SO MUCH FUN!. got "Flamingle"tickets for my sons birthday and it was awesome. Its in the Key…read moreWest Butterfly and Nature Conservatory and held after hours for a maximum 6 people. The flamingos, Rhett and Scarlett, come out and interact with the folks. The male had a love affair with my sons hat. Was a blast

How does it feel to a have an up-close and personal encounter with two exotic pink flamingos?…read moreNature lovers can find out during the exclusive "Flamingle" experience at the Key West Butterfly & Nature Conservatory -- believed to be the only butterfly facility in the entire United States that also houses flamingos. "Flamingle" is a separate event from the regular Key West Butterfly ticket, which gives you access to the popular conservatory, which is 5,000-square-foot glass-domed rainforest-like habitat where there are about 1,000 butterflies from 50 to 60 species flying around. The flamingos, a male and female, are called Rhett and Scarlett in honor of their coloration and obvious affection for each other. Coincidentally, since the species is often associated with love and romance, these prized wading birds were born on Valentine's Day 2012. They arrived at the Key West facility in July 2013 -- and as they grew, their colorful pink plumage, social nature and foot-patting "dance" in their wading pond made them visitor favorites. During the hour-long "Flamingle" encounter, we had a chance to take many pictures with them and just enjoy the beautiful green space...just a great experience. Each experience is limited to 6 participants total, so book ahead if you are planning to do this !!!

You're in the Keys... so let's know up front this museum is no Metropolitan Museum of Art or the…read moreGuggenheim; the keys have museums but for the most part they are all low-key and this one is no exception. It's not large and it's not overly impressive but it is interesting; more in the sense of it's actual history and not what they have to offer. The real deal is the place was, to put it bluntly, a turtle slaughterhouse... Sea Turtles were brought in from the boats and loaded into the building (that sits over the water as part of the docks). They canned the meat and also made Turtle Soup. Key West no longer processes sea turtles into meals but the history is here... Regardless of whether you love or just like it, it is free, so when life gets closer to normal, swing in for a peep.

When a great stop along the drive down to Key West. The exhibits were thoughtful and informative…read more There is a 90 minute tour which is worth every penny. It's nice to support their rehab efforts

Another lovely preserved building in downtown Key West with historical significance. We were…read moreunable to time our visit to the area to enjoy a tour of the interior, but appreciative of the architecture and gardens.

Walking by and saw sign of a interesting women's museum in Key West and had to stop in. Are two…read moretour guide was super knowledgeable and friendly. She really took her time with our group of five and we felt very special to experience such a historic building.

Works depicting local scenes by local artists. Great collection of art work from the late 1970's…read more By appointment only. A very private affair.

This is my favorite activity we do when we're in Key West (OK, drinking some ultra rare Scotches…read moreand beers definitely is up there). It's certainly my chihuahua's favorite party. You might notice I said it's my CHIHUAHUA's favorite party, when the event listing says it's a Dachshund Walk. The chis have kind of co-opted this event, so the doxies line up first, then the chis take up the rear. I've noticed more and more other dog breeds showing up as well and lining up behind the chis. The more the merrier I say! Plan to arrive early as they close off the streets in the parade route a bit before the parade starts (including a couple blocks of Duval). Most of the doggos come in costumes, and your chihuahua gets to take home a commemorative Conch Republic Chihuahua bandana. My dog is absurdly social and stops at EVERY. SINGLE. PERSON. along the parade route to get pets. So much la!

WHERE: 500 Whitehead St - Parade Start WHEN: Noon - New…read moreYear's Eve (This is an Annual Event) The Annual Key West Dachshund Walk takes place every year at noon on New Year's Eve. Key West has dubbed the dachshund the official dog of Key West. During this parade dachshunds and their other close four footed friend breeds come from far and wide to parade down Fleming Street and down one block on Duval, or as far as their little legs can carry them. Some don elaborate costumes and props, are pulled in wagons and carts and carried by their parents along the parade route. This is a FREE event that is fun for all ages and worth bringing your camera to. All dogs gather on the Courthouse Steps at 500 Whitehead St for the parade start. Visit their FB Page for more information: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Key-West-Dachshund-Walk/161327957238019

5 stars bc I booked my first Key west trip not knowing we were going to be smack in the middle of…read morethe annual Lobster Fest! Started off with Lobster Tacos... Then went to the stand to pick up freshly squeezed sweet as hell lemonade! (It was just missing Tito's vodka) Stopped at the Lobster Roll truck (nothing much here... except the waffle fries were hot and thumbs up) Freshly made donuts!! On those conveyor machinery thing... yes! Get these!! Ordered the lobster tail on skewer came w potatoes and corn on the cob! Very good! Then for dinner hit up Bagatelle's stand for their tempura fried lobster tail drizzled in honey. I ordered the combo which came with lobster Mac n cheese and a corn on the cob! Yum!!!!!

