Jaunted

We checked into the hotel, the Crowne Plaza La Concha (read my review of it on HotelChatter), and I went out for some provisions. The nearest real grocery store was a place called Fausto's, which I highly recommend as an affordable alternative to the overpriced convenience stores that abound. Loaded up on seltzer, snacks, and a bottle of chardonnay (classy) we toasted our vacation and headed out. First stop was the roof deck of the hotel for sunset, which was pretty. Then we took a stroll along Duval Street.

Duval, of course, is the main tourist strip, where all the open-air bars like Sloppy Joe's can be found. Key West is kind of like Greenwich Village on an island, and Duval Street is like the touristy part of Bleecker Street. And as in New York, as long as you get off the beaten track a little bit, it's fun and easy to deal with. Still, the crowds were fierce with day trippers and cruise shippers, and we retreated to a somewhat emptier seafood restaurant called the A&B Lobster House where our fish sandwiches and Key West Sunset Ale came with a view of boats bobbing up and down by the docks. Vacations are nice.

The next day was beach day, so we walked to Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park, paid a couple of bucks admission, paid another $35 for the use of two beach chairs and an umbrella (worth it), and started beaching. Key West isn't known for its beaches, but I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of this one. The clean white sand actually comes from the Bahamas by barge, but there was plenty of it. I would recommend bringing water shoes of some kind though, because the rocky coral can be tough on bare feet.

The water temperature was in the mid 70's and it was fun to splash around in a protected inlet. While swimming in the lagoon I finally started to shake the New York out of my system and relax. I alternated a few times between floating in the water and drying off. I like how the salt water makes my hair feel like hay when it dries in the sun.

We got cleaned up at the hotel and then headed to Mallory Square for the nightly sunset celebration. Sunset is a big deal in Key West, and everybody seems to know exactly what time it happens. The sunsets are lovely, and we experienced this one with fruity rum drinks at an outdoor bar near a street performer who did a circus act with trained cats. Yeah, Key West is nice.

That evening we had a delightful dinner on the second floor balcony of Kelly's Caribbean, a restaurant that occupies the offices where Pan Am was founded on October 27, 1927. Jenn ordered macadamia-encrusted mahi mahi and I got grilled snapper, both of which were perfect. We split an appetizer of "pinks," which are the local shrimp. They are delicious but mild tasting, excellent in a chilled shrimp cocktail. As we finished eating, a torrential downpour came and we retreated indoors, where a super-chilled vodka martini came in a huge glass with three plump olives. I was impressed with how low the bill was for everything we ordered, something like $90 before tip.

The rain tapered off and we walked slowly back to La Concha.

[All Photos: Victor Ozols]

Related Stories:
· fla-keys.com [Official Site]
· Key West Spring Break Part 1 [Jaunted]
· Key West Spring Break Part 2 [Jaunted]
· Key West Spring Break Part 3 [Jaunted]