It was very nice meeting all of you in person - it's a shame I didn't have more time to head out on any of your other pomological excursions, but my job schedule is brutal. Plummy, I realized on my way home that the Fruit and Spice Park greenhouse plant I had mistakenly identified as a durian (and which you cleverly pointed out was an Annona) was, in fact, a posh-te. Kudos on recognizing the genus immediately. NTM, I noticed the same thing about the leaf burn on the rambutans at Fairchild - of course, mine seem to have the same problem. I was there earlier today and found ripe cherapus and ripening mangosteens on the trees - very cool.

Eileen, If you cant tell by my online name, IÂm gardengrlÂs DH and yes, I am a former resident of Key West (KW) (born and raised there, so IÂm a Conch). Gardengrl called me and said you needed some info on where to stay, where to eat, what to see, etc. Hotels First a heads up, the dates youÂre going down there is the same weekend as Sport (mini) Lobster season. This means you will be competing for hotel rooms, restaurant seats, parking spaces, etc., with every person coming down for the lobsters. Given this, I would start working on securing hotel reservations now. Sorry you couldnÂt get into the Pier House; I have family working there and it is very nice. Suggestions on hotels/B&Bs depends on whether you going to have access to a car while in KW. If youÂre not planning to take/rent a car and are looking to stay in downtown KW, and since you were looking at Pier House, IÂm going to suggest taking a look at the Crowne Plaza La Concha. It is on Duval St very close to the downtown scene. Just checked the website and they are running summer specials, which may or may not be in effect given the Mini Lobster season. http://www.laconchakeywest.com/ There is a Hyatt in old town; however, I have never stayed or been inside the hotel and wonÂt recommend something simply based on the name. If you want to try a B&B, the Curry Mansion mentioned earlier is nice. Another place to try is the Pilot House, which is on the corner of Eaton and Simonton, which is one block off Duval St. Outside of Old Town, I can recommend two hotels. The first is the Courtyard Marriott on the corner of North Roosevelt and Kennedy Dr. Gardengrl and I stayed at this hotel last year and it is a good value. The other hotel, which IÂve been to before (and where Gardengrl and I will be staying in September) is the Doubletree Grand Key Resort on South Roosevelt (by the airport). http://doubletree1.hilton.com/en_US/dt/hotel/EYWDTDT-Doubletree-Grand-Key-Resort-Florida/index.do Getting around If you are planning to visit KW in August sans automobile, I do not recommend staying anywhere outside Old Town because as Gina alluded to earlier, it is the hottest month of the year. The ocean breezes that keep KW moderately bearable during the summer months die down during August and you will die trying to ride a bike to downtown KW. Even if youÂre coming from a strong sun area, do not underestimate the sun in KW. Definitely recommend strong, waterproof sunscreen, hats, and light clothing. If you will have access to a car, and plan to stay at a hotel outside of Old Town KW, be forewarned that parking in Old Town can be a challenge during a special event like Mini Lobster. In any case, if you have a car, bring a good supply of quarters with you to feed meters (we do when we go). Unless you and DH are used to riding motorized bikes, I recommend renting or taking bicycles vice renting mopeds to get around the island. The parking is far easier, you will just as much of the island, and you will be less likely to wreck a bicycle. Places to Eat. Again, all of these are local places. Breakfast: SandyÂs Café 1026 White St-- If there is one place that I recommend to EVERYONE who visits KW, SandyÂs is that place. This is THE locals place to gather in the mornings; most tourists drive by SandyÂs and donÂt give it a second look. SandyÂs is located inside M&MÂs Laundry on the corner of White and Virginia Streets and is a morning ritual for Gardengrl and I whenever we visit KW. There is no seating per se, since it is inside a Laundromat, so anything ordered there is takeout. I believe I san safely say that SandyÂs serves the strongest, best tasting coffee on the island. I recommend the colada (unless you like your coffee really strong and black, get a milk chug to dilute the colata), Cuban Espresso (AKA bucce or Cuban Speed) and Cuban toast for breakfast. They also serve the best Cuban sandwich (Cuban Mix) on the island. PepeÂs Café, 806 Caroline St  If you want something more sitdown, PepeÂs Café serves a very good breakfast at reasonable prices. It is located on Caroline St, near the Turtle Kraals area and is one of the oldest restaurants on the island (opened 1909). They also serve lunch and dinner. Lunch/Dinner: Turtle Kraals Restaurant & Bar 231 Margaret St  Given the last couple of experiences Gardengrl and I had here (slow service), I almost did not include this long-time local hangout. Turtle Kraals is on the water and serves good seafood. DanteÂs Restaurant and Raw Bar, 951 Caroline St  DanteÂs is a newer place, but has become a favorite of locals. It is located across the parking lot from Turtle Kraals restaurant. DanteÂs is noteworthy because they have a pool in the middle of the restaurant. They serve more sports bar type foods, but have a full bar and pretty good drinks. Rusty Anchor, 5510 3rd Avenue (on Stock Island)  If you donÂt have a car and want seafood, you can try this local favorite. Stock Island is just outside the KW city limits. Usually during Mini Lobster season, Rusty Anchor runs a special on whole lobster. The next two are places I have promised to take Gardengrl, but havenÂt gotten around to. When we go down in September, I will have to take her to one of these two eateries. El Siboney Restaurant, 900 Catherine St  Most people who come to KW want to try Cuban food at least once during their visit. El Siboney is the localÂs choice. This restaurant has been family owned forever (number of different families) and when you walk in, you feel like youÂre walking into someoneÂs living room. However, the restaurant has excellent food at very reasonable prices. Blue Heaven, 729 Thomas St  Dine with the kitties and chickens. Blue Heaven is located within Bahama Village and serves chicken and seafood with a Caribbean flair. They have a blog that I found while looking up the street address. http://blueheavenbacktalk.blogspot.com/ Bars and places for cocktails Its difficult for me to recommend bars to someone I donÂt know. Bars that I think are quite acceptable may be out of the question for others and vice versa. Since youÂre into Buffett, will recommend a few in Old Town Green Parrott, Whitehead St (great to go during the day) Bull and Whistle, Duval St Fat TuesdayÂs, Duval St (yes, I know this is a chain, but its going to be hotter than hell down there and you may want something cold, frosty, and alcohol-laden). HogÂs Breath Saloon, Duval St And since it will be your first time, do recommend Sloppy JoeÂs on Duval and the Original Sloppy JoeÂs (the one Hemingway went to), which is now Capt TonyÂs, and is on Greene St, just around the corner from Sloppy JoeÂs. Just as a heads up (since I donÂt know you). Key West does have a good sized gay and lesbian community, most of who reside in Old Town. I mention this because many who visit KW and are not aware of this sometimes come away with a poor view of the city, simply based on their own beliefs or something they witnessed while on vacation there. What I advise people who have never been down there before is keep an open mind and enjoy yourself.

