Key West is the southernmost tip of Florida, but feels like the Caribbean with a laid back style all its own. There are so many activities here for families and couples. It’s also an easy days drive from a cruise port making it a perfect add-on to your cruise vacation. If you’re not doing a cruise; Miami is the closest major airport and rental cars abound.
You’ll have your choice of places to sleep here. Whether you prefer to to be lulled to sleep on your boat hotel, take drinks poolside at a resort, you prefer the ease of an Airbnb, or you’re parking your RV; there are endless options in Key West. Since we’re a military family I booked a townhome at a local Navy base that was mere minutes from downtown.
The first thing we did was take an old town trolley tour to get a lay of the land. These are always a wonderful way to get a high level overview of each town along with information on places you’d like to explore further. Since it’s a hop in/ off tour you can go explore then pick up right where you left off.
One of the things the kids wanted to stop for was one of the world famous dessert… key lime pie. This was a frozen chocolate covered slice on a stick.
There are many places to find this treat within Key West, but for the best mile high merengue topped slice head over to Blue Heaven.
While you’re on the trolley make time to see Flagler’s Casa Marina hotel or the Harry S Truman Little White House. One of our favorite museums is the Mel Fisher maritime heritage museum. Here you can feel the weight of a bar of gold in your hands and explore the riches that were found in a shipwreck. While you’re here head outside to take a photo with a massive Banyan tree!
While you’re taking photos go a few blocks further to the cruise port and recreate the famous sailor kissing statue with your special someone.
Mallory square after dark is a must. The carnival like atmosphere in comfortable temperatures is fun for kids and adults alike.
Here you can snap a photo with your kids favorite characters, take part in a juggling show, or do some souvenir shopping.
A don’t miss tourist spot is the Southernmost point buoy. Get there early, it’s always warm and there’s always a line. While waiting in line you may spy roadside vendors hawking coconut drinks. It’s a fun treat on a warm day and so unique for kids to try.
After a good nights sleep Mathers beach was calling our name. The name may not come to mind, but the famous crooked palm tree on the beach is famous.
After a few hours of sun soaked fun we showered up and went for an awesome seafood dinner followed by some Tarpon feeding.
For our last morning of the trip we spent the day trying something new to us. We rented stand up paddle boards and beach chairs and made a day of it at the base marina.
The kids loved splashing in the water, strolling the beach and a break for burgers at lunch. Many applications of sunscreen later we headed home to grill a few steaks and get some sleep.
Since we live in Florida we simply opted to drive the length of Florida to get back home. There are several tourist attractions along the way including History of Diving Museum and the large key lobster.
One last meal at Jimmy Johnson’s Big Chill in Key Largo was burgers for the kids and tuna nachos for me and the hubby.
All in all we had so much fun making family memories. Key West is a major tourist draw and best if planned well in advanced especially for the most popular times of the year including spring break, Christmas holidays and lobster season; August through March.
I took a leap of faith. I quit my full time job to pursue traveling. I love what I do as a medical imaging professional and I feel that caring for others is a path I’ve had a calling to do, but I love travel. From the time I was a child my military father would move us around the country and my mother would take me as her travel buddy exploring each new city as well as far flung places. The seed was planted and staying in any one place too long just didn’t sit right. I always thought the only traveling professionals were nurses until 8 years ago when I met another allied health traveler. The timing wasn’t right, but it allowed me to dream of a future where I could combine my career of choice and my passion for travel. Being paid to intensively explore a new area of America every 3 months with as much time as I wanted to take off between assignments was a dream. And thus, I accepted a contract position in southern Oregon. Just about as far as one can get from Florida. I opted to take a weeklong solo road trip across America to get there.
Starting at home we took some time to play to tourist in St. Augustine, Fl. We camped at Anastasia state park, walked the beach, enjoyed some donuts, visited the Alligator Farm, Ripley’s believe it or not, the oldest school house, the old jail and the oldest store, and a few other things. I’ll save that for another blog post.
Early Sunday morning I did the last minute packing and set out for St. Louis. A nearly 13 hour drive along a route I had done many times before. I saw deer grazing along the interstate, watched the sun rise over a Coca Cola factory in Tifton and stopped at a Buc-ees in Macon.
I arrived to my friends house in time for a lovely walk around her neighborhood and then we set of for dinner at a 1920s era restored soda fountain aptly named Fountain on Locust. We’ve been here for dessert before, but I’d never tried their food. I ordered the two cups of soup and side salad special. That nights soup of the day was an amazing curry mulligatawny and my other choice was a white chicken chili with the Stutz special salad. Everything here is made in house and I don’t think you could be disappointed by any of it.
The atmosphere here feels indulgent. Old varnished wooden booths, richly colored walls, ornate lighting and era style music piped in just add to the experience.
