Port of Call: Key West

We'd been told our trip wouldn't be complete without trying chocolate-covered Key Lime Pie on a stick. Our only mistake was in each of us trying to eat a whole one by ourselves. They are creamy and yummy, but very rich.

Quick Tips:

In July, the open-air trolley ride was almost unbearable. Paper fans were offered, but did little to dispel the mugginess. A few people carried mister fans, but I wasn't sure I wanted to be any wetter than I already was!

Best Way To Get Around:

The Old Town Trolley Tour allows you to get off at any of the stops and reboard whenever you're ready. For more information on this and other options, click here: Key West Tours.

Ernest Hemingway lived here from 1931 until he died in 1961. This home has the first swimming pool built in Key West. The pool was installed in the late 1930's, at a cost of $20,000. The cost prompted Hemingway to press a penny into the wet cement of the decking around the pool, signifying that it took the last penny he had!

The home is filled with many wonderful furnishings and the tour guide will tell the story surrounding many unique pieces. There are beautiful chandeliers in many of the rooms. It seems Hemingway's wife, Pauline, didn't like the look of the ceiling fans and had the chandeliers from her girlhood home installed instead. As I stood there that very muggy July afternoon with sweat dripping down my back, I wished Hemingway had been less accommodating to his wife's wishes!

My favorite part of Hemingway house was the cats that snoozed everywhere. Hemingway was given a polydactyl (6-toed) cat by a ship's captain. All of the approximately 60 cats living there are descendants of the first one, and many are polydactyl.