Sarahritchie17 It was time for an escape from the everyday—from the hustle of Miami, the responsibilities and stress of everyday life. It was time for us to get away to Key West for a few days to rest and refresh. On the brink of burnout about a month ago, we realized that we needed a vacation and started planning. The plan was simple, find a resort with a pool and book it for 4 nights. We had no plans besides that as we left the city and drove South on Route 1.
I had stayed at Oceans Edge Resort & Marina once before on a work trip and knew then that I would come back for a vacation someday. They have 6 pools which provide for different vibes—kids can play in one while another can be a quiet space for poolside readers and yet another can host drinking adults. Outdoor games between pools include giant chess, corn hole, and connect four. There’s a shuttle that runs every hour until 11 PM into Old Town Key West. The marina is beautiful for a sunset walk. A restaurant on site serves up delicious meals and poolside drinks. Perhaps best of all, there are bike, kayak, and paddle board rentals on site, and the first 2 hours are included for your stay. The resort also offers free yoga classes, live music, and more scheduled events.
The hotel is included in American Express’s Fine Hotels and Resorts Collection, so Platinum Card holders also receive a $200 credit towards booking, early check-in and late checkout at 1 PM when available, room upgrade when available, free daily breakfast at the on-site restaurant, and a $100 food/drink credit. The annual fee for the Amex Platinum card is waived for Active Duty Military members, so this is basically free money for me and my husband.
You can get to Key West by plane, boat, or car. If you want to take the scenic route, fly into Miami or Ft. Lauderdale and drive down Route 1. It took us just over three hours to drive down and about four hours to the drive home.
We arrived on Wednesday night and left Sunday afternoon over the 4th of July weekend which was also Key Lime Pie Fest in the Keys. We found out after we arrived that there’s a Key Lime passport that you can download here and try pies throughout the Keys on your drive down for a chance to win a 3-night stay for next year’s Key Lime Pie Festival.
Thursday, July 4
Wake up in paradise to the sound of the roosters crowing. Start your first morning by sleeping in, then enjoy breakfast at the resort’s restaurant, Yellowfin Bar & Kitchen, before heading out to the pool for some sun.
In the afternoon, take the shuttle into town. Wear good walking shoes so you can spend the rest of the day exploring the town. Start your exploring at Funky Rooster Coffee House & Wine Bar, just a 2-minute walk from where the shuttle drops off at The Waterfront Brewery. Next, stop at Books & Books to pick out your poolside read for the trip. I picked Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh, and my husband picked The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway.
Next, head to Sloppy Joes for lunch. Enjoy the live music and a fruity drink to make you feel like you’ve truly arrived in Key West. You’ll wind up on Duval Street which is the main party street of Key West, Bourbon Street’s island cousin. There is lots to see on Duval from window shopping to frozen drink tasting to people watching. Head to the Northern end of Duval Street and check out the Mallory Square Market.
While you’re still on the Northern side, go one street over to Simonton to find the First Legal Rum Distillery. Take a free tour and do a tasting, then take their award-winning pina colada to go. Key West doesn’t have an open container law, so you can sip while you stroll! For a late afternoon snack, swing by Limes and Pies on Duval and try a slice of their delicious Key Lime Pie.
Before the Fourth of July Fireworks start, head South towards the beaches. You can walk the 1.2 miles of Duval Street if your legs aren’t too tired, but if you want a break, look for the Duval Loop bus, which offers free public transit. You can find live bus tracking here. Get off at the Southernmost Point stop and get a picture in the evening while the line is shorter if there’s still enough light. Then head to Abbondanza Italian Restaurant for dinner.
As the sun starts to set, it’s time to stake out a spot for fireworks! We went to Clarence S. Higgs Memorial Beach Park. It was really crowded, but even showing up 20 minutes before the show, we were able to find a spot to sit in the sand and had a great view. If you get there earlier, you can get a spot on the pier.
From here, take an Uber or Taxi back to Ocean’s Edge. You could also take the Duval Loop North and then the Ocean’s Edge shuttle if the timing works out.
Friday, July 5
Enjoy another slow start with breakfast at the resort and then pool time until lunch. Try the fish tacos or watermelon feta salad at the Yellowfin Restaurant for lunch.
