Onshore Offshore’s Guide to Key West
No one could be happier and more excited than I am to announce that Onshore Offshore is expanding to include regular coverage and distribution in the Florida Keys. The Keys have always been my favorite place to vacation. While I love it here at home in Tarpon Springs, there is just something special about being down in the islands. I think it’s a combination of the beautiful scenery, great fishing, outstanding food and drinks, great places to stay plus all kinds of interesting shopping opportunities. Key West is definitely the one destination that my wife and I can always agree on.
After making many trips spread over many years, I have settled on lots of favorite places in the Keys that I would like to share with others who may not have spent as much time there. If, like me, you have been there many times, don’t stop reading now; you might still learn something new.
This is by no means a complete listing of everything fun in the Keys and I am sorry if I left out your favorites. If I tried to cover it all, this would be a several hundred-page book, not a short article. For ease of writing I have categorized the various attractions that I will discuss into Lodging, Fishing, Food, Bars and Entertainment and Shopping.
Lodging:
I have stayed all over Key West and have a few good suggestions regarding my choice of lodging. To select the best lodging for your trip, you must first decide what you hope to do and what is important to you.
When I make a several day trip to the Keys and want to bring a boat, I usually stay at Pelican Landing. Pelican Landing is a high rise (by keys standards) condo complex located on the edge of old town and managed by Key West Hideaways. They offer nice modern units with free sheltered dockage for your boat, a nice pool and tiki bar area, fish cleaning station, on site parking, wireless internet and much more. I think this is the best place in Key West for the fisherman who also wants access to Duval Street’s entertainment.
When I make a weekend trip to the Keys (I usually don’t bring a boat for short trips), I sometimes like to stay at the Casa Marina Hotel. Casa Marina is one of the few places in the Keys with a nice beach and it has recently undergone a complete renovation and become a member of the Waldorf Astoria chain. The Casa Marina is a historic hotel, built in 1920 by Henry Flagler who brought the railroad to Key West.
I also have enjoyed staying at the Weston Key West Resort and Marina where you are adjacent to a nice marina frequented by mega-yachts and very near Duval Street and Mallory Square. If you want to do the Duval Crawl with a minimum of walking, this may be the place for you.
There are also many smaller hotels and B&B’s located all over old town. The Garden Hotel is a beautiful small place. It is so popular that their rooms are often booked many months in advance, so plan ahead. There are numerous rental management companies that can assist you in finding B&B’s and houses that do short term rentals. Key West Hideaways offers many interesting units to suit all budgets and meet any needs. I have stayed in several of their units and never been disappointed.
Fishing:
The Keys offer all kinds of saltwater fishing ranging from bonefish and permit on the flats to Tarpon in the cut, grouper and snapper on the reefs and dolphin, sails and tuna beyond the reefs. There are great Charter Captains on every corner who offer all kinds of equipment ranging from small flats skiffs for skinny water all the way up to 80-foot sport fishing yachts for serious offshore comfort. For those that really want to make that epic fishing trip, you can do an excursion to the Dry Tortugas to fish areas where there is little pressure on the fish and they grow up big and mean.
There are too many good Captains to even begin to list them all, but a couple of interesting options in the Key West area are Captain Rob Harris of Conchy Joe’s Marine and Tackle and David Brian of David Brian Jewelers. Capt. Rob does offshore charters in both a 30 footer and a custom 80 foot sport fishing yacht, stop in and see him at Conchy Joes.
You may ask what is a jeweler doing taking folks fishing, but David Brian combines his business of making and selling fine custom jewelry with his love of boating and fishing. Over the years, I have bought several nice pieces of jewelry for my wife from David. Besides selling a beautiful product, David offers the fisherman a significant incentive to purchase his product by taking customers out to fish on his beautiful 50 foot Buddy Davis sportfish or his smaller 23 footer. This is a great way to keep everybody happy.
Food:
The Keys has everything from tiny little hole in the wall bars to unbelievably nice 5 star restaurants equal to any in the world. Once again, there are far too many to even begin to name them all, but I have to list a few of my favorites in a number of categories.
Fine Dining:
Latitudes on Sunset Key is my favorite fine dining experience. It can only be reached by boat from the Westin, which makes the experience even more special. My wife and I celebrated our 30th anniversary and it was a night to remember.
Commodores located adjacent to the A&B Marina is not quite as elaborate but is still a beautiful setting overlooking the marina and all kinds of interesting boats. The food is always excellent and service is first class. I have celebrated many special occasions here.
