Key West with 9 & 11 year olds

[mjfisherdc]

I am looking for ideas to do with the kids in Key West. Was wanting to walk around town and see some highlights and maybe grab lunch. Would love any input on great restaurants (we love dive places with awesome food), things to not miss or things the kids might enjoy.

 

[lovin'fl]

Been to Key West on 2 cruises (love it!!). The Hemingway House is a hit with kids. Then walk around and shop and eat. We ended up in Margaritaville (on our 2013 cruise) but I am sure there are better choices. Can also walk to the southernmost point. In 2007, we took our kids (8, 8 and 10) to a Pirate scavenger hunt that was a DCL excursion (but I think you can walk up and pay on your own). They enjoyed it.

 

[MUN]

Your kids would love a walk up Duval Street with stops at a famous bar (kid friendly during the day) for a drink, bite to eat, and some music. We stopped at Kermit's Key West Key Lime Shoppe (we visted the location on Duval) for some key lime pie treats. We also visited the southern most point marker and spent some time at the southern most beach. We would have liked to have visited the Hemingway house, but the line to get in was very long. We did enjoy stopping in some of the shops on Duval and we had lunch at Sloppy Joe's.

We were there last week, the day before New Year's Eve and you could see outside of Sloppy Joe's the giant counch shell that is dropped at midnight. At Bourbon Street just up a couple of blocks away they drop a giant red slipper at midnight on New Year's Eve. Both made great photo ops!

Plus its fun to walk around the marina near Mallory Square to see all of the boats.

Our youngest is 11 and he loved Key West!

MUN

 

[Joel0917]

it was SOOOOO hot the day we went..like 95plus..very hot in the sun. My kids just wanted to go back to the ship and swim. There is plenty of walking around to do and lots of little stores and a ship museum to go into. But again, my kids just wanted to swim.

 

[sambycat]

As others have said, you can walk to Mallory square, there's a pirate museum that's fun. Eat lunch at sloppy joes and check things out.

 

[daisyx3]

We went years ago but we had to go to Sloppy Joes and get a Hemingway magnet for me (I teach English). We also ate at Margaritaville but the kids like Buffett too (they were 12, 9 and 6). I do remember the girls were really excited by the Del Sol store and bought a tote bag and some nail polish.
Daisyx3

 

[phinz]

Look for other threads about Key West. If your kids have not been exposed to raunchy, off-color or poor humor and you wish to keep it that way, do *not* go on Lower Duval St. Spend your precious time seeing the good stuff in Key West. I'm a frequent visitor to the rock and never recommend Lower Duval St. unless you just want $5 TShirt shops, junk souvenirs and over-exposed, poor quality bars. Don't get me wrong. Duval St. has its place for those who long for Mardi Gras all the time and prefer to drink overpriced drinks in the same places that everybody else drinks them. There's just so much more to that 8 square mile island than Lower Duval.

Hemingway House, Conch Train (or one of the trolley services), the Bight, Shipwreck Museum, Key West Lighthouse, Audubon House, Truman Annex (and the Truman Little White House), Key West Cemetery, East Martello Tower, Butterfly Conservatory, Mallory Square, Fort Zachary Taylor, San Carlos Institute. These are all better things to see than a shopping and debauchery district.

Food: Pepe's, B.O.'s Fish Wagon, Blue Heaven, Garbo's Grill, 5 Brothers, Bien, Eaton Street Seafood, Santiago's Bodega, Kojin, The Cafe, Sarabeth's, Rum Barrel, Turtle Kraal's, Dante's (where you can even go for a swim in their massive freeform pool), El Siboney, Louie's Backyard (and Afterdeck if you eat at the bar). These are but a few of the much better places you can eat than Margaritaville, Sloppy Joe's or Hogs Breath. You only have a short time there. Take the opportunity to go where the herd doesn't.

 

[phinz]

Here's a post from a previous thread when somebody was asking about walking to the Southernmost Point:

Duval Street is definitely not where I would take kids, especially if they are capable of reading TShirts in windows, because they can be a bit off color, and the characters you meet as well as the "music" you hear coming out of such places as Sloppy Joe's and Irish Kevin's can be raunchy at times. It is the Bourbon Street of Key West. I've spent many, many, many weeks in Key West (It's my One Particular Harbor and the place I would lay anchor for the rest of my life if I could) staying in hotels, houses, bed and breakfasts and condos and if I had kids they wouldn't be anywhere near Lower Duval until their teens. Upper Duval isn't as bad, but I'd still take Whitehead to get to at least Petronia before turning left to head one block up to Duval. My last three week stay there, the only time I was on Duval was visiting friends who were performing at Margaritaville or attending the Key West Literary Seminar.

Honestly, though, I'd walk all the way to Truman or Virginia on Whitehead before turning to Duval if at all interested in seeing part of Duval (you aren't missing much afaiac). That way you at least walk past the 0 Mile Marker for US 1, The Hemingway House and the Key West Lighthouse. There's also an incredible Kapok Tree in front of the Monroe County Courthouse that you can see. If coming from either the Westin or Mallory Square piers, you'll also walk past the Audubon House as well as Kelly's Caribbean Grill, which at one time was owned by the movie star Kelly McGillis. It's a much more interesting walk than the hole that is Duval Street, and there are a few more trees to keep the sidewalks shaded.

