Get Off The Ship - we are running out of towel animals! Update 10/25 Day 31

[Leshaface]

Such a cool fort!

Great perspective.

Wow that's flying low or you're really zoomed in!

Calamari sauteed in marinara as our starter. They came out quickly and we were very happy to have decided to share instead of ordering two appetizers as the serving was quite big. We had some of the bread with it and dipped it in the sauce as it was so good. Once we had finished the calamari it took a few minutes for our main courses to come out.

Geez does this sound delicious!

And this looks FANTASTIC! I'm making shrimp pasta tonight actually. Probably won't be anywhere near this good though!

So beautiful, wow! Definitely the best sunset i've seen in photos!

Banana Bread Beer. We laughed about it, but he was more than pleasantly surprised with it. I on the other side, was not that adventurous and opted for the trusted Diet Coke. It did not take long and we were served our breakfast. As always I tried another version of my favourite vacation breakfast,

What the heck?! Did you give it a taste at all? I mean, I know it's not going to taste exactly like banana bread, but I wonder if there were subtle hints of banana?

Key Limeade, which was cold and tart and hit the spot.

That sounds refreshing!

Key Lime Pie on a stick and a Diet Coke for Tom. There were also a lot of things for tasting and the nice guy behind the counter urged us to try as much as we could. We did end up buying some Key Lime products in the end.

OH my, this looks yummy and I totally would have took the guys offer up on trying everything! I'm a sucker for samples and usually always purchase what I sample!

 

[heytoni]

It has taken me 2-3 weeks to read your trip report. Please finish!

 

[jedijill]

I'm sure Karin will be back soon! She was really ill and hasn't been on the Dis much but she is getting some updates up on her other report.

Jill in CO

 

[dizneeat]

Oh, Karin, I hope you are feeling better soon!

You ARE going to write TRs for Italy and all the other European destinations, right?????? PLEASE!!!!!

All well again, Roni, thank you. And I guess you know me well enough to know that I WILL do a TR for our European vacations.

Loved all the pictures here. Willow is at an age now where she really enjoys stuff like this - it's so fun to visit historical places and learn things together.

The Fort was so interesting. I just love those pieces of history and let my imagination go wild imagining how it was when it was in use.

Just beautiful pictures, Karin. I feel transported!

The beach was awesome and it was so unexpected to see such a natural (while well visited) beach.

Uh, yeah, that is one heck of a view! I wish I could look out at that view whenever I dined!

Thank you, tripadvisor! I looked up their reviews and this one stood out. We didn't even think we would make it there, but were so happy we stopped while driving past.

I would have chosen what you chose - Mmmmmmmm.

It was delicious, but a HUGE portion.

And why, after all this time, have I not learned that it's a mistake to read your TRs when I'm super-hungry???????

I knew that's what you were there for - I would have been too! I am obsessed with sunsets over the ocean (as you will discover if I ever get a mini-TR for our Spring Break trip posted on my DLR TR. Watching the sun set over the ocean is just the most peaceful, awe-inspiring experience. It's one of the many reasons that I would choose not to go on a cruise if I couldn't have a verandah.

The sunsets are just awesome in Key West. We usually watch from our balcony at the hotel, but wanted to see the whole thing (the hotel puts the sun at the right hand corner) and we were in awe.
I could not agree with you more on the reason fro having a verandah on a cruise.

Perfection!!! You got some amazing shots, Karin! I am so impressed.

I could not believe that my photos with my tiny point and shoot came out nearly as well as Tom's, who used his DSLR.

This made me actually laugh out loud - first, breakfast beer!!! Then BANANA BREAD BEER!!!! HILARIOUS!!!

It made us laugh out loud as well, but Tom was brave and gave in to try one. And he was pleasantly surprised.

 

[dizneeat]

Sorry you had to cancel the cruises till next year. Wish I was going to Italy for a week. I miss it.
Nice pics of the fort.
Love restaurants that are right next to the beach.
The meal looked good.
GORGEOUS sunset pics.
Banana bread beer sounds interesting.
I have always wanted to try the frozen key lime pie dipped in chocolate on a stick. One day.

In the meantime we have changed our plans again and are now going on the EBPC cruise.

That was one beautiful set restaurant and the food was pretty yummy. As was the Banana bread beer.

You really need to try the frozen key lime pie - just get it from the right place, Kermits has the best.

Wow That sunset is gorgeous. I didn't know they had an area set up where people came to just watch it. How neat!

It was beautiful - the whole mood of the evening was very special. And all of Mallory Square is a big "circus" with people entertaining and just hanging out watching the sunset.

just now starting to read! have only read first post and wow! can you adopt me? thats incredible that you took such a long/amazing vacation!

Welcome! We still have a few days to go.
Our vacations are always 4 - 6 weeks long. That makes far more sense with airfare from Europe.

I have got to go to Key West some of these days. Beautiful!

Jill in CO

Jill, you would love it there. It is a beautiful little place.

 

[dizneeat]

Gorgeous sunset pics! Love it.

