Thursday, April 26, 2018

Jensen Beach

WWe had to do it! Afterall, there is a donut shop directly across the street from The Saint hotel. Filling and yummy!


Ok - Bill decided he'd try two.


Karen went for one and couldn't finish it.

Tonight we are staying on Hutchison Island at Jensen Beach, FL. Our room overlooks the beach. It's nice with the door open listening to the waves below.


Dinner was simple thanks to picking up a few items at the grocery store. It was quiet and relaxing sitting at picnic tables on the beach enjoying soup, crackers and pizza. Oh yea, don't let us forget desert - dark chocolate Milano cookies!




Wednesday, April 25, 2018

Key West - Day 4

Our last day in Key West and another beautiful day. After breakfast here at 'The Saint'...


... we took a 10-min walk to ParaWest for another adventure - parasailing.


What a blast - what a view! And best of all, Karen enjoyed it even though we were 500-ft up. Very cool.




To cap off our Key West adventure, we rented a 2-seater, 3-wheel fun car and cruised around the island to see beach homes, Fort Zachary Taylor, several harbors, Higgs Beach and Rocky Beach.


This is a great way to tour around.

The sun is setting on Key West and we'll be heading north tomorrow. 






Key West - Day 3

The adventures continue. After a hearty breakfast at 'The Cafe' - a small hometown cafe - it was time for a bike ride around the beach.



For our afternoon adventure, we went on a Eco Kayak tour thru the mangroves.


We saw creatures like nurse sharks, barracuda, oysters and lots of sponge. Along the way we saw several star fish and below is a conch and jelly fish.



What a fun day. Next, pool time, dinner and rest.

Monday, April 23, 2018

Key West - Day 2

We started our morning by walking to Starbucks, about 10 min from the Saint Hotel.  But first, we relaxed in the lobby chair while waiting to speak with the concierge.


After a scone and juice, we walked another 10 min south to tour the Hemingway House.


Some of you may have heard he had a 6-toed cat. Well, look closely at these photos.



Not only "a" 6-toed cat (that's 24 toes per cat), but his estate has 54 cats all named and protected as descendants of his cat! They even have their own dedicated vet and condo complex and cemetery. And, they are all friendly and know their names.

The house is very large as is the property. Below is a picture of his detached upstairs studio where he did most of his writing.


Next, another 10 min walk further south where we reached the Southernmost Point in the U.S.


After walking 30-min north, we reached our room for a short rest in AC before getting some lunch! It's 84 and humid.

We had a wonderful salad for lunch at the Grand Cafe Key West followed by walking the boardwalk around the harbor. While there, we signed up for parasailing (Weds activity).


Next stop on our afternoon trek, Truman's Little White House where he spent the winters.



Presiden Karen recommended we head back to the Saint for some pool time before walking to dinner. Because this is a 5-star (adult) hotel, no kids!

Tonight we ate at Antonias Italian Restaurant. A short 10 min walk on Duval St.


The chef made Karen a special vegan dish with spaghetti and lots of vegi's.


While Bill had the special Spaghetti Caprese with lots of cheese - yum, good!


Another great day enjoying Key West.

Sunday, April 22, 2018

Key West - Day 1

Our first major trip this year finds us at the southern most point in the U.S. - Key West. So, time to try blogging once again.

We arrived in Miami last night. After a good nights rest at the airport Residence Inn, we picked up a rental car this morning and drove 4 1/2 hrs to The Saint Hotel Key West, a Marriott 5-Star Autograph Collection hotel.

Along the way we stopped for lunch at The Overseas Pub & Grill on Marathon Key, dating back to 1935. We sat outside on the patio (on the other side) and enjoyed the cool 80 breeze. The food was outstanding. Here is a picture taken in the 50's. Didn't take a picture but it looks about the same.



Lots of lobster traps along the way. 

The Saint is located right in the heart old downton adjacent to Duval street, the major street here in Key West with a multitude of shops and places to eat. This hotel is a boutique hotel and we'll stay here until Thursday. Our room is Hollywood style and overlooks the pool.




Check out the cinema across the street.


After getting settled in, we walked around for awhile before stopping for late afternoon ice cream.

Dinner tonight was at Old Town Mexican Cafe, to include a margarita for Bill and pina colata for Karen. They were refreshing and the food and ambiance was just what we needed.



Following a stroll around town after dinner, a little relaxing in the pool. Great way to start the Key West adventure.