WHERE WE STAYED

On the Road

We trailered to family living in Port Saint Lucie, Florida and then rode the FJR two-up all the way to Key West on the first day. The best route all the way down to Florida City is the Turpike. You can purchase a SunPass allowing you to go through the toll booths without stopping, but we didn’t find it too hard to stop at the six or so booths other than Nancy losing a wad of ones as she tried to get the next toll out of her pocket.

On the road we always stay at Hampton Inns. We find the rooms here are consistently clean and comfortable with service reliable. There are cheaper places to stay, but we are finished taking chances.

Key West

For our first night in the Keys we returned to the Southernmost Point Guest House run by Inn keeper Mona Santiago. This large, old Key West house located at the southeastern end of Duval Street has been converted into half a dozen guest rooms. Nothing really fancy here, but the rooms are clean, functional with refrigerator and microwave, and they offer much more privacy than your typical hotel/motel. The grounds are tropical Florida with blooming bushes, palms and fruit bearing banana trees. The pool size Jacuzzi (102 degrees) helped us to relax after a day of playing tourist. The continental breakfast is also healthier than most with juice, coffee, fruits, boiled eggs, various breads, and salami. Nightly rates change seasonally and range from $75 to $115 summer, and $125 to $175 winter, for the standard rooms. This is vintage Key West.

The SPGH is located at the opposite end of Key West from Mallory Square and the port, but we find this a plus. The northern end of the island is awash with tourists, especially when a cruise ship docks. And pray the Disney Magic doesn’t unload while you are there. If you are riding a motorcycle it is easy to unload baggage, helmets, leathers in your room and hop on the bike for a one-mile, 20 mph cruise to the northern end where free cycle parking is easy to find. If you are in a car we recommend renting a scooter or bicycle while you are in town. We sometimes just walk the mile to where the action is – no big deal and there is some great window shopping on the way.

Marathon

Nancy found Captain Pips Marina and Hideaway on the Internet as we do most of the places we stay at for extended periods. We wanted an entire week with rental boat and the Thunderbolt Efficiency was a bargain at $1,370. This off season (early December) price included the room and open fishing boat. Guests need to provide their own fishing gear or rent it from Pips.

The Thunderbolt was clean and equipped with everything we needed for the week. The appointments were not exactly modern, but the wicker furniture fit the tropical atmosphere perfectly. The kitchen was definitely a one-man operation, but we cooked there every night and found it very functional. The small TV was good enough to keep track of the news and weather which is all we want on vacation. There was also a small secluded covered porch with table and chairs, a gas grill and picnic tables in the back yard.

There was a half-hour introduction on use of the boat to make sure that we knew the various laws, safety features and area of operation. The Keys have very shallow waters and the GPS, depth finder and advice made navigating easy. We didn’t get to use the boat as much as we’d have liked because of the weather, but it performed perfectly on the days we went out.

Barbara, the owner of Pips, and her staff were very helpful during our entire stay. There was always someone available should we need them for problems with the accommodations or boat. The marina is just a few hundred feet away from the dock for refueling.

Porky’s Bayside Restaurant is adjacent to the marina and Captain Pips. This open air restaurant with nautical motif is open for lunch and dinner. Tables look out at the marina itself with up-close views of the incoming boats and their catches. Pelicans and a variety of other sea birds offer their own nature show. There is a bar and live music every night.

There is wireless Internet connection at Porky’s for diners and guests of Pips. We’d take a seat at the outdoor counter every morning and evening to check our Email and upload changes to our website. Entertainment was provided by the live music inside and the pelicans outside.

Each sunset was our hour of relaxation with a beer and snacks on our semi-private dock shared with three other units which were vacant most of the week.

Entertainment was provided by the lobster boat crews just across the small harbor. They’d come in each afternoon, unload their catch, and sit down on lobster traps to discuss the events of the day periodically tossing treats to the gathering pelicans. They spoke in Spanish so we don’t know what they said, but it certainly added to the Keys atmosphere.