Head over to the Tiki Hut in the afternoon to cash-in your 2-hr free rental of the resort’s bikes, kayaks, or paddle boards. Don’t forget to put sunscreen on!
We did the bike rental and ended up going 13.12 miles on the beach cruisers. We rode North around the nearby golf course and then South to Higgs Beach, but if we had gone South first, we probably could have made it to the Southernmost Point and maybe even around the whole island. We only made a couple stops for photos, but the bikes come with locks in case you want to stop for longer and explore.
One of the pictures we made sure to get was by Smathers Beach. There’s a sign that commemorates where Diana Nyad completed her famous swim from Cuba to Florida. We’d recently watched the inspiring documentary, Nyad, on Netflix, so it was really neat for us to stumble upon this.
For the evening, take the shuttle into town. Before dinner, eat dessert first at Better than Sex. Make a reservation in advance, but you can usually still find availability day-of. It’s an intimate setting great for a date night, but it could be uncomfortable with co-workers, friends, or kids. The desserts and drinks are incredible.
You probably won’t be able to eat dinner for a little while after you fill up on dessert, so head to Mallory Square to catch the Sunset Celebration. Walk the Key West Historic Seaport Harborwalk from A&B Marina afterwards, and end up at the Waterfront Brewery to take the shuttle back. We ended up having loaded nachos at the brewery for dinner.
Saturday, July 6
Saturday morning after breakfast at Yellowfin, take the shuttle then the Duval Loop bus to the Southernmost Point if you haven’t taken your picture there yet. Otherwise, get off at the Hemingway House stop.
Check out the Key West Lighthouse. While we were there, the Key Lime Pie Fest was in full swing, and there was a contest to drop a Key Lime Pie from the top of the lighthouse and try to keep it fully intact. After living in Florida for over 5 years of my adult life, I’ve seen Floridians compete to throw mullet fish across the state border with Alabama, and I’ve seen key lime pies falling from the Key West lighthouse, and I’m not sure which one is more Florida.
While there, we tried chocolate covered key lime pie on a stick because when in Key West…
Walk across the street to the Hemingway House. Admission is $18, but active duty military receive a steep discount, so we both got in for $13.02. You have the option of a guided tour or wandering at your own pace. The house is now inhabited by approximately 60 polydactyl (six-toed) cats who are descendants of Hemingway’s cat, Snow White. We only found about 10.
Taste flavored olive oils and balsamic vinegars at Key West Olive Oil & Gourmet. We love Tuscan Herb Olive Oil and have to get a bottle every time we’re here or at Bodacious in Pensacola.
Try Cuban Coffee Queen before you catch the shuttle back to Ocean’s Edge.
In the afternoon, read on the porch, lay by the pool, and enjoy the live music.
Get dressed up and have a fancy dinner at Yellowfin then walk the marina boardwalk and admire the yachts.
Sunday, July 7
On your last morning of vacation, drive into town so you can be on your own schedule. On Sunday morning, you can find free parking before noon at the Key West Bight Parking Lot in front of the Waterfront Brewery. Celebrate Key Lime Pie Fest with a Key Lime Pie-making class at the Key West Key Lime Pie Co.
Afterward, pick up a bottle of rum from the First Legal Rum Distillery as a souvenir or gift. Then head back to Oceans Edge, check out, and start the drive back to Miami.
We stopped for lunch on Big Pine Key at Island Deli and had dinner at SUGARCANE in Midtown Miami. We took one more day off before returning to work to unpack, get groceries, and settle back in at home.
We enjoyed this trip so much, we’re already looking at planning our next vacation. I’m sure it won’t be long until we return to where roosters, iguanas, and 6-toed cats run the town.
A Final Note
If you’re feeling ready to take a vacation, this is your sign to just book it. I don’t know about you, but we do so much travel for other people for weddings and showers and visiting family and friends (which is all so wonderful and we love doing it), but we hadn’t taken a restful vacation for ourselves in a while. To step away from work and forget what day it was and plan each day as it dawned was just the reset we needed. It reminded me of the importance of rest and, in marriage, of the importance of retreating alone together. We are grateful to have the means both financially and with support from work to take such a vacation.
Cheers!
Sarah
