Going to Key West any suggestions?

Hugh R · 02:04 PM

Going to Key West for a Vin Diesel movie July 17-21, any suggestions of things to do weekend and at night? Never been there

rcecale · rcecale's Garage

It's been a couple of years since I was there, but Sloppy Joe's, down on Duvall was the place to be. There may be a few others, but Duvall was really where the fun ended up. Used to be Ernest Hemingway's hangout long ago.

Randy

singpilot · 07-06-2004, 10:56 AM

Don't bend over to pick up the soap.

RickC · 11:22 AM

Was just down there. There's a great Cuban restaurant right off Mallory Square (El Meson de Pepe) with live music. Wife and I spent a great evening there eating, dancing, and drinking Rum Runners. http://cuban-food-usa.com/keys_meson_pepe.html

If you like to sail, you can rent windsurfer's & Hobie Getaways down near the Casa Marina on the South end of the island. Great snorkling/fishing everywhere.

Had a great island bar-b-que dinner on the Hard Rock 90ft sailing cruise - with a live steel drum band for 3 hours one night - it was $$ but worth it.

Early in our stay, it was tough to find a cab back to our hotel one night (Casa Marina) and so we took a pedal cab. Saw everything up and down Duvall St., and went to a half a dozen other nice restaurants. Good way to get a feel for the place. (If you're not with wife/girlfriend, could be weird, I suppose!) There are bars with live rock/country/creole up and down the street, starting with Sloppy Joe's.

If you're there on work or with buddies, Duvall is the place to be at night. And no matter who you're with, when you get up the next day, get on a boat and do something! Was on the best beach on the island, and it was pretty lousy (no waves, very little sand, not much sea life). Need a boat to get to the sand bars & snorkling/scuba areas.

lendaddy · 07-06-2004, 11:17 AM

Talk to some locals about places to dine. We found some awesome "backyard places" to eat (literally in someones backyard

I will NEVER go back myself. It has nothing to do with the loose atmosphere or homosexual overtones to everything, it is simply a tourist trap with little to do and the beaches SUCK. Very expensive compared to a Mexico locale of similar weather. I think the wife and I dropped $4-5k in 4 days and I'm still trying to remember what we did

The food in the Cuban district is great and I heard a few great bands at Sloppy Joe's (Bassist tried to pic up my wife, Nostatic?

). But other than that, 3 stars.

singpilot · 07-06-2004, 11:18 AM

Actually, I should explain that remark.

I had finished an airline certification in Daytona. Had spent 4 months there doing certification proving runs, setting up the business, offices, ticket gates, certifying crews, telephones, maintenance crews, the FAA, DOT etc.

We were handed our ops specs (permission to startup) on Christmas Eve, 2 weeks early. Nothing to do for 2 weeks. I had taken my motorhome down there to live in and work out of rather than a hotel, so I pulled stakes, and drove to Key West arriving oh-dark-thirty Christmas Day.

Pulled up on a curb at the south-facing beach and stayed there for a week. Got invited to park the motorhome in the parking lot at Joe's Crab Shack (the original one) by the owner and his wife. Had a great two weeks; fishing, sunning, eating fresh fish every day. Party all hours, like Mardi Gras in Nawlins.

Showed up back in Daytona, and of course, everyone wanted to know where I got the tan and why I looked so relaxed.

It was only then that I found out why everyone had been so friendly in Key West.

No, I really didn't know.

targa911S · 07-06-2004, 11:46 AM

wear a note pinned on the front of your shirt with the name and address of the place you are staying. Also put a $20 folded up and taped to the back of the note. That way when they find you face down passed out in the street they can stuff your ass in a cab and get you home!

rammstein · 07-06-2004, 11:48 AM

Get some fried gator. Its really good.

Porsche-O-Phile · Porsche-O-Phile's Garage

There is no shortage of things to do in Key West - one of my good friends lives down there and works as a waiter / professional magician. His name's Alan Gold - if you happen to run into him, tell him you know Jeff from California and he'll show you all the "local secrets" stuff. Have a blast down there!

lendaddy · 07-06-2004, 12:04 PM

In all fairness I did golf, fish, scuba, see live bands, live "shows

, etc.. It's just that I've had better times other places.

RoninLB · 07-06-2004, 05:29 PM

there's good free diving on the keys west side in old WW2 bomb craters, besides east side scuba. Just north of Key West is Big Pine Key where the midget deer are. Speeding tickets are limit +1 in Big Pine.. A small plane ride thru the keys is a great way to see sharks a few yards from the swimmers. Great possibility for real sport fishing.
fwiw.. the keys is somewhat of another country in its culture once you get beyond the tourists.

RoninLB · 07-06-2004, 05:30 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by targa911S
wear a note pinned on the front of your shirt with the name and address of the place you are staying. Also put a $20 folded up and taped to the back of the note. That way when they find you face down passed out in the street they can stuff your ass in a cab and get you home!

yeah really.. and always carry a nose tissue.

Hugh R · 02:05 PM

Thanks all. Targa911S, that's really funny.

singpilot · 07-07-2004, 09:00 AM

I'm not sure I would want my a$$ stuffed in a cab in Key West.

Or in any other city for that matter.

lendaddy · 07-07-2004, 09:03 AM

I agree, kick me into a corner and let me sleep it off

vash · vash's Garage

what vin diesel movie?

singpilot · 09:49 AM

It's called 'XXX Duval Taxi Stuffing'.

RoninLB · 07-07-2004, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by singpilot
I'm not sure I would want my a$$ stuffed in a cab in Key West.

.

afaik there is one limo car service in the whole keys or you have to call in Miami for an expensive rig. The limo crew is very understanding.. like the guy who uses them to bang his girlfriends in the back seat. Sometimes the new girl will allow pics taken by the driver. The customer tips big.

Hugh R · 01:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by vash
what vin diesel movie?

Its called "The Pacifier" where Vin is an ex commando who has to body guard some kids whose deceased dad left some top secret information that the bad guys are trying to get. Its sort of like "Kindergarten Cop" but with a lot of action.

targa911S · 07-07-2004, 12:32 PM

Hugh ...I know for a fact it works. My band was plying the cruise ships for a while and Key West was always one of our stops. Plus we have played at Sloppys a bunch of times. It's that kind of town. Anything goes and does. A drinking town with a fishing problem. Have fun!

( I guess having your ass stuffed in a cab was a poor choice of words for that town...as that could happen too!).