There's a reason the only locals you will typically find on Duval either work there or are going to the San Carlos Institute. The San Carlos is a place I recommend visiting to see their display of Cuban history and artifacts, not to mention their quiet and air conditioned bathrooms, if you must be on Duval. It's free, but they do ask for a donation. The story of it is really neat. It's between Fleming and Applerouth on Duval, just two doors down from Margaritaville on the south side of the street, not far from the Strand Theatre, which is now a Walgreens.

 

[daisyx3]

We didn't eat at Margaritaville to be part of the "herd", I actually really like Jimmy Buffett! We also took the conch train, and went to Hemingway house (my mom wanted to see the cats). We were going to do the southernmost point but it was a July day and very hot.

 

[phinz]

We didn't eat at Margaritaville to be part of the "herd", I actually really like Jimmy Buffett! We also took the conch train, and went to Hemingway house (my mom wanted to see the cats). We were going to do the southernmost point but it was a July day and very hot.

Obviously I like Jimmy Buffett too. Look at my username.

 

[sharona]

Are they/you adventurous? We really enjoyed parasailing in Key West. We have used http://keywestsebago.com/ twice for parasailing and snorkel/jet ski tour. Great crew.

 

[MUN]

Look for other threads about Key West. If your kids have not been exposed to raunchy, off-color or poor humor and you wish to keep it that way, do *not* go on Lower Duval St. Spend your precious time seeing the good stuff in Key West. I'm a frequent visitor to the rock and never recommend Lower Duval St. unless you just want $5 TShirt shops, junk souvenirs and over-exposed, poor quality bars.

Where is the demarcation line on Duval that is "safe" for the tender eyes and ears of our children?

 

[MUN]

We didn't eat at Margaritaville to be part of the "herd", I actually really like Jimmy Buffett! We also took the conch train, and went to Hemingway house (my mom wanted to see the cats). We were going to do the southernmost point but it was a July day and very hot.

So you didn't want to be part of the "herd", but you rode the conch train. LOL

 

[sharona]

There is a wonderful crepes place on the southern end of Duval if you're looking for somewhere good to eat.

 

[princessebird]

We purchased a HOHO bus ticket on groupon and took it to the southernmost point, and then walked back. We had kiddos and seniors and while a walk one way was feasible, walking both ways would have been too much. The butterfly house and conservatory was a big hit with the grade school kiddos. We then walked along Duval only to get to Banana Cafe, which had a very lovely brunch. We then cut over to Whitehead and part of the group went to a bookstore and others went to the Hemingway House. And then we walked back to Mallory Square to catch the bus back to the ship.

 

[phinz]

Where is the demarcation line on Duval that is "safe" for the tender eyes and ears of our children?

Your sarcasm is showing.

I'm going to ignore it, though, and answer the question. I'd say about Margaritaville (which is just past Fleming if walking toward Upper Whitehead), even though Willie T's is almost across the street, but if you'd read my quote above from the previous post, I tell where I consider the best place to turn to Duval from Whitehead if you're determined to walk down Duval but want to avoid the worst of the garbage and dreck.

Added bonus? There's a new CVS on the corner of Fleming and Duval if you need supplies, in the old Kress building that used to house Fast Buck Freddie's.

Let it be said that I don't care if you take your kids down Duval and expose them to everything in the world. It's your prerogative. I just don't want people coming back here all up in arms because their daughter started repeating something she saw on a T-Shirt that shouldn't be said in mixed company, or their son asked them what certain words mean that come wafting out of a dive bar. Forewarned is forearmed. I also feel that Key West has so much more to offer, and most people don't ever explore those things. They come back saying they hated Key West but didn't leave Lower Duval. Lower Duval is enough to make a *lot* of people hate Key West.

 

[californiamomofboys]

Blue Heaven is our favorite restaurant. The banana heaven dessert is to die for. If you like oysters, try The Raw Bar which is along the water to the left of Duval as you leave Mallory Square. Hemmingway House and Truman's Little White House are very interesting if looking for something educational.

 

[bumbershoot]

So you didn't want to be part of the "herd", but you rode the conch train. LOL

First, sightseeing buses are great ways to see a new city. A work friend of DH's gave me trouble for doing a HOHO in Dublin, but I didn't see him lining up to show me around!

Second, she said something different than what you said.

You're responding to "I didn't want to be part of the herd". But she said "I ate there bc I like it, not because I was paranoid the herd." Those have different meanings.


Op we intended to disembark early, ride one of the sightseeing buses, then go see one or two of the places we had gone by. We got off the shop late and it was hot so we rode a trolley (our guide was wonderful and knew everyone and everyone knew her), then went to shop at the Tervis shop (I had never seen such a shop before), got a tropical flavor ice cream at Haagen Dazs, wandered just a bit more and got back on our shop.

I personally wouldn't go to a dive restaurant in Key West with my son (who was 10 at the time) even if I went to them elsewhere. Though I should mention that our cruise was during Fantasy Fest but there was nothing too crazy. Just an advertised zombie walk that was happening after our ship left port. Everyone seemed to be sleeping it off.

 

[DISNEYJKJ]

When my DS was 9, we did one of the trolley sightseeing tours, had lunch at Sloppy Joes and dessert at Kermit's Key Lime Pie shop. He really enjoyed all of the activities. Have fun!

 

[Ofinn]

Skip Jimmy Buffets they have those everywhere. Eat at Carolyn's on Duval street. It's so good. Get the fried shrimp appetizer and don't forget the key lime pie for dessert.