As we were arriving in the Florida Keys, I noticed this monument and wanted to make sure to return…read morehere and learn about what had happened. A powerful Category 5 hurricane hit on September 2, 1935 (Labor Day) and it remains the strongest on record in the United States with winds reaching 185 miles per hour. The storm killed over 400+ people across the Florida Keys and many of these people were military veterans. The memorial holds all the ashes of those who lost their lives. It's a beautiful memorial and so glad we took the time to pay homage to all the souls lost here.

A quick stop on our way back north but worth it. A very interesting and sad part of the Keys…read morehistory. There are some nice descriptive panels both in front and behind the monument. You can tell this was built during the 30s given the classic WPA design. Turn off of Hwy and spend a few minutes checking this out.

This historic park has a lot of great history here. I'd recommend reading about it on Wikipedia and…read moremany other websites. It's an island off the coast of Islamorada, FL. It was a fun trip from Robbies. We rented 5 kayaks to go out on the water. Most of the water was shallow until after you get past the bridge, the water will become deeper. They provide you a path to follow and a map to ensure that you stay away from the current. You have the option to go with a guide, but we went together and did just fine. It took us 35 minutes to get from Robbies to the Island via Kayak. When you arrive, they have an area that they recommend you to park your kayaks at. Now there are other locations but if you seen them, this is the best location to stop at for sure. The island is small and difficult to understand that there was a neighborhood here once upon a time in 1863, over 100 years ago. We were able to make it to the other side of the island. Members of our team decided to go swimming at the top of the surface to see what they seen under the water. One thing it was very hot on this day, so it worked our well. The island doesn't have lots to offer, but can be a good day to paddle out, explore, even take a lunch and relax until it's time to go back.

Indian Key State Historic Site is situated on an island, and configured to illustrate its history…read more  It's a fun and easy trip by kayak from Robbie's Kayak Shop.  Tip: When you're on the island you'll find well-marked signs that guide you on a walk around the points of interest.  You can even download an audio about the tour and play it on your phone. This is a nice way to spend an hour or so, and it makes coming here even more fun if you come by kayak :-)

The old seven miles bridge is worth the drive from Miami…read more It's about 2.5 hours drive from downtown Miami. It's great for either an early in the morning or late in the afternoon activity. The bridge starts at the end of Marathon key along the US1 southbound. There is a parking lot with about 20+ spots, otherwise you can park on the other side of the road. I enjoyed a lot the 4 miles round trip walk between Marathon and Pigeon key where the bridge ends. I wished I had a less cloudy day but overall I got a good weather.

I drove over this bridge after heading down from Miami to Islamorada for a destination wedding, and…read morethen to Key West for an extended vacation. It really is a marvel of engineering and human know-how. Almost 7 total miles long its kind of a scary and beautiful ride to experience. You're surrounded by nothing but amazingly blue water. You'd perhaps recognize this bridge from movies such as True Lies when Arnold save Jamie Lee before the limo she is in dives into the water. There are actually two bridges in this location. The modern bridge, constructed from 1978 to 1982, is open to vehicular traffic. The older one only to pedestrians and cyclists which was constructed from 1909 - 1912.

YES, ITS A GIANT CONCH…read more.. We finally got the chance to devour the unmatched beauty of the Giant Pink Key West Conch at the Key West High School. The mascot for the school is properly named "The Fighting Conch" It surely brings attention to the school for every visitor driving thru Key West. During the pic, a rooster walked by to say hello which is very common in Key West.

When you like weird and unusual stops like I do when you travel, then be sure to make a stop here…read more Standing in front of you will be an almost 20 foot high conch shell. Its location is at Key West High School and the local mascot is called the Fighting Conch. This fitting conch shell is truly a symbol of the city of Key West and makes for a fun stop and photograph.

Ever since we moved to Florida, we've wanted to come down to Key West and take a picture with this…read morelandmark! My husband is originally from Northern Maine, so we've basically been to both ends of the highway now! There really isn't a ton to do here itself. It's mainly a tourist landmark for grabbing that iconic photo, with a place nearby to grab a drink. But I think it's a really cool stop for what it is! If you're visiting Key West, you might as well stop, snap the picture, and say you've been to the Southernmost Point!

A trip to Key West is not complete without visiting this iconic place.. we went on a weekend and…read morethat too in the afternoon, it was one of the worst waits we ever had.. took us about 45 minutes in the long queue.. that too in scotching heat !! Kids were annoyed with the wait times in the heat ! They took pics of us and used ChatGPT and Claude to just put this in the background and it was so real ! As parents we still waited 45 plus minutes just to get the same pic they got with Claude every family was taking its own time . Sometimes a family of 10 take group pic and everyone in the family also takes solo pictures... we were like - "come on. " .. if you plan to go better go after sunset or before 9 AM... I'm not sure if it is really worth waiting in hot sun to take a pic with this !