It was a beautiful end to our otherwise wonderful day.

And this looks FANTASTIC! I'm making shrimp pasta tonight actually.

It was as tasty as it looked - the portionsize though was HUGE, far too much for one. I am sure your shrimp pasta was awesome too!

So beautiful, wow! Definitely the best sunset i've seen in photos!

Thank you! It was an awesome day and the sunset was just breathtaking. It was so worth it driving over to Mallory Square again that day.

What the heck?! Did you give it a taste at all? I mean, I know it's not going to taste exactly like banana bread, but I wonder if there were subtle hints of banana?

I don't like beer - ANY beer! Yes, strange, I know.
So, I asked Tom and he said that it indeed had a very slight bananabread aftertaste. It was an unusual beer, but he liked it and he said that it was really nice for breakfast.

OH my, this looks yummy and I totally would have took the guys offer up on trying everything! I'm a sucker for samples and usually always purchase what I sample!

If you have a chance, you need to try the Key Lime Pie on a stick - so yummy! As I said before, Kermit's has the best.

It has taken me 2-3 weeks to read your trip report. Please finish!

So sorry it took me so long to come back, but a lot of things have happened and it was hard to make time to update (any of my three running TRs!)

I'm sure Karin will be back soon! She was really ill and hasn't been on the Dis much but she is getting some updates up on her other report.

Jill in CO

Thanks for having my back, Jill!

 

[dizneeat]

​

Day 25, August 31​

And another beautiful day … - Part 2

It was now midday and it was hot and we were both getting tired and happy when we reached our hotel and were back in our room.

We both lay down on the bed and watched a little TV,

both with a drink on the nightstand. After a while I started packing up things again and after that we spent some time on the balcony watching them put up all the tents and tables for Beerfest. At around half past three we got antsy again, so we got ready and headed out the door. We had skipped lunch and were on our way to try something new for a late lunch. After a few minutes walk

we came to our destination, Five Guys, a burger restaurant. We ordered our burgers with some fixings and French Fries and found a table to sit down and sip some of our drinks. They give you a number and soon enough our number was called and while this was “just” a burger, it was a really great and tasty one.

The French Fries were out of this world and since they had a wall of home coloured flags telling where guests were from, we had to make one too and hung it up.

Funnily enough there was another Austrian flag as well. Once our bellies were full we very slowly made our way up Duval Street again. This time we only went to the La Concha Hotel.

They have a great viewing deck,

but as a non hotel guest you can only go up to the deck after three. We arrived shortly before 4pm, headed for the elevator and went up to the deck. There were empty seats at the bar, so we had a seat and ordered some drinks, Tom got a

Budweiser, while I had my standard La Concha drink, a

Strawberry Daiquiri. We watched him make my drink and chatted for a while before we went outside onto the deck.

To be continued ............​

 

[Leshaface]

I love the colors of the room and I love that little corner with the chairs. Looks so inviting!

we came to our destination, Five Guys, a burger restaurant.

Oh my gosh! The next town over for me just got this restaurant not too long ago and it was DELICIOUS!!! I'm not sure if all the restaurants are the same, but this one you were able to get free peanuts too and just throw the shells on the floor. It was kind of a mess but how fun is that??

 

[MEK]

Wow - I just found myself reading updates from April that I totally missed and then *bam* an update from today!

First of all - those sunset pictures are absolutely stunning! WOW! the one with the sun coming through the middle of the sails is perfect. That belongs in a picture contest.

Yummy dinner. Yummy breakfast.

Yummy beer fest! How fun!

Your hotel is just lovely. Key West looks so amazing. I can't wait to see it in December. I have a feeling it won't be my last visit.

 

[MAGICFOR2]

I somehow missed some at the end of April too. Camile's looks so cheery and fun! Glad the food was as good as it looked. Love your room. The view looks amazing! Glad to see you back here. I have had a lot going on and am behind everywhere, including having trouble updating on my TR. I guess we do what we can to get it in with our real lives

 

[Flossbolna]

I am even spotting a third Austrian flag on that wall!

 

[r1ckster]

Thanks for posting!

 

[dizneeat]

I love the colors of the room and I love that little corner with the chairs. Looks so inviting!

The resort and its rooms are just so lovely. And the view is absolutely stunning. It comes with a price tag, but what doesn't.

Oh my gosh! The next town over for me just got this restaurant not too long ago and it was DELICIOUS!!! I'm not sure if all the restaurants are the same, but this one you were able to get free peanutstoo and just throw the shells on the floor. It was kind of a mess but how fun is that??

Aren't those burgers and fries yummy? We loved it and I really hope we can make it to one again, when we go back in 2016!

First of all - those sunset pictures are absolutely stunning! WOW! the one with the sun coming through the middle of the sails is perfect. That belongs in a picture contest.

Sunsets at Key West are always spectacular. You need to go and watch one at Mallory Square when you are there in December! But come early or the best spots are taken.

