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Duval
Duval is the street to have fun. Funky stores, restaurants,
and bars-bars-bars. This is the home of Sloppy Joe's,
Hog's Breath Saloon, Hard Rock Cafe, La-Te-Das, and
more. You've seen the T-shirts, now see the bars.
We partied one night at Sloppy Joe's, and had an
absolute blast. We drank too many rum drinks, sang
along with the rest of the room, and danced. Watch
out, the drinks are strong! If it is crowded or you
arrive late, slip a waitress a $20 or you may be standing
all night.
Stores are fun too. We went into Fastbuck Freddies
and drank in the eclectic ambiance of incense, imports,
and dance music. There are high end art and craft
galleries (Wyland opened one recently, there are dozens,
and there is even one specializing in art glass, a
personal favorite). Clothing stores offer anything
from eastern European to aloha wear. You will find
fun things here you were not even aware of.
Restaurants have it all, and it is a seafood heaven.
These restaurants all seem to have an ongoing competition
to make the claim of 'best key lime pie', so save
room for desert!
We ate at Jimmy Buffet's restaurant, and we had the
cheeseburger (I know, "what a bunch of tourists!").
But to tell the truth, we both agreed it was
the best cheeseburger we have ever had... go figure.
Pets: Most Key West lodgings have a 'no pets'
policy. There is not really a place for them anyway,
you will have a hard time finding a place to walk
your dog; what is not beach or private property is
roadway.
Duval Tip: Avoid driving on Duval by driving
one block north on Simonton. Simonton parallels Duval
its entire length, and you can drop down to visit
the places you want to see as you go. We noticed that
this is how the locals and cabbies get around.
Key West To-Dos: Fantasy Fest, but book early
and expect to pay triple. Do go to Mallory Square
for the setting sun festival, every night weather
permitting. Definitely check out the Zachary Taylor
Fort, a park that commands the south tip of the island.
The fort also has a really nice beach, you can bob
in the warm gulf waters and watch the mammoth naval
warships and civilian cruise ships come to their deep
water moorings. Very cool.
Key West Halloween is a weirdness you will find nowhere
else, with Saint Patrick's Day and Mardi Gras following
in distant seconds.
What to bring
- Walking shoes
- Suntan lotion (it is NOT cheap there)
- Footwear you can wear into the ocean. Coral can
be sharp.
- A sweater if you are traveling between December
and March.
- If you are a shutterbug, a digital camera and a
way of downloading pics
- A prepaid phone card (Walmart or Kmart)
- A mixture of payment methods (cash, travelers cheques,
and plastic)
- Swim wear , sunglasses, and a hat
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