Unquestionably, you need to order dessert here. Whether that dessert is alcoholic in the form of a multi-page choice of cocktails or ice cream you can’t go wrong. They are, however, famous for their late night delight. A fantastical sundae meant for sharing. A house made slice of pineapple upside down cake topped with butter pecan, coconut and butter pecan ice creams, drizzled with a bourbon sauce, whipped cream and brûléed bananas.
If you just can’t decide… well, I don’t blame you, but you can order the gambler. They make sure there isn’t anything you’ll either hate or be allergic to and the bartender whips you up a surprise sundae.
I was exhausted and passed out despite the sugar rush. Luckily for me, my friends are also early risers and we set off across town to The Shake for a few laughs over the menu, a chance to scribble on the walls and eat some gut bustlingly, filling breakfast choices.
I had “Ma, the meatloaf “ a bacon wrapped chunk of meatloaf atop crispy hash browns topped with two sunny side up eggs and gravy. It was spicy, savory and a delight. My friends ordered the “make your own dang quesadilla” (a breakfast version they do, in fact, make for you), as well as “why the French hate us”; a sausage hot dog placed in a croissant and topped with scrambled eggs, cheese and sausage gravy. We split the Cinnamon Toast Crunch Belgian waffle.
Fully satisfied I hugged my friends goodbye and drove to my next destination to see another friend. My goal was an easy 7 hour drive to Lincoln, Nebraska home of the Cornhuskers. Since I didn’t want to arrive before they finished work I built in a pit stop in Kansas City, Mo.
Here, I was able to take in the WWI memorial and the money museum. The museum is located at the federal reserve. It requires reservations, but it is free and includes parking. It’s a short walk from the memorial. It was a cute little space that had displays of old coins and cash and gives you the chance to watch employees of the reserve count and pack thousands of dollars in cash at a time. You even get to walk out with a bag of (shredded) money for free.
As it was lunch time I followed a few great reviews and drove to Joe’s Kansas City BBQ for a meal. You can’t stop in a city at lunch and not grab a bite of an iconic cuisine.
I wasn’t altogether hungry so I ordered a brisket sandwich with a side of mac ‘n cheese. Everything was delicious! I waited in line for nearly an hour on a weekday at noon, but I’d do it again. The bread for the sandwich was very fresh, the sauce was tasty and the smell of smoked meats filled the air. While the Mac ‘n cheese side was expensive it was one of the best, creamiest Mac ‘n cheese dishes I’ve ever had. If I ever stop by again I would prioritize this dish. If you come here get yourself some.
As I was leaving I saw the local farmers market arena and stopped to take a photo of the murals.
On the road once again, I had a few hours until my next destination. It went relatively quickly listening to podcasts. I arrived late in the afternoon and caught up with my friends. They took me to the old rail yard area that has been converted to bars, restaurants and shops all centrally located near the college football stadium. I’d begged my friends to take me for a steak dinner which they obliged, but first took me on a lovely tour showing off their great city.
While I’m sure my experience was not typical, I was extremely disappointed by the service and quality of our steak dinner. I feel terrible my friends had to experience such a poor meal when we’d all had such high hopes. Once I’d finally gotten the steak properly cooked, and had a steak knife brought out it was ok. I don’t think I’d go back unless it was for whisky. They have a stellar selection.
After dinner we drove to the campus for dessert at the Dairy Store. An ice cream parlor run by college students. He showed off the building he went to school and they pointed out where they’d taken their daughter for a photo shoot as an infant. By the way, the tractor test toffee was pretty darn tasty. If I ever went back earlier in the day, they also sell coffee and they’re missing a chance to sell affogato, but I’m sure they’d be willing to make one if requested.
Early the next morning, I took a walk in the neighborhood full of charming homes with beautiful lawns. When everyone was up and ready to go we headed to breakfast.
Good Evans is adorable. It’s an insta-worthy breakfast and lunch place for sure. The decision was a tough one, but I was in need of something erring in the side of healthy so I went for the steel cut oats and sourdough bread.
Once again I was packed into my car and on the road with miles of corn fields and rolling hills between me and my next destination. This time I was planning to spend two nights with my brother in Estes Park, Co. my parents drove down to see me as well. We cooked dinner at home and my mom made cannolis for desert. You couldn’t beat the view!
Waking in the morning we savored a cup of coffee on the back porch wrapped up in sweats. 44 degrees in the summer is pretty chilly for me.
Once the sun came out I changed to shorts and we went into town to enjoy a canoe ride on Lake Estes.
My niece works at the Marina so she was able to join me on the canoe. My parents opted to go shopping for that nights dinner instead.
We had a make your own fajita bar and I went for a bowl. My sister in law is from Texas so when she does Mexican food she does all the fixings and some adult lemonade to savor right along with it.