Nancy made great use of the nearby old Seven Mile Bridge which is now restricted to pedestrians. She just about had the bridge to herself on her daily runs. I would walk part of the way to get a little exercise myself.

Shopping was just a mile of two away in downtown Marathon. There was an excellent Publix Supermarket, a Key Lime Pie outlet, and perhaps most importantly the Keys Fisheries Restaurant and Marina at the northern end of 35th Street on the Gulf. We stopped every day to get fresh fish and stone crab claws (have them cracked) and the attached fish market was open daily 9 to 9 with the freshest of fish. We tried the snapper, hog fish and grouper. The grouper won first prize. The ratings on the restaurant are 5 Star, but we didn’t eat there preferring to fix our own meals at the apartment.

Marathon is also a convenient place to explore the Keys from. It is only an hour from Key West and we zipped down one day to see a few more sights and try the Five Guys Sandwich Shop. We took many of the side roads off US 1 and found some unique homes and beaches. One day we headed north and explored the Card Sound Road and raced down to Flamingo at the southern end of the Florida Everglades. There is also excellent fishing out of Marathon on both the Atlantic and Gulf sides. We think the location was perfect.

PLACES TO EAT

In Key West we visited several different places to eat. The new discoveries, something we would call obscure little gems, were actually better than what we have found in the past.

Pepe’s Café at 806 Caroline Street is the oldest restaurant in Key West, having been established in 1909. It serves breakfast, lunch and dinner every day from 7:30 am to 10:30 pm. Unfortunately we only had time for dinner here. Stopping out front we wondered if we really wanted to eat here even after hearing the positive recommendations. There is no curb appeal until you stop and realize this is Key West.

We sat down in the courtyard and ordered a couple of Kalicks (excellent Bahamian beer) waiting for the dinner hour to begin at 5:30. The antique courtyard bar only seats about a dozen people and it stays busy most of the day. After ordering the daily special the wind started to blow as a tropical squall rolled in. We headed inside to escape the 40 mph gusts, lightening and solid sheets of rain. Rainfall in just two hours was a record 2.6 inches demolishing the old daily record of 1.1 inches set in 1925.

As the weather raged outside we enjoyed soup, ribs and Kalicks in the quaint setting that probably hasn’t changed much since Hemingway stopped by for dinner. All the dishes are made from scratch and delicious. Don’t miss this place when you visit Key West. We sure wish we could have had several other meals here. Everyone is laid back and friendly. Prices are very reasonable.

Leaving Pepe’s the rain had diminished to a slow gully washer. There was over a foot of water in the gutters and it was even up over the sidewalk in many places. We had about four blocks to walk back to the motorcycle so we didn’t need to try to keep dry. The cycle was in a foot of water, but it started right up and we putted along Duval Street watching all the tourists huddled in bars and doorways. We were soaked, but the weather was warm and everyone looked at us like we were crazy. Too bad most of the photos didn’t turn out.

Santiago’s Bodega also came highly recommended. We had a hard time finding it in the Bahamian section of town at 207 Petronia Street. We finally caught a glimpse of a sign that said “Santiagos next block”. Even pulling-up in front you wonder if you found the right place. It looks just like a two story apartment building, but Santiagos is  located in what appears to be the downstairs corner apartment. Once again there is no curb appeal.

We sat down at a small table on the narrow porch as Bahamian locals checked-out our motorcycle at curbside. This was a lunch stop and the place is noted for tapas or small appetizers of Spanish cuisine. The diner is supposed to order several of these small hot or cold servings during an extended meal. It encourages conversation rather than having to focus on the customary large plates filled with food.

I ordered a Kalick while Nancy ordered a red sangria to wet our palates. The first dish we tried was the Beef Tenderloin. This small filet was done to perfection (rare) and covered with a tangy blue cheese butter ($13). Nancy tired the white sangria next, but rated the red a little better. Both were excellent though.

