repost key west

My post ended up attached to a previous Key West thread, this is a repost.

Just returned from 5 days in Key West, FL.

For those who haven't flown there, I would highly recommend the experience.
A mix of commercial flights, both heavy and light GA, and biplane sight
seeing tours make KEYW a busy single runway airport, but everything was
sequenced nicely. We had a few delays getting out as the local Naval Air
Station radar was down. This meant "one at a time" operations coming and
going.

We visited the Hemingway House on Thursday where we happened to run into a
reporter from Pilot Getaway's Magazine. Look for a article on Key West
coming out in the next few months.

Although it was cloudy and unseasonably cold, there was still plenty to do
and see. Lots of history, great art, wonderful food, and the bars are
unlike anywhere else. Each bar seems to have it's own a deep history. They
are lined with pictures, news paper articles, and memorabilia from the age
of the ship wreckers, pirates, and sponge industry. One such
brewpub/restaurant is owned by Kelly McGillis and happens to be the original
office of Pan Am Airlines.

A couple recommendations:
Book hotels early, weekends get sold out months in advance.

The night life and "main drag" is Duval St. but parking is very limited.
Unless your hotel is on Duval, leave your car at your hotel and take a cab.
Better yet, forget the car. Scooters, golf carts, and funny little 3 wheeled
mini cars are available for rent everywhere. If you get a hotel on or very
near Duval St., most things are within walking distance.

Don't get sticker shock. From the food and drinks to the hotel and taxis
nothing is cheap. We actually found that the cheapest things were the local
souvenirs near the deep cruise ship port.

Although it's primarily marketed at adults, we saw plenty of kids (mainly
off the cruise ships or on group tours from FL) There's plenty of swimming,
snorkeling, dolphin activities, and fishing that kids could enjoy but I'd
still be hesitant about planning an extended vacation with kids along.
Adult themed gift shops and art galleries fill the spaces between the bars
and t-shirt shops along Duval.

The simple pleasure of walking around in mid 70 and 80 degree temperatures
after departing Wisconsin's sub-zero weather, was the best part of our trip.
Everything else was gravy.

Jim