Really didn't mean for the title to rhyme but oh well

At any rate, my sailing club is going to Key West and chartering a PDQ 36 for the week. We're planning on visiting the Tortugas for the first two days, then coming back to the Keys and hitting the "must-sees."

Last year we took a 19' mono with us down to Bahia-Honda Key and stayed there all week. While we had a blast, the chartering is a much more convenient and capable vessel.

Basically, we know about Sombrero Key, and the Lobster Reuben at Keys Fisheries ->


If You were I, where would you take your crew of 10 hardy college student sailors? (Besides Duval Street and Rick's Place)

I hope people realize that the Rick's Place bar in Key West is not our Rick's Place Sailing Resort in Key Largo. It's a bit more peaceful here.

I know Mary, and I fully intend on stopping by and saying hello to you, Rick, and Cody

It's been a few years since I've been there (too many...), but my wife and I had been making an almost yearly pilgrimage to Key West.

Ricky's Blue Heaven for food (breakfest, lunch, and dinner), as well as Half Shell Raw bar (seafood, drinks, great fish sandwhich, etc.). Blue Heaven is unique - Hemingway supposedly fought his chickens there, and supposedly some are buried in the yard. You'll dine with cats and chickens wandering around (real old-style Key West charm), and the food is awesome - off the beaten path, but worth it. Don't waste your time in Margaritaville - actually the most gawd-awful margarita I've ever had, and their Cheeseburger in Paradise wasn't worth it either! Don't bother with Kelly's - great place, lame food. Lots of good bars, Hammerhead's brewpub on Duval has good suds. I wouldn't waste my time in places like Hard Rock Cafe' and Hooters and the like - you can do that anywhere. There are a lot of good places to eat, stay away from the obvious tourist traps.

The beach at the state park with the fort (can't remember the name right now...) is preferable to Smather's beach - there's less crowd, shade, you can snorkle right off the beach (no corral, but lots of corral rock), and you can wander the fort. It may not be the place if you're looking for other things besides relaxation...

If you haven't had enough of sailing and snorkling, go on one of the catamaran cruises, they offer sunset, snorkle, or combos.

Do take the time to do a kayak tour of the mangrove islands. I forget the name of the place we did it with (based on Duval, other end from the main spots), but if you get a guide named Scot (older guy, does survival training for the military) you're in for a treat. Doing this got my wife and I into kayaking! Fed lobster to a huge grouper, paddled through flats with baby nurse and other sharks, saw all the plants we could eat - I could go on and on about that little excursion!

One piece of advice we took when we first went to Key West that I'm glad we took - take the Conk Train Tour as the first thing you do. It sounds corny, but you get to see things you'd miss otherwise, and it'll get you familiarized with the Island quickly.

Check out sunset at Mallory Square, or any of the bars at that end of town.

Don't bother renting a car - bicycles do more than fine, moped if you don't want to paddle. With a car you might spend more time looking for parking.

I'm jealous...

Keith:

Noted on the tourist trap stuff. We wont have enough money left over to do the tourist trap stuff anyways. I think that kayak tour sounds neat.

Funny you bring up the land transportation. I just called up Rent-a-wreck for a 15 passenger van. For 9 days it comes to $556 So we're gonna pack into two cars instead and save that $50/person for those little scooters that trendy people like to ride.

I think we'll go hit up the Bahia-Honda beach again. You may have to pay for it, but its simply a beautiful beach with awesome blue water. We're also trying to go ahead and program our GPS with the good snorkelling spots.

Thanks for the suggestions on the restaurants. Since we have a full galley, we're more than likely going to cook alot but you never know.

Maugan,
Are you doing a bareboat charter to the Dry Tortugas, or will you have a captain with you? If you are bareboating, I have an article I can send you from a trip by cat sailors on an F-25C and an F-27 to give you some ideas on where to stop for snorkeling on your way to and from Fort Jefferson.

By the way, if you are going to the Dry Tortugas, I think you will have to figure it as more than a two-day trip.

Okay, never mind. Rick says you can just buzz out and buzz back, no problem. Of course, Rick isn't into sightseeing and has a tendency to schedule his life down to the minute. I was just thinking you might want to stop at Dry Western Rocks and maybe spend the night at the Marquesas along the way and then take some time to tour the Fort and that kind of stuff.

We're bareboating.... also, the tortugas we're planning on leaving sunday, coming back wednesday.

Not quite sure how long it takes to get there.

The bicycle/scooter recommendation is more for around town in Key West - if you're trekking to the other keys you'll want more than that for sure!

If you only do one meal in town, Blue Heaven would be my vote...

Sounds like a fun trip!

Maugan,
Rick says it takes about four hours if you are going 10 knots.
Mary

Whoops, the article I have says it is actually 70 miles from Key West to Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas. That's a pretty long trip.

I'm planning on a day and night in each direction. That way if we get stuck in storms or doldrums, we can make up some time and still be on schedule.

Keith: Yeah the scooters would be for just around town. Our marina is quite a bit away from Duval, and you know us college students, we want to be in the middle of all the action, so more than likely, we'll just appoint a (underage) DD more than likely.

Keith: I'll be sure to have tons of pictures taken so you can feel like you're there I'll be up home in MD the weekend after,putting my hobie back together, maybe I could get some sand-in-a-bottle for you or something

You have to go to Little Italy right down from the KOA campground I think on Big Pine Key. Fantastic food.
Oh and the rest of the keys are pretty cool too !
Snorkeling/diving off John Pennikamp State Park-Key Largo

We hit the Tourist info/ Chamber of Commerce in Key West and they hooked us up with a B&B(The Cuban House) for $50 night right off Duval. Normal rates were 200+. They have some inside connections you may want to know about

Have Fun!
David Mosley.