I love the Keys, I have been going down there since we worked as bartender hoppers one spring back in 76', well at least 20 years ago I did. I hadn't been down through there for about 15 years and took a road trip from our place in Charlotte Harbor about 5 years and was very disappointed. Back in the early 90's as soon as you went below Key Largo it was like getting off the airplane on the islands. No chain restaurants, really not commercialized at all. It was actually hard to believe we were in North America. Since then McDonald's and everything that goes with it. Sad to see. I wish everyone that visits for the first time could have experienced the Conch Republic how it was meant to be enjoyed. The place Jimmy sang about doesn't resemble the place you are going to visit. Don't get me wrong it is still beautiful just different now. If you don't enjoy seafood save yourselves the trip. You must get off the beaten path. Key West is the tourist trap. Be prepared to pay for it as well. Look at prices online. A small room for $300.00 a night downtown is normal. We stay in Little Deer Key for an efficiency and one bed, pool, for $275.00 a night 5 years ago, it is actually a fishing camp, a 5 minute walk to a canal and one can catch fish all day or cast from the boat dock. But you must beware of gators and poisonous snakes, this is there home, we are visitors. As for fishing you don't just get in a boat and go fishing, this is serious water for serious boaters, there are seadoo and small boat rentals but I would recommend small boating on the Gulf side vs. The Atlantic unless on a small bay. Licenses are required for fishing and regulations are strictly enforced. You must know what is in season as well as the sizes you may keep or not. Equipment and bait is available on charters which is your best bet and can be had for half day outings. You don't just throw off your shoes and socks and wade into the water to fish like we do up north here. Stepping on a Stingray can have serious and sometimes fatal results. The best deep sea fishing is in Islamorada, it is the best in the entire world including Cabo in Mexico. Some of the best beaches are in KW. You must go to the KW aquarium where you can pick up a baby nurse shark, if you would enjoy that type of thing. I was going to recommend a oyster place that has been there for 80 years but I read no oysters. They have 2 things on the menu oysters and cold beer. This is the place that Hemingway would have spent more time in than the house they say was his. Everyone says their hotel is where he ate, slept, drank, wrote so they can charge you for it. On the way down don't be afraid to get off to the small keys. I have been to so many over the years that you can't see them all in one month, so I'll keep it to one can't miss place. Little Deer Key and Deer key. There is a restaurant hole in the wall kind of place we love. It was a stop over spot for fishing boats to load up on ice at the turn of the century. A favorite place of Dwight D. Eisenhower I believe. Ask for the place with the dollar bill wallpaper. The best burger I have had in the states. On Little Key there is a State Park that has walkways into the mangroves where you can observe big gators in the wild, keep a close eye on them if they are anywhere near an egret. And have your camera ready, the teens will think it's a blast. The best beach is Bahia Honda State park. As for Key West being a destination for gays, yes it is. That shouldn't deter any mature person. I love Provincetown as well, very educational when your 18 years old to say the least. As for going down to the Keys in the summer, you had better enjoy wet heat. Yes forget makeup and bring a hat. I have been to Cuba for work in July, and Finland in December. I wouldn't go to either place during those extreme climates unless paid to do so, and paid well I must add. My goodness I just wrote a travel blog, time to give it a rest. Enjoy, I just wish everyone could have enjoyed the way it was meant to be without the Walgreens and Wallmart, and in January. This post was edited by SouthernCanuck on Sat, May 4, 13 at 4:08

Wow, JTerri, that does look nice. Looks like hotel developers noticed the same thing I did ... the hotel stock in most of the Keys is a little long i n the tooth and they need some new investment. OTOH I am reluctant to choose an unopened hotel and the last time I did so it was not finished in time! Anyway, the Eau Palm is booked already for the dates I want!? And my family thinks I am crazy for planning so far in advance.Hrmmph. Now I have my heart set on something with a fun, hip PB vibe like that. Which I find more on Air BnB. I don't care so much that they won't be oceanfront (we see plenty of that already) but worry they will flake on me in high season! Funny, Bonnie Ann, I remember being in KW and being told ... its only 90 miles to Cuba and it seeming soooo exotic. ETA ... OMG, look at this listing! I thought there was a person in the family room. I would never rent this unless it was dipped in Lysol first. https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/12782884?guests=8&s=EQGRvyCN