I hugged out my goodbyes and took off down the road just after sunrise. I had a long day ahead but wanted to drive with the sun as there are so many animals that an accident is much likelier in the dark. In fact, big horn sheep were grazing on the side of the road as I made my way down.
Driving west across Wyoming I came across various snow fences and it made me remember my high school years in North Dakota. I realized how removed I am from a way of life where I worry about blowing winds closing the interstate with drifts of snow.
I drove past buttes at the Flaming River gorge as I made my way into Utah.
The scenery began to change from white and green plains to red rocks as I crawled ever closer to the border.
About an hour and half west of Salt Lake City lie the Bonneville Salt Flats. Here you can surround yourself with miles and miles of salt caked to the ground. Not only does the dazzling white crust feel like another planet, the mountains in the background add to the atmosphere. It’s wild driving on a pure white salt road for miles. Arriving a day before the annual speedway races, there were quite a few racers already setting up camp, yet I was able to find a place all to myself.
In photographs the mountains seem so minute. There really is no way to give scale to this much salt. My car was crusted, my feet were caked and the black carpets of my car were all covered in salt. It was 104 degrees in the desert even with rain clouds starting to move in. I’d definitely need a car wash now.
My final destination for the evening was Elko, NV. You could see the silhouette of mountains looming but the smoke from forest fires hundreds of miles away kept them from being defined shapes. I checked into my room and walked down the street to Wingers and ordered a half Cobb salad and ate about half of that. This thing was loaded to the brim with goodies! A quarter of an avocado, half a grilled chicken breast, a whole egg, loads of bacon bits and cheese. It was amazing. I was more tired than hungry and didn’t manage a photo. I gulped a bunch of water and headed to bed.
My original plan had me waking early as usual with a several hour pit stop in Lassen Volcanic national park, but the park was closed due to the Dixie wildfire so I relaxed in bed for a bit longer. Breakfast was included at my hotel so I ate a decent enough meal to ensure I wouldn’t have a need to stop for lunch if that became iffy. Who knows what is closed when wildfires abound.
I started seeing sides of the road all the way up the nearby hills with charred trees and scorched grasses. These were old, but the smell of fires clung to the air.
Further up near the top of the hill passing through the Lassen national forest the smoke got intense blotting out the sun and firefighters had roads roped off.
It felt truly eerie. I said a silent prayer for all those affected by the fires and the people fighting them. I can’t imagine what they’re feeling. As I came off of the mountain the sky had regained some of its blue color and the sun started to shine again. Dropping into Redding, Ca the smoke is still around, but it’s comparatively less intense. I happened to drive right past a wonderful $10 car wash with attendants that use brushes to hand scrub your car before sending it through the wash and finish by hand drying it with a chamois. I didn’t even have to wait in line, although, there was one when I finished. I unloaded my things at the hotel and stopped at Trader Joe’s for some frozen Indian food I could microwave back at the room. If you haven’t tried it, the channa masala is wonderful with their fresh naan. One thing did catch my eye and I had to grab it.
A very tangy, sweet crunch of popcorn. I’m a sucker for key lime and this version is so good.
Redwood national park
After spending the evening stretching out in my hotel room I fell asleep early and woke up to the last leg of my trip. A drive through Northern California up I-5 through Ashford, Oregon; a town known for their Shakespearean festival, and Medford on my way to the coast. My final destination was a small coastal town a few miles from the California border. I took in as many sites of this gorgeous coastline as time allowed, but I had to meet my landlord and take care of a few items to be ready to start my new contract here in southern Oregon.
I’ll have plenty of time to explore the beaches and river in my new “home”. I hope you’ll join me on some more adventures in the PNW.
We have lived in Florida for nearly two decades, and in that time, Disney has become part of us. We have been annual pass holders off and on for almost as long, and in all that time we have never visited a water park. Not once. How can avid Disney world fans do such a thing? It’s easy. Our special rate passes don’t include water parks, and we tend to avoid Orlando tourist attractions in the summer. We can go anytime, why visit when it’s overly crowded and during the worst weather of the year? This year, however, my sons came down in late July for a visit and wanted to do a theme park. Ugh. What fun could be had in the dog days of summer at a theme park for 3 kids ages 20, 12 and 6? These are decent age gaps not easily filled. I had a task, and I would not fail. We had done Aquatica with great results, but I didn’t want to return. We have the benefit of being able to book rooms at the military resort, Shades of Green; hence, Disney made a fairly obvious choice.