My vacationing motto? Do all the stupid touristy ish, then do what the locals do…read more Therefore, a stop at the 0 Mile marker on the corner of Whitehead and Fleming is a must do when in Key West. We went at night and had the sign all to ourselves for about 10 minutes before another group of tourists showed up. The photos are funny and we can now say, "We did it!". Good on us. 114/2025

Another fun local photo op at Mile Marker 0. However, I chose to utilize photo editing to remove…read moremyself from the photo (with the exception of my disembodied hand on the signpost!)

Perfection and amazing Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail. . Come back to natural beauty! Enjoy…read morethe slower pace. The plan is for this trail to be eventually 106 miles long, paved from Key Largo to Key West. What a beautiful hike or bicycle ride that would be!

Gorgeous scenery. You must pull off the Overseas Hwy and stop off here. The water is like a sunset…read moreand it is so beautiful- it's aquamarine in color with tints of pink. You can fish off here, walk the little trail or just relax by the water. You muse see this beautiful water it is breathtaking.

Vanderbilt Mansion offers some history. It is now part of the Fisher island club…read more The historic Mediterranean-style Vanderbilt Mansion was designed by renowned Palm Beach architect Maurice Fatio in 1935. It houses the Garwood Lounge and Piano Bar, the Snooker Club Billiards, the City View Café, the Library Drawing Room and Salon, Café Tangier, the Grand Ballroom, and a heated saltwater pool. While Fisher Island was bought by Carl Fisher in 1919, only a year later it was traded to William Vanderbilt II. The heir interestingly received the island in exchange for a large boat and only ten dollars. Over the next two decades, the Vanderbilts owned Fisher Island where they constructed an airplane landing dock, many large houses, and their ornate mansion that is still the island's centerpiece. Ownership has changed many times since Vanderbilt's death in 1944, with Fisher Island Club holding the reins since 1987.

I had the pleasure of visiting this museum after a free yoga class hosted by Miami Dade College as…read morean activation. The museum is beautiful, very modern, with a lot of interactive stations. It is also a lovely tribute to the Cuban immigration story to the United States, and their indelible impact on the development of Miami. They had real accounts of Cubans and how they were not only processed through the Freedom Tower but also glimpses into the Cuban exodus as a whole. I happened to go while the FIFA exhibit was still there, and was very impressed with what they were showcasing, but also how it was all presented. Overall, if you're visiting from out of town or a local who wants to learn more about Miami, this cool historic building (that once also housed the Miami Newspaper) is a definite must-see.

Had the opportunity to finally visit the Freedom Tower and was amazed by the architecture and…read morecurrent exhibitions. I came for one of the recent MoAD panels discussing Purvis Young and his work. Looking forward to coming back and spending more time with the exhibitions to really appreciate the work, history, and intention of the space.

**if you have a cat allergies SKIP THIS you will be miserable. All other people this is one of the…read morebest experiences on key west. Full stop When visiting Key West this is a MUST DO. The staff are all so friendly. they keep it infomral so it's not stuffly or rehersed. In our tour group there about 15 people. 4 of whuch were kids and our guide tailored it to them which both sweet and adorable. He also mentioned multiple times that if we wnated a different experance to stick aorund for the next tour. So from tour to tour you'll get a completely different experiace and infomation which is not typical and definatly a more interesting experiance (I do a lot of antique and historically signifaicnt home tours lol) The cats are amazon. Most are very used to people and are happy for some gental and respictful attention. Please if you are visiting, be respectful of the rules and don't pick htem up. If one jumps in your laslp thats fine but don't pick them up on your own. Pets and belly rubs and photos and ear scratches al welcome. We saw margarita glasses being used a water bowls an have implented this at our house now. I could have spent all day here and if we ever return to Key West we'll be back as I;m sure the experience will be different.

When we planned to come to Key West, this was the first item on my bucket list. And it did not…read moredisappoint. After paying to get in, we did a little tour on our own. Mostly my wife looking at the cats and trying to get their attention. We had a cat, they do whatever they want when they want to. At a given time, we came back to the front for the house and garden tour. It was very informative and it lasted about 30 minutes. It does include some very steep stair climbing but well worth the visit. I was not aware of the whole cat thing but it was an interesting story on why and how they got there. But to see where Hemingway, certainly one of America's best writers, lived was a very cool thing to do.... in this heat and humidity :)