Michaels is located on Margaret Street a little off of the beaten path, but still not far from all of the activity on Duval. It is a quiet little place that is frequented by locals and the lucky tourist who happens to stumble on it. Food is exceptional and service is second to none.
Casual Dining:
Blue Heaven is one of the many unique and unusual places that you find in the Keys. It has a great open-air courtyard where they serve a truly exceptional breakfast. The last time I was there I thoroughly enjoyed an outstanding lobster omelet. The courtyard here is a good place to watch the beautiful Key’s Chickens.
Margaritaville is just one of those places you have to visit when in Key West. A good Cheeseburger can always be had here with lots of tropical drinks and Parrothead fun.
Hogs Breath Saloon is great all day for a relaxed atmosphere, great sandwiches and the best Bloody Mary in town. Whenever I am in town, I can be found around their bar in the morning for a couple of these to start my day. It is also a great party place as the evening gets cranked up.
There are several great casual waterfront places to dine near the Key West Seaport. Schooner’s Wharf, Turtle Kraals and Half Shell Raw Bar are just a few of these. On my most recent trip we took some fresh caught snapper to Half Shell Raw Bar and they cooked it up and served it as a family style meal that was second to none. What a great way to end a nice day of fishing.
Bars and Entertainment:
Some of the most diverse entertainment that I have ever seen is found all over Key West. There is great music everywhere, there are historic places to tour, museums to visit and theaters to attend. A few of my favorite things are:
Captain Tony’s is a legend that you have to experience. It’s a laid back bar that offers a variety of live entertainment. I must admit that it is not quite the same since the Captain passed away a couple of years ago, but its still a must see place.
Sloppy Joes is another legend that lives on. Check it out for some of the best rock and roll on the island. The party never ends here.
For those not into the bar scene there are many other things to do. Newcomers to Key West who don’t know the interesting history of the island will find the Conch Train to be a very worthwhile experience. This tour takes you all over old town and regales you with tales of the many interesting characters who made Key West what it is. If you have been frequenting the many bars prior to your ride, make sure you make a restroom stop before starting this trip. I made this mistake once and it was painful.
For a unique theater experience, check out La Te Da for the classiest drag show on the island. Performers here are incredibly talented and very very funny. You will really think you are watching Cher, Joan Rivers, Mae West and many others live on the stage. This is not for the kids, but is tastefully done.
Shopping:
Anything you could possibly want can be found in the many unique shops on and around Duval Street. I’m not much of a shopper but there are still some shops that I enjoy. There are also great bars on every block so you can shop a little and then take a break to cool off.
For the supplies needed by the fisherman, try Conchy Joe’s on North Roosevelt. They stock everything needed from a full supply of live and frozen bait to a great selection of rods, reels and other tackle. They can also help you find the right Captain and boat for a special charter. If you like to try your fishing farther east in the Keys, try Linda’s Bait Shack on Big Pine Key for all your bait and tackle needs plus friendly people who love to talk fishing.
Getting to Key West:
Key West is not the easiest place in the world to get to. You can either make the very long, but very scenic drive through the Keys, take a short and easy flight (like those provided by Seacoast Air Lines or ride the shuttle boat out of Fort Meyers. I have traveled all of these routes and I can honestly say that they are all great for different purposes.
The long drive is the only option for those of us who like to take a boat along. The drive is also the best way to fully experience the ambience of the Florida Keys but If you only have a couple days for a quick getaway, the drive is simply too long.
Seacoast Air Lines offers very reasonable scheduled flight service from St. Pete/Clearwater Airport to Key West and Marathon. The flights are quick and trouble free, with the experience being more like a private charter. Their flights are a great way to enjoy a quick weekend getaway. Some major airlines also offer flights to Key West, but they are usually more expensive and not as convenient to use.
The final way to get to Key West involves driving to Fort Meyers and taking a beautiful 4-hour boat ride on the Key West Express Shuttle. This takes longer than flying but is quicker and easier than making the drive. I have done this trip several times and it is both fun and inexpensive. The only potential drawback is the possibility that the boat can be cancelled if weather creates dangerous sea conditions.
This doesn’t begin to even scratch the surface, but it does give you an idea of what a special place the Keys can be. Take your own trip there soon and pick your own favorites.
Merle Seamon is one of the owner’s of Onshore Offshore and a frequent visitor to the Keys.
