Well I am back from my Florida trip, we go every year for school vacation.  We've done Disney, Cape Canaveral, Cocoa Beach, and this year it was the Keys.  We go for a few days of warm weather, but it always seemed that all there is is mile after mile of strip malls and traffic. The Keys seem better than the rest of the state, We stayed in Key Largo, the northern most Key. From there to Key West there were nice small beaches and lots of non-chain restaurants with great, great food. Key West is just a Disney for adults looking for something that isn't there anymore.  It seems like it would be great off season(is there ever an off season in Key West?).  If you take a couple of minutes you can see why Hemingway, Tennessee Williams, and a host of others were attracted, but now it is basically people who get all a flutter about being able to walk the streets while drinking alcohol, tour buses, and overpriced "museums". I wanted to buy a souvenir, but 99% of the stuff is made in Indonesia or China.  I finally found a woman selling windchimes that she made herself out of driftwood and glass.  That was great, and it was little things like that that did make it worthwhile.  I am not a Hemingway fan, but it was nice to see his house, and they have a great cemetery, and of course the requisite visit to the southernmost tip of the United States(next stop, Cuba).  Anyone thinking of going to Florida, I would suggest skip the rest of the state, unless you really must do Disney with the kids, and go straight to the Keys. 

I've made a vow never to go near the Disneylands. Overpriced, too crowded, and too many lines. Your trip sounded nice, though. :)

You take the Amtrak down, right? Do you get the rooms on their trains or just sit in the seats? I'm asking because I'm thinking of heading to California in May and I hate flying and I want to know what those are like and everything.

I'm glad you had a great time there.  My trip to the Keys went this way:  

"The Rodriguez Family Takes A Pasty Girl Named Shannon To The Beach"

Flew from Miami on a Cessna plane (where I spent the entire 30 minute flight green and about to vomit).  
On the beach for about 35 minutes when I passed out from the heat (despite hydrating, a sun hat, 25 spf and the fact that I was in the shade).  I woke up in IHOP where my friend's Mom and some waitresses were splashing water on my face to revive me!
My friend's Dad had to cancel the day trip on the glass-bottom boats and get a car instead so I could see the scenery with the benefit of air-conditioning.
Flew back to Miami on the dreaded Cessna plane with Mr. Rodriguez vowing to never again take "the pasty white girl to the beach"   ;D

Glad you had a good trip, Danoota. :)

Wow! That sounded amazing Danoota. Yes, it must be a shame to find out merchandise isn't made in the same place, lol.

Are you talking about seeing Earnest Hemmingway's house? I'm afraid I've heard the name but don't know much about him as a person.

Oh, if I'm in Florida, I've got to do Disneyland! I went to EuroDisney and it was pretty good but I reckon it won't be anything like it is in the US.

I've made a vow never to go near the Disneylands. Overpriced, too crowded, and too many lines. Your trip sounded nice, though. :)

You take the Amtrak down, right? Do you get the rooms on their trains or just sit in the seats? I'm asking because I'm thinking of heading to California in May and I hate flying and I want to know what those are like and everything.


We did Amtrak to Los Angeles a couple of years ago and had a great time.  You absolutely do not want to go coach if you are going that far.  We get the sleeper and it is good.  You can fit 2 in a room(no more) and your meals are included.  The menu is limited, but the food is always good. We had a great time just sitting and looking out of the window.  A lot of people bring dvd players and laptops, but we leave all that at at home, (except the gameboy). 

Welcome back and I'm glad you had a great time. Any pictures?



Cat

We did Amtrak to Los Angeles a couple of years ago and had a great time.  You absolutely do not want to go coach if you are going that far.  We get the sleeper and it is good.  You can fit 2 in a room(no more) and your meals are included.  The menu is limited, but the food is always good. We had a great time just sitting and looking out of the window.  A lot of people bring dvd players and laptops, but we leave all that at at home, (except the gameboy). 


