Mother’s Day Weekend in Key West

 

What a wonderful and much anticipated Mother’s Day weekend I had with my daughters.  It was one year delayed due to Covid, but that made it all the more special.  When my mother passed away last February, I was determined to honor her by planning a mother daughter trip.  My mother lived with Alzheimers for eleven years and if nothing else, those lost years with her taught me to never take the time ahead for granted.  So, I picked one of my favorite spots, that I knew my daughters would love too and decided Mother’s Day weekend was appropriate and a date on the calendar that would work for all.

Key West is a unique place.  Part tropical Florida, part New Orleans/Bourbon Street and part that fun Caribbean style laid back attitude.  We stayed right in the heart of Duval Street, within walking distance to most shopping, bars and restaurants.  We discovered some great restaurants and bars too, in the Old Town section of the city.  In fact, we all agreed that we preferred that quieter area to the constant activity on Duval Street. 

Some of our favorite spots were Bagatelle, Blue Heaven (a must for brunch), First Flight (get the Key Lime Martini), Moondog Cafe, Firefly, Santiago’s Bodega (for the sangria) Ocean Key Sunset Pier and Sloppy Joe’s (Hemingway’s famous hang out).  

I have been to Key West a few times, but there is always something new to do and see.  New to me this trip was the experience of going by boat on the Key West Express from Ft. Myers, which cuts out 2 1/2 hours of driving time.  It was very efficient and I would go that way again.  We also rented a golf cart the 2nd day to explore the neighborhoods (so many pretty homes) and beaches and to keep us a bit cooler rather than walking in the heat of the day. Golf carts, scooters and bicycles easily travel on all the roads in Key West. 

It was a whirlwind, but so much fun and we even managed to squeeze in a couple pool days here at home.  It was all exactly as I hoped with quality time and that all important reconnection achieved.  And, as I have said many times, adult daughters are truly a gift.

Happy Wednesday!