City Guide: Key West

Ever since I went to Key West a few years ago, I've been dreaming about going back. My mom and I decided to spend the past weekend there to celebrate her birthday and we had a blast! Here's what we did:

We got there Saturday morning and headed straight to grab some brunch. We went to Croissants de France on busy Duval St. I had scrambled eggs on a croissant with potatoes and an amazing mustard sauce. Coffee was good and the beignets were amazing. Didn't have time to snap a picture because I ate it all in 2 seconds.

At Croissants de France,

After that we settled in our little hotel room and decided to go for a walk around town. Key West is a sight for the eyes, with its adorable conch houses in pastel colors.

Colors of Key West.

Color inspiration everywhere,

We got thirsty and decided to stop for a drink at Sloppy Joes, an iconic bar where Ernest Hemingway used to hang out. We had beers and mojitos while listening to live music.





After that, we decided to check out Ernest Hemingway home and we took a interesting guided tour.







After some more walking, we had an early dinner at Mangia Mangia in its charming patio. We both had spaghetti with clams (so good!), wine and key lime pie.

At Mangia Mangia.

Key lime pie & espresso.

Then, we hurried to Mallory Square to catch the sunset, and it was breathtaking. Definitely one for the books.

A sunset to remember.

Next morning, I woke up early to swim in the hotel pool and then we had a yummy breakfast at Camille's. I had eggs Benedict and my mom had pancakes. Also, coffee (obviously).

I told you Key West is a color fest.

We decided to check out the Key West Butterfly and Nature Conservatory and I was blown away. You walk into this greenhouse and hundreds of butterflies fly around you. It truly was magical.

This is me being in awe at the butterflies.

There were also flamingos!

We took a cute little trolley around town and it was a nice break from all the walking. On Sunday the weather was perfect, sunny with a nice breeze.

We stopped for a drink at Captain Tony's Saloon, another old bar with a lot of history, and we played foosball while sipping beers.

Before heading back home, we grabbed a light lunch at Conch Republic Seafood Compnmy, overlooking the marina. I had conch fritters and a key lime mojito. I was a happy camper.

The ride back home was awesome, since we had the chance to catch one of those dreamy Florida sunsets. It was so nice to take a weekend off and relax for a bit. As you know, I'm all for breaking the routine, and this trip certainly did.

Daydreaming about this very same idea.

On my soon-to-happen trips? Snorkeling in Islamorada and visiting St. Agustine, the oldest city in the U.S.