Key West

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

"Jim B" wrote:
memorabilia from the age of the ship wreckers

For those of you who aren't familiar with the concept of "ship wreckers",
these were folks who would deliberately set up fake lighthouses to lure
ships out of the safe sea lanes and onto the rocks. Then they would
plunder the cargo from the wrecks.

Give you something to think about the next time you see a "navaid
unmonitored" NOTAM :-)

It's still called Kelly's but she sold her interest in it several
years ago. Who ever owns it they make the best margueritas, $2.50
during happy hour, on the island. Corner of Whitehead and Caroline.
Pan Am was headed by Grant Mason who, with his wife, lived on the top
floor. She supposedly had an affair with Hemingway who lived 5 or six
blocks down Whitehead Street, but no-one knows for sure.

You didn't get your free drinks????? If you go back, pick up a copy of
the See Key West Magazine which is available everywhere. There are
racks of them at the airport, in Spanish & English. On page 51 IIRC
there are two coupons; one for a free drink at Alonzo's Oyster Bar and
one at the Half Shell Raw Bar, both at the Key West Bight. Alonzo's
also offers 1/2 price appitizers during happy jour, 4:00 - 7:00. You
can have a pound of peel-your-own-shrimp and a Key West Sunset Ale for
$6.00. Alonzo's makes great fish fingers, too. The Conch Republic
Seafood Co, just around the corner has 2-4-1 drinks and good oysters
and blackened grouper sandwiches.

Pjk

On Feb 17, 12:31 pm, "Jim B" wrote:
Just returned from 5 days inKey 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 onKey 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

It's been a few years since I was there, but I stayed on the north end of
the key and took the 'Bone Shuttle' down to to the Duval Street area. Don't
know if that is still running, but it hits all the hotels and was pretty
cheap, as I recall.

Saw the 'Sunset Festival' and hit pretty well every bar on Duval. There
were nearly as many of those as T shirt shops ...

"Jim B" wrote in message
...
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

I can't figure out why my original post nor the responses showed up on
my own ISP's news service, but I found it in google.

free drinks. Thanks to the Hyatt, free drinks are literally
everywhere on Key West. Those pesky time share hawkers are out at
every corner handing out drink coupons and offers of $150 for
listening to their time share sales pitch.

Kelly's We stopped in and had a couple glasses of their wheat
beer, it was refreshing and light, plus it was happy hour 4pm-7pm,
$3.75 for two pints.

Sunset Festival The sun was only out two of the 5 evenings we
were on the island, but the nightly festival went on every night. The
one and two man circus acts were a hoot and I think the performers
come right out of the book "Sell Everything and Move to Key West"

Conch Republic Seafood Co. Great full menu restaurant. My wife
commented that the price/value and the quality and quantity of food
was the best we'd encountered.

Bone Shuttle Still runs but we didn't investigate the route or
cost. The "Duval Crawl" is a walking tour of the bars along Duval,
with coupons and a guide. The entertainment in the bars was
remarkably good. We listened to http://www.peteandwayne.com/key_west/index.html
two nights in a row, hilarious.

Jim

I just got back last night!

Had a great time, spent a week in the Keys, that's where I got my jet
ride at the Marathon airport..

Spent a day in Key West, climbed the tower, saw some of the historic
sites..

Had 10 in of rain in Marathon last Monday! But it cleared Tues just
in time for the jet flight (Was an L-39, whatta HOOT!)

Spent the last 2 days in Miami at the Boat show..

Was 42 deg F Sat am when we left..cold for those dudes...

Also had a great aerobatic glider flight at Homestrad, near Florida
city...

Cheers!

Dave




On Sat, 17 Feb 2007 11:31:38 -0600, "Jim B"
wrote:

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

We didn't do any flying while we were there, just sightseeing, relaxing.

2.5 inches on Key West Monday/Tuesday. Drove up to Marathon on Wednesday
and saw airplanes still sitting in water.

Stopped for fuel Friday morning in Eufaula, AL... it was 21 degrees! Ramp
guy looked like an Eskimo.

Next stop was Champaign, IL where the snow plows and blowers out numbered
airplanes 3 to 1.

Snow and ice that we had here in Wisconsin actually sublimated while we were
gone. It's nicer here now than before.

Jim