Key West?

[gshoemate]

We have been planning on driving down for a weekend but something always comes up. From what I understand it is very laid back. But be cautious of what hotel you stay at. I have seen some bad reviews online. Like one hotel advertised that it had it's own beach and you could rent watercrafts but the reviewer posted that there was just enough sand so that they could say they had their own beach but it wasn't big enough to do anything on.

 

[Melissa R]

I have to start by saying that I live in Fort Lauderdale and hate it here. I also LOVE Key West and it's been way too long since I went there. So that's my gut feeling. However, since you say you're not into partying or drinking, I think you might be better in Fort Lauderdale. We have much better beaches than Key West. We certainly don't have the same laid back, quirky atmosphere, but that can be a bad thing as well as a good thing. It really depend on what you're looking to do. Let's see, you said eat, shop, and tours. Well, both places have good places to eat. I don't know about big shopping areas in KW, but Duval St has lots of interesting (and sometimes very unusual!) shops. Ft Lauderdale has malls and an outlet mall (with a Disney outlet!!!!). Tours....I've never done any tours in KW, but I know there is one at least. Here in Ft Laud, there's a tour called the Jungle Queen that takes you up the New River and around the area. I haven't done it since I was a kid, so I don't know much about it. Here's a list of tours that the city lists. http://info.ci.ftlaud.fl.us/aboutftlaud/see/tours.htm

It's a tough call. If you're looking for beaches, I think Ft Laud wins hands down. If you're bothered by drunk people roaming the streets, then Ft Laud wins that too. But if you're game for seeing some interesting things and a beautiful sunset (with more interesting things like performing cats - WOW!), then you could give KW a try.

Please let me know if I can answer any questions at all!