The decision as to which of the two parks was a difficult one. Should we go tropical and do Typhoon Lagoon or pretend it isn’t 98 degrees and 100% humidity and hit up Blizzard Beach? Turns out; I didn’t have to decide. When you buy a Disney water park ticket, it’s a park hopper. Meaning, you can split your day between both parks. During the summer they are both open from 10am-8pm. A bonus is that the drink mug you purchase in one park is good for them both on the same day. So if you’re debating buying it, do it early and get your money’s worth. You don’t have to feel obliged to purchase, however, as these parks allow families to bring coolers filled with drinks and snacks into the park so long as there is no alcohol or glass. The other perk of being a Disney resort guest, and yes, Shades of Green is included, is that the $2 towel rental fee is waived. Well, that was easy.
After having read through various other blogs and boards, I learned that the parking lots for the water parks are a lot smaller than the other theme parks and we should arrive early. The plan was formulated to spend 3 hours at Typhoon Lagoon first. Why first? That night was H20 glow party, and we knew at 6pm the guests from that separately purchased event would begin arriving making the park even busier. The point at which we decided to switch parks was perfect for a late lunch then on to Blizzard beach to close out the day. We pulled into Typhoon Lagoon at 9am much to the despair of my sleep loving family and were not the first family parking but nowhere near the last. The lots have much more tree cover, hence, more shade still not having to walk from the far end in swimsuits was a blessing. We did have to wait until 9:30am to be allowed in and then another 25 min to get past the ropes. Luckily, the bathrooms, towel rental, and life vests were on our side of the ropes. We were allowed in a few minutes before opening and made a beeline to a set of 5 lounge chairs. Our prime spot was a back row in front of the lagoon under a copse of palm trees also located a short walk to the bathrooms and drink refills. It was a perfect spot. We actually only used it for a very brief time, and we gave up all but 2 places to latecomers. We did rent a locker for cell phones and car keys. Well worth the $10 for piece of mind.
First up was Miss Adventure falls, the only animatronic ride in either water park. The three kids and I piled into a large, but not large enough, raft and were carried up a hill. The view was thrilling, and then we made our way swiftly down the “falls.” Finding there was still no wait, we rode again in two rafts. I am 6′ tall and my eldest son is 6’9″. Even with two smaller kids, it’s challenging to find space for legs altogether. The next ride was Crush’n Gusher. We rode all three courses, each more fun than the last. I think this may have won for the best ride. We spent the next few hours being blasted by tsunami style waves every 90 seconds and exploring all the other rides. Most we did together, but a few the kids branched off without us. I would not allow my two youngest into the deep end of the lagoon alone. The waves are no joke, and neither are the throngs of people being thrown at you. Most rides outside of the kiddie park had a 48″ height requirement, and I don’t believe we found any with height maximums. Yes, there are some rides at nearly every major theme park with restrictions over 6’8″. This typically doesn’t apply to enough people to be a concern, but if you’re exceptionally tall, you are good at the water parks. 3pm arrived, and we made a short trip to our car and headed to the golden arches for a quick, relatively cheap lunch. Not my favorite, but a kid favorite and a guarantee everyone would eat. Plus, the ice cream machine was working, and those $1 icy cold treats were a savior.
We pulled into Blizzard Beach expecting the worst. I had images of us not finding parking, or seating, or shade or waiting in terrible lines. I was wrong. We found a front row parking spot and had our choice of shady lounge chairs. The early morning crowds had cleared out, and the after 2pm water park pass people had kept at bay. We took the chair lift, our most extended wait, to the top where the boys decided to take the Summit Plummet’s 12 story drop slide. I chickened out. I went to the observation deck and watched my family fly down the slides. My husband and daughter did the double dipper. He’s a big guy too, and he told me he went airborne after dip two. The Summit Plummet has a speedometer at the bottom so you can see how fast you’ve gone. The fastest person I saw was going 52 mph! We did Teamboat springs together as the only ride that holds 6 people at once. We didn’t have a problem fitting each of us onto one raft, and it won for the best ride in this park. The only ride we did multiple times, though, was the Runoff Rapids. There was never a line. It seems pretty self-limiting in that you have to climb several hundred stairs to make it to the top. There are two open tubes and one enclosed. The enclosed is mostly dark with pinpricks of light but goes a lot faster and seems so long. The lagoon here is much more my style. With a bottomless, but manageable wave pool. Chilling in my raft, bobbing on the waves was relaxing, and we stayed until park close.
Both parks have magnificent lazy rivers, sandy beaches, kiddie areas, great slides, and big lagoons. The photographers will give you a laminated card with a rubber band at the start of the day and load all your pictures onto it. If you have the app, they will all pop up for you to peruse by the next day. Oddly, I expected in the heat of summer for these parks to be a madhouse. We experienced wait times no longer than 15 min, we never had a problem parking or finding a seat and never lacked a raft when required. The cost being under $70 per person with two parks to choose from was a steal. Even in winter, the pools are heated. I don’t know why we put this off so long, but we will be back again for sure.
Eating Around 