LobsterFest 2016 was packed with hungry patrons trying to get their hands on Anything and…read moreEverything Lobster! While we only attended the Duval Crawl with Booths lining the street. There is no Ticket Purchase you just pay per Lobster Items you would like. Held in August expect the weather to be sweltering. Put so many people on one street with Grills Fired up, you get Even More Heat! We walked the Duval strip looking at each Booth's Menu that they providing searching for the "Perfect" pick. There is a lot of different Booths to choose from and stands where you can purchase Alcoholic Drinks. The problem was that just about everyone offered the same Lobster Dishes. The majority being Corn on the Cob- Grilled Lobster Tail- Baked Potato... It might just be me but no thanks when it is already as hot as a Lobster Tail outside and with limited table seating you are eating on the street curb. Lots of other vendors were there selling Art, Jewelry, Pet Accessories, Key West Local Creations, and More! Also, don't forget your Lobster Hats, Ears, and LobsterFest Shirts! BRING CASH as Most Vendors & Booths ONLY Accept Cash! Overall, our group of four was not overly impressed with LobsterFest. More of a you've been there and done that.. Now Let's Drink!!!

It's a cool museum, but pretty small and a bit repetitive. Because it was included in Conch Train…read moreTour tickets, it was good, but hard to justify $10 per person otherwise. It does give some good history of Henry Flagler, who is an important person in Florida history.

It's a good thing to do while waiting for the Trolley. (I am really glad we did not buy special…read moretickets just to come into the museum.) It is informative; however you learn a lot of the same information in other museums. So you are getting some repetition The woman who checks you in is as lovely as can be and knows the schedule for both the trolley and the train. (Down to the minute.)

WARNING: The first part of this review is a bit risqué and crude... but I assure you it becomes…read morecleaner as you read... I promise. "BOOBS"... big, small, perky, saggy, robust, droopy... "BUTTS"... round, flat, dimpled, firm, jiggly.... And yes... the occasional... "WIENER"... skinny, thick, long, short, mushroom like, turtle-necks... Truth is, in addition to partying these body parts of some of the first things people think of when they hear the words "FANTASY FEST". Some people even hear the words "KEY WEST" and immediately think of "FANTASY FEST". I would assume the main reason families don't bring the children to Fantasy Fest is because of the indecent dress code. Sadly though, most people have the wrong perception of Fantasy Fest all together... Most people (including those who have been to and those that have not been to Fantasy Fest) think this classic Key West festival is just two days... Just about anyone that is planning a trip looks for hotels for Friday and Saturday night with the belief that Friday is the Masquerade March down Duval Street (followed by a night of bar hopping and partying)... and Saturday night is the famous Street Parade down Duval Street (followed by another night of bar hopping and partying). What they didn't realize is that Fantasy Fest actually begins the Sunday before those events... and there are multitudes of organized parties open to the public, private parties for a fee (many for a good cause in mind), drinking and dining events and so much more.... Granted the Friday night Masquerade March and Saturday night's Street Parade are the highlights (AND LOADED WITH NAUGHTY BEHAVIOR), not all the events are inappropriate for children. That's right... many of them are NOT RISQUE; just one of many reason to bring your kids to Fantasy Fest ! And by far, my favorite event (APPROPRIATE FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY) is the "PET MASQUERADE" ! Each and every year the Pet Masquerade takes place on the landscaped lawns of one of the finest hotels on the island, The Flagler Hotel... better known as the "Casa Marina Hotel". Basically the Pet Masquerade is a Pet Costume Contest that is held to benefit the LKFOA (Lower Keys Friends Of Animals)... the contest is broken down into four categories and each category has prizes for first, second and third place... The categories are: * * * Junior Division (all about the kids) * * * Most Exotic (not so much the kids but not crazy either) * * * Pet and Owner Look-Alike (quite funny to watch this one) * * * Fantasy Fest Theme (costumes that match that year's Fantasy Fest theme) Some of my personal favorites have been Bo Peep with her sheep (of course she was dressed as a sexy version of Bo Peep and her dogs were wearing sheep costumes.... another was Richie Rich and his dog Dollar (this little kid and his dog looked just like you'd expect from the old comic books; right down to the dollar sign spots on the dog)... and my ALL TIME FAVORITE was... Colonel Sanders carrying a chicken (his dog dressed like a chicken). And of course every year there are certain costumes you'd expect such as Wizard of Oz characters, all sorts of super heroes (like Superman and his sidekick Robin) and the ever popular 101 Dalmatians (Cruella de Vil with her kidnapped dalmatians). Ironically, everyone just thinks "dogs" and maybe "cats" but there are so many more species than you'd expect. Iguanas, ducks and snakes are not uncommon and sometimes make up some of the best costumes... I remember one year a kid has his pet iguana (maybe a lizard) riding on a miniature Harley Davidson motorcycle. Keep in mind when you choose your costume for this or any other Fantasy Fest gathering that NOTHING is "AVERAGE" in during Fantasy Fest... The costumes you see are, for the most part, over the top and very impressive. Just take a glance at some of the pictures I have uploaded. In addition to the kids having a great time watching and participating in this event is the Pet Masquerade is FREE TO ATTEND... You should keep in mind that the Pet Masquerade's popularity attracts quite the crowd BUT there is an option to pay $20 for VIP Seating... In most situations, I'd say "save your money, it's not worth the cost" but this VIP package is a bargain considering your twenty dollars includes VIP Seating, two drinks and five dollars of your VIP cost goes to the "Lower Keys Friends Of Animals" as a donation.

This is one of my favorite events. The artistic and creative costumes that people come up with for…read moretheir pets never ceases to amaze me. I f you like animals I think you will love this event.