The Key to Key West Florida with Kids
June 3, 2011 No Comments
The sunset itself is just part of the attraction in Mallory Square, Key West, FL
The key to Key West in Florida is to just relax and go with the flow. Kids love the wonderful sunset ritual of fire-hoop-jumping cats, street musicians, balloon animals, clowns, and of course the beautiful sunset. They love the music spilling out into the streets, the funky sand under their feet at the delicious Blue Heaven restaurant, and the wild chickens roaming the streets. Parents, relax. Yes, there’s a major bar scene and tipplers spilling into the streets to roam with the chickens, but your kids will have a great time in Key West without rubbing up against the more hedonistic nighttime crowd.
We arrived in Key West just at sunset, and it was a perfect introduction to the lively town. The friendly crowd down at the waterfront cheers as the sun sinks into the sea; boats cruise by, and there is plenty of free entertainment from jugglers to crooners in Mallory Square. After sunset we strolled down Petronia Street in what’s known in Key West as the Bahama Village district. This lovely, surprisingly non touristy neighborhood just a ten minute stroll from the waterfront sunset ritual was founded by Bahamians in the late 1800′s, and it’s a great mix of cute shops and great food. You can find wonderful coconut strips, pastries that are sort of like cookies and sort of like candy at the Art of Baking by Henrietta. We liked the conch cevice at Julian’s Grocery, and their eclectic collection of inexpensive candies for another sweet treat.
If you’re ready for some sit-down fare, we think nothing beats the aptly named Blue Heaven. With hot fresh made corn bread, an outdoor garden with sand under the tables and a Jimmy Buffet-like singer on the small, thatch-roofed stage, we enjoyed a vegetable feast for our vegan family member, and great fish for the rest of us. The staff will gladly split portions or remove sauces, making it kid friendly but great fun for the parents, with its fresh fruit beverages both alcoholic and not. It’s a wonderful family setting especially in the evenings where kids are welcome to dance under a sky full of stars. The fresh catch of the day was amazingly well prepared, and the friendly servers offered the kids extra cornbread and a free desert to share. We liked the restaurant so much we dined there twice, high praise from tourists on a short visit.
We stayed in town right on the main drag of Duval Street at the Crowne Plaza Key West – La Concha, a laid back, spotless Key West hotel in the heart of downtown but just north of the party noise that can explode onto the street later in the evening. It’s a National Historic Landmark that opened in 1926 and has hosted famous patrons from Tennessee Williams to Hemingway, presumably before he built his writer’s retreat south of the hotel. The rooms were spacious, and though having a vintage edge, the mattresses, bathroom, and flat screen television were all the epitomy of modern comfort. While not a huge spa like experience, the pool and its sun deck provided some great time-outs when our kids were tired of strolling through the shops and landmarks of Key West. We loved the friendly staff and the view from the rooftop bar, which offered a quieter view of sunset than the Mallory Square area. Kids were welcome until 8 pm.
Our first morning stop was the Southern Most Marker, a large painted buoy much coveted for photo ops. The buoy indicates the southernmost spot in the U.S. – although technically this honor goes to South Point, on the Big Island of Hawaii, in the mainland, Key West takes the prize.
Our next stop was famous author Ernest Hemingway’s home – and its collection of semi-feral cats descended from Hemingway’s own pets. We loved the history of the place, but our children were, we confess, more occupied with the cats than with the writer’s iconic typewriter, the paintings, or furnishings in the house or Hemingway’s writing retreat in a separate out-building. The tropical gardens around the home were also a hit.
Our kids loved chasing those Key West chickens.
Since the cats were such a big success, we decided it was a good idea to stick to the animals, and to explore our Dixie chickens. Yes, they’re running about everywhere, from chicks to roosters, but if you want the inside information on every hen in town, check out the Chicken Store on Duval. Here you can hold a soft baby chickie, feed a somewhat alarming rooster, or even adopt a chicken in your name.
While the beaches in town are not nearly as vast or glamorous as those in other parts of the keys, we had an enjoyable afternoon at the Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park. The beach is a little rocky, but you can rent an umbrella or perch under a pine tree. The ocean is warm, but keep an eye on your littlest surf babies, as waves can be surprisingly rough.
Our kids greatly enjoyed the kitschy but well laid out Pirate Museum, with simulated conditions inside the hold of a pirate schooner, and artifacts from real ships displayed with multi-media backdrops.
We also enjoyed tasting key lime pies at various purveyors around town; one of the best known is the Blonde Giraffe. Our kids loved the creamy lime custard and liked asking where “Key Lime” was in relation to Key West. Key Lime, like Key West Florida itself, is primarily a state of mind – a relaxed, bohemian one with a great ocean view.
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