Next we tried the Puff Pastry. This delicate and flakey pastry was stuffed with portabella, onions and fresh thyme. Béarnaise sauce on the side complemented the dish ($7). Even with these small dishes we were full. There were so many great sounding tapas that we could have spent a whole afternoon here.

BO’s Fish Wagon at 801 Caroline Street looks like a red-necked conch’s yard complete with shack, rusted non-operable pick-up truck and overgrown flora. Or as we have learned, Key West curb appeal.

We didn’t eat here, but we would have had we had the time. It is just across the street from Pepe’s and we chose Pepe’s simply because it was the oldest restaurant in town providing something to write about. Somehow I think there would have been plenty of material if we had chosen BOs.

This outdoor seating seafood restaurant is known for its square grouper sandwich and conch fritters with Key lime tartar sauce. Note that in Florida a square grouper is a floating bale of marijuana, but this sandwich is served with fish.

Some people rave about it while others don’t see the big deal. Next time we’ll give it a try.

Five Brothers Grocery and Sandwich Shop is just a small corner store hidden one block from the Key West Cemetery in Old Town at 930 Southard Street. It is a closely guarded secret of the locals who don’t want to see the place crowded with tourists at breakfast or lunch time. There is only so much room on the sidewalk "dining benches".

We missed the breakfast sandwiches and Cuban coffee, but we were there for lunch and had the best Cuban Mixes ever. This sandwich on Cuban bread features ham, pork, Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, mustard and mayonnaise pressed and toasted on the hot press machine. The side order of yucca (like thick French fries) was to die for; deep fried to perfection. Even Nancy ate them with abandon.

We rode all the way south from Marathon (50 miles) one day primarily to have lunch here. Then we learned that Five Brothers Two had opened at Mile Marker 27 a few miles south of Big Pine Key. Could have save us some 60 miles of riding, but that would have ruined the entire day.

We ate at the Five Brothers Two one day and met brother Eddie. The food, especially the yucca, was once again excellent. We also had a side order of black beans and rice and a couple of Presidente cervesas. Life is good.

Ana's Cuban Cafe is a great place to grab a quick Cuban lunch. We had some great black beans and rice, broiled yucca with garlic, and Cuban coffee here. Just two blocks north of the Southernmost Point.

Porky’s Bayside Restaurant is located on the very southern end of Marathon just half a mile from the Seven Mile Bridge (1400 Overseas Highway). Even though it was adjacent to Captain Pips where we stayed, we didn’t eat here except for lunch one day. We were too busy on the go and cooking fresh fish in our room.

The Buffalo wings lunch was good but the reviews on-line are mixed. We liked the rustic décor and setting right on the marina. There are nightly specials and live music. Wireless Internet is available and there is a bar. We are told to try the fried Key lime pie.

The Keys Fisheries Restaurant and Marina at the northern end of 35th Street on the Gulf in Marathon comes very highly recommended. We bought fresh fish at the adjacent market just about every day and it was fresh! So we imagine the fish served at their restaurant is every bit as good.

Place your food order at the window and wait to be called. The meals are ready right off the fryer. It’s a great location right on the Gulf.

Alabama Jack's was a biker bar and restaurant on the Card Sound route ($1 toll). It's located right on the water and offers seafood and other entres. There is live music on the weekends. We had the fried dolphin sandwich, half a conch fritter, and a bowl of lima bean soup. We'd rate the food about average, but then we had been spoiled with fresh fish every night. Nancy made the worst face of the whole trip when I explained what a conch fritter was .... tough, chewy, fishy tasting conch chunks in a thick, greasy, deep fried, seasoned dough pancake.

The Publix Supermarket on US 1 in Marathon is a great grocery in spite of the narrow aisles. Good selection of breads, beer and meats, but who needs meat in the Keys? We ate fish just about every meal.

THE BIKE AND FISHING
WHERE TO STAY AND WHERE TO EAT
ROADS, PLACES OF INTEREST