You can reach Key West Hideaways at (305) 296-9090 or www.keywesthideaways.com
You can reach Conchy Joe’s at (305) 295-7745 or conchyjoe2000@msn.com
You Can Reach David Brian at (305) 394-0928 or davidbrianjewelers@hotmail.com
You can Reach Linda’s Bait Shack at (305) 872-0650
No one could be happier and more excited than I am to announce that Onshore Offshore is expanding to include regular coverage and distribution in the Florida Keys. The Keys have always been my favorite place to vacation. While I love it here at home in Tarpon Springs, there is just something special about being down in the islands. I think it’s a combination of the beautiful scenery, great fishing, outstanding food and drinks, great places to stay plus all kinds of interesting shopping opportunities. Key West is definitely the one destination that my wife and I can always agree on.
After making many trips spread over many years, I have settled on lots of favorite places in the Keys that I would like to share with others who may not have spent as much time there. If, like me, you have been there many times, don’t stop reading now; you might still learn something new.
This is by no means a complete listing of everything fun in the Keys and I am sorry if I left out your favorites. If I tried to cover it all, this would be a several hundred-page book, not a short article. For ease of writing I have categorized the various attractions that I will discuss into Lodging, Fishing, Food, Bars and Entertainment and Shopping.
Lodging:
I have stayed all over Key West and have a few good suggestions regarding my choice of lodging. To select the best lodging for your trip, you must first decide what you hope to do and what is important to you.
When I make a several day trip to the Keys and want to bring a boat, I usually stay at Pelican Landing. Pelican Landing is a high rise (by keys standards) condo complex located on the edge of old town and managed by Key West Hideaways. They offer nice modern units with free sheltered dockage for your boat, a nice pool and tiki bar area, fish cleaning station, on site parking, wireless internet and much more. I think this is the best place in Key West for the fisherman who also wants access to Duval Street’s entertainment. When I make a weekend trip to the Keys (I usually don’t bring a boat for short trips), I sometimes like to stay at the Casa Marina Hotel. Casa Marina is one of the few places in the Keys with a nice beach and it has recently undergone a complete renovation and become a member of the Waldorf Astoria chain. The Casa Marina is a historic hotel, built in 1920 by Henry Flagler who brought the railroad to Key West.
I also have enjoyed staying at the Weston Key West Resort and Marina where you are adjacent to a nice marina frequented by mega-yachts and very near Duval Street and Mallory Square. If you want to do the Duval Crawl with a minimum of walking, this may be the place for you.
There are also many smaller hotels and B&B’s located all over old town. The Garden Hotel is a beautiful small place. It is so popular that their rooms are often booked many months in advance, so plan ahead. There are numerous rental management companies that can assist you in finding B&B’s and houses that do short term rentals. Key West Hideaways offers many interesting units to suit all budgets and meet any needs. I have stayed in several of their units and never been disappointed.
Fishing:
The Keys offer all kinds of saltwater fishing ranging from bonefish and permit on the flats to Tarpon in the cut, grouper and snapper on the reefs and dolphin, sails and tuna beyond the reefs. There are great Charter Captains on every corner who offer all kinds of equipment ranging from small flats skiffs for skinny water all the way up to 80-foot sport fishing yachts for serious offshore comfort. For those that really want to make that epic fishing trip, you can do an excursion to the Dry Tortugas to fish areas where there is little pressure on the fish and they grow up big and mean.
There are too many good Captains to even begin to list them all, but a couple of interesting options in the Key West area are Captain Rob Harris of Conchy Joe’s Marine and Tackle and David Brian of David Brian Jewelers. Capt. Rob does offshore charters in both a 30 footer and a custom 80 foot sport fishing yacht, stop in and see him at Conchy Joes.
You may ask what is a jeweler doing taking folks fishing, but David Brian combines his business of making and selling fine custom jewelry with his love of boating and fishing. Over the years, I have bought several nice pieces of jewelry for my wife from David. Besides selling a beautiful product, David offers the fisherman a significant incentive to purchase his product by taking customers out to fish on his beautiful 50 foot Buddy Davis sportfish or his smaller 23 footer. This is a great way to keep everybody happy.
Food:
The Keys has everything from tiny little hole in the wall bars to unbelievably nice 5 star restaurants equal to any in the world. Once again, there are far too many to even begin to name them all, but I have to list a few of my favorites in a number of categories.
Fine Dining:
Latitudes on Sunset Key is my favorite fine dining experience. It can only be reached by boat from the Westin, which makes the experience even more special. My wife and I celebrated our 30th anniversary and it was a night to remember.
Commodores located adjacent to the A&B Marina is not quite as elaborate but is still a beautiful setting overlooking the marina and all kinds of interesting boats. The food is always excellent and service is first class. I have celebrated many special occasions here.
Michaels is located on Margaret Street a little off of the beaten path, but still not far from all of the activity on Duval. It is a quiet little place that is frequented by locals and the lucky tourist who happens to stumble on it. Food is exceptional and service is second to none.