Your hotel is just lovely. Key West looks so amazing. I can't wait to see it in December. I have a feeling it won't be my last visit.

Key West is really cute. Take your time, go with the flow. Hemingway House is such a great example and the lighthouse just across the street will give you a perfect view over Key West.
And I am SURE, it will not be your last visit.

I somehow missed some at the end of April too. Camile's looks so cheery and fun! Glad the food was as good as it looked. Love your room. The view looks amazing! Glad to see you back here. I have had a lot going on and am behind everywhere, including having trouble updating on my TR. I guess we do what we can to get it in with our real lives

Missing something is so easy to do ...... happens to all of us, Tammie!
To be honest, if I had not read about Camille's we would not have tried it, but it was SO worth it. The food was really good and the restaurant is "unique".
The hotel is something else. We love it there. The service is just impecable and the rooms are beautiful and so is that oceanfront view.
I am with you on updating - there was a lot going on lately and I have not updated as much as I would have liked as I am occupied with preparing tests and marking them. NO fun, I tell you that much.

I am even spotting a third Austrian flag on that wall!

I completely missed the third card and so did Tom. Thanks for pointing it out - it took us a while to find it, but we did.

Thanks for posting!

You are welcome!

 

[MAGICFOR2]

Missing something is so easy to do ...... happens to all of us, Tammie!
To be honest, if I had not read about Camille's we would not have tried it, but it was SO worth it. The food was really good and the restaurant is "unique".
The hotel is something else. We love it there. The service is just impecable and the rooms are beautiful and so is that oceanfront view.
I am with you on updating - there was a lot going on lately and I have not updated as much as I would have liked as I am occupied with preparing tests and marking them. NO fun, I tell you that much.

Funny how work gets in the way of having fun!

 

[dizneeat]

Funny how work gets in the way of having fun!

..... I wish I could do without having to go to work, but Mickey still "needs" my money.

 

[dizneeat]

​

Day 25, August 31​

And another beautiful day … - Part 3

We watched him make my drink and chatted for a while before we went outside onto the deck.
It was interesting to watch the sky as part of it became very dark, while on the other side there were blue skies.

The view from the deck was amazing and we stayed out there for quite a while. When we went back inside the bar keeper asked if we had seen it?
Seen what?
There had been a tornado out on the ocean, clearly visible from the bar, but we had been on the other side of the hotel.
But we did see it lateron on TV.
About an hour after we had arrived we took the elevator back down and headed out onto the street again.

We bought a few souvenirs on the way back and stopped into some of the shops

to look at their merchandise and pick up something here and there. We walked past the beerfest,

which was packed and headed over to our hotel.

To be continued ............
​

 

[MEK]

More Key West. I want to stay in that same hotel if I ever go there to stay. I think what you said in your reply is absolutely correct - our quick stop on the cruise will definitely NOT be our last visit.

Refresh my memory - when you drive from Orlando to Key West how long does it usually take you? You normally stop somewhere, right? Key Largo?

 

[franandaj]

Looks like a nice afternoon. There is always a debate here in California between Five Guys and In-N-Out. I actually prefer In-N-Out.

 

[dizneeat]

More Key West. I want to stay in that same hotel if I ever go there to stay. I think what you said in your reply is absolutely correct - our quick stop on the cruise will definitely NOT be our last visit.

I can really only recommend that hotel. We just love it there. Right next to the Southernmost Point. And the Southernmost Cafe on the beach is the perfect spot for a yummy bite to eat. Best rooms are the oceanfront ones - LARGE balconies and so close to the water.

Refresh my memory - when you drive from Orlando to Key West how long does it usually take you? You normally stop somewhere, right? Key Largo?

It's quite the drive from Orlando. It takes about 5 hours from Orlando to get to Key Largo (where we usually spend the night at the Courtyard). From Key Largo it takes us another 3 to 4 hours to get to Key West (depending on how often we stop to enjoy the scenery).

Looks like a nice afternoon. There is always a debate here in California between Five Guys and In-N-Out. I actually prefer In-N-Out.

Key West is always so relaxing and the afternoon at the rooftop bar was just what "the doctor ordered".
Guess what, we have never been to an In-N-Out, maybe I should make a note of it for 2016!

 

[dizneeat]

​

Day 25, August 31​

And another beautiful day … - Part 4

We walked past the beerfest, which was packed and headed over to our hotel.

It was nice to just chill for a while on the balcony,

then we started to pack up our things, as we were to leave again the next day.
Once most of the packing was done we emptied out the fridge and had a little picknick in the room instead of going out to dinner. At around 9.30 we went for another walk around the block and found an open grocery store and Tom picked up a few cans of drinks which we had not seen before

and I got a few chocolaty treats

to be consumed lateron. Once we got back to our room Tom tried some of the drinks he had bought but most of them were so gross, they immediately went down the drain. We finished packing, enjoyed the balcony for a little while longer

and were ready to go to bed shortly before midnight.

It was so sad to know that we had to leave the next day, but at least we had another stay at WDW ahead of us.

To be continued ............​