW and LOVED IT :)

[emcee207]

I can confirm the bike accident frequency. Problem is this. The roads, expecially around Duval and the entire Old Town area, are very narrow and congested due to on street parking. Key West allows bike riding on the sidewalks, but even the sidewalks can be narrow and congested. Add in tourists that forget they are sharing the road with locals who are trying to commute for work purposes and accidents occur. Rarely are they serious or fatal, but minor bumps happen a lot. I am not an advocate for bike or scooter rentals. To see a good chunk of the town, I almost always suggest the City View Trolly.

 

 

Sorry to not include you Paul; you are a great contributor to this site.