Ah, excellent. Yeah, it would be just me and the boy, so I would definitely have to have a room or else he'd be running all over the place. He loves trains, so I doubt I would have to bring that much entertainment for him as long as he's on a, "Twain!" ;D

I'm glad you had a great time there.  My trip to the Keys went this way: 

"The Rodriguez Family Takes A Pasty Girl Named Shannon To The Beach"

Flew from Miami on a Cessna plane (where I spent the entire 30 minute flight green and about to vomit). 
On the beach for about 35 minutes when I passed out from the heat (despite hydrating, a sun hat, 25 spf and the fact that I was in the shade).  I woke up in IHOP where my friend's Mom and some waitresses were splashing water on my face to revive me!
My friend's Dad had to cancel the day trip on the glass-bottom boats and get a car instead so I could see the scenery with the benefit of air-conditioning.
Flew back to Miami on the dreaded Cessna plane with Mr. Rodriguez vowing to never again take "the pasty white girl to the beach"  ;D


You must have gone in the summer months, I heard it can get oppressive.  Sig is a pasty boy and he did well.


Wow! That sounded amazing Danoota. Yes, it must be a shame to find out merchandise isn't made in the same place, lol.

Are you talking about seeing Earnest Hemmingway's house? I'm afraid I've heard the name but don't know much about him as a person.

Oh, if I'm in Florida, I've got to do Disneyland! I went to EuroDisney and it was pretty good but I reckon it won't be anything like it is in the US.


Do Disney, then do the Keys.  Hot tip, don't drive from Orlando to the Keys, that is what we did and it was a huge mistake unless you have plenty of time, and stay out of Miami.

www.hemingwayhome.com/HTML/legend.htm

Ernest Hemingway was and continues to be, considered one of the greatest of all time for changing the way the novel is constructed.  I am not a fan, but there are many who see him as the quintessential writer of the 20th century.  He lived in Key West for many years and did a lot of sport fishing.  While there he wrote the one book of his I do love  "The Old Man and the Sea". He put Key West on the map, though I think he would be sorely disappointed if he saw it today, and probably wouldn't set foot in the place.  One thing did surprise me, when you look at the pictures of the house you assume it is an estate with lots of gardens and lawns overlooking the ocean.  In fact it is in town with a small lawn and you have to walk down to the pier to see water.

Welcome back and I'm glad you had a great time. Any pictures?



Cat


I only took a couple of Sig and Jake.  I will try to do that later.  Them at a beach and at Southernmost Point.  I'll get the Southernmost point one up later.

Ah, excellent. Yeah, it would be just me and the boy, so I would definitely have to have a room or else he'd be running all over the place. He loves trains, so I doubt I would have to bring that much entertainment for him as long as he's on a, "Twain!" ;D


We did it initially because my young man was train crazy, we liked it so much better than flying we do it every year.  It costs more than flying, but we write it down as a night in a hotel and take it from there.  We did have a problem with Jake getting sick whenever we took a plane or train.  Not car sick sick, but vomitting diarrhea and flulike symptoms.  Now we give him Zicam or Airborne, that works well and we all use it now to avoid travel sickness.

We did Amtrak to Los Angeles a couple of years ago and had a great time.  You absolutely do not want to go coach if you are going that far.  We get the sleeper and it is good.  You can fit 2 in a room(no more) and your meals are included.  The menu is limited, but the food is always good. We had a great time just sitting and looking out of the window.  A lot of people bring dvd players and laptops, but we leave all that at at home, (except the gameboy). 
I can second that I did Amtrak from Seattle to Utah in coach it was hell on earth.

P.S Glad you had such a wonderful holiday!  :-[

sounds like a great time....glad you enjoyed your trip! :)

Glad you had a great time there. I've never been to the Keys - it sounds like a very cool place to visit!

Ant

I would say that if you want to see the Keys you should go ASAP.  The big hotels are storming in and they are widening the highway.  In 10-15 years it will probably be a Miami clone. 

I'm a disney boycotter BUT the keys certainly are fun and, of course, i love stopping at cape canaveral. i can spend two days roaming the grounds of kennedy space center.  it's the most fun educaitonal place i've ever been to.

Sounds like you all had a good trip.  Elizabeth wants to go to the Keys now.  Her friend went last week to swim with the dolphins  ::)

Glad to hear you had a nice trip.

You went to Hemingway's.  Stupid question. . . Did you see the six toed cats that roam there? 

Glad to hear you had a nice trip.

You went to Hemingway's.  Stupid question. . . Did you see the six toed cats that roam there? 


Actually, I am not a Hemingway fan.  I stopped a moment outside of the house, but didn't go in.  There were also a couple of bartendeers who obviously were priming for the Hemingway look-a-like contest that is held every year. I didn't see the cats, but the Keys are littered with feral cats.  They also have wild roosters all over the place.