Last weekend I went on a whirlwind island adventure to Key West with some of my lifelong friends. We’ve been doing annual reunion trips for several years and while we were there, we figured out that this was the 10th trip! Each year a group goes and sometimes sadly we don’t all make it like this year, but we keep making it happen because our friendships (since high school) are so important to us. But also because we deserve time away from the kids just for ourselves, and we love to explore new and old places together.
This year we chose Key West and most of us had been there at least one time. Our goal was to relax but also have a little fun in the process. And so today I wanted to share some of the favorite things we did on our girls trip to The Keys.
Drive to Key West in Style
We come from all over the country so we decided to fly into Miami, which is much less expensive than flying directly to Key West. Of course that means a bit of a drive after long flights, so we had to do it in style. Kia was generous enough to provide us with a 2016 Kia Sorento SXL 2.0T AWD. Thank you Kia!
This SUV was perfect for our 3 1/2 hour trip each way, carrying 5 adult women and loads of luggage. The Sorento has a fold-down 3rd row and we used that space to pack in all of our suitcases and bags, with plenty of room. Being in sunny Florida, we absolutely loved the built in sun shades and giant sun roof. And since we didn’t really know where we were going, the large touchscreen with built in GPS came in very handy.
Stay at Southernmost Beach Resort
We decided to book a resort hotel that offered a couple nice pools, beach access and plenty of amenities. Southernmost gets its name because it is very close to the southernmost point of the U.S., which is 90 miles outside of Cuba. There’s a nice spot to take a photo for the scrapbooks. The resort was beatiful and we spent a ton of time by the pool (or in the pool with all that heat!) and even played a little bingo on the patio.
Take an Island Adventure Cruise
We did really want to do an excursion while we were there so talked to our fantastic concierge at Southernmost to get an idea of what might be best. We ended up choosing one called Island Adventure, which was 4 1/2 hours of fun and relaxation.
We embarked in the afternoon on an island catamaran, first to an area of the beautiful Key West Back Country where we snorkeled among the marine life thriving below. I saw a lobster and loads of fish. A few people even saw a sea turtle, but I missed that one!
We then had a really nice lunch as we cruised to a remote natural sandbar tucked away within the Key West Marine Sanctuary. There we grabbed kayaks (or paddle boards) and explored the crystal waters seeing some wildlife in its natural habitat. Then we relaxed with a cold beer or wine and sank our toes into the heavy sand of the shallow warm waters. It almost felt hot tub-like. On our way back to Key West we had a perfect view of the sparkling sunset and the many boats roaming the waters. So beautiful!
Hunt for the Best Key Lime Pie
Of course we just HAD to have Key Lime Pie. Unfortunately we only had it a couple of times but honestly it was because the food in the area was so wonderful and we got SO full. I think it was some of the best food we’ve had on any of our 10 girls trips. But never fear, we did ask some locals where to find the best pie, and one friend told us that Mile Marker 88 Restaurant had one of the best. I have to agree! This was delicious!
Party on Duval Street
Of course there’s no trip to Key West without a little fun on Duval Street. Our hotel was in walking distance, which made a couple nights on the town very easy. It’s quite the party scene!
Have you ever been to The Florida Keys? What did you love?