Casual Dining:
Blue Heaven is one of the many unique and unusual places that you find in the Keys. It has a great open-air courtyard where they serve a truly exceptional breakfast. The last time I was there I thoroughly enjoyed an outstanding lobster omelet. The courtyard here is a good place to watch the beautiful Key’s Chickens.
Margaritaville is just one of those places you have to visit when in Key West. A good Cheeseburger can always be had here with lots of tropical drinks and Parrothead fun.
Hogs Breath Saloon is great all day for a relaxed atmosphere, great sandwiches and the best Bloody Mary in town. Whenever I am in town, I can be found around their bar in the morning for a couple of these to start my day. It is also a great party place as the evening gets cranked up.
There are several great casual waterfront places to dine near the Key West Seaport. Schooner’s Wharf, Turtle Kraals and Half Shell Raw Bar are just a few of these. On my most recent trip we took some fresh caught snapper to Half Shell Raw Bar and they cooked it up and served it as a family style meal that was second to none. What a great way to end a nice day of fishing.
Bars and Entertainment:
Some of the most diverse entertainment that I have ever seen is found all over Key West. There is great music everywhere, there are historic places to tour, museums to visit and theaters to attend. A few of my favorite things are:
Captain Tony’s is a legend that you have to experience. It’s a laid back bar that offers a variety of live entertainment. I must admit that it is not quite the same since the Captain passed away a couple of years ago, but its still a must see place.
Sloppy Joes is another legend that lives on. Check it out for some of the best rock and roll on the island. The party never ends here.
For those not into the bar scene there are many other things to do. Newcomers to Key West who don’t know the interesting history of the island will find the Conch Train to be a very worthwhile experience. This tour takes you all over old town and regales you with tales of the many interesting characters who made Key West what it is. If you have been frequenting the many bars prior to your ride, make sure you make a restroom stop before starting this trip. I made this mistake once and it was painful.
For a unique theater experience, check out La Te Da for the classiest drag show on the island. Performers here are incredibly talented and very very funny. You will really think you are watching Cher, Joan Rivers, Mae West and many others live on the stage. This is not for the kids, but is tastefully done.
Shopping:
Anything you could possibly want can be found in the many unique shops on and around Duval Street. I’m not much of a shopper but there are still some shops that I enjoy. There are also great bars on every block so you can shop a little and then take a break to cool off.
For the supplies needed by the fisherman, try Conchy Joe’s on North Roosevelt. They stock everything needed from a full supply of live and frozen bait to a great selection of rods, reels and other tackle. They can also help you find the right Captain and boat for a special charter. If you like to try your fishing farther east in the Keys, try Linda’s Bait Shack on Big Pine Key for all your bait and tackle needs plus friendly people who love to talk fishing.
Getting to Key West:
Key West is not the easiest place in the world to get to. You can either make the very long, but very scenic drive through the Keys, take a short and easy flight (like those provided by Seacoast Air Lines or ride the shuttle boat out of Fort Meyers. I have traveled all of these routes and I can honestly say that they are all great for different purposes.
The long drive is the only option for those of us who like to take a boat along. The drive is also the best way to fully experience the ambience of the Florida Keys but If you only have a couple days for a quick getaway, the drive is simply too long.
Seacoast Air Lines offers very reasonable scheduled flight service from St. Pete/Clearwater Airport to Key West and Marathon. The flights are quick and trouble free, with the experience being more like a private charter. Their flights are a great way to enjoy a quick weekend getaway. Some major airlines also offer flights to Key West, but they are usually more expensive and not as convenient to use.
The final way to get to Key West involves driving to Fort Meyers and taking a beautiful 4-hour boat ride on the Key West Express Shuttle. This takes longer than flying but is quicker and easier than making the drive. I have done this trip several times and it is both fun and inexpensive. The only potential drawback is the possibility that the boat can be cancelled if weather creates dangerous sea conditions.
This doesn’t begin to even scratch the surface, but it does give you an idea of what a special place the Keys can be. Take your own trip there soon and pick your own favorites.
Merle Seamon is one of the owner’s of Onshore Offshore and a frequent visitor to the Keys.
You can reach Key West Hideaways at (305) 296-9090 or www.keywesthideaways.com
You can reach Conchy Joe’s at (305) 295-7745 or conchyjoe2000@msn.com
You Can Reach David Brian at (305) 394-0928 or davidbrianjewelers@hotmail.com
You can Reach Linda’s Bait Shack at (305) 872-0650
