On this blog we wanted to highlight two of our many returning guests who stay with us year-after-year. First up are the Pierce’s, Ray and Jan from Vermont, who love to stay at Key Lime Inn and have been coming for 12 years. Usually they come for a holiday by themselves but this time they are sharing their vacation with some other family members that we booked into adjacent cottages. This year they were celebrating Ray’s 59th- ish birthday  (next year is a big one). They planned a week’s worth of events that highlight some of the wonderful things to do here. Here is what they have been doing:

The Pierce’s busy Key West schedule!

On Monday, they went to The Taste of Key West, a fundraiser for AIDS Help. This event takes place down on the Truman Waterfront Pier overlooking the world famous Key West sunset where, from the pier, you can see the Atlantic Ocean meeting the Gulf of Mexico. It’s just a BEAUTIFUL location, with a great breeze blowing in off the cool water. What they really loved was that there were more than 50 local restaurants, with their top chefs, showing off their very best food.  They said the breeze was balmy and perfect, the wine was flowing, bands were playing, and they had a chance to dance and catch-up with friends they have made over the years, all while the sun was setting on the azure-colored sea. Sounds like a great first day to me!

Tuesday: Tonight they decided that the perfect evening was to have dinner at the restaurant Nine One Five on Duval Street.  A highlight of the dinner was when Inga stopped by to sing Happy Birthday to Ray.  Inga is one of our favorite Key West drag queens (a regular performer at Aqua Nightclub).  At 6′ 8″ in those delicious high heels, and decked out in haute drag-couture, Inga is a delight! Dinner was fabulous.

Jan, Inga and Ray starting the night at Nine One Five

Katrina, Jenie, Ray, Jan and Marlon at Nine One Five.

Wednesday it was off to Bahia Honda State Park at Mile Marker 37, voted one of the best beaches in both Florida and the world. Jan spent most of the day in the water snorkeling while Ray went out kayaking.

They said they stopped on their way up to the park at one of our favorite places on Sugarloaf Key at Mile Marker 24, The Sugarloaf Food Company, to get sandwiches for a picnic near the old Flagler Railroad bridge. They said they made sure they got some of her pistachio cookies and her hummingbird cake. Yum! Yesterday, Thursday, they stayed at the Key Lime Inn Pool during the day and headed to the dock behind the Westin Resort for a sunset sail on the tall ship named The Liberty Clipper. We love to do this as well. It’s a serene way to celebrate a sunset on your vacation.

Aboard the Liberty Clipper Tall Ship at Sunset

The Liberty Under Sail

Friday: Well tonight is their last here with us and they are planning on going first to one of the final events of the Annual Conch Republic Independence Celebration, the Battle of the Conch Republic, a mock maritime battle of the Conch Republic Navy defending the harbor against Federal Ships. This is the best ‘food fight at sea’ because the preferred ammunition is stale Cuban bread and water cannons! I’m sure they are going to have a lot of fun there. Afterwards, it’s on to the Ghost Tour of Key West. This walking tour of our Old Town is lead by a storyteller dressed in Victorian garb wielding a lantern and a staff. Are the stories legend or reality? They will have to give us their take when they back.

The Milan’s do Key West!

Next we have the Milan’s, Carol and Pat from Minnesota, who were here this year with their son Jack who brought along his friend Alex.  They, too, have been coming to stay with us for the last 10 years, staying at three of our five hotels; Merlin Guesthouse, Key Lime Inn and Lighthouse Court. When they come for a romantic vacation they stay in the Hemingway Suite at Lighthouse Court, one of my favorite rooms too! When they come with the family they like to stay at one of the cottages at Merlin Guesthouse but this year their favorite rooms were already taken so we booked them into adjoining rooms at Lighthouse Court.  They have planned a week’s worth of activities different from the those above which will give you an even bigger sampling of things to do here on your vacation.  Here is what they have been doing:

They arrived on a Friday afternoon after a drive from Miami and checked into their rooms near the pool at Lighthouse Court. They decided to head down to Mallory Square for some dinner and to watch the sunset celebrations.

Jack and Alex hanging out at sunset.

Carol at the sunset celebration on Mallory Square. Suspiciously, Pat is missing from all of these photos....

After dinner they all strolled over to Duval. Drag queens and drag performances are a part of the cultural nightlife of Key West and Jack and Alex were up for their first ever show at 801 Bourban Bar on Duval Street. Carol and Pat have enjoyed the Drag Queen Bingo in the past but this night it was just going to be singing and dancing performances. They all really loved it and were even singing along!

Scene of Jack and Alex's first drag show, a must for a Key West vacation.

Carol and the girls go shopping.

Saturday was fishing day for the guys. They had booked one of the local charter Captain’s to take them out in the Gulf of Mexico for deep sea fishing. Carol and some girlfriends spent the day shopping and ‘doing lunch’.

Sunday and Monday were water sports days at Smathers and Higgs Beaches.  Key West has many public beaches where you can pick up a game of volleyball or rent a parasail, jet ski, or snorkeling gear. If you just want to hang out and sunbathe, they are perfect for that as well.

Jack's undersized grouper. Have to throw this one back so it can grow bigger.

Playing volleyball on Smathers Beach.

Jack, Alex and a new friend at Higgs beach after snorkling.